IDW - Transformers: War's End #1

Written by: Brian Ruckley 

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Inks by: Matt Froese

Colours by: John-Paul Bove & Priscilla Tramontano

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Plot

Geomotus and Landmine are sent to the Sonic Canyons with some Autobot guards to investigate the area, as Optimus and the other higher-ups think that something will happen there regarding Exarchon.

Eventually the team encounter a set of old automated weapons that weren't disabled following the war. Unable to stop them, the team elect to jump further down the canyons to (relative) safety.

At his base, Exarchon explains to Shockwave how he jumped into Provoke's body and managed to survive. He offers positions in his new bid to conquer Cybertron to Skywarp and Shockwave, the latter of which is willing to listen when he mentions there were secrets he kept, even from him back in the original war.

Soon, Soundblaster and the Combaticons, minus Blast Off, who is AWOL, agree to join Exarchon, but Skywarp is uninterested and warps away. Onslaught tries to stop him, but Exarchon doesn't care. He says that he has something important in the Sonic Canyons, and that the Autobots are already there...but adds that HE is also there too...

Back at the Canyons, the Autobots survived their fall, and Geomotus soon finds an artificial shaft in the ground, which Zetar tries to drill down to inetrcept it, but the entrance opens, and Exarchon, in his new Deathsaurus body exits and prepares to kill the intruders...

At Iacon, Cyclonus approaches the Decepticon's HQ, still holding the decapitated head of Provoke/Exarchon and demands to see Megatron, after a short fight with the guards, Sixshot comes out and agrees when Cyclonus mentions Exarchon...

Sixshot brings Cyclonus to Megatron, but the Decepticon leader isn't interested, but Sixshot brings up all the strange occurrences recently, like strange revivals and disappearances such as Flatline and Deathsaurus.

Characters

Autobot

Geomotus - Radar Buggy

Landmine - Plough Buggy

Pointblank - Car

Zetar - Drill Tank

Sureshot - Buggy

Optimus Prime - Truck (Mentioned)

Pyra Magna - Truck (Mentioned)

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Crystal City Defenders (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

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

Soundwave - Hovercraft

Starscream - Jet

Gutcruncher

Roughstuff - Truck

Blast Off - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Threefold Spark

Exarchon/Flatline - Van

Exarchon/Deathsaurus - Dragon

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Soundblaster - Hovercraft

Onslaught - Tank

Brawl - Tank

Vortex - Helicopter

Exarchon/Provoke (Flashback) Dead

Exarchon's Last War Body (Flashback) Dead

Exarchon/Ruckus - Buggy Dead

Clone Swarms (Mentioned) Destroyed

Other Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Skywarp - Jet

Paragon (Ghost)

Provoke (Ghost)

Grudge (Ghost)

Gridlock (Ghost)

Highfire (Ghost)

Cosmos - Orbiter (Mentioned)

Swindle - Van (Mentioned)

Insecticons (Mentioned)

Other

Flyts

Rust Worms (Mentioned)

Exarchon's Re-makers (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue is mentioned as happening concurrently with Transformers 40, with the attack on the Crystal City being referenced multiple times.
• It's very likely that the events of "War's End" was originally meant to be the B story of the main series, but due to the approaching end of the IDW license, they simply released it as its own series to allow the story to be completed properly.
• Just like with Bumblebee and Elita-1 in the main series, Geomotus and Landmine don't have Autobot insignias this issue, but are very clearly sided with them, so I'm just marking them as Autobots here.
• Optimus thinks that something will happen at the Sonic Canyons, most likely, because of Jumpstream's time jump, where she learned that she and Cyclonus are killed there.
• The Sonic Canyons seen here are explained as being named for the air moving through pores in the fissures of the mountain ranges.
• Cyclonus killed the Provoke/Exarchon vessel in Transformers #39, he is shown to still be holding her head here.
• Roughstuff and Gutcruncher are shown positioned together as guards, both were previously employees of Swindle's, who were apparently undercut by him.
• Soundblaster confirms that he was created by both Shockwave and Exarchon, though it's not mentioned here, it is still very likely that he is a clone of Soundwave, for some reason.
• Blast Off is mentioned as having left to meet someone, most likely Cosmos on the Winged Moon, as the two were shown to have started a relationship in the Valentine's Day special.
• When Zetar transforms, he is shown separating and reassembling, much like his current Selects toy...does this mean his parts can turn into weapons too then?

IDW - Transformers: Beast Wars #13

Title: The Speedway of Central Consciousness

Written by: Erik Burnham

Art by: Winston Chan

Colours by: Sidvenblu

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Editor: Jazmine Joyner

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Plot

The Maximals and Predacons battle it out on an Energon crystal field, but at one point an errant blast hits one of the crystals, knocking out Cheetor...

Cheetor wakes up on Cybertron, before the launch of the Axalon, but still remembers the events of the Beast Wars. Upon waking up, he is asked by multiple people about how Protoforms are modified, confusing the former racer, but eventually he remembers the explosion, and thinks that he's just dreaming following the trauma.

Soon, one of the Vok, Pakak, appears before him in a dark version of his own form and tries to force him to give up the information for him to use on the Protoforms in the real world, since he cannot unlock the information, for now. During his torture, Cheetor realizes that Palak needs him to live to get the information, which further infuriates Pakak.

The Vok offers Cheetor a deal, if he can win in a race against him, he will be awoken, but if Cheetor loses, he has to give up the information. Cheetor agrees, but soon regrets it when Pakak changes his form to Blurr's, the greatest racer in history.

After a close race, Cheetor manages to win, but Pakak reveals that he didn't care, as their race was along circuitry inside of Cheetor's own mind, allowing him to access the information he wanted. Pakak still frees Cheetor from his mind as a reward to winning, but causes a hard reboot of his systems upon reawakening, just after Cheetor mentions the word "Vok" to Optimus Primal and Rhinox, before returning to Subspace for their master plan with the Protoforms...

Characters

Maximal

Optimus Primal - Gorilla

Cheetor - Cheetah (Race Car in Dream)

Rhinox - Rhino

Rattrap - Rat

Nyx - Bat

Dinobot - Velociraptor

CatSCAN - Car (Dream Only)

Science Ministry (Mentioned)

Predacon

Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Skorponok - Scorpion

Tarantulas - Tarantula

Skold - Alligator Snapping Turtle

Waspinator - Wasp 

Vok

Pakak - Cheetah (as Cheetor), Race Car (as Blurr)

Other Vok (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Cheetor's Fans (Dream Only)

Random Cybertronians (Dream Only)

Blurr - Race Car (Disguise Used in Dream) Implied Dead

Other Racers (Flashback Only)

Afterburner - Speedbike (Mentioned) Implied Dead

Rev (Mentioned)

Crashed Protorform Pods (Mentioned)

Notes

• CatSCAN's design is based on a version of the Transtech version of Cheetor, rather than using Cheetor's Cybertronian node from this series, to better differentiate the characters this issue.
• The shorter of Cheetor's fans seems to use a modified version of Swerve's Titans Return design.
• I really hope we get a Pakak repaint of Cheetor from his appearance this issue... They could just call him Nemesis Cheetor for marketing if they need to!
• Pakak indirectly mentions that Blurr is dead by the present day in this issue. Similarly, an "Afterburner Memorial Speedway" implies that the Technobot is dead too.
• The "Tiwaz Maneuver" mentioned a few times this issue is just a red herring, from Cheetor's days as an athlete, but due to its repeated use, I'm going to guess it'll reappear later in the series.

IDW - Transformers #40

Title: A Dust of Crystals 

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Strika leads a large army of Decepticons to the edge of Crystal City, the last stand for the Autobots.

The Autobots, having sent all non-combatants to Darkmount for safety, make their final preparations for the upcoming battle, despite knowing they are likely to fall here.

The Decepticons start their assault, forcing the Autobots to hold them off, hoping to give time for their evacuees, and also hope for some reinforcements to arrive from space.

The battle for the city is tough, with many buildings being obliterated by the Decepticons, and the Autobots are all eventually forced to one fortified building, awaiting their fates.

Luckily however, the last Titan, Lodestar returns, still injured from her battle with Vigilem, but still towering over the city, bringing fear to the Decepticon army...

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Pyra Magna - Truck

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Ironhide - Van

Chromia - Car

Novastar - Car

Streetwise - Police Car

Smokescreen - Car

Arcee - Car

Greenlight - Car

Gauge - Energon Detector Machine

Ratchet - Ambulance

Sunstreaker - Car

Groundbreaker - Jet

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Jumpstream - Car

Groove - Motorcycle

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Bumblebee - Winged Hovercraft

Elita-1 - Car

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Sideswipe - Car

Strongarm - Van

Slapdash - Race Car

Bumper - Car

Vibes

Flareup - Motorcycle

Backstreet - Race Car

Kup - Pickup Truck

Flak - Tank 

Topshot - Tank

Sidetrack - Tank Killed by Obsidian

Sunrunner - Jet

Brawn - Van

Pipes - Truck

Subsea - Submarine

Crystal City Defenders

Perceptor (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Strika - Battle Tank

Obsidian - Helicopter

Blitzwing - Jet/Tank

Apeface - Ape/Jet

Lugnut - Jet

Heavywait - Van

Snaptrap - Turtle

Crasher - Race Car

Runamuck - Car

Runabout - Car

Barricade - Police Car

Ravage - Cassette

Weirdwolf - Wolf

Battleslash - Helicopter

Roadtrap - Van

Hotlink - Jet

Red Wing - Jet

Wingstun - Jet Killed by Sidetrack

Storm Cloud - Jet

Decepticon Attack Force

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Jhiaxus - Jet (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Lodestar - Titan Ship

"House"

Crystal City Evacuees

Solus Prime (Flashback Only)

Alchemist Prime (Flashback Only)

Solomus (Flashback Only)

Halonix Maximus (Flashback Only)

Termagax - Van (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned) Gone

Notes

• The hammer that Strika weilds this issue resembles a recoloured Smashdown...just a coincidence or.....?
• The story of the creation of Crystal City shows us that the Primes are larger than average Cybertronians, as they were described several years ago during the Aligned continuity days (assuming Solomus isn't just tiny that is).
• The story also implies that Solomus is younger than the Primes, which is a reversal of their ages in the previous IDW continuity.
• Additionally, we also see Alchemist Prime using his powers to form the original crystaline towers of the city, showing that these versions of the Primes have abilities, again like their Aligned counterparts.
• The Crystal City is revealed to have been rebuilt multiple times over the years, explaining why the current iteration doesn't look crystaline.
• The civilians and bon-combatant Autobots from Crystal City have evacuated to Darkmount, a city previously abandoned by Straxxus and his followers during the Escape comic series
• Even though they haven't been Autobranded yet, I think it's safe to say that Elita-1 and Bumblebee have joined the Autobots at this point.
• Next to Elita-1 in the last stand building is a bot holding a rifle, similar to Javelin's, however the eyes look wrong to be her. This could just be a random extra, or just a miscolouring.
• Lodestar has finally returned to Cybertron, following her mission to chase down Vigilem, resulting in his death, from the Transformers Annual. We can assume that the Technobots and Lightbright are inside her too (it would also be nice if she picked up the Wreckers on her way too)