IDW - Transformers (BNE) #19

Title: Rise of the Deceptions: All Fall Down

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer 

Plot

Windblade finally wakes up from the stasis pod she's been in since she was caught in an explosion, only to discover that the planets gone to crap, and that the Tether has fallen.
Megatron, assuring his fellow Ascenticon Senators that this was a necessary evil to save Cybertron from the Autobots, gives them all orders to "help" with the recovery, but also confines Soundwave to the base, so he cannot be taken by the Autobots.

Soon, the Ascenticon Guard has some major changes, Elita is relieved of her duty and confined to quarters, to allow Skytread to take over her commander role, and several Risers are recruited into the guard.
Skytread and his team are sent out to help in the recovery efforts, and he orders Bee to investigate a damaged building, where the yellow bot is attacked by Treadshot and Catgut, having been deemed a risk to the Ascenticons now. Bee manages to mostly evade the assassins, but is almost killed by them, until Chromia arrives and rescues him, telling him that his mission is done, but the bot is upset, since he didn't accomplish anything from it, and Rubble is still dead, and his killer hadn't been brought to justice...

Elsewhere, Prowl and Nautica are escorting the Voin Asserter through Iacon, trying to placate him, and Orion Pax tries to convince Sentinel Prime to release Pyra Magna from prison, as she is the only one of the Great Generals still available to them, but the Prime refuses, and declares that HE has the Matrix, not Orion, and that after he is gone, Ultra Magnus will take on the Matrix.

Windblade is summoned by Novastar as she had been drafted into a new team of hers to act as recon and rapid response, whilst Hound is leading a similar team of Heavies to go after the Rise.

Elsewhere, Flatline is finalising the repairs to Shockwave, whilst Skystalker tries to explain that he cannot connect with Vigilem again, but they are interrupted by Sixshot, who asks why Mindwipe has headed to Iacon with some troops for resources for his research, much to Shockwave's shock and anger!

Characters

Autobot
Sentinel Prime - Space Shuttle
Orion Pax - Truck
Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport (Mentioned)
Nominus Prime - Jet (Mentioned) Possibly Dead

Security Forces
Chromia - Car
Prowl - Police Vehicle
Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet
Ironhide - Van
Novastar - Car
Smokescreen - Car
Blades - Aerial Vehicle
Sureshot - Car
Springer - Car/Helicopter
Javelin Being Operated on by Ratchet, following a head-shot
Sentinel's Guards
Streetwise - Police Vehicle (Mentioned)
Hound - Jeep (Mentioned)

Ascenticon/The Rise
Megatron - Mining Vehicle
Soundwave - Hovercraft Confined to Ascenticon HQ
Strika - Battle Tank
Jhiaxus - Jet
Ratbat
Shockwave -  Flying Artillery
Sixshot - Tank/Jet/Winged Beast/Gun/Car
Elita-1 - Car Confined to Quarters 
Bumblebee - Winged Hovercraft Left Faction
Skytread - Tank and Jet
Refraktor - Hovercraft
Flatline - Van (Possible Member)
Skystalker - Car
Treadshot
Catgut
Swift - Helicopter
Roadtrap - Van
Battleslash - Helicopter
Crasher - Race Car
Runamuck - Car
Runabout - Car
Acid Storm - Tetrajet
Ion Storm - Tetrajet
Nova Storm - Tetra Jet
Ruckus - Buggy Comatose
Kaskade Comatose
Mindwipe (Mentioned)
Stormcloud - Jet (Mentioned)
Visper - Jet (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian
Nautica - Submarine
Ratchet - Ambulance
Corpse in the Rubble Killed in Tether Collapse
Crowdfillers
Primus (Mentioned)
Pyra Magna (Mentioned) Imprisoned
Wheeljack - Race Car (Mentioned)
Wheeljack's Team (Mentioned)
Dai Atlas (Mentioned) Gone Immersant
Vigilem - Titan Warship (Mentioned) Missing
Alpha Trion (Mural Only)
Solus Prime (Mural Only)
Solomus (Mural Only)
Quintus Prime (Mural Only)
Other Bots in the Murals (Mural Only)
Lodestar - Titan Starship (Mentioned) Crippled by Vigilem
The Other Titans (Mentioned) Unresponsive
The Iron Hope Hundred (Mentioned)
Scraplets (Mentioned)

Other
The Voin Asserter

Notes

• Due to the Rise members joining the Ascenticon Guard, I see no reason to continue pretending they are separate organizations, like they are in universe
• This is the first main series issue to only have one person providing the art in a long time!
• Windblade has finally gotten out of her stasis pod...and is immediately put to work...poor gal
• We learn that Kaskade and Ruckus were the two Risers to survive the explosion at the Immersant Titan.
• It's unclear if Ratbat is also a Senator here, like he is in most other continuities pre-war.
• It's mentioned that Nominus Prime "left us", either meaning that he died, went Immersant, or is somewhere off world. I guess we'll find out in the future though :) 
• Elita has been relieved of her duties and confined to quarters, and Bee gets effectively relieved of duty when they try to kill him, meaning that all the known traditionally Autobot Ascenticons are out of the group now.
• It's unclear if Flatline is a Riser, or just making house calls as a dedicated medic, but since Shockwave's return to Cybertron is supposed to be hidden, we can assume it's the former.
• Vigilem is mentioned to be missing now, but Lodestar is also confirmed to be alive, but crippled