FBF - To The Death #6

Title: Killatoa

Story: Simon Furman

Art: Geoff Senior

Letterer: Martin Baines

Design by: Amazing15

Printed in the UK by: Mixam

Plot

The Pacifiers proceed to "rescue" Dryagin from the White Noise team, when both groups notice a third party arriving, Killatoa. The newcomer tears his way through the White Noise members, killing all but King himself, but he is saved when Dryagin and the Pacifiers use incendiary rounds to dehydrate the monster (following a suggestion about Killatoa's weakness from Snow, over his communicator) and they take off in the Firedrake. They decide that no matter where they'd go, the Triumvirate will find them, so they may as well continue to Earth, and bring the fight to them.

On Earth, the Triumvirate note his returning home, and lament his refusal to die, but also know that he cannot possibly win...

On the Firedrake, King gets grilled by the Pacifiers, he admits that he doesn't know if Dryagin's family are really dead, as Snow had just informed Dryagin, but he does know that they were all targeted for death, since the Triumvirate see Dryagin as a beacon for the regular people of Earth, and wanted that taken away. Dryagin isn't sure he can be this beacon of hope, but King says that he believes in him, whether he does, himself, or not.

Back on Earth, Snow is in his submarine, where he reminisces over when he learned of the Triumvirates true plans to use the Asphodel Extinction Weapon to stage an "accident" that will wipe out most of humanity, allowing themselves and a select group to escape and repopulate another world, to prepare to conquer more planets in the future. Snow couldn't allow this to be his legacy, so he faked his own death, and plotted for four years to save the world...

Four years later, in the present day, a boat approaches Snow's submarine, and he joins them, so he can meet with "The Director"

Back on the Firedrake, King gets locked into his quarters, and the team start preparing to return to Earth, with Dryagin asking Bill to try and find his wife and child, as he doesn't believe that they are really dead, and wants to rescue them. Elsewhere, above Earth, Killatoa makes his descent to the planet as well...

At the Tri-Corp Future Technologies Facility, the team there are preparing the weapon, as pre the Triumvirate's request, despite it being a little ahead of schedule, and they look into the chamber where it is being held....and is guarded by several abducted Asphodelians.... 

Characters

Pacifiers

Aleksy Dryagin

Jonas Huey

Bette Larssen

Diamond Bill

Megan Umber

Leone

Dolan Rekt

Hash Flynn

White Noise

Deacon Snow

Juddh King

Mazur Killed by Killatoa

Levy Killed by Killatoa

Trent Hubble Killed by Killatoa

Other White Noiser Killed by Killatoa

Boat Crew

"The Director" (Mentioned)

Tri-Corp

Veni/Beauregard Percy

Vici/Sebastian Pelle

Vidi/Lucius Warrender

"Future Technologies Senior Scientist"

"Future Technologies Boss"

"Spaceport Sniper" (Flashback Only) Killed by King

Other Human

Lena Dryagin

Leo Dryagin

Other

Killatoa

Asphodel Guardians

Lupex, the Doggy Thing

Killatoa's Co-Experiments (Mentioned) Eaten by Killatoa

Notes

• The Cast list page has been updated by adding Killatoa to it, and having a big red "X" over Kraken's picture
• So..I guess it was a bad sign after all that most of the White Noise guys were unnamed until now huh? (One's even STILL unnamed!)
• In the back matter of this issue we get a small profile for Killatoa, which reveals that his blade weapons are heated, explaining why they cut through things so easily.
• Snow sure seems to know a lot about Killatoa...considering it's mentioned that he was built in a lab, and that Snow used to work for them, it seems likely that Killatoa was built by Tri-Corp
• As I theorized last issue, we learn here that the flashback Triumvirate that we saw ARE the same guys as we see in the present, but inside artificial bodies.
• After about half of the series, we finally clearly learn what the Triumvirate's ultimate plan is, they want to use the Asphodel Extinction Weapon to kill off most of Humanity, allowing a smaller amount to repopulate a new world and start again.
• Snow mentions that he faked his own death, explaining why the Triumvirate don't seem to be searching for him.

IDW - Transformers (2019) #14

Title: The Change in Your Nature, Part 2

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova & Bethany McGuire-Smith

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Plot

Security send in drones to try and talk to the Risers holed up in the Immersant Titan, but they keep shooting them down before they can talk for too long.

Outside, Chromia is coordinating her forces to deal with the Risers, whom she's started to identify. Suddenly one of the Risers non-fatally shoots at a sniper in waiting, Javelin, prompting Chromia to call Kup's team and orders them to break into the back of the Titan, but with as little damage as possible, due to the religious nature of Titans to the Reversionists, who would have a fit if one were to be damaged in some way.

In the Xeni-Quarter, Nautica visits the Voin embassy to speak with the delegate there about the recent Voin murder, and reports her finding to Prowl, waiting outside. She has a basic description of Brainstorm's murderer, but also learned that the Voin who was killed was important, and his death will cause some problems down the line...

At the Titan Mountain, the Securities distract the Risers, whilst Kup, Strongarm and Sideswipe manage to break into a hatch at the back of the Titan, but are found by one of the Risers, Lowload, who attacked them. he puts up a good fight, but Sideswipe plants an explosive on him, and badly hurts him, but the strong-bot manages to get back inside, resealing the hatch.

Sideswipe reports what just happened to Chromia, but is interrupted by Soundwave and some Ascenticons arriving, and Soundwave forcing his way into the Titan, confident that HE can speak with them and get them to give up, to everyone's confusion. Bee is unsure on Soundwave's motives, so he follows him into the Titan, whilst Elita-1 stays outside to stand guard.

Starscream soon arrives, claiming to be there to make sure there's some survivors from this mission, and walks to the side, where he starts getting into from his spy within the Ascenticons, Refraktor.

Inside the Titan, the Risers are immediately willing to give up and cooperate with Security on Soundwave's request. He starts to leave to inform them and turn this into a win for the Ascenticons over Security, when Ruckus reveals that he knows too much about the Rise, mentioning Shockwave and how Soundwave helped in the abduction of Barricade. Soundwave calls him a fool, and leaves his staff behind, telling them it is to disable surveillance, and leaves.

Bee manages to get out of the Titan just before Soundwave, and pretends he was there the whole time. Soundwave claims that the Risers have explosives and are unstable, with Bee noting to Elita that Soundwave doesn't have his staff with him.

Below, Starscream has been briefed on all the recent activities with the Ascenticons, but asks Refraktor when Bumblebee joined up, as he finds that suspicious.

Before he can get an answer though, the Titan explodes, sending everyone flying and stunning Chromia on the spot at the sight.

Elsewhere, Geomotus and Landmine are witnessing some odd behaviours with the natural geysers in an open field, when they see the huge explosion from the Titan

Back in Iacon, Megatron witnesses the explosion from a balcony with Jhiaxus and Strika, and claims that they are now in a race against catastrophe, which they cannot fail....

Characters

Security

Chromia - Car

Prowl - Police Vehicle

Springer - Car/Helicopter

Kup - Pick-Up Truck

Strongarm - Police Van

Sideswipe - Car

Stakeout - Police Vehicle

Flak - Missile Launcher Mounted Truck

Javelin Injured by Kaskade with Sniper

Ascenticon

Megatron - Treaded Vehicle

Soundwave - Hovercraft

Elita-1 - Car

Bumblebee - Winged Hovercraft

Refraktor - Hovercraft

Acidestorm - Tetrajet

Strika - Battle Tank

Jhiaxus - Jet

The Rise

Ruckus - Buggy Seemingly Killed in Titan Explosion

Wirespike Seemingly Killed in Titan Explosion

Kaskade Seemingly Killed in Titan Explosion

Lowload - Drill Tank Seemingly Killed in Titan Explosion

Shockwave - Hovercraft (Mentioned)

Barricade - Police Vehicle (Mentioned)

Ex-Intelligence Officers (Mentioned)

Brainstorm's Murderer (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Starscream - Tetrajet

Nautica - Submarine

Road Rage - Flying Car

Geomotus - Radar Mounted Rover

Landmine - Plough Truck

Immersant Titan Merged into Cybertron, Body Destroyed with Explosives

Brainstorm - Jet (Mentioned) Dead

Reversionists (Mentioned)

Other Species

Voin Diplomat

Other Voins

Murdered Voin (Mentioned) Dead

The Thraal Authorities (Mentioned)

Notes

• Oh, so the drill-guy ISN'T Frenzy, or anyone else after all, he's just some random guy called "Lowload"...that was fun while it lasted...
• It's confirmed here that some bots who go "Immersant" do eventually die, as the Titan where this story is set it is mentioned as having no brain or spark readings in a long time.
• Nautica mentioned in Issue 12 that the murder of the Voin could be very bad news depending on who it was, and she confirms this issue that he WAS one of the ones who it is bad news to kill here (we don't know in what way or what the repercussions would be yet though)
• Springer works security in Crystal City? Shouldn't he be dealing with the rampant riots there, rather than being involved in this stand-off?
• Soundwave is revealed to have been in the Intelligence department before Starscream took over as the Head, we previously learned that a lot of Risers were ex-Intelligence, so it is likely they joined the Rise on Soundwave's orders or coercion.
• Refraktor is revealed to be a mole in the Ascenticons for Starscream, much like how Bumblebee is for Optimus.
• Bee is shown to be spying on Soundwave during his meeting with Ruckus' crew, but it's unclear if he left before Ruckus started giving out information about the connection between the Rise and Ascenticons or after.
• It's unclear yet, but it seems that Soundwave's suppressor staff either has an explosive setting, or it activated some pre-planted bombs in the Titan (somehow), which causes the explosion in the Titan, which was in turn clearly done to silence them from revealing Shockwave's position on Cybertron, and the connection between the Rise and Ascenticons 
• I've put the Risers down as a deaths, but let's be honest, if Windblade can survive an explosion and being thrown miles away, then there's no reason (beyond branding) that the Risers couldn't as well.
• Geomotus' friend Landmine, previously only mentioned in the series, is revealed to be based on Energon Landmine's smaller robot mode.
• Landmine's fear-induced transformation is similar to the condition that Flywheels had in MTMTE, where he transformed whenever he lied.
• The last page seems to imply that Megatron knows that the explosion at the Titan was caused by Soundwave, implying again that this was pre-planned or expected to happen, perhaps Megatron had someone set off an explosion without Soundwave's knowledge even, as revenge for him keeping secrets from him earlier in the series?

IDW - Transformers: Galaxies #2

Title: Constructicons Rising, Part 2

Written by: Tyler Bleszinski

Art by: Livio Ramondelli

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Plot

On Mayalx, the Constructicons are sparring in a make-shift gladiatorial arena to improve their fighting skills, since Scrapper believes the changing times on Cybertron will lead to problems, and he wants them to be prepared.

Elsewhereon the planetoid, the Insecticons devour a dead Cybertronian, and metabolise him into Energon between themselves. They get interrupted by a communication from Shockwave however, who orders Bombshell to pick up the pace in getting the Constructicons to join their cause.

Back at the "arena" Scrapper teaches the others a lesson, when he defeats Bonecrusher, without even using a weapon, and knocks him out. Bombshell soon arrives and creeps out the Constructicons, with his temptation to eat the injured Bonecrusher.

The bug-bot proceeds to tell the Constructicons the story of how when he, and the others were forged, they were discovered to have a unique ability to eat raw materials, and create Energon from it, which was quickly put to use by society, however when the war started, the trio were pulled into it and eventually started eating the corpses of the war's victims, gaining their new title as Insecticons.

Following the war, the new bots in charge decided to distance themselves from these new monsters, and eventually sent them out to distant colonies to clean them up, and keep them out of sight.

Bombshell concludes his story by explaining that they wanted to get rid of them, because they were scared of them, and their powers, just like what happened to the Constructicons. The builders point out that the Insecticons ARE monsters though, and all the Constructicons want to do is build. But Bombshell reiterates that they are being kept underpowered and far away, never to return, due to everyone fearing their combined form, and hints towards them that he has allies that can allow them to live their lives, unchained and free from that fear... 

Characters

The Rise

Bombshell - Boll Weevil

Kickback - Locust

Skrapnel - Scarab Beetle

Shockwave - Hovercraft (On Communicator Only)

Other Cybertronian

Scrapper - Earthmover

Bonecrusher - Bulldozer

Mixmaster - Mixing Truck

Long Haul - Dump Truck

Scavenger - Excavator

Hook - Crane

Building Site "Accident" Victim Killed and Eaten by Insecticons

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Statue/Mentioned Only)

Brainstorm - Jet (Flashback Only)

Brainstorm's Cos-Researchers (Flashback Only)

Notes

• Sorry I haven't uploaded this thing before now, I've just been busy recently, and this series hasn't been too motivating to get it done earlier. (Assuming it's out on time, the next issue will also be a little late, due to a trip I'm taking next weekend)
• It's implied in this issue that the Constructicons are being kept underpowered to make them slower and cause them to have a reason for not being able to return to Cybertron sooner. It's also very likely that it is to stop them from combining into Devastator and causing another ruckus!
• The Insecticon's victim this issue is mentioned as having an "accident" leading to his death...me thinks they killed him for his juices!
• Bombshell knowing who Shockwave is, and seemingly working for him implies that he is a member of the Rise.
• Its mentioned that Shockwave has plans for Bombshell's Cerebro-shells, considering the title of the story-arc in the main comic is currently "The change in your nature" could this be a hint towards an upcoming plot point?
• The last panel of the penultimate page of Devastator's head in a closeup is unclear, it might be a statue, like I think, or it could be a flashback to when they combined. If it is a statue though...then why was it made, when it's been made clear than people are afraid of Devastator?
• Apparently the crater made when Devastator punched the ground outside Iacon was never filled in...is it just a bro-fist pool when the acid rains come then?