IDW - Transformers #34

Title: Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz & Evan Gauntt

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Geomotus and Landmine investigate the crash site of the Titan Citadel in the Sea of Rust, and find the rust worms in a frenzy. Termagax appears behind them, still on the run from the Decepticons, and explains that the worms devoured Citadel's body, and are now hungry for more.

The two researchers are invited inside House, where she offers them her hospitality. Unfortunately, a team of Decepticon Seekers find them, and intend to take down Termagax for Megatron. Red Wing decides to head back so he can report this to Megatron, but the others intend to impress their leader by taking her out themselves. However, Termagax isn't helpless, and launches House's arsenal on them, forcing Wingstun to also flee and Space Case to crash into the Sea of Rust, to die.

At the Crystal City, Optimus has officially dubbed his resistance against the Decepticons as the Autobots, and begins plans to search for Termagax, as he has learned that she possesses the Enigma of Combination, thanks to Bumblebee's intel. Highbrow reports that he actually knows where she is, since Geomotus reported that he's met with her, before entering a suppression field.

In Iacon, Megatron meets with Skywarp, who tries to convince the Decepticon leader to allow him to join his side for himnto have fun, but Megatron is unconvinced.

Soundwave reports Termagax's location at the Sea of Rust, and decides to use the Shockwave's troops to attack her, since he's closer, which Shockwave outsources to the Insecticon Swarm, to simply overwhelm her. Shockwave intends to use this to seizebthr Enigma for himself, do he keeps the monopoly of Combiners, since Devastator is under his influence in space....

In the medical center, Jumpstream wakes up from her brief coma, to be good by Perceptor that her "dimension hop" was actually time travel, terrifying her, as she reveals that this means Exarchon is still out there, and that he will win another eat in the future!

Back at the Sea of Rust, the Insecticon Swarm approaches House, and it begins fighting them off. Inside, Termagax explains that the reason the Decepticons want her is because she holds the Enigma of Combination, and also reveals that even though she is sceptical of the existence of the Thirteen Primes, she has experienced two of their artefacts, so she has surmised that the others also exist somewhere, and she is determined to find them.

House's arsenal finally runs out, and Termagax apologizes to her friends for getting them killed, when House detects more arrivals, a team of Autobots have come to rescue them!

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Pyra Magna - Truck

Highbrow - Helicopter

Chromia - Car

Ratchet - Ambulance

Perceptor

Jumpstream - Car

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Springer - Helicopter/Car

Blades - Helicopter

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Arcee - Car

Kup - Pick-up Truck

Ironhide - Van

Strongarm - Van

Huffer - Truck

Inferno - Fire Truck

Blaster

Vibes

Tap-Out - Car

Chromedome - Car

Pointblank - Car

Grapple - Crane

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Soundwave - Hovercraft

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

Nova Storm - Jet

Red Wing - Jet

Wingstun - Jet

Space Case - Jet Eaten by Rust Worms

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Soundblaster - Hovercraft

Bombshell - Bill Weevil

Kickback - Locust

Skrapnel - Stag Beetle

Insecticon Swarm Many Destroyed by House

Nacelle - Jet (Mentioned)

Shockwave's Insecticon Clones (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Termagax - Armoured Van

Geomotus - Buggy

Landmine - Buggy

Skywarp - Jet

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Flashback)

Abominus - Terrorcon Gestalt (Flashback)

Nexus Prime (Flashback)

Solus Prime (Flashback)

Vector Prime (Flashback)

Quintus Prime (Flashback)

Micronus Prime (Flashback)

Alchemist Prime (Flashback)

Liege Maximo (Flashback)

Exarchon (Mentioned)

Citadel - Titan Ship (Mentioned) Dead, Eaten by Rust Worms

Bumblebee - Winged Hovercraft (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

The Other Primes (Mentioned)

The Firstforged (Mentioned)

Other

"House"

Rust Worms

Termagax's "Samples" In jars

Notes

• This issue opens by revealing that the largest Titan, Citadel, was eaten by the rust worms when he crashed.. guess he has no chance of revival now then!
• Both Geomotus and Landmine are familiar with Termagax, implying that both are relatively older, since she's been in seclusion since shortly after the Nominus Editcbwas enforced.
• Red Wing previously ran away when he saw Windcharger was amongst the Autobot reinforcements, who ended up badly hurting Nacelle. This time he manages to escape being eaten alive by the rust worms! He's a smart fella!
• It's still unclear if House is a sentient being here. But we have learned that he's armed to the teeth.
• It's taken 34 issues, but the Autobots are now officially the faction of Optimus and his followers, instead of just the political party he was associated with.
• We get a brief cameo from Blaster in the Autobot groupshot, but I can't tell if he's a virtual retool of Siege Soundwave or a new design yet...there are rumours of a new Blaster toy in the pipeline though...
• Huffer's character model has been modified from being based on his Power of the Primes toy to one closer to (but not quite) his Kingdom toy.
• It's confirmed that Soundblaster is a clone here, but the circumstances of it, and whether Soundwave is aware of him is still unknown.
• The Insecticon Clone army we saw at the end of Galaxies is referenced here, as Shockwave explains that he doesn't want anyone to know if their existence yet.
• Shockwave mentions that there are fourteen artefacts of the Primes. We see in her fantasy that the Matrix and Star Saber are separate here, rather than the Matrix just being a part of the sword.
• Also, we see a mask among the artefacts, if we assume that is the Triptych mask then it's a little different to the one we've seen in the past, which had three faces, one for the past, future and present. It's possible it's the Lenses of Alchemist Prime, but, why is there a full face there?