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?