IDW - Transformers #41

Title: The Landscape of Fear

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova & Blacky Shepherd

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Most of the Decepticons flee from the battlefield when Lodestar arrives, but Strika and her Heavies remain to try and counter the Titan.

Lodestar however, is not really in a condition to battle, with her extensive damage, and sensory problems, she is relying on Lightbright for almost everything right now.

Computron leaves Lodestar and takes on the Heavies by himself, easily swatting them all away, with only minor hits from his enemies.

Soon, the Decepticon Heavies are captured, but Optimus offers a truce instead, and asks Strika to open a communication to Megatron, despite his cohort's concerns.

Whilst it is being set up, Lightbright requests somewhere for Lodestar to receive repairs, to which Optimus suggests Darkmount...

Outside the walled city of Darkmount, the Autobots and their allies are fighting off the Insecticon swarm, which is being relentless in it's raids, but they receive a boost in firepower when the refugees from Crystal City, in listing Termagax in her "House" arrive.

Back at Crystal City, Strika opens the communication to Megatron, whom Optimus offers a peace truce in order to counter their joint threats, the Rust Worms, Insecticons and Exarchon, and the. Allow them to rebuild their world, before the Autobots cede the planet to Megatron. Megatron agrees after some discussion, but has to arrange the details later, due to some new news he has received.

During the talks, Pyra Magna receives a message from the team in the Sonic Canyons, and has to leave to investigate it. Ultra Magnus questions Optimus' plan to give the planet to Megatron, but the Autobot leader explains that they can retake it later, after it is saved.

At Darkmount, the Autobots are trying to repair the final, damaged Ark, for them to try and evacuate the dying planet, while Termagax gets a plan, she wants to lead a team to locate and destroy the Insecticon Swarm's homebase, but for this plan, she will need a fully intact Insecticon Clone...

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Pyra Magna - Truck 

Ironhide - Van

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Sunstreaker - Car

Wheeljack - Car

Hound - Jeep

Road Rage - Flying Car

Gears - Truck

Tap-Out - Winged Hovercraft

Scattershot - Jet

Strafe - Jet

Nosecone - Drill Tank

Lightspeed - Car

Afterburner - Speedbike

Computron - Technobot Combiner 

Autobot Soldiers

Perceptor (Mentioned)

Highbrow - Helicopter (Mentioned)

Glyph - Car (Mentioned)

Jumpstream - Car (Mentioned)

Sonic Canyon Team (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Strika - Battle Tank

Heavywait - Tank

Lugnut - Jet

Obsidian - Dual Propeller Plane

Apeface - Ape/Jet

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Runamuck - Car

Runabout - Car

Airwave - Battle Platform 

Decepticon Soldiers

Other Cybertronian

Termagax - Van

Lodestar - Titan Ship Injured 

Lightbright

Kickback - Locust

Bombshell - Boll Weevil

Skrapnel - Scarab Beetle

"House"

Spectrosynth Drones

Darkmount Refugees

Insecticon Swarm - Insects 

Cybertronian Mountains Titan Long Dead

Exarchon (Mentioned)

Constructicons (Mentioned)

Devastator - Constructicon Combiner (Mentioned)

Ark Repair Crew (Mentioned)

Other

Four-armed Alien

Rust Worms

Turbofoxes (Mentioned)

Organic Alien Refugees (Mentioned) Getting Sick and Hungry

Notes

• Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the Wreckers were aboard Lodestar. So I guess we won't be seeing them again before the finale of the continuity :( 
• Lightbright refers to Optimus Prime as "Orion" here, presumably because she just doesn't know about his name change, or just forgot about it.
• Tap-Out appears to have had a slight design update, making his body and alternate mode matching closer to Bumblebee's, which also makes him similar to the Origin Bumblebee toy...new repaint hint perhaps?
• I have a feeling that the end of this series will see the injured Lodestar be either rebuilt with the Ark's parts or die, and be used to fix the Ark, either way, she will become the Ark in essence.