IDW - Transformers Escape #2

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Beth McGuire-Smith

Colours by: Priscilla Tramontano

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Ever since the War of the Threefold Spark, the Insecticons have periodically returned to Shockwave's secret base, to see if the cloning experiments have progressed, but Shockwave keeps dismissing them. After the most recent visit, SoundBlaster asks Shockwave if he's told them that he doesn't need them for the cloning experiments, since he already has the materials to create an army without their further assistance, but Shockwave simply states that the Insecticons are too powerful to risk upsetting, so he's keeping them in check, but he is starting to fear that Bombshell might know something...

As is to prove Shockwave correct, the Insecticons ambush one of the only other figures in the base, Skystalker, and implant him with a Cerebro-Shell to use him as a spy against Shockwave.

Meanwhile, at the Academy of Research in Crystal City, Highbrow contacts Straxxus about the Arks, but during their conversation, Straxxus and Geomotus discuss the recent ground tremors, and the very real risk they have in destroying the planet itself, prompting Straxxus to reveal that he has started renovating one of the Arks for the civilians of Darkmount, but will allow the other three to be used for the rest of Cybertron's evacuations.

A convoy of aliens, injured Cybertronians and Autobot guards are leaving Iacon to reach Darkmount to try and get access to Straxxus' store of Arks, led by Hound, Wheeljack and Nautica.

Along their journey to Darkmount, the convoy is attacked by a group of Decepticons, who, whilst they don't care about the organics leaving Iacon, they want the Cybertronians, who are now "Decepticon Civilians" to them, to remain. A very short fight ensues, which is abrupted ended when Dai Atlas arrives, scaring away the Decepticons.

Hound and the others are shocked by Dai Atlas' return, and he explains that it was in response to the distress call from the A'ovans, but also reveals that his time Immersant has rendered him a pacifist, since that was the entire reason that he went Immersant in the first place, much to the disappointment of the others. 

At that moment, the back of thje convoy is attacked by the Insecticons, taking down most of the guards, forcing Hound and Road Rage to try and take them out alone, but Road Rage is quickly knocked down by Skrapnel, leaving just Hound to defend them all...

Characters

Autobot/Security Forces/Senate Guard

Hound - Jeep

Wheeljack - Car

Nautica - Submarine

Road Rage - Flying Car

Highjump - Van

Tote - Van

Mudslinger - Monster Pick-Up Truck

Evacuation Convoy Guards

Cromar - Jet (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Soundblaster - Hovercraft

Bombshell - Boll Weevil

Kickback - Locust

Skrapnel - Stag Beetle

Skystalker - Car Placed under Cerebro-Shell Control

Skytread - Tank and Jet

Roadtrap - Vam

Gutcruncher

Airwave - Battle Platform

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Insecticon Clones (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Dai Atlas - Drill Tank-Jet

Highbrow - Helicopter

Mianframe

Geomotus - Buggy

Azimuth

Straxxus

Cybertronian Evacuees

Meteorfire - Space Shuttle (Flashback Only)

Crosscut - Van (Flashback Only)

Vigilem - Titan Warship (Mentioned) Missing

The Threefold Spark (Mentioned)

Darkmount Civilians (Mentioned)

Other

Pra'jak

A'ovans Species Almost Extinct

Other Alien Evacuees

Slaargs (Mentioned)

Notes

• The opening panel of this issue implies that, along with Shockwave, the Insecticons were a part of the Threefold Spark's army, or at least were able to infiltrate it.
• Cromar gets a name-drop in this issue, and MIGHT be the bot seen a little behind Wheeljack and Hound in the opening long-shot of the evacuation convoy, based on his body shape, but without details or colour it could be anyone.
• Similarly, in front of Hound and Wheeljack is a red bot with large shoulders and wheels on the tops of his arms, which could be Aragon. If these are them, then along with Zetar's appearance in issue 25 of the main series, all three Powerdashers might have made their appearances in the new series.
• Meteorfire was a explorer and TV show host from the Cyberverse franchise, so his role as a part of the Xenobiology department fits very well! Also, since Hound describes him in the present tense, it's likely that he's still alive and not Immersant or just dead.
• Straxxus is revealed to be a Senator here, and also to have had a past as a theoretician that dabbles in many fields.
• The ground shakes have been shown to occur throughout the earlier parts of this continuity, but here we learn that if they continue, it could result in Cybertron itself being torn apart.
• After a few mentions, Highbrow finally makes his physical debut, and as expected, he is using his Titans Return character model.
• Oddly, Battleslash is not present in  the Decepticon ambush team, but his partner in crime, Roadtrap is...
• We see Dai Atlas' alternate mode this issue, which is shown to be the combined tank-jet mode that his Legends toy can form, rather than a separate tank and get.
• As I theorized in the earlier parts of the series, it seems like Skystalker is an unwilling member of the Rise/Decepticons, and was forced into it to wake up Vigilem
• The Off-Road Patrol, minus Powertrain, are all shown as part of the evacuation escort team. Powertrain's absence is due to him being part of Ultra Magnus' crew, and them being delayed by 70 cycles due to the Black Sphere's time dilation.
• This issue confirms that most Cybertronians are ambidextrous, explaining why they can usually wield weapons in both hands when needed.
• Dai Atlas is confirmed to be the only Cybertronian to return from becoming Immersant, but he does reveal that a part of him is still Immersed, and heading to where they go during that process (most likely the Allspark)