IDW - Dawn of the Predacus

Writer/Colourist: John-Paul Bove

Artist: Corin Howell

Letterer: Chris Mowry

Colour Assists: Ed Pirrie

Editor: John Barber

Plot

On Cybertron, in the last few days of the Great War, Blades reports from an new crater that Optimus Prime and his team have died. Prowl, Silverbolt and Ironhide accept his report and prepare their next steps.

Meanwhile, a trio of Decepticon generals, Ramhorn, Cicadacon and Seaclamp are experimenting on some more Decepticons from inside Unicron's near-dead head, still in orbit around Cybertron when they are informed by Tarantulas that Galvatron has been killed in battle. They receive a message from the new Megatron, who insists that they use this event to stage a full on attack on the Autobots, but the Generals refuse his plan, as they have their own ideas. Megatron cuts off the transmission, and ignores their plans, intending to attack the Autobots anyway.

The Generals, however need a cease-fire, so they can build up a new army, as at the moment the war will not end in their favour, so they make their own plans too....

At Nova Plenum, the current Autobot HQ, the remaining Autobot leaders are discussing what to do now, and who to have replace Optimus as their commander, when the last member of Unit-3 arrives, telling them that everyone in his team, including Perceptor was killed by Decepticons.

Soon a plan is decided, and they send a treaty envoy to meet with the Decepticons, led by Tigatron, hoping to use the deaths of both commanders to force a cease-fire between the factions.

The starship Axalon is returning to Cybertron after an expedition, and have been ordered to perform some orbital scans to try and locate any Decepticon cells.

On Cybertron, at the former Omega Spaceport, Megatron's team are approached by Tigatron's peace-team, but rather than accepting peace, he orders his Decepticons to attack the Autobots. Most of the Autobots are wiped out by the Decepticons, including Predaking. With the Autobots distracted, Megatron leads a team to attack the Autobots at their own HQ. Tigatron manages to escape, so he can help the others, but Airazor and the others are left behind, ready to die.

Megatron's crew infiltrate Nova Plenum, but are quickly attacked by Ironhide and the others, leading to Ironhide, Prowl, Silverbolt, Unit-3, and the newly returned Tigatron combine into Magnaboss, who pummel the Decepticons.

In orbit, the Axalon discovers the Decepticons working from Unicron's head, but before they can discover who is there, the head explodes, raining a strange substance to Cybertron. the substance, upon contact with any Cybertronian, forced them into a strange protoform state, effectively killing them, keeping them in a state between life and death anyway.

Preakind is concerned about what is going on, but the Generals arrive, and combine into Predacus, and they quickly kill Predaking, using his own sword to do it.

Everyone at the battle is confused about what is happening with the protoforms, but Tarantulas arrives and claims that this was a failsafe of Galvatron's in the event of his death to try and kill everyone on the planet, then claims that Predaking killed himself upon discovering this horror. Megatron disbelieves this, as Galvatron was once Megatron, and would never do this, and continues his attack on the Autobots. Tarantulas calls Ravage, and has him shoot Megatron, taking him down.

In the aftermath, the Generals surrender on behalf of the Decepticons, to the shock of everyone, especially the Autobots.

In the aftermath, the Pax Cybertronia is signed, and the past factions are disbanded, and peace is reborn again. The Predacons are named in honour of Predaking, and those who were affected by the protoform weapon are placed into statis, where Optimus Primal will watch over them, until they can be fixed.

Some past Decepticons are granted amnesty for their efforts of "peace" during the war, like Tarantulas and Ravage, whilst war criminals, like Megatron are stripped down in size and form.

But all of this was planned by the Predacus Council, who now use this era of peace to build up a new army, so they can get their revenge on the Autobots/Maximals…..

Characters

Autobot/Maximal

Prowl - Police Car

Ironhide - Pick Up Truck

Silverbolt - Concorde Jet

Tigatron - Sports Car

Unit-3 - Sports Car

Magnaboss - Autobot Command Gestalt

Airazor - VTOL Fighter Jet Turned into a Protoform

Blades - Rescue Helicopter

Hot Spot - Fire Truck

Lio Convoy - Lion

Big Convoy - Spider Tank

Air Hammer

White Propionica

Rest of Unit-2 Most Killed by Predaking

Optimus Primal - Rocket Car

"Rattrap" - Motorcycle

"Rhinox" - Front End Loader

Not-Cheetor - Convertible Car

Mainframe

Razorbeast - Motorcycle

Inferno - Fire Truck Turned into a Protoform

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Mentioned) Turned into a Protoform

Optimus Prime - Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Perceptor - Microscope (Mentioned) Dead

Jetfire - Fighter Jet (Mentioned) Dead

Swoop - Pteranodon (Mentioned) Dead

Sunstreaker - Sports Car (Mentioned) Dead

Fortress Maximus - Battle Station (Mentioned) Dead

Springer - Rocket Car/Helicopter (Mentioned)

The Rest of Unit-3 (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon/Predacon

General Cicadacon - Fighter Jet

General Ramhorn - Drill Tank

General Seaclamp - Gun Jet

Tarantulas - Armoured Vehicle

Ravage - Sports Car

Predacus - Decepticon General Gestalt

Megatron - Two Headed Dragon/Car Captured and Downsized

Predaking - Predacon Gestalt Killed by Predacus

Waspinator - Fighter Jet Stomped on by Predaking

Terrorsaur - Fighter Jet

"Scorponok" - Hovercraft

Terradive

Buzzsaw - Fighter Jet

Drill Bit 

Manta Ray

Beetle

Snapper

"Dinobot"

Retrax

Bomb-Burst - Jet Being Tortured by Predacus Generals

Iguanus - Motorcycle Being Tortured by Predacus Generals

Megatron's Troops

Decepticon Experiments Being Tortured by Predacus Generals

Magmatron (Plans on Screen Only)

Galvatron - Laser Cannon (Mentioned) Dead

Megatron - Pistol (Mentioned) Became Galvatron

Other

Unicron's Head Destroyed by Tripredacus Council

Megatronus/The Fallen (Mentioned)

The Swarm (Mentioned)

Notes

• This was the comic released for the final Botcon in 2016. It was published by IDW instead of Fun Publications, but was never mass released (I had to get my copy by asking a member of the creative team to sell me one!)
• This story is set about 30 years after the events of the animated movie, setting it approximately in the year 2035
• This story is also slated to be set in the IDW Beast Wars comic continuity (along with The Gathering, Ascending and the Sourcebook, as well as the previously released Dawn of Future's Past). Now since there is about 300 years between the events of this comic and the events of Beast Wars, I won't point out any apparent continuity errors, unless they are extremely glaring, since they can be theoretically fixed in that missing time.
• The soldier who takes on the name "Unit-3" is based on the McDonalds Happy Meal toy "Under-3" which was a large lion face. His real name is not revealed though.
• Ironhide mentions how he died in the past. Considering this is in continuity with the cartoon this would be from when he was killed by Megatron on the Autobot Shuttle in the Movie. This also tells us, whilst unsaid here, that Prowl was also revived with Ironhide at some point.
• The fourth member of the Axalon crew is a repaint of Cheetor, since it was decided that he would not have been a part of the Axalon crew for over 300 years by the start of Beast Wars
• From his dialogue, it appears that Beast Megatron named himself after Megatronus (The Fallen), whom he believed was also the source of the original Megatron's name too.
• Despite him appearing quite prominently on the cover (likely due to him being a toy available at Botcon that year), Terrorsaur doesn't seem to do anything of note in this story
• Megatron is shown to be at least a triple changer in this story, with him showing his dragon and car modes here. If he follows his toy, then he'd be a decaformer, but I'm guessing that wouldn't be the case here....
• Unicron's head being destroyed here explains why it's not present in any shots of Cybertron during Beast Wars and Beast Machines.
• They aren't shown to combine with the Generals, but in case you didn't see the actual toys, the legs of Predacus are formed by Tarantulas and Ravage (the latter of which had only a couple of panels all together...)
• Amongst the victims of the protoform virus is Inferno, implying that he eventually becomes the insane Predacon of the same name during Beast Wars. Grimlock is also amongst the victims, but him being in the Axalon's care was shown to be confirmed in The Gathering.
• Similarly, amongst the Decepticon experiments appears to be Iguanus, another character who has been rumoured to be a G1 character turned Beast Wars character.
• The bot who would later become Dinobot in Beast Wars is shown watching over Grimlock's stasis pod. Implying that this is how he got the inspiration to take on this name.
• The Predacon being designed by Tripredacus Council at the end is Magmatron. It's unclear if this is a complete construction of him being shown, or him being modified from an existing character.
• Megatron being downsized, and having his body changed in this story's conclusion, brings him to what is pretty much his original body from the start of Beast Wars.
• Since this is supposed to be set in the IDW Beast Wars continuity, if we cannot see their alternate mode, I'll just assume it is the same as it was in those comics (pre-beast mode that is)
• The Maximal seen with Air Hammer, White Propionica is the pre-Earth version of Black Arachnia.