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.