IDW - Transformers: Escape #4

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Beth McGuire-Smith

Colours by: Priscilla Tramontano

Letters by: Neil Uyetake

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Having learned that Dai Atlas has returned to the living world, his old follower, Speeder arrives at Darkmount to offer his commander his sword, but the new pacifist refuses it and asks Speeder to keep it for himself.

Wheeljack, Nautica and Highbrow have made contact with Straxxus, who has agreed to meet with them inside the sealed off city, where the Autobots discover that most of Darkmount have been loaded up into the three active Arks, but also learn that the fourth ship has engine problems, and will likely not work. Straxxus simply states that his priority is to his people, and points out that there's never been an uprising or attack in Darkmount, showing that he knows how to rule effectively, unlike the Autobots or Decepticons.

Elsewhere, Rage and Hydradread have located the Insecticon Titan-base, where they soon locate who they believe to be Kickback, but upon killing him, they notice that he doesn't have a spark chamber, prompting more cloned and feral Insecticons to appear around them.

Outside Darkmount, Wheeljack expresses his distrust of Straxxus to the others, when the gathered crowd see the Titan Emissary plummeting into the nearby mountain-range , showing them that they're running out of time.

Rage and Hydradread manage to escape the Insecticons when the Titan's crash distracts them, sending the swarm into the sky, prompting the two Decepticons to suggest negotiation to Shockwave with the Insecticons.

The Darkmount evacuees see the cloud of Insecticon Clones approaching their location, seemingly eyeing them up for food, leading Hound to point out that if Dai Atlas doesn't fight the clones, then he is dooming all the living beings here, including the organics, who don't have a spark that will return to the Allspark, to death.

Dai Atlas agrees and accepts his sword back from Speeder, ready to battle the monsters...

Characters

Autobot

Wheeljack - Car

Nautica - Submarine

Highbrow - Helicopter

Hoist - Tow Truck

Hound - Jeep

Road Rage - Flying Car

Gears - Van

Tote - Van

Mudslinger - Van

Powerflash

Cromar - Jet

Autobot Guards

Cybertronian Evacuees

Decepticon

Rage - Car

Hydradread - Car

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Shockwave - Flying Artillery (Mentioned)

Kickback - Locust (Mentioned)

Other Insecticons - Insects (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Dai Atlas - Flying Tank

Speeder - Car

Leviathan - Metal Harvester Injured

Straxxus 

Darkmount Denizens

Insecticon Clone Swarm - Insects 

Emissary - Titan Ship Crashed into Cybertronian Mountains

Orbiting Titans - Titan Ships (Mentioned) Crashing

Mountain Titans Long Dead

Other

A'ovans

Urtuskans

Other Alien Evacuees

Notes

• Speeder was the smaller figure packed with the original Dai Atlas toy, so it makes sense why he's his loyal follower here, his design doesn't seem to be based on a newer toy and is just a redesign based on his original figure.
• Straxxus makes his first full-in person appearance here, but he doesn't appear to be based on an existing figure. He has some similarities with the RID2015 Blastwave mould, with a new chest and back-accessory, but that might just be me trying to find similarities here.
• The Arks seen this issue are completely new designs, and not based on any previous incarnations, and even coming in various colours! My guess is that they are using the term "Ark" for an escape vessel rather than a shuttle-type.
• The Insecticon clones are revealed to be sparkless and feral, making them quite similar to the Sparkless from the WFC franchise, even with them seemingly being consumed by trying to devour/kill other Cybertronians.
• This issue is revealed to be set during the same period as issue 29 of the main series when we see Emissary crashing from the Deceptiocons forcing the Titan's accelerated descent.

IDW - Transformers Annual 2021

Title: Light/Star

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Alex Milne

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Lodestar undergoes an upgrade at the Black Hub station, where she and her City Speaker, Light bright, are joined by a technical crew led by Scattershot. Lodestar and Lightbright are upset with an Imploder weapon onto her, since that was the weapon used to kill Croaton, and all Titans now despise them.

Eventually, a possible sighting of Vigilem is reported, and Lodestar heads off to the Hexagon station to try and bring him in. The station's commander Thunderwing is quite off-putting towards the new arrivals and claims to have now known about Vigilems crimes on Cybertron.

The Technobots head to the station while Lightbright stays aboard Lodestar, with both hoping to get through to Vigilem and get him to return to stasis rather than destroy him.

On the station, the Technobots are shocked to find Bludgeon and the Conehead Seekers as part of Thunderwing's main crew, being known criminals, but try to work with them to get Vigilem to stand down.

The Technobots are split up, where they are quickly targeted by the station crew, when they point out contradictions with things that Thunderwing has stated, in listing letting it slip that he knows the Senate has fallen, but doesn't know about Vigilem's attack. He reveals that his plan is to use Vigilem to return to Cybertron and join the Decepticons as heroes.

Eventually, the Technobots are rounded up in another hired criminal, Airachnid's lab, where she is trying to recreate the lost artifacts of the Primes, and the Technobots are knocked into an artificial Enigma of Combination, where they are forcibly combined into Computron, sending the Conehead adrift into space, and forcing Airachnid to get Thunderwing to eject her lab to get Computron off the station before he can destroy them all.

Outside, Vigilem starts launching away, with Lodestar giving chase. The two Titans transform and engage in battle when Vigilem refuses to talk, forcing Lodestar to use the Imploder and destroy the rogue Titan, injuring herself in the process, and watches his remains fall into the system's star, destroying him fully...

Later, the Technobots are adrift in the ejected chunk of Hexagon station, having de-combined and Scattershot still infused with the Enigma's energies. Soon the team are recovered by an injured Lodestar, who is stuck in robot mode due to her injuries.

Later still, Lightbright and Lodestar are relaxing to energetic music when she is informed of an intercepted message from Cybertron that all of the orbiting Titans have crashed and been destroyed, leaving Lodestar as the last Titan. Hearing this catastrophic news, Lodestar and Lightbright mourn with somber music instead....

Characters

Autobot

Scattershot - Jet

Strafe - Jet

Lightspeed - Car

Afterburner - Speedbike

Nosecone - Drill Tank

Computron - Technobot Gestalt

Sentinel Prime (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Lightbright Injured in Imploder Detonation

Lodestar - Titan Ship

Vigilem - Titan War Ship Killed by Lodestar

Thunderwing - Jet

Bludgeon - Tank

Airachnid - Aircraft/Spider

Dirge - Jet Sent Adrift into Space, by Computron

Ramjet - Jet Sent Adrift into Space, by Computron

Thrust - Jet Sent Adrift into Space, by Computron

Metalhawk - Jet

Syphon

Black Hub Staff

Jazz - Car (On Monitor Only)

Skystalker - Car (Mentioned)

Croaton - Titan Ship (Mentioned) Dead

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport (Mentioned) Missing

The Primes (Mentioned)

The Orbiting Titans (Mentioned) Dead

The Senate (Mentioned) Captured by Decepticons

Hexagon Cybertronian Population (Mentioned)

Other

Hexagon Organic Population

Thraal Assassinator (Mentioned)

Notes

• The Technobots actually all have Autobot insignias, this is rare at this point in the continuity, since the Autobot insignia has mostly only been seen on Optimus Prime so far, since it's still officially only a political party.
• This story feels more like a finale to the Galaxies series than a solo story, with many of the events from that series referenced, and even fits the off-Cybertron story theme of the series. My guess is that this was originally planned to be the finale of the series, but was changed to a solo story when the series was ended.
• Lodestar left Cybertron to get upgraded back in issue 21 of the main series.
• We barely see Metalhawk in the early pages of this story, but he appears to use his Timelines toy, usually they use the most recent toy for the character, but considering the Power of the Primes figure was a Prime Master, we can probably understand this change.
• The Technobots use the Unite Warriors version of the team, but with some colour changes 
• We learn that Croaton was killed using an Imploder, we learned previously that he was killed by Citadel, so he must have used that weopon to do the action. However, we know that Croaton was reduced to a cloud of rubble, while Vigilem only has a massive chunk torn out of him by it. There's a few possible explanations for this, such as that Citadel used a larger Imploder, he used multiple weapons, Croaton was just smaller than Vigilem, or even that Lodestar just used the weapon wrong. I wonder if we'll ever find out the answer?
• We last saw the Hexagon outpost in issue 12 where Nautica and Road Rage fought off a Thraal assassination attempt.
• Thunderwing used his Generations toy model for his appearance here, while Bludgeon uses a design based on his RID2015 model, but with some modifications
• The Conehead Seekers appear to be using their current Earthrise figures as a basis, but with Cybertronian modes.
• Airachnid is a transfer of the Prime series character, but with an updated design that has her as a triplechanger instead of just having a spider-themed attack mode.
• It's mentioned that the Enigma of Combination is one of the "lost" artifacts of the Primes, but we saw Termagax and the Constructicons discover it in issue 1 of Galaxies...so...where did it go?
• Scattershot has absorbed the power of Airachnid's artificial Enigma, much like how Superior did in the previous continuity.
• We end this issue with confirmation that all of the orbiting Titans on Cybertron have crashed and died, which also tells us that this story ends at about the same time that issue 29 of the main series is set (but could be a bit later, since the message could be delayed)
• I find it hard to believe that there's no more Titans out in the universe, perhaps stationed on one of the Colony world's or on deep space missions.

IDW - Transformers/My Little Pony: The Magic of Cybertron #2

Stunt Flying

Writer: Ian Flynn

Artist: Priscilla Tramontano

Colours: Joana LaFuente

Letterer: Jake M. Wood

One-Trick Pony

Writer: Sam Maggs

Artist: Trish Forstner

Colours: Luis Antonio Delgado

Letterer: Neil Uyetake

Editor: Megan Brown

Consulting Editor: David Mariotte

"Stunt Flying" Plot

The Seekers and Wonderbolts have teamed up to attack a group of Sombra-Controlled bots and Equestrians in a Cybertronian city. The controlled bots and horses fire lasers on the fliers, and the two groups are at odds at how to take restrain them, until Rainbow Dash comes up with the idea to have the Wonderbolts use their Pegasus powers to create a rainstorm, and she creates a Sonic Rainboom and disorient then controlled crowd, allowing the Decepticons to fire missiles loaded with Energon nets to capture them.

The Decepticons consider killing the captured Autobots in the batch, but decide against it in case they need the forces to take on Sombra and his hoard. Starscream tries to take credit for their victory, but the rest of the team celebrate Rainbow instead, much to Starscream's annoyance.

"One-Trick Pony" Plot

Applejack wanders around a Cybertronian desert, until she encounters Wild Wheel, who claims the area belongs to him. The two get into a stare down, but is ends after they both knock out the Sombra-controlled Quickstrike and Skids, with each earning the other's respect. The two walk off into the sunset, discussing how Equestria has magic all the time, and Applejack says that she has a friend who can make them matching hats. 

Characters

Autobot

Ironhide - Van Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Jazz - Car Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Hound - Jeep Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Skids - Van Controlled by Sombra, Defeated by Wild Wheel

Decepticon

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Skywarp - Fighter Jet

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Wild Wheel - Car

Swindle - Jeep Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Brawl - Tank Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Motormaster - Truck Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Quickstrike - Scorpion-Snake Fuzor Controlled by Sombra, Defeated by Applejack and Wild Wheel

Equestrian

Applejack

Rainbow Dash

Spitfire

Wave Chill

Blaze

Surprise

Soarin

High Winds

Possessed Ponies Controlled by Sombra, Captured by Wonderbolts/Seekers

Sombra (Mentioned)

Rarity (Mentioned)

Notes

• I can understand there being more Cybertronians under Sombra's control than the ones we saw in issue one, since he's been "recruiting" them...but where did the extra Ponies come from?
• It shouldn't need to be said, but Starscream's fantasy form is based on his "Emperor Starscream" form from the original movie.
• Rainbow Dash mentions how Starscream was defeated by her, and his own cape in the previous crossover.
• For some reason, Rainbow Dash isn't in her Wonderbolts uniform (and don't say "she didn't bring it with her", Applejack didn't bring her cowboy outfit with her either, yet she's wearing it this issue!)
• It's not stated in the issue, but the location where Applejack is wandering is most likely the Sea of Rust, but re-designed to better resemble the "Old West".
• Wild Wheel is a straight transfer of his character from Cyberverse, right down to his status of being a former Autobot, current Decepticon.
• The two mind controlled bots during the second story are Quickstrike and Skids, the former having a strong western theme to him in Beast Wars, and the latter having had a story from the Marvel days with a western theme too (I guess they needed another cowboy-type from somewhere).
• It's not stated here, but we can assume that Quickstrike is a Decepticon. Though, since he was originally a Maximal protoform who just joined the Predacons of his own will in Beast Wars, he could be an Autobot?

IDW - Transformers #30

Title: War World: We are Not Meant to be Darkness

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Optimus wants to try and end this war before it can go any further and tries to have Pyra Magna arrange a meeting between him and Megatron, however she convinces him to do the meeting over holo-casters, and to escape Iacon during the meeting, as she knows Megatron will betray this truce. Optimus asks if he can trust her to follow orders, since she disobeyed the orders for amnesty from Nominus Prime to kill Turmoil, and his ship full of prisoners, and she hopes that she can be trusted this time...

Later, Pyra and Strika meet in the ruined Iacon, where they act as the proxies for their leaders and project their holograms for the meeting. The conversation goes about as well as expected, with Megatron claiming that Optimus only cares about the apparent destruction of the Titansparks, as he wanted to use them against him.

Megatron ends the transmission, and Strika activates a suppressor spear, so no one can hear them, or teleport in. Strika won't kill her herself, since they were comrades in arms, and respect each other too much, but she does allow a new recruit of Sixshot's to take her out, Cyclonus, who wants revenge on her for killing Paragon, who was onboard Turmoil's ship.

Once the spear is activated, the Companions, a group of Cybertronians loyal to Pyra, come out from hiding behind a shimmer field and head off to help their leader. The Decepticons mistake them for Sec-ops members and are easily taken out by the war veterens.

Pyra is willing to allow Cyclonus to kill her, as penance for her ear crimes, but the manifestation of Paragon in his mind stops him from killing her, and he doesn't know what to do now. Pyra doesn't know what he needs if it's not to kill her, as breaks the spear blocking their Comms.

Realising the spear is gone, the Companions quickly reunite with their leader, and ask her what to do now, with her deciding to join Optimus, but allows the others to do what they want...

Optimus and his followers evacuate Iacon, using the meeting and fight as a cover. As Pyra believed, Megatron did try to betray them, and only took the meeting to try and locate Optimus' hiding place to take him and his followers out. Now he won't be satisfied with his victories until Optimus is finally dead!

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Pyra Magna - Truck

Chroma - Car

Prowl - Police Vehicle

Ironhide - Van

Perceptor

Nightbeat - Car

Pipes - Truck

Vibes

Groove - Motorcycle

Grapple - Crane

Brawn - Van

Autobot Evacuees

Sentinel Prime - Jet (Mentioned) Dead

Nominus Prime - Jet (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank 

Strika - Battle Tank

Soundwave - Hovercraft

Sixshot - Tank/Jet/Car/Gun/Winged Beast

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Flywheels - Tank and Jet

Ion Storm - Jet

Nova Storm - Jet

Acid Storm - Jet

Nautilator - Lobster Beaten down by Rust Dust

Scatterspike - Can

Red Wing - Jet 

Hooligan - Jet Shot down by Jumpstream

Nacelle - Jet Badly Injured by Windcharger

Shockwave - Flying Artillery (Mentioned)

Infiltration Troopers - Cassettes (Mentioned)

Most of the Seekers - Jets (Mentioned)

The Companions

Sunstreaker - Car

Jumpstream - Car

Windcharger - Car

Groundbreaker - Jet

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Demolisher - Battle Tank (Flashback Only)

Rest of Pyra's Crew (Flashback Only)

Three-fold Spark

Turmoil - Tank (Flashback Only) Possibly Killed in Ship Explosion

Megabolt (Flashback Only) Possibly Killed in Ship Explosion

Turmoil's Crew (Flashback Only) Possibly Killed in Ship Explosion

Exarchon (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet 

Immersant Titan Part of Mountain Range

Paragon (Ghost)

Captured Senators (Mentioned) In Decepticon Custody

The Titans (Mentioned) Crashed into Cybertron

The Sixteen Titansparks (Mentioned) Apparently Destroyed

Turmoil's Prisoners (Mentioned) Possibly Killed in Ship Explosion

Other

Green, the Flyt 

Notes

• This issue was released on the same day as issue 29...so it was kind of annoying when my copy of 30 arrived first, giving me a couple of spoilers of 29 :/
• Megatron claims that all the Titansparks were destroyed when the Pyramid was destroyed...but, let's face it, he's the leader of a group who willingly call themselves DECEPT-icons....I don't think he can be trusted ...
• We can't easily identify most of  Pyra Magna's past crew members, but one prominent one is based on Armada Demolisher, who is traditionally a Decepticon. Wonder if that means anything for a future plot?
• The only member of Turmoil's crew I can identify is based on RID Megavolt, who is based on a Grand Mal version of Beast Megatron from Beast Machines (though presumably not the same size as him, otherwise Turmoil must be humongous!)
• The members of the Companions who come to help Pyra Magna includes Groundbreaker in Pyra Magna's colours. It was mentioned before by Jumpstream that some bots have taken on her colours in protest for her imprisonment. Everyone else is in their normal colours 
• Pyra mentions that MOST of the Seekers have joined the Decepticons, implying some have not. My guess would be the others would be characters like Jetfire and the Aerialbots.
• Scatterspike is a straight transfer of her RID2015 character model.
• So...Windcharger has finally been allowed to show off how a bot with the power of magnetism would be VERY scary on Cybertron.
• Cyclonus is stopped from killing Pyra Magna by the manifestation of Paragon. However, we learned last issue that Provoke, one of his other ghosts, is still alive...so, again, are these just Cyclonus' mind playing tricks on him, or something more sinister?
• I think it's pretty safe to say now that any bots seen in the group leaving Jacob with Optimus are now part of his Autobots, if even just by association. This is notable mainly for Perceptor, who noted last issue that he doesn't see the Matrix as a "boss token"
• The final shot of Optimus looking over the ruined Iacon, with the Tether still draped across the landscape is a direct parallel to the scene from issue one, where Rubble looks over the landscape himself, before the chaos all began.
• The preview text for next issue says it is 40 cycles later, possibly setting it near to when Ultra Magnus should be returning home after his time-dilated journey

IDW - Transformers #29

Title: War World: Titans

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Following the capture of the Titan Hub, the Decepticons have tried to reactivate the Titans, but have discovered that their data bomb worked too well, and they can't restore them. Fearing that the Autobots could find a way to reverse the effects themselves, Megatron orders them to accelerate their crash-sequences so they won't fall into their enemies hands...

Elsewhere, Javelin has transferred to Ironhide's former Senate Guard team where she is welcomed by the team.

Later, the Guard escort Optimus Prime, the last of the Senators they can protect as he visits the Forge Pyramid, where all Cybertronians are born.

Inside, Optimus meets with Perceptor, the head of the facility to discuss with him about Titansparks, following Sentinel Prime's final words and Starscream's leaked information regarding them. Perceptor admits that the public have been lied to about the number of Titansparks to emerge from the Allspark since the last war, and the sixteen have been placed into storage, though he thought that Optimus had been told already...

Outside, Strika and her team have been assembled to attack the Pyramid to take the facility, and the Titansparks for Megatron.

Sec Ops and the Senate Guard fight them off, but are being overwhelmed, during the battle the mag-field system is damaged, which begins to release plasma throughout the facility. Nova Storm tries to attack the group, but Optimus stops her, and orders her to warn the Decepticons about the plasma leak, so they can get to safety, leading her to fly off immediately.

The Pyramid staff and Optimus' crew break out of the facility, with the Decepticons following by example.

Outside, Optimus watches with Perceptor, angry with the scientist for hiding living  sparks from the population, as the Pyramid explodes and melts down.

Meanwhile, the Decepticon scientists manage to fulfil Megatron's order and accelerate the descent of the Titans. Chela smashes into Kali's, causing massive structural damage, Citadel crashes into the Sea of Rust, who disrupts the rust worms that were under the surface, and Cargohold crashes into, and finally destroys the remains of the Memorial Crater...

Later, Roadtrap and Gutcruncher explore the crash site at the Memorial Crater, where they find a Cybertronian buried underneath. At first they think she's just an Immersant or a forgotten corpse from the last war, but not only is she alive, but Roadtrap recognises her...it's Provoke....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Ironhide - Van

Javelin

Grotusque - Winged Cat

Vibes

Backstreet - Car

Subsea - Submarine

Brawn - Van Injured by Obsidian

Pipes - Truck

Flareup - Motorcycle

Groove - Motorcycle

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Strongarm - Police Van

Flak - Mobile Missile System

Topshot - Self-propelled Gun Truck

Sunrunner - Jet

Carzap - Car

Inferno - Fire Truck

Nightbeat - Car

Other Former Senate Guards

Nominus Prime - Jet (Flashback Only) Dead

Sentinel Prime - Jet (Flashback Only) Dead

Hound - Jeep (Mentioned)

Sideswipe - Car (Mentioned) Injured

Bumper - Car (Mentioned) Injured

Chainclaw - Bear (Mentioned) Dead

Roulette - Car (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Strika - Battle Tank

Mindwipe - Bat

Bitstream - Jet

Sparkstalker - Insect Monster

Catgut

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Apeface - Ape/Jet

Lugnut - Jet

Heavywait - Van

Obsidian - Helicopter

Snaptrap - Turtle

Nova Storm - Jet

Acid Storm - Jet

Twirl - Jet

Visper - Jet

Windsweeper - Jet

Power-Punch - Cannon Mounted Truck

Direct-Hit - Truck

Runamuck - Car

Runabout - Car

Roadtrap - Can

Gutcruncher

"Annoying Seeker" - Jet

Decepticon Fliers - Jets

Other Cybertronian

Perceptor

Chela - Titan Ship Crashed into Cybertron

Citadel - Titan Ship Crashed into Cybertron

Cargohold - Titan Ship Crashed into Cybertron

Provoke Buried Alive

Pyramid Staff

Lodestar - Senate Ship (Flashback Only)

Losestar's Forging Attendees (Flashback Only)

16 Titan Sparks (Flashback Only) Held in Storage

Starscream - Jet (Mentioned)

Croaton - Titan Ship (Mentioned) Killed by Citadel

Cybertronian Evacuees (Mentioned)

The Senators (Mentioned) imprisoned

The First Forged (Mentioned)

The Three-fold Spark Army (Mentioned)

The Other Titans (Mentioned) Most Likely crashed into Cybertron

Other

Rust Worms

Alien Evacuees (Mentioned)

Notes

• Following her freezing up during her last mission, Javelin has switched from Sec Ops to Senate Guard...though that doesn't really mean much since they've both been pretty much rolled into the Autobots now.
• Bumper is mentioned as being injured here...he looked quite dead last time we saw him...are they pulling a Windblade here again? If he is just injured he's probably in the convoy heading to Darkmount in Escape.
• We finally see the interior of the Pyramid! Pity it didn't last much longer...
• We also see that the roof is able to open up to allow Titans to exit. Would have been nice to see that before now....
• Perceptor appears to be using his Titans Return design, as we should all be well accustomed to now.
• Chela previously appeared in the old IDW continuity, but only in bird/robot mode. Citadel and Cargohold are new creations for this continuity.
• Carzap is in his Timelines toy design, which is based on the Thrilling Thirty Bumblebee mold.
• Starscream's role as head of Intelligence, and ousting Soundwave from the role is heavily hinted in this issue as being due to him blackmailing Sentinel with his knowledge on the Titansparks existing.
• We actually get a look at Optimus' alternate mode here. The cab is based on his Galaxy Upgrade toy, but the trailer is completely made up, but colour-wise it matches his traditional trailer.
• Hound's evacuation efforts in Escape are mentioned by Optimus this issue. Though this storyline and Escape started at the same time, Escape is currently only on issue 3 of 5, while this Storyline in the main series is complete....hope we don't get spoilers for the end of Escape in the next couple of issues....
• Cristin is revealed to have been killed by Citadel after he was usurped by Exarchon.
• Huh...Provoke is alive...then what is up with her "ghost"? Is she, and the others by extension, just coping mechanisms for Cyclonus or something else?
• From their dialogue it sounds like Roadtrap and Gutcruncher don't know that the Rise were always a secret extension of the Ascenticons/Decepticons.

IDW - Transformers: Escape #3

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

Hound fights off the Insecticons, and is soon joined by Highjump and Powerflash to chase off the monsters, but not before they abduct two organics and a Cybertronian called Scrambler.

Elsewhere, at one of Shockwaves labs, Skystalker, under the mind control of the Insecticons steals a load of equipment for them, as well as the Thunder Arrow shuttle, Onslaught tries to stop him, but is stunned away instead, and the enthralled Decepticon leaves...

Back at the convoy, Hound asks Dai Atlas why he refuses to fight, considering he is a famous war hero. The old Cybertronian suggests that he only thought because he couldn't see any better option in the past, but following his Immersion he has come to respectball sparks, even those of his enemies, and cannot see a reason to kill one any more

The Insecticons make their way to their new base, inside the head of a long dead Titan, where Skystalker has set up the stolen cloning technology. Bombshell proceeds to monologue that they can use this equipment to recreate the cloning experiments of Exarchon and Shockwave during the past war and create an army of their own to devour all Energon on the planet and beyond.

At the Convoy again, Wheeljack notices the Titans still falling to the planet's surface, and wonders what is even happening to his planet now.

Soon however Highbrow and Gears arrive to join the crew on their way to Darkmount, where Straxxus orders them to stop outside the city, saying that he will still give them the Ark that he promised and some supplies, but they cannot enter the city as they don't not have the ability to accommodate them all. Hound isn't sure about this, but agrees...

Back at Shockwave's lab, Rage is brought to the boss, who informs him of Skystalker's betrayal, and orders him to go capture him, but forces him to team with Hydradread for the job, despite Rage hating him, he agrees however, and is pleased to see all of Hydradread's new experimental weapons that they can test out on their mission....

Characters

Autobot

Hound - Jeep

Nautica - Submarine

Road Rage - Flying Car

Hoist - Tow Truck

Wheeljack - Car

Tote - Van

Highjump - Van

Mudslinger - Pick up Truck

Powerflash

Cromar - Jet

Scrambler Killed by Insecticons

Optimus Prime - Truck (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Soundblaster - Hovercraft

Bombshell - Boll Weevil

Skrapnel - Stag Beetle

Kickback - Locust

Skystalker - Car

Onslaught - Anti-aircraft Truck

Rage - Car

Hydradread - Car

Frenzy - Cassette

Rumble - Cassette

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Roughstuff - Truck (Mentioned) Captured

Fangry - Winged Wolf (Mentioned) Missing

Triggerhappy - Jet (Mentioned) Missing 

Team Stream (Mentioned)

The Combaticons (Mentioned)

Three-fold Spark

Exarchon (Flashback Only)

Skywarp - Jet (Flashback Only)

Clone-Drone Swarm (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Dai Atlas - Flying Tank

Straxxus

Highbrow - Helicopter

Gears - Van

Leviathan - Metal Harvester Injured

Cybertronian Evacuees

Crashing Titan

Immersant Titan Long Dead

Kup - Pick up Truck (Flashback Only)

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet (Flashback Only)

Speeder - Car (Flashback Only)

Quake - Tank (Flashback Only)

Hardhead - Tank (Flashback Only)

Leozack - Jet (Flashback Only)

The Seekers - Jets (Flashback Only)

Abominus - Terrorcon Combiner (Flashback Only)

Anti-Three-fold Spark Forces (Flashback Only)

Nominus (Mentioned)

Darkmount's Inhabitants (Mentioned)

Other

A'ovan Evacuees

Other Alien Evacuees

The Thraal (Mentioned)

Two Organics (Mentioned) Killed by Insecticons

Notes

• The Thunder Arrow shuttle that Skystalker steals this issue was the main vessel used by the Decepticons in the Victory cartoon, the toy version of it was a repaint of the shuttle that came with Skystalker's original toy.
• Though it was heavily hinted at during the first storyline of Galaxies, we get confirmation that it was Abominus who went on a rampage in the past. We learn here that DaibAtlas was also present for that conflict too.
• It's mentioned here that the Seekers were created by Nominus Prime to counter Exarchon's clone army. What isn't clear is if they were created from new sparks or recruited and rebuilt from volunteers etc?
• Leviathan is revealed to still be injured from when she collapsed into Quake, defeating the dangerous Riser, and is amongst those being evacuated from Jacob, though she does say that she doesn't want to leave Cybertron, no matter the risk.
• Most of the Rise group, who were being relocated from the old Rise base when Quake was captured are revealed to still be missing, with only RUmble, Frenzy and Rage returning. We know Roughstuff has been released from prison by Swindle and has now joined his crew, but the rest are currently MIA.
• Shockwave mentions that he doesn't want it known that the Combaticons are under his command. It's unclear if that is just to keep them a secret to the general population, or to the rest of the Decepticons too...regardless this explains why Cosmos doesn't know he is a Decepticon and invited him to the Winged Moon.

IDW - Beast Wars #4

Title: Savage Landing, Part 4

Written by: Erik Burnham

Art by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Editor: David Mariotte

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Having escaped from the Darksyde, Nyx tries to make her way back to the Axalon, but is too injured to fly or walk too far. Soon, the Maximal is attacked by a strange green feline, but is saved by Dinobot, who she eventually realises is the same Predacon who helped her escape earlier, but she starts to suffer badly from Energon exposure and collapses.

Dinobot carries her, and asks her computer to direct him back to the xalon to save her life (after a lot of anti-Predacon firewalling).

The next morning, the Maximals have been working on fixing up their systems, when Cheetor finds a logged message to the Predacon Technolab, sent just before they left Cybertron, which automatically deletes itself. Rhinox dismisses his concerns, since they share information all the time, but Cheetor seems unconvinced.

Before anything can be done about it though, Optimus' experimental sensor boost, using the orbiting stasis pods, detects Nyx's signal, but she's moving a lot slower than normal, concerning them all.

Elsewhere, Tarantulas manages to break through the security program Dinobot activated and opens the Darksyde up again, freeing the Predacons. Megatron, still angered by Dinobot's betrayal, orders the team to hunt him down, and sets the Darksyde to self destruct if anyone enters the ship, unless he cancels the order.

Back at the Axalong, the Maximals have gathered outside the ship to start searching for Nyx, when Optimus sees Dinobot arriving, carrying Nyx on his back. Cheetor goes after him, assuming that he's the one who hurt her, but the Maximal cat is easily kno led down, however, rather than finishing off his for, like a typical Predacon crinal would, Dinobot instead requests to join the Maximals instead after handing over Nyx to be healed up.

Characters

Maximal

Optimus Primal - Gorilla

Nyx - Bat Injured from Energon Exposure

Rhinox - Rhino

Cheetor - Cheetah

Rattrap - Rat

Predacon

Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Dinobot - Velociraptor Requests to join Maximals

Tarantulas - Tarantula

Waspinator - Wasp

Skold - Alligator Snapping Turtle

Scorponok - Scorpion

Terrorsaur - Pteranodon

Other

Strange Feline Chased off by Dinobot

Notes

• The strange feline seen attacking Nyx is interesting, it doesn't look like any Earth creature, implying this might not be prehistoric Earth like we have been led to assume, however it's possible that this cat is a Vok experiment, or perhaps another Cybertronian in an alien cat mode? We'll just hBe to wait and see I guess...
• I know she can't fly in her bat mode, but why doesn't Nyx just transform back to Beast mode to stop herself from dying from Energon exposure?
• The Predacon message seen in the Axalon computer could be just a red herring, but if I had to guess who could have sent it, based on their locations in issue one, and assuming there isn't another currently unseen Maximal on the Axalon, I'd guess it was Rattrap who sent the message.
• So with this issue, we've reached the point of the cartoon where DInobot asks to join the Maximals, but not try to claim leadership (yet), so this is around the end of episode one of the series.
• Dinobot's motives for leaving the Predacons here differ from those he gave in the cartoon. Here he joins the Maximals because he considers them more honourable than the Predacons, whilst in the original he just wanted to get the better of Megatron and to command a crew of his own originally.
• From the preview image for next issue, it looks like Dinobot is in a prison cell, so I guess his faction shift request will be initially rejected.