IDW - Transformers vs The Terminator #3

Title: Enemy of my Enemy, Part 3

Story by: David Mariotte, Tom Waltz & John Barber

Written by: David Mariotte & John Barber

Art by: Alex Milne

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: Tom Waltz

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Plot

Aboard the Ark, The Autobots are busy fixing up their shipmates, and the vessel itself, though Wheeljack says it'll never fly again, but the systems are online. Whilst they are rebuilding, the Terminator watches on, analysing his current allies, waiting for his future opportunities to take them down.
Optimus gives out orders to the actice Autobots, Wheeljack and Ratchet are to stay on the Ark to continue reviving their friends, and monitor the situation on Earth using the local transmissions, Optimus and Velocity are going to investigate possible energy source to help power the Ark for the repairs, Arcee and the Terminator are to search the perimeter for any Decepticon traps in the area, whilst Bumblebee is to escort Sarah home, per her request. Before they leave, the Terminator mentions that he has no weapons, prompting Arcee to take him to the armory.

Elsewhere, the Decepticons have ransacked the Cyberdyne Systems facility, where Starscream interrogates the scientists about their "Hunter" robot, which they know nothing about, meanwhile the others are using the machinery to fill Energon Cubes for their own usage.
Meanwhile, on the Oregon coast, Optimus and Velocity have found the remains of the dune buggy and humans that Starscream destroyed, and Velocity finds a used optic casing, showing them that the Decepticons were definitely here...
On her way home, Sarah stopped by a clothing retail store to change out of her battered waitress outfit, before carrying on with their journey. On the radio they hear about the Decepticon attack on the Cyberdyne facility, and decide to look into it.

Back at the Ark, the Terminator finds a blaster that he likes, and Arcee has Teletraan-1 resize it for him to use, but Arcee also mentions that, even if Optimus trusts him for some reason, she's going to keep an eye on him, and if he tries to fire upon any Autobot, she WILL kill him on the spot.
The two head out for their perimeter check, but along the way, the Terminator secretly plants explosives around the Ark and the perimeter.
They duo reaches where the downed Sky Spy crashed, where the Terminator states that he shot it down when it scanned him. Before they can continue though, Bbumblebee calls in about the Decepticon attack.

At the Cyberdyne facility, Bumblebee prepares to stall the Decepticons, to prevent further damage and wait for the others to arrive, but before he can get Sarah to safety first, Skywarp attacks them, forcing Bee to grab Sarah and drive her straight to the facility.
Just before Skywarp can attack them again though, he is shot down by the Autobots and Terminator. An all out battle begins, and Sarah is tasked with getting through to Ratchet and Wheeljack for reinforcements. During the battle, the Terminator plants one of his explosives on one of the Refraktor trio's face and pushes down the plunger.

On the Ark, Ratchet and Wheeljack are working on their next batch of repairs, and they just need a little more energy from the Ark to revive them so they can bring real reinforcements to the battle. However, before they can find an energy source, they start hearing beeping, as the Terminator's explosives all set off, engulfing the Ark, Mt St Hilary and the surrounding area with destructive fire!

Back at the battle, Refraktor's head blows up in a controlled explosion, just as Vvelocity shoots off the head of another Refraktor, signalling a "nice job" thumbs up to the Terminator. However, just as he is reciprocating it, Starscream shoots around him to get his attention, and declares that he knows his secret, that if he kills the Cyberdyne workers, then he'll cease to exist, so he wants to make a deal....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Semi-Truck
Bumblebee - VW Beetle
Arcee - Ford Mustang
Velocity - Pontiac Firebird
Ratchet - Ambulance Caught n Ark Explosion
Wheeljack - Race Car Caught n Ark Explosion
Grimlock Inactive, Caught n Ark Explosion
Jazz Inactive, Caught n Ark Explosion
Sideswipe Inactive, Caught n Ark Explosion
Windblade Inactive, Caught n Ark Explosion
Other Ark Autobots Inactive/Dead, Caught n Ark Explosion (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Gun
Soundwave - Cassette Player
Ravage - Cassette
Starscream - Fighter Jet
Skywarp - Fighter Jet Blasted by Optimus and the Terminator
Thundercracker - Fighter Jet Skewered with Sword by Arcee
Kickback - Locust
Skrapnel - Scarab Beetle
Bombshell - Boll Weevil
Refraktor Trio - Camera Two killed by the Terminator and Velocity

Skynet

The Terminator

Human

Sarah Connor
Cyberdyne Systems Workers Some killed by Decepticons
Random Human Pedestrians
Radio Presenter (Voice Only)

Notes

• Arcee being a warrior and being "Threat Level: Maximum" is a reference to her depiction mainly in the IDW continuities, despite this continuity being based on the G1 cartoon, where, whilst she was a gunner, wasn't really a hardened warrior
• Arcee and Velocity get completely new alternate modes here! Arcee now has a mode based on a Ford Mustang, and Velocity is a Pontiac Firebird. Whilst Arcee HAS had a few Earth-modes before in comics and toylines, this marks the first time Velocity has an Earth-mode! Congrats to her!
• The Terminator mentions that the Sky Spy scanned him...could this be how the grandfather paradox comes to play of Cyberdyne creating Skynet from the Terminator's design?
• Grimlock is shown to have existed pre-Earth in this version of the story, despite being built on Earth in the G1 cartoon.
• Whilst blasting holes into, and skewering Cybertronians isn't normally enough to kill them, considering this is the penultimate issue of this crossover, I think we can assume that the badly injured here are most likely dead.
• Among the Autobots being repaired is Windblade, a character that is usually pretty major in these crossovers, so having her just being "dead" here is a bit of a jarring move.
• I'll be quite surprised if Ratchet, Wheeljack and the inactive Autobots were able to survive the Ark and Mt St Hilary exploding, though then again, the Decepticons all survived being dropped in a lava stream at the end of season one of the cartoon... (And NO, them saying they need a little energy to revive the others will not be a good excuse, a giant explosion is not a "little energy")
• How did Starscream learn about the Terminator's true nature? If he heard him call himself a "Cyberdyne Systems" robot, then that would make sense, but I'm pretty sure he's only referred to himself as that to Sarah and the Autobots.
• Starscream's threat also doesn't really work in canon though, since we've seen that even when Skynet is wiped out in Dark Fate's backstory, the Terminator they sent back, who killed John, was still around decades later, so it's not a Back to the Future style time travel paradox like he seems to be implying here.

IDW - Transformers Galaxies #8

Title: Gauging the Truth, Part 2: A Truth for a Truth

Written by: Sam Maggs

Art by: Beth McGuire-Smith & Umi Miyao

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Plot

A confused Gauge wonders who Arcee and Greenlight are and they explain that she was not born a Reversionist, like she has been made to believe, but was born on Cybertron not too long ago, and shows her this using Arcee's Psychic Patch, also showing that when they reached the Reversionist ship the older bots were imprisoned for being non-believers, and mind-wiped Gauge due to her being young and easier to manipulate.

Following her exposition history lesson, Gauge believes the two Cybertronians, but says that she doesn't know how to unlock their cell, as she believes the bars are connected to the mainframe, but also says that the Reversionists are planning something bad and they need to do something about it soon.

Gauge leaves, and pretends to still be mind-wiped, she tries to get access to Heretech's quarters, where the mainframe is housed, but is barred by Accelerator. Soon however, Heretech addresses the Reversionists saying that they are nearly ready to "ascend". Knowing that she's nearly out of time to save the Cybertronians, so she breaks into Heretech's quarters and hacks into the mainframe, just as Accelerator arrives and calls for the guards.

Gauge runs for the engine room, where Arcee and Greenlight are being held, where she finds them freed now, and the trio fight off the guards, and Gauge explains that she was conflicted on who she was, and whether the Cybertronians were just using her to free them, but she realised that they never asked her to free them, but let her decide for herself (but heavily implied that they need to stop the Reversionists, and cannot do it from the cell).

Before they can head off to stop Heretech however, he makes an announcement over the ship's communicators saying they have arrived at their new world, ready for them to take for themselves. Arcee and the others look through the porthole and see the planet in question is Cybertron itself!

Characters

Reversionist

Heretech

Accelerator

RoadHauler - Crane

Reversionist Guards

Reversionist Congregation

Other Cybertronian

Gauge

Arcee - Car

Greenlight - Car

Red/Black Tailgate - Car (Memory Only)

Spaceport Guards (Memory Only)

Other Memory Cybertronians (Memory Only)

Primus (Mentioned)

Notes

• So, Gauge just had her mind wiped, this isn't a simulation or anything, at least that's the case, unless they change their mind in issue 9.
• Arcee is shown to have a Psychic Patch on her at all times....for...some reason?
• So, if I'm remembering correctly, Greenlight said that she was told there was space on the Reversionist ship for them to fly off the planet on...yet here we learn that the Reversionists didn't want non-believers on their ship...then why did they offer a place to them?
• The Exodus apparently went in a circle away from Cybertron, just to return so they can try and "cleanse" the planet.
• Does Heretech really expect his crew of maybe a few hundred/thousand religious folk to be able to take out everyone on Cybertron, and rebuild the planet in their image? This really is a cult isn't it?

IDW - Transformers/My Little Pony: Friendship In Disguise #1

Transformation is Magic

Writer: James Asmus

Artist: Tony Fleecs

Colours: Tony Fleecs

Colour Flats by: Lauren Perry

Letterer: Jake M. Wood

Shine Like a Diamond

Writer: Ian Flynn

Artist: Jack Lawrence

Colours: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Neil Uyetake

Editor: Megan Brown

Consulting Editor: David Mariotte

Group Editor: Bobby Curnow

Main Story Plot

It's a normal colourful day in Equestria when the sky suddenly darkens and a strange bolt of lightning is seen lingering over a mountain peak, where Queen Chrysalis and some loyal Changelings are performing a ritual to open a portal to another world to try and bring forth more "Changelings" to help her conquer Equestria...

Elsewhere, on the planet Cybertron, the Autobots have become aware that the Decepticons are interested in a malfunctioning spacebridge, making them worried about what it can be used for. Shockwave manages to hack into the spacebridge and sends everyone somewhere else...just as Grimlock arrives at the battle, annoyed that everyone has "ditched" him again...

Back at the mountain peak, the gateway starts to emerge in the sky, when Princess Twilight Sparkle arrives to try and stop the Changeling's plan, but is too late, the portal opens and several giant figures shoot out of it, going across the world. Realizing that these newcomers are alive, and also falling at great speeds, Twilight goes to help them, leaving Chrysalis to speak to Megatron alone...

Before Bumblebee and Optimus can hit the ground, with Optimus offering to take the brunt of the fall, Twilight arrives and uses her magic to slow their fall, setting them safely on the ground.

Twilight, having overheard the two Autobot's friendship is relieved that Chrysalis had made a mistake by summoning friendly beings to Equestria, however Optimus corrects her that some of the other robots to arrive are indeed evil, and could be a major problem for Equestria.

Elsewhere, Chrysalis has indeed allied with the Decepticons, and marches with them off the mountain...

Side Story Plot

Starscream has attacked Manehatten, and forces Rarity and her staff to create a new outfit for him to wear whilst conquering Eequestria, hwoever he is soon interrupted by the Autobot Arcee, who quickly scares him away with a couple of kicks and punches.

Afterwards, Arcee assesses the damage and makes quick friends with Rarity, who admires her battle prowess, but also her demeanour, whilst  Arcee comments on Rarity's talents and business prowess, and both compliment the other's loyalty to their friends and allies.

Soon however, Starscream returns with Skywarp and Thundercracker to get revenge for Screamer's earlier defeat, only for the trio of fliers to get easily taken down by the two new friends.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Bumblebee - Hatchback

Arcee - Sports Car

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Gauge

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Shockwave - Ray Gun

Soundwave

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Skywarp - Fighter Jet

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Bombshell - Boll Weevil

Skrapnel - Stag Beetle

Equestrian

Princess Twilight Sparkle

Rarity

Rainbow Dash

Quibble Pants

Golden Harvest

Minuette

Lyra Heartstrings

Daisy

Rose

Spitfire

Soarin

Surprise

Firestreak

News Stand Vendor

Coco Pommel

Plaid Stripes

Blue Bobbin

"Betsey Trotson"

"Starke Kragen"

Queen Chrysalis

Evil Changelings

Royal Guards

Bunnies

Random Ponies

The Other Mane Six (Mentioned)

Daring Do (Mentioned)

Dr Cabelleron (Mentioned)

Diamond Dogs (Mentioned)

Hydras (Mentioned)

Conquerors and Demi-Gods (Mentioned)

Notes

• This series was originally due to be fully released in May 2020, but was delayed to be a monthly comic, starting in August due to the current global pandemic.
• Just for clarity, I have a passing knowledge on My Little Pony, but I'm by no means an expert on the subject, so if I miss some things on that side of the crossover, sorry!
• The Transformers side of the crossover appears to be based on a version of the G1 cartoon continuity (based on the spacebridge design, and Arcee existing to begin with!). The pony side is a bit more complicated, since we clearly see the evil Changelings still around (or at least a few of them anyway) but the preview for the next issue shows Spike with wings, implying this is after their conversion to good. (I know the first page says not to worry about continuity, but I don't care!)
• The location cards for Equestria and Cybertron are written based on the opposite series' title fonts.
• Unlike in the G1 cartoon,  Mmegatron has a tank mode, rather than pistol form, this is very commonplace in current comics, but is usually not the case in these crossover comics with existing products
• Arcee asks if Rarity is a seamstress, implying she knows about the practise, something that isn't normally seen on Cybertron. This, along with the Earth-looking alternate modes could suggest that this is set following the Transformers already existing on Earth, or another organic world.
• Rarity produces a diamond-shaped shield, something that this version of the character doesn't normally do, but is commonplace for her Equestria Girls counterpart (though she does make a shield by the end of the final series). She is shown sweating a lot after doing this magic though, a nod towards her not being used to using magic this way.
• Its mentioned a couple of times that Equestria is in an alternate dimension to Cybertron. Though its unclear if this is referring to an alternate universe (ala how Transformers Prime and Animated as alternate universes) or if Equestria is in a sort of pocket dimension within the same universe (Like how Gigantion is shown in the Cybertron cartoon)