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)