IDW - Bumblebee: Win if you Dare

Written by: James Asmus

Art by: Marcelo Ferreira & Athila Fabbio

Colours by: Valentina Pinto

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Plot

Bumblebee returns to the Ark following a test drive of his new body frame, and gets warned by Optimus against being so reckless in the future and taking on foes larger than him. Soon, the other Autobots are sent out on missions, whilst Bee is requested to complete another test drive, which he does, and starts to question his role on the team.

Soon, Bee sees a couple of racers, and disguises himself amongst them, only to get rammed by the racing jeep. The driver of the pick-up truck racer, Mateo, who has prosthetic limbs, berates the jeep driver for doing that, only for him to get rammed too, sending him over the side of the mountain road. Before he collides with the ground however, Bee transforms and saves him and his truck, shocking Mateo, who isn't aware of the Cybertronians.

Bee tows Mateo's truck back to his house for repairs, where Mateo explains that he lives with his mother, an aerospace engineer, who has been busy on a top-secret project recently.

Meanwhile, at her top-secret military hangar, Mateo's mother, Angela, is making last minutes plans for her upcoming presentation on a new stealth bomber, unaware than Swindle, the jeep from the earlier race, has been spying on her!

The next day, Mateo has breakfast with his mother, who explains that her presentation is the next day, so she can spend more time with him after that. 

With his mother gone, Mateo goes to their aircraft hanger, where Bee is hiding, as he plans to work with Mateo to find out who their race opponent was, and bring him to justice for trying to kill him. Mateo directs Bee to a garage where he meets with his friend Nicole, who works there and he thinks may know the identity of the racer. They awkwardly talk and Bee realizes that they like each other and tries to bring them closer. Nicole tells Mateo that she's going to the dance that night with some friends, and asks him to join them, before directing him to a military surplus and museum.

At the surplus, Mateo confronts the owner, Herman, who he thinks is the racer, when he notices his mother's bomber design on his boards. Realizing this is bigger than he though, he runs away to Bee, but is rammed by Swindle, who has been hiding there, knocking off his prosthesis, but managing to get into Bee. Bee and Mateo chase Swindle, unaware that the other Combaticons are still at the surplus, continuing their plot. Swindle manages to escape from the duo, and they return to Mateo's home, where Bee convinces him to go to the dance that night instead!

Angela's car breaks down on the way home from the airforce base, when she is captured by Swindle and is taken back to the surplus, where she is shown footage of Mateo, to force her to help them build their own stealth engines....

Mateo goes into the dance hall and starts awkwardly hanging out with Nicole, but Bee has a plan, he takes control of Mateo's prosthesis and makes him dance to impress Nicole, and the two have fun (with Bee revealing he only started him dancing, he's been doing it himself for a while now).

Soon, Bee notices Vortex in the area filming the school and chases him. Mateo and Nicole follow him (with the latter just believing the car was stolen) in Nicole's car. Bee tries to contact the Autobots, but Vortex is jamming his signals.

Back at the surplus, Onslaught starts yelling about Vortex going after Bee, instead of staying with the kid, giving Angela her cue. She grabs the planning board and smacks Swindle with it, allowing her to escape into one of the planes in the yard, allowing her to escape in one.

Angela flies to Sierra Station, where her bomber is based, hoping to get help against the Decepticons, but discovers that due to the presentation the next day, the base has minimal live ammunition on-site.

Bee and his humans friends arrive at the air field just after Angela, just in time for the Combaticons to combine into Bruticus. Despite the difference in size, Bee goes up to him in vehicle mode, and manages to drive around his legs, causing him to lose balance and fall, forcing him to de-combine. Soon, the Autobot and his human allies have gone missing, and they soon know why...they are on the stealth bomber and use it to bomb the Decepticons, with Bee knocking them out with an EMP as well.

Bee calls in the other Autobots, who round up and capture the Combaticons, and Bee tells Optimus what he learned from all this. He needs to concentrate on what he IS good at, and not what he lacks in. Bee says goodbye to his new friends by having one last race with Mateo....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Bumblebee - VW Beetle

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Sideswipe - Lamborghini 

Blaster - Boom Box

Ratchet - Ambulance 

Wheeljack - Race Car

Prowl - Police Car

Hound - Jeep (On Screen)

Ironhide - Van (On Screen)

Jazz - Porsche (On Screen)

Mirage - F1 Race Car (Mentioned)

Trailcutter - Camper Van (Mentioned)

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Onslaught - Anti-Aircraft Truck Capture by Autobots

Swindle - Jeep Capture by Autobots

Brawl - Tank Capture by Autobots

Vortex - Helicopter Capture by Autobots

Blast Off - Space Shuttle Capture by Autobots

Bruticus - Combaticon Gestalt

Megatron - Gun (Mentioned)

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Human

Mateo Cruz

Angela Cruz

Nicole

Herman

Captain Devlin

Random Humans

Sierra Station Personnel

Other

Diagnostic Drone

Notes

• This new graphic novel series is set in a variant of the G1 animated cartoon. Though I guess it COULD be the same continuity, but set in the years between season two and three...but then where did Windblade go after this series?
• Due to the stealth bomber's role in this comic, the story seems to be set in the mid-nineties, putting it after season two, however Mateo doesn't seem to know about Transformers, who have been active on Earth for at least a decade this means....maybe he's just very unattentive?
• The title of this volume is, of course, based on the line from the Stan Bush song "Dare", a prominent piece from the 80's G1 movie.
• Bumblebee is mentioned as being in a new body, explaining why he looks so different to his original cartoon look, despite the rest of the characters looking fairly authentic.
• Optimus points out to Bee that he cannot fly....well he COULD in the pilot episodes!!
• So....why exactly is Swindle getting involved in street races?
• Bee's use of the radio and making himself break down to try and get Mateo and Nicole together is clearly a reference to the similar scenes from the Live Action movie.
• Bee having a display with his face on it to interact with his drivers is taken straight from the original Robots in Disguise series, and Rescue Bots.
• So...I can buy Bee being able to control Mateo's prosthetic limbs with radio signals...but how is he controlling his ORGANIC arms?!
• Swindle has been mentioned as being out of favours with Megatron again, like he was in Aerial Assault and B.O.T. from the cartoon, though at least his friends, the Combaticons are still willing to work with him....surely that's not because of him forming a leg in their gestalt form though!
• Trailbreaker is referred to as "Trailcutter" in this comic, despite his original name being available again now....
• Wheeljack is mentioned as being "the smartest"...don't tell Perceptor or Brainstorm!!
• Despite them being captured at the end of this story, their reappearance in Season Three of the cartoon would tell us they get released/escape between now and then.

Sig Pub - Cyberverse #36

Notes

• This issue marks the rebranding of the magazine from Robots in Disguise to Cyberverse. YAY!
• There is no comic of any description in this issue...boo....
• This magazine is themed around Bumblebee recovering his lost memories about Cybertron and his friends/enemies. Much like we are currently getting in the cartoon!
• This issue features full body art for Bumblebee, Windblade, Starscream, Wheeljack, Hot Rod, Optimus, Acid Storm, Ratchet, Thudnercracker, Grimlock (in dino mode) and Blurr. Of them, I don't believe I've seen the Hot Rod and Ratchet before now....so that's good!
• As could be expected, this issue's free gifts and post page include leftovers from the RID comic days

Features

Free Gifts - A Drift car mode eraser, an Optimus with battle axe figure and a Tiny Titans blind pack

Bumblebee's Flashback! - Do a word search for the sake of Bumblebee's brain!

Step Forward Windblade - Do a couple of Windblade themed puzzles

Stand Aside for Starscream - Some Screamer puzzles!

Watch Out For Wheeljack - Spot the difference between two pictures!

Hot Rod is Fired Up! - Do some Hor Rod themed puzzles!

We Need a Hero: Optimus Prime - Do some Optimus puzzles, and colour in a picture!

Acid Storm Incoming - Have some Acid Storm puzzles!

Challenge Accepted Poster! - Tear out the middles pages for a poster of Bumblebee!

Need Repairs? Call Ratchet - Do a maze puzzle,. then colour in a picture of Ratchet!

It's Thundercracker! - Do a couple of Thundercracker puzzles!

All Hail King Grimlock - Have a couple more puzzles to ignore!

Don't Blink - It's Blurr - More puzzles, and colour in a Blurr picture!

Transformers Competitions - Win some Cyberverse toys!

Transformers Post - Look at some leftover art from the RID2015 days!

Enter: Megatron - SURPRISE! More puzzles!!

IDW - Unicron #4

Main Story

Title: Road's End

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Alex Milne

Colours by: Sebastian Cheng & David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Side Story

Title: Transition

Written by: Christos Gage

Art by: Paolo Villanelli

Colours by: Mattia Iacono

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Edits by: David Mariotte

Main Story Plot

In Deep Space, Prowl is informed by Stardrive that they have lost contact with Cybertron, which the Autobot is not shocked by he reveals that he always assumed Cybertron would fall, and that he always believed the final battle would be held on Earth...

On Earth, the President is informed that they have also lost contact with Cybertron whilst she is visiting a GI Joe facility, holding Joe Colton prisoner, where they are discussing a recent attack on GI Joe from what looked like Cybertronians and he brings up the Talisman, a device that can be used to kill Cybertronians..

On Cybertron, Windblade arrives at New Prysmos, where she tells Leoric her plan to use the Talisman to transport everyone off the planet to Earth, as the Talisman once managed to move the city to the planet's surface, which the Visionary leader agrees too, seemingly with his own  plans too...

Unicron continues to tear Cybertron apart, as the population of the planet starts to panic and flee for their lives. Blurr sees this from his bar, and also notices the Talisman's magical ribbons transporting anyone it touches away. He rushes outside and starts throwing anyone he comes across into the beams of energy before running for one himself, however before he can reach it, he is caught by an underground explosion, and is torn apart.

Optimus is still talking to Shockwave in his cell, where the latter reveals that he has always had a transporter ready to save himself, and urges his old friend to join him on Earth. Optimus sees the energy ribbons and dives into it, radioing Aileron to have her bridge away the city and everyone they can to Earth.

In orbit, Unicron starts swatting at the ships still fighting him, as they are being transported away by the magic too. To give them extra time, the still barely alive Elita One pilots the remains of Carcer into Unicron's face, killing herself, but giving the fleet a few moments to be rescued...

Now alone, Unicron tears Cybertron in two and begins feasting upon it, with the stars in the sky behind him all blinking away in the process.

Shockwave and some loyal Maximals arrive in Toronto on Earth and immediately start slaughtering the humans they come across and destroying the city so Shockwave can begin his new empire, confident that Unicron was killed when he ate Cybertron, and the Talisman.

At Sanctuary Station, in orbit of Jupiter, Cosmos is trying to make contact with Cybertron when Bludgeon and his corrupted Decepticon fleet arrives, still loyal to Unicron and starts attacking the station. Cosmos, Sky-Byte, Buzzsaw and Laserbeak go out to stall the fleet and allow the remaining denizens escape to Earth, whilst the station plummets into Jupiter, and the four defenders are slaughtered one by one.

Soon, Prowl's team arrives and Stardrive is sent in to slaughter the Maximals and corrupted Decepticons one by one, however she stops in her tracks when Unicron teleports in behind her, leaving everyone in shock at his magnitude.

Back on Earth, Shockwave watches as Toronto is being destroyed, but becomes aware that Unicron is still alive, meaning that the Talisman wasn't on Cybertron when it was devoured...

At the Zambia/Zimbabwe border, Windblade and Ironhide are alone with the Talisman, and Windblade believes that everyone else was killed on Cybertron and despairs, however the survivors of Cybertron's destruction begin to teleport in and she embraces Optimus with joy at everyone having been saved.

Everyone starts to reunite with their friends and take stock, with Starscream even getting punched by Arcee for his negative attitude when Optimus receives a call from Prowl, informing him that Unicron is approaching Earth and they need to stop him there in their final stand....

Side Story Plot

The Micronauts learn that Baron Karza, the now-ruler of Microspace is preparing for war, due to something happening in the larger Macroverse. They discuss whether they should try a revolution whilst he is distracted, or if they should go to help their allies, like Rom and the Autobots.

The team's former leader, Oziron Rael appears before the team, now as a Time Traveler to explain to them that something big is happening in Macrospace, something that will cause great change, but even he cannot see what will happen next. He urges them to put any affairs they have in order, and prepare for an upcoming change on the horizon.

The team ultimately decide that regardless of what happens, they want to continue to adventure together, as a team, for as long as they have left....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Metroplex - Iacon City

Arcee - Sports Car

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Cosmos - Orbiter Killed by Decepticon Vengeance Division

Bumblebee - Hatchback

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck

Skyburst - Helicopter

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Ironhide - Van

Blurr - Race Car Killed by Explosion on Cybertron

Tracks - Muscle Car

Strongarm - Police Vehicle

Chromia - Speedbike

Roadmaster - Truck

Firestar

Prowl - Police Vehicle

Wheelie - Car

Omega Supreme - Rocket Base Dead

Other Torchbearers (Mentioned)

Mainframe (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Fat Tankor - Tank

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Sky-Byte - Flying Car Killed by Decepticon Vengeance Division

Buzzsaw - Motorcycle Killed by Decepticon Vengeance Division

Laserbeak - Motorcycle Killed by Decepticon Vengeance Division

Bludgeon - Tank

Monstructor - Monster Decepticon Gestalt

Broadside - Tank Under Unicron's Thrall

Wideload - Dump Truck Under Unicron's Thrall

Sledge - Backhoe-Payloader Under Unicron's Thrall

Decepticon Vengeance Division Under Unicron's Thrall

Maximal

Optimus Primal - Gorilla

Beast Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Rhinox - Rhino

Unicron's Maximal Army

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Elita One - Car Kamikaze's self into Unicron's Face

Vigilem - Carcer Ship Remains crashed into Unicron's Face

Moonracer - Sports Car

Vanquish - Part of Jet

Fireshot - Part of Jet

Stardrive - Car/Jet

Skywarp - Fighter Jet

Swift - Helicopter

D.O.C.

Cybertronian/Colony Survivors 

Turbofoxes Killed with Cybertron

Insecticons (Mentioned)

Human

Madame President

Scarlett

Joe Colton

GI Joe Troops

Secret Service Troops

Toronto Denizens Several Killed by Maximals and Shockwave

GI Joe Mainframe

Solstar Order

Rom

Livia

Sata

Nikomi

Q'b

Guar

Elonian Survivors

Visionaries

Leoric

Galadria

Other Visionaries

Microspace

Oziron Rael/Time Traveler (Side Story Only)

Larissa (Side Story Only)

Phenolo-Phi (Side Story Only)

Acroyear (Side Story Only)

Biotron (Side Story Only)

Microtron (Side Story Only)

Baron Karza (Side Story Only)

Acroyear III Army (Side Story Only)

Reptos Army (Side Story Only)

Other

Unicron

Garnak

Notes

• So...if Unicron only got his alternate mode, and therefore his head when the Nemesis was merged with him...then why does Prowl have a bust of his head in his store of old Cybertronian artefacts? Maybe him or Shockwave will travel through time with this image soon?
• Scarlett references the attack on GI Joe, seen in the side story from issue 2 of this series. This confirms that it was happening before Unicron arrives on Earth in the next issue.
• During Scarlett's talk about the events of issue 2, she says that the Maximals almost annihilated GI Joe, implying that some of the Joes did die. Since we haven't seen them here, or earlier, we could assume that the death toll includes characters like Salvo and Spitfire.
• Joe Colton is revealed to have been transported to a GI Joe facility on Earth, instead of remaining on Cybertron. This COULD explain how several Cobra villains were seen on Earth following their capture, assuming they somehow escaped jail en-route to the Joe base.
• Again, Cybertron is seen in it's planet-wide city appearance, despite it supposed to be mostly a wasteland still...maybe the planet just had some layout lines on it for future developments? Oh well I guess it doesn't matter any more!
• Strongarm, a character imported from Robots in Disguise 2015, makes her first speaking role this issue. She previously appeared amongst the new Wrecker recruits in Requiem of the Wreckers, and is shown to have a personality similar to that of her RID counterpart here.
• As mentioned in my review of Optimus Prime #23, Blurr makes reference to the Unicron/Unicorn joke.
• Blurr reveals that when he is using his super-speed his brain works faster too, explaining how he can act fast and make corners without crashing due to his high-speed
• NOOOO!!! They forgot to rescue the Turbofoxes from the dying Cybertron!! And here I thought Soundwave was all about protecting ALL life, including the animals....
• Rhinox, Optimus Primal and Beast Megatron (yes, that's his official name in this series) travel to Earth with Shockwave. We knew Rhinox was loyal to Shockwave still, but last time we saw the latter two they were showing off their demon insides to Bludgeon and his crew...so whose side are they actually on now? Unicron or Shockwave? Is Shockwave even aware of their demon insides? Considering the duplicates we've seen, it's possible that the ones we saw with the demonic innards were just copies of the real ones who ARE loyal...I dunno...
• Bludgeon explains that Unicron merging with the Nemesis not only gave him an eye, but also a T-Cog, allowing him to transform, something that Shockwave was not apparently aware of.
• Bludgeon's crew are shown alive, despite Victorion seemingly killing them last issue, though they can apparently talk again now!
• The destruction of Sanctuary Station here was foretold in Optimus' prophetic dream back in Optimus Prime #50, implying that the few remaining parts of the dream are still to come to fruition in this event.
• The timeline is getting a bit wobbly again! We know from Lost Light that their events are happening at least a year before this story, so when Buzzsaw and Laserbeak discuss how Mainframe is on the Lost Light, and how they may lose contact with them next. It seems a bit odd. This seems to imply that they are in contact with the Lost Light again, but if that is the case then why wouldn't they know that Mainframe was killed on Mederi, and why wouldn't Rodimus and his crew have been called back home to help with the battle, considering the Lost Light is arguably one of their best vessels?
• So, despite Optimus and most of the population being transported to Earth by the Talisman, and Metroplex space bridging the rest to safety, they not only all arrive on Earth at the same time, but also at the same location? How convenient....
• Judging from the art, before they were being transported, it looks like Firestar was defending some Elonians, since they are seemingly between her legs as she is sitting on the floor.
• Also, amongst the Elonians, we can see that kid with his alien-dog that Bumblebee befriended in issue 0.
• Windblade seems to finally forgive Optimus for his past mistakes as she hugs him after believing him and the others to have died on Cybertron.
• The Visionaries not being amongst those transported to Earth seems to imply that they were sent to another world/universe to continue their own solo series later (I'm sure this will be elaborated on in a future side story, most likely in Unicron #6)
• The Micronaut's side story was originally planned for release in issue 2, but was moved to here for no known reason.
• Oz finally returns, having left the team after dying to become a Time Traveler!
• Oz explains that regardless of what happens in the Macroverse, the Microverse will be affected, even if Unicron never comes there. My guess is that this is a potential reference to a future continuation of Micronauts, but with them staying in Microspace (depending on if the Earth survives Unicron's attack that is).

IDW - Lost Light #23

Title: Crucible Part 5: The Unremembering 

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Jack Lawrence 

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

The Functionist Primus tears apart the fourth Cybertron copy, despite being attacked by Adaptus' forces.

Inside his Worldsweeper, the Lost Lighters are disbelieving of Adaptus' claim that Rung is actually their god, Primus, however when he is directly asked, Rung manages to instantly repair his arm using just his mind, and accepts the truth.

Rung reveals that he has had some idea of this for a while, which is why he first started studying psychiatry, and after he was mentally attacked by Sunder at an earlier date, he began thinking about this more.

Soon, Rung reveals that he remembers that it was Adaptus who started the war between the Guiding Hand, when he wanted to invade their neighbouring planets. The Hand drove him off-world, but Adaptus used an EMP from Luna-1, wiping out the population's memories of both their history to that point, and who they are, also starting the early stages of Information Creep. Trying to protect his people, Primus takes the brunt of the pulse and becomes utterly forgettable in the process. Eventually Adaptus escapes with Luna-1 into the Warren, where he discovered this moment in time...

Adaptus, now finished with his story begins to give new orders to his troops, when Tyrest, now remembering his life as Solomus, shoots Adaptus in the back and the two Hand members battle it out, with Adaptus stabbing his chainsaw right into Solomus' spark after cutting off his emergency transporter button from his hand, but seeing Pharma's personality peeking out again, he takes the opportunity to jab his finger drill into Adaptus' head, killing him. The duo turn to dust and Whirl is impressed with the show.

Flame starts to panic as Adaptus was the only one who had the code to open the door, but Rodimus finds Solomus' severed hand and recovers it, to recover the Lost Light and rescue the others with it.

Soon, the Lost Light and Last Light land on the fifth Cybertron, where the two crews reunite in the former and start planning how to stop the evil version of Primus.

The real Primus, Rung, explains that he has no real powers, he can't warp reality of anything, but after some prompting from the Magnificence, actually Epistemus, he does reveal that he created the Matrix. The Magnificence explains that he needs to make three more for Rodimus, Ratchet and Tailgate to open inside of "Primus" and detonate his brain, spark and T-Cog, killing him. Cyclonus however refuses this plan since that would mean killing Tailgate and the others too.

"Primus" finishes the fourth Cybertron and starts attacking the final one. The crew work together to come up with a new plan however. Rather than blowing up "Primus" they will create twelve Matrixes and plant them on all of the planet's hot spots, allowing them to fire directly into Vector Sigma, killing the Functionist Council themselves, and keeping the innocents trapped inside the planet from being harmed too.

The crew agree, but the Magnificence wont allow it, and fires energy bolts from itself, killing Froid, Sunder and Nine-of-Twelve instantly. The Omega Guardians, speaking through Epistemus' remains explain that they need a Cybertron-sized explosion to return home, and when they return they will devour everything in the universe. Nickel however crushes the Magnificence between her hands, reducing it to dust, leaving Primus as the only member of the Guiding Hand left alive.

The Lost Light lifts off just as the final Cybertron is destroyed, but Megatron orders Crankcase to turn the ship around, as they prepare to save the universe from the Functionists and their version of Primus....

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Megatron - Tank

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Primus/Rung

Drift - Car

Ratchet - Ambulance

First Aid - Ambulance

Velocity - Race Car

Nautica - Submarine

Brainstorm - Jet

Thunderclash - Truck

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Riptide - Boat

Swerve - Van

Tailgate - Car

Chromedome - Car

Rewind - Data Slug

Sunder - Truck Killed by The Magnificence

Pharma - Jet Body Killed with Adaptus

Decepticon

Nickel - Rocket Buggy

Crankcase - Van

Krok

Spinister - Helicopter

Fulcrum - K-Class Bomb

Misfire - Jet

Grand Architect's Forces

Adaptus Killed by Solomus

Solomus/Tyrest Killed by Adaptus

Flame

Grand Architect's Troops

The Infinites (Mentioned)

Anti-Vocationist League

Nine-of-Twelve Killed by The Magnificence

Clicker - Laser Pointer

Decibel - Cassettes

Ruckus - Buggy

A Lunabot - Space Shuttle

Other Cybertronian

Functionist Primus - Functionist Universe Cybertron

Epistemus/The Magnificence Crushed by Nickel

Froid - UAV Jet Killed by The Magnificence

Cyclonus - Jet

Roller - Truck

Anode - Bi-Plane

Lug - Backpack Equipment

Wipe-Out - Car

Mortilus/Censere (Flashback Only)

The Functionist Council (Mentioned)

Ten (Mentioned) Dead

Other

The Warren Omega Guardian (Flashback Only) Dead due to crossover

The Omega Guardians (Voices)

Notes

• Rung's innate healing powers have been hinted at before in continuity, with him receiving no real injuries despite being part of the war, and of course his surviving having his head blown off
• It's revealed that it was Adaptus, who caused the war between the Guiding Hand, and not Mortilus, as it was always told in the past, explaining why Censere/Mortilus was always so friendly, and not power hungry and evil whenever we've seen him in the series.
• Adaptus took control of Luna-1 and turned it into a weapon against Cybertron's population, before building the thrusters onto it and moving it through the Warren to, at first this point in time, and later to it's location where it would later be found by Tyrest.
• Cybertron's misremembered pre-history and multiple origin stories, as well as the "Information Creep" phenomenon is explained as being caused by Adaptus' energy weapon. It does make me wonder if Information Creep only affects those who were already alive at the time, or if it was "inherited" by later births too.
• Rung/Primus seeing Luna-1 leave Cybertron into the Warren in the past is a mirroring to him seeing Luna-1 through a portal at the end of Season One of MTMTE. It also FINALLY explains his sense of deja-vu from that scene.
• Rung's state of being "compulsively forgettable" is finally explained too, when he was hit by the memory wiping beam at full blast, not only did it wipe out his own memories of himself, but also made him naturally forgettable to others.
• We learned when the Necrobot/Censere/Mortilus died that when an old Cybertronian dies they turn into inert Sentio Mettalico so seeing Solomus turning to dust isn't shocking. But why did Pharma's body do the same? Is Pharma as old as the Guiding Hand? I ask since we know Alpha Trion and the Original Thirteen were amongst the earlier Cybertronians, yet when Trion died he remained in one piece. Just seems like a bit of logic waving here (it was a cool scene still though!)
• So we know now that Rung created the Matrix, which was obviously what Nightbeat discovered before he was killed on Mederi (he saw the photonic crystals leading to the Matrix replica where Rung was waiting remember). But unless his alternate mode is a mould for the Matrix's casing, then we still don't know what it is for...
• The Matrix being an energy bomb of sorts has got some precedence. When Optimus used it on Unicron in the Marvel comics, it exploded, killing both Unicron and Optimus, as well as a similar seen with Rodimus in Transformers: Deviations. Also the original design of the Matrix by Floro Dery was known to be based on a bomb as well.
• The Magificence as it turns out, is just Epistemus' head, rather than just his brain module as I originally believed. It is also revealed that the Omega Guardians are the ones who have been speaking through it, and the reason it knows the future and can answer any question is because they can see all possibly outcomes from the higher realms.
• The Magnificence/the Omega Guardians were responsible for Tailgate being transported to Mederi, as well as the Scavengers (though that was more obvious, since he gave them the coordinates). It also was the one who spoke through Ten to get the rest of the crew to Mederi and started teleporting Ratchet to make him seem to be dying earlier.
• Functionist Primus tearing the last copy of Cybertron in half is strikingly similar to the concurrently released issue of Unicron #4 including Unicron tearing the real Cybertron in half too!
• It's not mentioned here, but past issues told us that one of the Knights of Cybertron became the Magnificence and stayed behind after the Omega Guardians ascended. It seems likely that the Guardians turned him into the Magnificence so they could have a window back to their home universe, just in case.
• This is also conjecture, but remember when we first met Censere and he mentioned he had a friend named Tusk who was older than he was who "died"? Well I think that friend was Epistemus, and he took on that name and Censere just believes he died when he went missing. (Let's face it, you cant get anyone older than him, except potentially one of the other members of the Guiding Hand).
• We learn that Cybertron has twelve natural hot spots on it's surface where Sparks are directly grown from Vector Sigma.
• Pharma's dialogue seems to imply that he has a crush on Ratchet, explaining somewhat his obsessive personality around him...
• The Warren is revealed to be a dead Omega Guardian, who tried to return home the wrong way, and ended up turning into a multi-dimensional, trans-time maze.

IDW - Optimus Prime #23

Title: Time Will Rust

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Priscilla Tramontano

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Six Months ago, some of the original denizens of Devisiun were sitting around a fire, listening to an elder tell them the story of when the colonists arrived, and how once they did, they turned their vibrant and lush world into a metallic one...

In the present day, Jazz is in GI Joe's custody after his surrender, but Marissa arrives with her Dinobot allies to try and negotiate his release, when all of a sudden Sky Lynx arrives, with the colonist recruits in tow, who attack the Joes and Dinobots intending to free Jazz from his cell, as he doesn't deserve to be entrapped there. Flint gives the order for the Joes to use lethal weaponry on them, but they decide against it, sue to them knowing and caring about Cybertronians now.

At the Junkion City, Wreck-Gar and Rum-Maj are listening in on the altercation and decide that if this continues then their new world may be destroyed like their old one, especially with Unicron's threat looming on them, so they decide to head out too...

Jazz laments his coming to Earth in the first place, having been sent to scout it out, and then slowly bringing in Optimus, and eventually the invasion, even killing a Human in a very public setting. He breaks out of his chains and leaves his cell, deciding to try and calm the situation, since he's responsible for all of this now.

Gimlet recalls how he wanted to come to Earth, feeling more comfortable with a world that wasn't mechanical, and wanted to help another organic colony belong with the Cybertronians. However in the battle, he smashes into a Joe vehicle, mortally wounding Mainframe in the process. He immediately regrets what he did and apologises, only for Slug to slash him in half, killing the Eukarian.

As Mainframe is dying, he remembers how he used to hate the Cybertronians for being near indestructible and for bringing their war to Earth, but after working with some of them, he grew to like them and even see them as friends. He asks Hi-Tech to not allow all their hard work go to nothing as he tries to heal him.

Sky Lynx attacks Slug for killing Gimlet, as Bump mourns over his corpse. Jazz holds back Slide, who is seeing red now for another colonist being killed on Earth, but she escapes and attacks Slug, accusing him of being no better than Optimus.

Slug takes this hard, as he dislikes Optimus and how he has double standards, and how he used the Dinobots to do things he wouldn't do himself, but eventually they saw a new life when they witnessed the new Cybertronian lives being born within Trypticon and vowed to protect them.

Slug soon realises his mistake, and is distressed over killing Gimlet. Hi-Tech tries to get help for Mainframe, only for Marissa to declare him as already having died, to which Flint points out that this is what Cybertronians do.

Strafe pins down Slide to calm her down, only for the Junkions to arrive with a fleet of Sharkticons, planning to end the battle. Jazz quickly jumps to action and calms down the Junkions, reminding them that they're friends, but Slide is still furious at them for a Junkion killing Oiler, her bonded partner, and also at Optimus for both allying with the Junkions and allowing their worlds to be devoured by Unicron...

As if on cue however, Unicron appears in the skies above Earth, ready to finish off his ultimate goal of destroying the Cybertronian race....

Characters

Autobot

Slug - Triceratops

Swoop - Pteranodon

Jazz - Sports Car

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Slide - Part of Oil Tanker

Gimlet - Lobster Killed by Slug

Bump - Armadillo

Midnight Express - Bullet Train

Roulette - Muscle Car

Optimus Prime - Truck (Flashback Only)

Aileron - Space Shuttle (Flashback Only)

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Flashback Only)

Sludge - Apatosaurus (Flashback Only)

Snarl - Stegosaurus (Flashback Only)

Oiler - Part of Oil Tanker (Flashback Only) Dead

Metrotitan - Autobot City (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Soundwave - Cassette Player (Flashback Only)

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Flashback Only)

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Flashback Only)

Unnamed Decepticon Team (Flashback Only) Killed by Dinobots

Shockwave/Onyx Prime (Mentioned)

Junkion

Wreck-Gar

Rum-Maj

Vajra - Shark

Sharkticons

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Trypticon - Earth Embassy

Strafe - Two Headed Dragon

Black Arachnia - Spider (Flashback Only)

Snarl - Tasmanian Devil (Flashback Only)

Long Rack - Giraffe (Flashback Only)

Other Eukarians (Flashback Only)

New Protoforms (Flashback Only)

"The World Breaker" - City/Space Ship (Flashback Only)

Early Devisen Colonists (Flashback Only)

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

GI Joe

Flint

Spike

Talon

Mainframe Killed by Gimlet

Hi-Tech

Scarlett (Flashback Only)

Doc Sr. (Mentioned)

Doc Jr. (Mentioned)

Other Human

Marissa Faireborn

John Powell (Flashback Only) Killed by Jazz

New Yorkers (Flashback Only) One Killed during Invasion

Madame President (Mentioned)

Other

Unicron

Serpentine Aliens (Flashback Only) Killed in Battle between Dinobots and Decepticons

Native Devisens (Flashback Only)

Notes

• This issue taps into an abandoned storyline from Till All Are One, where it would have looked into the culture and daily life of the colony worlds. Here showing the early days and daily life of Devisiun and a glimpse into the life of Eukaris (both worlds now of course destroyed by Unicron)
• It's fully explained here that the sparks that were cultivated on Devisiun were remade to be paired with another one due to exposure from the planet's binary star system.
• Devisiun is revealed to be a world that still have some natural plantlife on it, rather than being fully cyberformed or an otherwise barren world (like Caminus, Velocitron etc)
• The native Devisen people are shown to have evolved from being quadrupedal bunny rabbits to bipedal bunnies since the Cybertronian colony was formed.
• Awww the GI Joe member Mainframe dies here, having been a fairly major character since he was brought into this continuity...I guess he can join his Autobot name counterpart now...
• The alien race seen during Slug's flashback to a battle with some Decepticons look kind of like Orphion's race from the Rom series...huh....
• One of the Sharkticons gets named in this issue, and it is "Vajra" (named after the weapon of Indra) ...I was kinda expecting Gnaw...
• Unicron's arrival at the end of this issue places it slightly ahead of the concurrently released Unicron #4, where Unicron has only just arrived at Jupiter by that story's end and is still on the way to Earth at that point.
• In both this issue, and the concurrently released Unicron #4 there are instances of a character calling Unicron a "unicorn"...we really need new jokes about Unicron's name guys!
• The Dinobots are shown in their flashback battling some Decepticons in their dinosaur alternate modes...there's a problem there though, they were never an active team in those modes. After taking on the forms they were trapped under rubble for several millennia, then after waking up Grimlock was taken away to Garrus-9 and they've been separated ever since.