IDW - Transformers #24

Title: Wheeljack: Orbital Decay

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Beth McGuire-Smith

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Plot

Following it's untethering from Cybertron, the Winged Moon is on an uncontrolled course towards the nearby sun. Most of the stranded individuals on the Moon are evacuated, but Wheeljack, Lancer, Huffer, Gears and Cosmos stay behind (with one escape shuttle) to try and save the planetoid, with Wheeljack being more determined due to the Moon being both Termagax's final big project before entering politics and her eventual self-exile, but also due to the Moon storing a sixth of Cybetron's current Energon supply.

After a couple of failed attempts, Lancer finds an Infiltration Trooper hiding on the escape shuttle, named Enemy, who admits that he was the one who was siphoning Energon from the Moon for the Rise, and also says he isn't sorry for the Tether being torn down by Vigilem.

The team make one last attempt to save the Moon by detonating the Wings and using the inner Energon stores to create a thruster, forcing it into a reverse course, away from the sun!

Following their success, most of the team celebrate inside, while Wheeljack basks in the glow of the now more distant sun on the surface. However, before they can get too far into their celebrations, Flamewar and the rest of "Team Stream" arrive, intending to steal the Moon!

Characters

Decepticon/Ascenticon/Rise

Enemy - Cassette

Slipstream - Jet

Shadow Striker - Car

Flamewar - Motorcycle

Astrotrain - Space Shuttle/Trackless Train

Blackjack - Car

Hyperdrive - Car

Tracer - Helicopter

Hotlink - Jet

Sunstorm - Jet

Termagax - Armoured Vehicle (Flashback)

Megatron - Mining Vehicle (Mentioned)

Blast Off - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Wheeljack - Race Car

Huffer - Truck

Gears - Truck

Cosmos - Orbiter

Lancer - Car

Croaton Remains Seen, Reduced to Dust

Vigilem - Titan War Ship (Mentioned)

Lodestar - Titan Space Ship (Mentioned)

Nominus Prime - Jet (Mentioned)

Moon Evacuees (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue follows Wheeljack's team on the Winged Moon, which was launched into space in issue 17. The end of this story is most likely set around the time of issue 23, with the Decepticons having performed their coup.
• The opening text report confirms that Seekers were built as clones during the war against the Threefold Spark, but also shows that Infiltration Troopers (Cassettes) volunteered to join the enemies during that war.
• Huffer's character model is based on his Combiner Wars toy, due to them using the most recent figure for character models in this continuity, HOWEVER, it should be noted that shortly after this issue was released, Kingdom Huffer was revealed, who looks more like his traditional depiction. I guess they could say the new toy is an upgrade though...
• Gears is mentioned as being Wheeljack's Mentee here.
• Enemy mentions that the Rise were using Vigilem as a relay point for stolen Energon, confirming that he was being used by them before the attack on the Tether.
• Croaton is mentioned as a dead Titan here, having been "usurped" by Exarchon during the war, mirroring his coersion by the Quintessons in the Cyberverse cartoon.

IDW - Transformers/My Little Pony: Friendship in Disguise #4

Strength in Numbers

Writer: Ian Flynn

Artist: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours: Joana LaFuente

Letterer: Jake M. Wood

Finale

Writer: James Asmus

Artist: Tony Fleecs

Colours: Lauren Perry

Letterer: Neil Uyetake

Editor: Megan Brown

Consulting Editor: David Mariotte

Group Editor: Bobby Curnow

First Story Plot

The Insecticons attack the Apple Family Farm. Applejack tries to chase them off, but is unable to, until Discord arrives, and transports members of the Apple Family from all over Equestria to help her, and they manage to chase off the attackers with some ease.

Second Story Plot

The Decepticons have gone into hiding, which worries Princess Cadance of the Crystal Empire. That is until the walls of her palace are blown in, and the Decepticon/Changeling army demand her surrender of all the Empire's magical items to be turned into supercharged Energon.

Unfortunately for Megatron, the Autobots and their Equestrian allies are there too, and all join together to take down the villains.

After a long battle, Megatron learns that Twilight's allies spread across the entire planet, making their victory almost guaranteed. Chrysalis states that she doesn't care, and without her magic, the portal home won't open, as the Cybertronians will just battle it out on Equestria, destroying it, leaving the world for her to rule afterwards 

At the moment, the Spacebridge opens in the sky, having been repaired by Spike and Grimlock, and the Decepticons are forced through it, back home, and the Changelings escape.

Afterwards the Autobots and their allies have a tea and Energon party to celebrate, before the Autobots return home, and Optimus detonates the Spacebridge, to keep Equestria safe from their war.

However, elsewhere on Cybertron, Shockwave reveals to Megatron that he has the coordinates to Equestria still, and wonders if they can force the magic of that world to theirs?

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Prowl - Police Car

Ironhide - Van

Arcee - Sports Car

Bumblebee - Hatchback

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Gauge

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Shockwave - Ray Gun

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Crasher - Race Car

Skrapnel - Stag Beetle

Kickback - Grasshopper

Bombshell - Boll Weevil

Venom - Cicada

Chop Shop - Stag Beetle

Ransack - Locust

Barrage - Rhino Beetle

Equestrian

Princess Twilight sparkle

Rarity

Applejack

Rainbow Dash

Fluttershy

Pinkie Pie

Spike, the Dragon

Queen Chrysalis

Princess Cadance

Discord

Starlight Glimmer

Trixie

Tempest Shadow

Shining Armour

Apple Bloom

Sweetie Belle

Scootaloo

Big McIntosh

Sugar Belle

Granny Smith

Maude Pie

Silverstream

Yona

Sandbar

Smolder

Ocellus

Gallus

Spitfire

Soarin 

Apple Cinnamon

Aunt Orange

Uncle Orange

Caramel Apple

Red Gala

Braeburn 

Apple Fritter

Babs Seed

Apple Brown Betty

Red Delicious

Apple Strudel

Apple Bumpkin

Auntie Applesauce

Golden Delicious

Pina Colada 

Other Apple Family Members

Owlowiscious 

Evil Changelings

Cragodiles

Fluttershy's Animal Friends

Notes

• This is the finale issue of this crossover, and as is now customary for the crossovers of late, it ends on a potential cliffhanger for a sequel.
• Some of the Apple family members summoned for the battle against the Insecticons are actually not members of the family, they just have apple-like cutie marks
• Discord summoning the apples is reminiscent of Doctor Strange summoning the revived heroes in Avengers Endgame.
• The Insecticons referred to as clones here are the larger deluxe Insecticons, just coloured like the main trio
• The cragodiles seen amongst the Changelings and Decepticons are most likely shapeshifted Changelings, and not actual cragodiles.
• Spike uses an Exosuit like the one that the human Spike uses starting in the G1 Transformers Movie
• The end of the story features a scene transition going from the Decepticon insignia to the Autobots, with Twilight's cutie mark behind it
• Crasher/Fracture makes a brief cameo in this issue, using her Movie toy as the basis...she's using he gun as an axe though...weird...
• Tempest Shadow is seen helping form the shield in the final battle...but her magic is supposed to be unstable and explosive...this could have been explained in the comics though.