IDW - Transformers #39

Title: Darkness, Once Gazed Upon, Part Three

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Andrew Lee Griffith

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Letters by: Nathan Widick

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Smokescreen tries to get Swindle to arm the unarmed members of their team, Magnus, Elita and Bumblebee, but the bar owner insists he doesn't have any weapons in his bar 

Suddenly, the wall blows in, with Sixshot leading a crew of Decepticons inside, and orders them to kill everyone except Magnus, as Megatron wants him alive...

In the basement, Headlock is trying to make it to the hidden tunnels before the fight can start, when he finds "Ruckus" exploring, interested in what is inside one of the Immersion Chambers.

During the battle, Smokescreen finds Swindle's secret weapons cache, and arms himself with as much as he can carry, rejoining the battle in full force.

Elsewhere in Iacon, Cyclonus finds "Provoke" leaving the medical center, and confronts her, pointing out her recent contradictions and odd behaviour, forcing her to reveal her true identity as Exarchon, intending to take his body as a replacement. After a short battle, Cyclonus tears out her spark, and destroys it, realising that Ruckus is likely to also be an Exarchon host, he knows what needs to be done...

Meanwhile, "Flatline" has made his way to Shockwave's secret base, where he is repairing Skywarp from his recent injuries caused by Sky Lynx, and reveals his identity as Exarchon to his former follower...intending to finish their old mission.

After a hard battle, the Autobots manage to escape from Swindle's bar, but Swindle as his staff are left behind. In the underground tunnels, the Autobots, plus Bumblebee and Elita, regroup, but they know they're unlikely to get back to Crystal City before the Decepticons attack the city to try and take down the Autobot army.

In the aftermath of the battle, the bar is destroyed, and Sixshot warns the owner to stay in line from now on, or this will be the least of his troubles.

Swindle starts to complain about his lot on life now, when he notices Ruckus' corpse in the basement. Suddenly Deathsaurus, now infested by Exarchon, bursts through the remains of the roof, and heads into the skies, intending to crush Cybertron under his feet again, and to keep it crushed this time....

Characters

Autobot

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Chromia - Car

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Arcee - Car

Smokescreen - Car

Decepticon

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

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Ravage - Cassette

Catgut

Treadshot

Gutcruncher

Cindersaur - Lizard Monster

Flamefeather - Bird Monster

Jolt - Car

Scatterspike - Van

Green/Orange Security Guard Killed by "Provoke"

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Three-fold Spark

Flatline/Exarchon - Van

Provoke/Exarchon - Big Wheeled Vehicle Killed by Cyclonus

Ruckus/Exarchon - Buggy Killed Self to Infest Deathsaurus

Deathsaurus/Exarchon - Dragon

Other Cybertronian

Swindle - Van

Trickdiamond - Car

Roughstuff - Truck Joins Decepticons

Headlock - Forklift

Bumblebee - Winged Hovercraft

Elita-1 - Car

Cyclonus - Jet

Skywarp - Jet Under Repairs from Shockwave

Gridlock (Ghost)

Highfire (Ghost)

Grudge (Ghost)

Paragon (Ghost)

Provoke (Ghost)

Notes

• Roughstuff is shown switching sides to the Decepticons here, confirming that the Devepticon badge he had a couple issues ago was just a mistake.
• Flatline is confirmed to have been taken over by Exarchon this issue, after being attacked by the ancient evil in issue 36 
• Following her physical death, Provoke returns to being one of Cyclonus' ghosts again
• Deathsaurus was shown to be in the immersion chambers previously in the series, having decided to live out his days killing Cliffjumper in there...wonder if Exarchon will have an urge to kill Cliffjumper now too?