IDW - Unicron #6

Title: Ceremony

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Alex Milne, Sara Pitre-Durocher, Andrew Griffith and Kei Zama

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz and Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Whilst the bulk of the Cybertronian forces are in orbit battling with Unicron and his forces, Soundwave and Marissa are waiting at Mount Rushmore with the second generation Cybertronian sparks, and have called Windblade, Jetfire and the Aerialbots to their location for another part of the plan. Marissa is also comforting Buster, who was left with her by Thundercracker when he joined the battle too.

On their way to Unicron's surface, Thundercracker is shot by a Maximal and forced to stop. Skywarp is forced by Arcee to go and rescue him, since he's carrying the Talisman, much to Skywarp's dismay.

Elsewhere, Slide is refusing to fight as she doesn't want to risk her life just for Optimus to take over after Unicron is dead, and, as if to prove her point, Trypticon is brutally killed by Unicron behind her.

On Earth's surface, the heroes and villains of the planet are working together to take down the invading Maximals all across the world.

In Toronto, the ninjas kill Optimus Primal, leaving Shockwave to realize that his plans may have failed, so he calls for Bludgeon to come and pick him up, but Bludgeon refuses, revealing his loyalty to Unicron and wanting to see chaos destroy everything. This confuses Shockwave as it makes no sense, only for him to get further shocked when Rhinox jumps him from behind too.

In orbit, Thundercracker defends the Talisman from the Maximals, but is saved from death by Skywarp teleporting in front of him and taking a blade for him. He tells the other Seeker to leave him there, but Thundercracker refuses, throwing the Talisman to Starscream on Unicron's surface, whilst he fights the Maximals with Skywarp.

On Unicron's surface, Arcee realizes that they are doomed now, since they needed Skywarp's teleportation to get inside Unicron, but Starscream, who knows what he has to do now, activates the Talisman, killing himself, but causing the Talisman to dig a tunnel into Unicron's body for Optimus and Arcee to follow into.

A little above that, Jazz and Aileron are shocked that Starscream just killed himself to save the day, but Bumblebee knew he had it in him. Ironhide tells them to worry about what Starscream did AFTER they win this battle, but he is soon torn apart by a Maximal, and dies in Jazz's arms, now understanding the meaning of "Til All Are One".

Nearby, Slide and the Colonist soldiers are met by the Dinobots, and Slide starts an argument with Slug again, but their fight quickly ends when Swoop points out Bludegon heading to Earth with his Worldsweeper, causing more havoc. They join forces to take him down...

In Toronto, Shockwave knocks Rhinox off of him, but finds that his cannon doesn't work against the Maximal. Rhinox reveals that he designed it to never be able to fire on Maximals, and rips it off his arm and points it towards his former "Master", only to be shot in the back of the head by Prowl, who captures Shockwave for his part of their master plan.

Optimus and Arcee follow the Talisman through Unicron's body, fighting and evading the anti-bodies and Maximals along the way. Eventually they arrive in a large chamber where the Black Hole that Antilla once orbited sits and the Talisman is drawn into it. Optimus jumps in after it, despite Arcee asking for her to do it instead, since she was involved in the original battle with Antilla, and Arcee is left with the Maximals to fight in his stead.

Optimus winds up back in Infraspace, having lost his body again, and inside he finds the Antillan scientist who created Unicron. Optimus tries to reason with him to stop his creation, but the scientist punches him instead.

Back in Toronto, Prowl brings Shockwave to Stardrive, who uses her Dire Wraith powers to connect with Shockwave's mind and relays those thoughts to Mount Rushmore...

At Mount Rushmore, Soundwave connects the Enigma of Combination to a device, that Jetfire has set up, receiving the data on Shockwave's mind. Soundwave has the Aerialbots combine, so they can access the Earth's Enigma code too, and merges those signals together, giving Soundwave a connection to everything on Earth.

Before much more can happen however, Bludgeon's Worldsweeper appears above them and Monstructor is dropped down to attack Superion. Sky Lynx arrives and deploys the Dinobots to attack the Worldsweeper, but Slide still refuses to fight for Optimus, but soon changes her mind when she sees the Torchbearers alive and willing to help the Dinobots as well.

Slide, now feeling different about things, seeing a miracle like the seemingly dead Torchbearers returning, and the Enigma affecting her partial combiner physiology, she merges with the Torchbearers, replacing the dead Stormclash as Victorion's left leg. The two Autobot combiners team up against Monstructor and kill him.

Bludgeon, seeing his strongest ally fall, decides to end the Earth's counter attack, and aims the Worldsweeper towards the White House to kill the President and cause chaos. The Dinobots invade the bridge of the ship and battle Bludgeon and his crew.

Inside Infraspace, Optimus is being overwhelmed by the hatred and destruction of the Antillan scientist, and looks like he's going to lose the battle, but Soundwave's plan comes together as he uses the Enigmas, Shockwave's mind and the Talisman to connect with the sparks and souls of the dead and sends those thoughts and feelings to Optimus, killing himself in the process.

The Worldsweeper ends up smashing into the White House, killing most of the crew of the ship in the process and blowing out most of the White House too. The Oval Office however, was reinforced after the previous alien invasion and the President was safe along with her guards. They all take up arms against the few surviving Maximals crawling from the ship, but are safe when the Junkions arrive and defend their human allies.

At Mount Rushmore, the Autobots mourn Soundwave's death and the destruction of the Enigma, and Windblade calls for everyone to return to Earth and to retrieve the wounded. If Soundwave's plan failed then they're going to be all dead soon anyway.

Aileron and Bumblebee head towards Unicron, so they can try and rescue Arcee and Optimus before Unicron potentially dies, whilst everyone else heads back home.

Inside Infraspace, Optimus uses his new energies to show the scientist that things can change and they are sorry for what happened to his world in the time of the Primes. The scientist reveals that through his rage and the passing time, he has forgotten his own name, but still remembers his daughter who died in the Cybertronian's attack, so they use that name as their bond. Optimus embraces the scientist in a hug and the light shines from them both.

Outside, Unicron collapses into his own Black Hole, but Bumblebee and Aileron manage to rescue Arcee before she can be sucked in too.

Metroplex teleports everyone back to Earth, where they watch as Unicron is destroyed. Marissa starts to mourn Thundercracker, when Buster starts barking and leaps from her arms, for them both to see Thundercracker arriving from the skies, carrying the still alive Skywarp. Thundercracker cuddles his little doggie and Marissa hugs her Cybertronian friend too, leaving Skywarp to admit that Thundercracker truly is a Seeker after all!

On the Moon, Arcee and Aileron embrace, and Bumblebee finds Buzzsaw, who just arrived from the Jupiter Station attack.

In Toronto, Shockwave, who is now demoralized for his plan's failure, is taken into custody for his crimes by Prowl and Stardrive. Elsewhere, an Elonian child has been orphaned during the battle, but Rom and Livia approach him and take him to safety.

All across the world the defenders of the planet celebrate, and the President starts making arrangements for their shared futures. Swift recovers Swoop and Strafe from the Worldsweeper, with them being the only two survivors, and Windblade believes it is best for them all to share the Earth now.

Pyra Magna retrieves the Mistress of Flame's staff from Metroplex's shoulder, where she jammed it after her death and realizes that the Mistress wanted her to take on the mantle for her, to lead the future in a new way, she accepts this, and offers a place on the team to Slide, who accepts, having realized that she was feeling lonely all this time. They all look out upon the celebrating people below Metroplex and look to the future.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab Sacrificed Self to Destroy Unicron

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Arcee - Sports Car

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Bumblebee - Hatchback

Prowl - Police Vehicle

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Ironhide - Van Killed by Icebird

Metroplex - Cybertronian City

Slug - Triceratops Killed in Worldsweeper Crash

Snarl - Stegosaurus Killed by Maximal

Sludge - Apatosaurus Killed by Maximal

Swoop - Pteranodon

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Slide - Part of Oil Tanker

Bump - Armadillo

Roulette - Muscle Car

Midnight Express - Bullet Train

Silverbolt - Concorde Jet

Skydive - Fighter Jet

Air Raid - Fighter Jet

Fireflight - Fighter Jet

Alpha Bravo - Helicopter

Superion - Aerilabot Gestalt

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck

Skyburst - Helicopter

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Dustup - Sports Car

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Jazz - Sports Car

Strongarm - Police SUV

Tracks - Muscle Car

Sunstreaker - Sports Car

Chromia - Speedbike

Sandstorm - Dune Buggy/Helicopter

Garrison Blackrock/Sovereign - Titan Master Head

Wheelie - Car

Goldbug - Car

Rung/Primus - Matrix Forge (Spirit Only)

Omega Supreme - Rocket Base (Spirit Only)

Ambulon - Leg (Spirit Only)

Alpha Trion - Shuttle (Spirit Only)

Skids - Van (Spirit Only)

Trailcutter (Spirit Only)

Kup - Pick Up Truck (Spirit Only)

Blurr - Race Car (Spirit Only)

Sideswipe - Sports Car (Spirit Only)

Scattershot - Gun-ship (Spirit Only)

Cloudraker - Jet (Spirit Only)

Fastlane - Car (Spirit Only)

Wheeljack - Race Car (Spirit Only)

Cliffjumper - Car (Spirit Only)

Pipes - Truck (Spirit Only)

Cosmos - Orbiter (Spirit Only)

Gimlet - Lobster (Spirit Only)

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Ratchet - Ambulance (Mentioned)

Oiler - Part of Oil Tanker (Mentioned) Dead

Stormclash - Helicopter (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Shockwave/Onyx Prime - Flying Artillery Captured by Prowl

Bludgeon - Tank Killed in Worldsweeper Crash

Monstructor - Original Gestalt Killed by Victorion and Superion

Broadside - Tank Killed by Strafe

Soundwave - Cassette Player Destroyed by the Enigma of Combination

Starscream - Fighter Jet Destroyed by the Talisman

Buzzsaw - Motorcycle

Rumble - Motorcycle

Frenzy - Motorcycle

Fat Tankor - Tank

Tall Tankor - Oil Tanker/Cargo Plane

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Predaking - Predacon Gestalt

Decepticon Vengeance Division Soldiers

Dirge - Fighter Jet(Spirit Only)

Horri-Bull - Bull (Spirit Only)

Sky-Byte - Shark (Spirit Only)

Laserbeak - Motorcycle (Spirit Only)

Ravage - Cassette (Spirit Only)

Tarn - Tank (In Infraspace)

Galvatron - Tank (Mentioned) Dead

Jhiaxus - Jet (Mentioned) Dead

Junkion

Rum-Maj

Wreck-Gar (Head Only)

Vajra - Shark

Sharkticons - Sharks

Maximal

Rhinox - Rhino Killed by Prowl

Optimus Primal - Gorilla Killed by the Ninjas

Icebird - Owl/Polar Bear Killed by Bumblebee

Coelagon - Coelacanth Killed by Rum-Maj

Rampage - Crab

Archadis - Archaeopteryx

Apache - Mandrill

TMII Megatron - Dragon

Inferno - Ant

Tasmania Kid - Tasmanian Devil

Soundwave - Bat/Crocodile

Transquito - Mosquito

Maximal Army

Other Cybertronian

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Skywarp - Fighter Jet

Stardrive - Car/Jet

Trypticon - Earth Embassy Killed by Unicron

Centurion - Luxury Car

Swift - Helicopter

Strafe - Car/Two Headed Dragon

Bob, the Insecticon

D.O.C.

G2 Sideswipe - Car

Other Second Generation New-borns

Unborn Second Generation Sparks Inert

Cybertronian Army

Mistress of Flame (Spirit Only)

Elita One (Spirit Only)

Metalhawk - Jet (Spirit Only)

Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Solstar Order

Rom

Livia

Orphaned Child

Orphaned Child's Pet

Maur (Spirit Only)

Prim (Spirit Only)

Dire Wraith

Countdown

Other Wraiths

GI Joe

Scarlett

Flint

Chameleon

Matt Trakker

Spike

Talon

Cover Girl

Mayday

Agent Helix

Snake-Eyes

Mainframe (Spirit Only)

Action Man Programme

Action Man, Ian Noble

Action Man, Terrence Salmons

Cobra

Storm Shadow

Red Shadow Ninjas

Venom

Miles Mayhem

Sly Rax

The Iron Ring

Iron Klaw

Doctor X, Mercy Gale

Joe Colton (Mentioned)

Other Human

Madame President

Marissa Faireborn

Oval Office Staff

Earth's Leaders (Mentioned)

Other

Unicron Collapsed into Black Hole

Unicron's Antibodies

Unicron's Creator (In Infraspace)

Buster, the Dog

Garnak

The Dead in Infraspace

Unicron's Creator's Daughter (Mentioned) Killed by Cybertronians

Notes

• So luckily, the next generation of Cybertronian sparks were removed from Trypticon before he went into orbit to fight Unicron.
• For some reason, Powerglide isn't amongst the Aerialbots this issue, despite him being part of the combiner when they absorbed the Enigma of Combination's code.
• We don't see Joe Colton this issue. So I guess he was just let out for the big Heroes of Erath meeting, and then put back in jail afterwards?
• Terrence Salmons is shown to be in the Action Man uniform, and has it as a subtitle too, meaning the UK have broken tradition and now have two Action Men on duty at once.
• So it looks like the throat-shot from helix last issue DID kill Beast Megatron after all! That was easy I guess!
• It's revealed here that Rhinox was not aware that Onyx Prime was just a disguise used by Shockwave before his big reveal, and also implies that he, and the other Maximals seemingly under Shockwave's command in this series have always been planning to betray him to Unicron.
• Hey look! Predaking is alive! I thought he was done for when Razorclaw was seemingly killed by Kup in Revolutionaries.
• So, Tempest has taken on the Storm Shadow name again after all? Did she kill the other one?
• Soundwave was shown collecting the Enigma of Combination in issue 3 of this series. This ladies and gentlemen is what we call a "Chekov's Gun" an item shown in act one, that is used in the final act of a story.
• Most of the faces seen in Infraspace are pretty much impossible to name, due to block colouring and lack of details, but Tarn's face is clearly seen amongst them.
• I am genuinely shocked that they didn't use the Enigma to combine the Dinobots (with Strafe replacing Grimlock as the torso) into Volcanicus.
• Despite Pyra Magna losing her leg, so can still combine with Slide to create a new leg for Victorion...despite the combination port being on that leg...
• I'm guessing here that the Enigma allowed Slide to reform into a leg, since she's never been shown to be able to alter her alternate mode in the past (a combiner's limb is still technically an alternate mode)
• We don't see it happening, but we can assume that Strafe also melted the other Decepticons in Broadside's crew who were corrupted by Bludgeon.
• Right in the centre of the dead characters in the afterlife who greet Soundwave is Rung, with both arms outstretched, unlike everyone else who only have one arm reached at the most. This is likely due to Rung actually being Primus, the God of transformers.
• The image of Bludgeon's worldsweeper crashing into the White House was foretold in Optimus' vision when he annexed Earth.
• The President mentions the last time the White House was attacked, which was during the Dire Wraith attack in Revolution
• Buzzsaw is revealed to have actually survived the attack on Jupiter's Sanctuary Station...the rest of the team was seen in the afterlife though, so they're all dead!
• The small child we've seen on-and-off from Elonia with the pig-dog creature is now shown to have lost his parents on Earth during the battle with Unicron (likely some debris or Maximals killed them). He ends up being adopted by Rom and Livia, who are also finally together once again
• Pyra Magna is shown to be the new Mistress of Flame. This goes against the visions of the future from Optimus, which showed that Aileron was the new Mistress of Flame. Maybe she takes over when Pyra gets deposed or something?
• Slide becomes a Torchbearer, which makes her the first (known) non-Camien member of the team
• Despite Skywarp's serious looking injuries, Thundercracker only has a few scratches on him following the battle with the Maximals...he really is a badass!!
• So.....is no one worried about the black hole sitting in Earth's orbit at the end of this story?
• The backmatter for this story includes an article on the colonies of Cybertron, and there's a couple of things I wanted to talk about here. First, Gorlam Prime's Titan is revealed to be originally called "Quintessa", and would eventually become the Necrotitan from Dark Cybertron. If you remember The Last Knight movie, the main villain was also called Quintessa. Could that character have been the Titan and just claimed to be a god? Interesting thought!
• Secondly, Carcer/Vigilem is mentioned as having an Ore upon it, implying that when Shockwave shot the Regenesis Ores into space, that one landed onto the ship I guess? Maybe they landed on a planet to refuel and found the Ore instead. I dunno!
• FINALLY. It is revealed that Metroplex was MEGATRONUS' Titan and that he was designated to Tsiehshi, but evidently left to return to Cybertron before being found by Optimus.