IDW - Transformers #43

Title: End of Time

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova, Juan Samu, Ed Pirrie & Blacky Shepherd

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz & Heather Breckel

Letters by: Jake M. Wood & Nathan Widick

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

The battle for survival I'd in full swing

Outside Darkmount, the Autobots are fighting off the Insecticlones, with the scientists trying to get one live sample, to plant a spike with a data bomb in it for their big plan.

Seeing the Hugh swarm of Insecticlones approaching the city, forcing Termagax to sacrifice her mobile "House" by sending it into the swarm, and overloading the power core, taking out a large chunk of the swarm.

At the Insecticon hideout, in a dead Titan, Novastar's team infiltrate the facility, fighting off the remaining Insecticlones in the facility, and make their way to the Insecticons themselves.

In the hub of the Titan, the Insecticons are gorging themselves on their clones, and overenergizing themselves, allowing the Autobots to easily ambush them, and Novastar implants a receiver for the data bomb into Bombshell's head.

Whilst they are waiting for the data bomb to work, they fight off the remaining Insecticlones.

Meanwhile, in the wilderness, Optimus and his team fight back the Rust Worms, who are still encroaching upon them, with Jhiaxus' forces still boxing them in.

When all hope seems lost, the Insecticlones fly past the Autobots, who are now devouring the Rust Worms, as the data bomb reprogrammed them to do, mostly solving both world-eating problems.

Soon, Optimus and his crew head through the desert towards Darkmount, when they are encountered by Skywarp, who teleports in, riding an Imploder, the most dangerous Cybertronian weapon ever, and tells them to wait there, until Megatron comes to speak to them.... 

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck 

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Kup - Pickup Truck

Ironhide - Van

Chromia - Car

Bumblebee - Winged Hovercraft

Subsea - Submarine

Pipes - Truck

Backstreet - Race Car

Sideswipe - Car

Bumper - Car

Strongarm - Police Van 

Vibes

Stakeout - Police Car

Wheeljack - Race Car

Highbrow - Helicopter

Perceptor

Blaster

Hound - Jeep

Road Rage - Flying Car

Tap-Out - Winged Hovercraft

Novastar - Car

Smokescreen - Car

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Springer - Car/Helicopter

Blades - Helicopter

Cromar - Jet/Weapons Embankment

Javelin - Car

Other Autobot Soldiers

Glyph - Car (Mentioned)

Jumpstream - Car (Mentioned)

Scattershot - Jet (Mentioned)

Other Technobots (Mentioned)

Autobot Fliers (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Strika - Battle Tank

Obsidian - Dual Propeller Plane

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Nova Storm - Jet

Ion Storm - Jet

Acid Storm - Jet

Bombshell - Boll Weevil

Skrapnel - Stag Beetle

Kickback - Locust

Red Wing - Jet

Windsweeper - Jet

Thundercracker - Jet

Other Seekers - Jets

Other Cybertronian

Termagax - Van 

Skywarp - Jet 

"House" Self-Destructed

Mountain Titan Long Dead

Insecticlone Swarm Reprogrammed to Devour Rust Worms, Many Destroyed

Prima (Flashback Only)

Liege Maximo (Flashback Only)

Solus Prime (Flashback Only)

Megatronus (Flashback Only)

The Firstforged (Flashback Only)

Nominus Prime - Jet (Flashback Only)

Sentinel Prime - Shuttle (Flashback Only)

Codexa (Flashback Only)

Big Bang (Flashback Only)

Halonix Maximus (Flashback Only)

Gaidora - Dragon (Flashback Only)

Turbofoxes (Flashback Only)

Primus (Mentioned)

The Other Primes (Mentioned)

Proxima (Mentioned)

Froid - Jet (Mentioned)

Lodestar - Titan Ship (Mentioned) Undergoing Repairs

Titan Sparks (Mentioned)

The Senate (Mentioned)

Other

Rust Worms Being Devoured by Insecticlones

Notes

• This is the finale issue of the main Transformers series, with Wars End #4 and The Fate of Cybertron to wrap up the series afterwards.
• Among the feral Turbofoxes in the flashback is Gaidora, a Predacon from the Aligned continuity, implying that the prehistoric dragon-like Predacons may have existed in Cybertron's past like in that continuity.
• Cromar combines with Javelin as a weapons embankment, much like how his Siege toy is able to (though since Javelin hasn't had a recent toy, she technically can't weild him :p) 
• We see "House" destroyed this issue, but we never learned what exactly it was. I still believe it was a hidden Titan Spark or some very advanced A.I. that was an artificial Cybertronian (like Springer in IDW1)
• We don't see the mind controlled Skystalker in the Insecticon hideout, possible meaning, in their feeding frenzy, they may have devoured him.
• Even though Skywarp appears to be holding the Autobots hostage at the end for the Decepticons. I believe he's just fueling the chaos more, rather than trying to help Megatron here.
• Skywarp steals the Imploder he is seen riding this issue in Wars End #4, which was released shortly after this issue was released.
• Smokescreen admits that he doesn't remember who he works for anymore, as he's been moved around, behind the scenes so much, he just does what he feels is right in the situation.

IDW - Transformers: Last Bot Standing #1

Written by: Nick Roche

Art by: E.J. Su & Nick Roche

Colours by: Rebecca Nalty

Letters & Design by: Johanna Nattalie

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Editor: David Mariotte

Plot

A vessel crashes on the planet Donnokt, and a Cybertronian figure emerges from it.

In a town nearby, life is normal, and Shib Wallkis is running a delivery company with her brothers, but is starting to lose customers due to recent technological developments, making her steed-drawn wagon obsolete.

Later, Shib is reminiscing on her deceased parents, when the townsfolk arrive, and ask for her help rescuing some miners, due to the new vehicles being unable to reach them due to the terrain, but her wagon can.

Later again, Shib returns with the injured Miners, and they are taken away for healing. Suddenly the crowd grow scared when the alien robot arrives and starts scanning the area.

Very quickly, Shib's wagon moves by itself and transforms, revealing the Autobot Rodimus, who fights the newcomer, and quickly kills him, after the newcomer suggests this world could be a new home world for them.

Rodimus leaves, telling no-one to follow him, despite Shib seeming to want to follow him.

Soon, a second vessel crashes on the planet, revealing another Cybertronian has arrived on the remote planet....

Characters

Cybertronian

Rodimus - Wagon Base

"The Visitor" Killed by Rodimus 

Moon - Rabbit

Strongarm (Flashback Only) Likely Dead

Prowl (Flashback Only) Likely Dead

Donnokt Natives

Shin Wallkis

Trayvon Wallkis

Beets Wallkis

Stambo Flentz

Doc Brel Tonder

Sparks, the Steed

Firebolt, the Steed

Brennet

Mr Flentz

Town Sheriff

Town Rangers

Miners Injured

Townsfolk

Shib's Parents (Photo) Possibly Dead 

The Alderman (Mentioned)

Notes

• This series is designed as a send-off of IDW Transformers, before their license expires at the end of the year. However this series will be followed by Shattered Glass II later in the year.
• This series is designed to fit in any continuity, but aesthetically it does seem to fit better with IDW1, than the current continuity.
• The steeds used by Shiv are named Firebolt and Sparks, the names used for Hot Rod's Target master partner in the past.
• The hidden necklaces with what appears to be Energon inside inside Shib's house appear to be keys. Most likely being gifted to her by Rodimus before he went into hiding as her wagon.
• Shin doesn't seem to be too shocked by Rodimus, implying that she knew he was there all along. My guess will be that he somehow accidentally killed her parents (possibly when his ship crashed) and he opted to protect her this way.
• Rodimus' shuttle in the flashback appears to be based on the front section of the Autobot shuttles, first seen in the G1 Movie, but with large thrusters added to the sides.
• Rodimus' shipmates are only shown in silhouette, but they appear to be Prowl and Strongarm, or at least repaints of them.
• The bot who arrives on the planet in the final pages is Moon, a character from the Beast Wars Second Anime and toyline.

IDW - Transformers: Beast Wars #15

Title: Children of the Vok

Written by: Erik Burnham

Art by: Winston Chan

Colours by: Ellie Wright

Letters by: Nathan Widick & Jake Wood

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Editor: Jazmine Joyner

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Plot

Optimus Primal and Megatron wake up in a cave, behind powerful forcefields, guarded by several unfamiliar Transformers, all of whom worship the Vok as god's, and order the other Transformers to either leave the planet, or go offline to stop tampering in the Vok's experiments.

After a while, Optimus figures out that the forcefields don't work when he is in beast mode, and manages to escape, forging a truce with Megatron to get to safety. The Vok witness this from subspace, and decide to test this new truce with an attack...

Outside, the two Transformers are ambushed by the Vok's followers, with Megatron quickly killing Polar Claw and Saberback in the process.

Soon, one of the Vok, Palak possesses the dead body of Polar Claw, and orders the fighting to stop, and demands for them to pay for all the damage they have done to the Vok's experiments. Optimus tries to explain what happened, and how they arrived on the planet by accident, but Megatron simply blasts the corpse of Polar Claw, to show that the Vok are not truly gods.

Unfortunately for Megatron, the Vok decide to reveal their true forms following this, terrifying the Predacon leader, and they proceed to attempt to snuff out Megatron's spark. Optimus stops them, stating that he needs to be tried for his crimes, and not just murdered, shocking the Vok.

Optimus suggests that they could learn more about the Transformers by having the Maximals and Predacons join forces to face off with their Children, which intrigues the curious gods, they give them seven cycles to prepare themselves, but neither group really believe the normal Transformers have a chance at defeating gods...

Characters

Maximal

Optimus Primal - Gorilla

Predacon

Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Tarantulas - Tarantula (Mentioned)

Children of the Vok

Tigatron - White Tiger

Airazor - Falcon

Inferno - Fire Ant

Polar Claw - Polar Bear Killed by Megatron

Saberback - Stegosaurus Killed by Megatron

Vok

Tonrar

Tikaani

Pakak

Notes

• Still no sign of Armordillo, who was revealed in the Annual special backmatter...maybe he's just another one of the Vok's many kids?
• Optimus is shown to still be under the effects of the Red Energon at the start of this issue, but quickly gets through its effects within a couple of pages...was there really no point to that plot line?
• On the subject of the red Energon, the Vok are angry that the Transformers tampered with it in the first place...but they clearly left it in an open field, which must have been relatively close to the Predacon base...what did they think would happen?
• Joining Polar Claw and Saberback as Children of the Vok are Tigatron, Airazor and Inferno, The remaining three major characters from the Beast Wars cartoon's Season One, who haven't otherwise appeared in the series yet.
• The forcefields not working on Transformers in their beast modes is quite similar to the Vehicon scanners not picking up on the Maximals in beast mode in the Beast Machines cartoon.
• The end of this issue, with the Maximals and Predacons being forced to join forces to face off against the Vok, was spoiled in the preview for issue 16 in the Annual, which was released before this issue came out.

IDW - Transformers: War's End #3

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Colour Assists by: Ed Pirrie

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Plot

In the Sonic Canyons, Pyra Magna's and Sixshot's forces fight against Exarchon and his followers. During the fight, Jumpstream arrives to warn about the return of Devastator, when she sees Onslaught about to kill Cyclonus, but she saves his life, seemingly changing history, and the fight comes to a brief halt.

Elsewhere, Devastator joins up with Exarchon's forces, along with Slipstream's team. Everyone is impressed with the combiner, especially Exarchon.

At Shockwave's hidden base, Exarchon is admiring Sunstorm, and his extreme energy exposure. Exarchon wants to infest him, but Shockwave denies him, explaining how dangerous he is.

Soon Megatron arrives at the base to speak to Shockwave, which interests Exarchon too.

Before Megatron arrives, Exarchon ignores Shockwave, and releases Sunstorm, intent on infesting him, as well as Megatron. The Decepticon leader however denies him too, shooting into his chest, and smashing him into Sunstorm, who proceeds to accidentally smelting him.

Megatron orders Skywarp to head to the Sonic Canyons to find out Exarchon's secrets and to return them to him, whilst he remains behind to discuss what Shockwave's been up to in secret.

Feeling his other body's destruction, and not wanting to risk being left in just one body, he attempts to infest Devastator as his own....

Characters

Autobot

Pyra Magna - Truck

Jumpstream - Car

Groundbreaker - Jet

Sunstreaker - Car

Windcharger - Car

Geomotus - Radar Buggy

Landmine - Plough Buggy

Sureshot - Buggy

Pointblank - Car

Zetar - Drill Tank

Perceptor (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

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

Swift - Helicopter

Blackjack - Car

Acid Storm - Jet

Ion Storm - Jet

Nova Storm - Jet

Sunstorm - Jet

Rage - Car

Three-fold Spark/Affiliated Decepticons

Exarchon/Deathsaurus - Dragon

Exarchon/Flatline - Van Blasted by Megatron, Smelted by Sunstorm

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Soundblaster - Hovercraft

Onslaught - Tank

Brawl - Tank

Vortex - Helicopter

Shadow Striker - Car

Slipstream - Jet

Flamewar - Motorcycle

Hyperdrive - Car

Clone-Drone Army - Jets

Other Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Skywarp - Jet

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt

Grudge (Ghost)

Gridlock (Ghost)

Provoke (Ghost)

Paragon (Ghost)

Highfire (Ghost)

Constructicons (Mentioned)

Other

"The Quintessence" (Mentioned)

Notes

• This marks the penultimate issue of the Wars End comic :(
• Jumpstream appears to avert her predicted death by saving Cyclonus' life this issue. She even mentions feeling odd after doing it.
• Slipstream and most of her crew join up with Shockwave's crew under Exarchon.
• Shockwave is revealed to be the one to summon Devastator this issue, most likely initially to be used against Megatron and the Autobots.
• Sunstorm's energy exposure storyline, though most likely planned to be different, has been used for defeating part of Exarchon.
• It doesn't appear that Megatron killing Exarchon was a part of his intentions, he was most likely hedging his bets on who to ally himself with, perhaps intending for Exarchon to infest Megatron.
• Nova Storm appears to have recovered from her apparent death by magnetic crushing from Windcharger.
• I wonder if Exarchon infesting Devastator would affect the six components. Could this be a situation similar to the Aerialbots in the old IDW continuity, who were only the Earth Enigma when combined.

IDW - Transformers #42

Title: Radical Time

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Andrew Lee Griffith

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Optimus laments the destruction of more of Cybertron's natural beauty by their war, and worries about what is happening in the Sonic Canyons, due to communications being bad there.

Meanwhile, at Darkmount, Termagax wants to create a data packet and capture a live Insecticlone, so they can use them to defeat the Insecticons in general.

Blaster and Glyph work together to create the program, whilst Hound, Glyph and Road Rage go on an Insecticlone hunt...

Meanwhile, Novastar's team are hunting for the Insecticon base, to try and take them out now, with Smokescreen following some drones to the fallen Titan mountain they are based at. He returns to the group, to have their fliers act as a decoy for the Insecticons to focus on, whilst the rest of the team can deal with them in person...

Optimus' group are on their route to Darkmount, when they are blocked by heavy fire from the Decepticons under Jhiaxus' crew, under the pretense of fighting off some Insecticons. Unfortunately the Rust Worms are closing in on the Autobots from the other side, blocking them in place.

Before Optimus can make his orders, he is pulled into the Matrix by the Mediator, who warns him of the Allspark being under attack by Exarchon, and tells him that if it is a taken by him, then all of Cybertron will fall....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Ironhide - Van

Chromia - Car

Elita-1 - Car

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Highbrow - Helicopter

Perceptor

Bumblebee - Winged Hovercraft

Novastar - Car

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Wheeljack - Car

Blaster

Tap-Out - Winged Hovercraft

Glyph - Car

Hound - Jeep

Road Rage - Flying Car

Javelin - car

Blades - Helicopter

Springer - Helicopter/Car

Smokescreen - Car

Pipes - Truck

Subsea - Submarine

Backstreet - Car

Groove - Motorcycle

Vibes

Cromar - Jet

Sideswipe - Car

Strongarm - Police Vehicle

Other Autobot Soldiers

Pyra Magna - Truck (Mentioned)

Sureshot - Buggy (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Jhiaxus - Jet

Heavywait - Tank

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Airwave - Battle Platform

Power Punch - Tank

Windsweeper - Jet

Red Wing - Jet

Thundercracker - Jet

Other Seekers - Jets

Other Decepticon Soldiers

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Strika - Battle Tank (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Termagax - Van

Insecticlones

Primus Within Matrix

Past Cybertronians Within Matrix

Mountain Titan Long Dead

Codexa (Flashback Only, Image used by Mediator)

Lodestar - Titan Ship (Mentioned)

Bombshell - Boll Weevil (Mentioned)

Exarchon (Mentioned)

Other

Rust Worms

The Mediator Within Matrix

Notes

• This marks the penultimate issue of the main series :( 
• Tap-Out and Glyph learned the language of SDS-359 during the Valentine's Special.
• Javelin has joined Novastars strike team, since their usual sniper, Sureshot, is based at the Sonic Canyons, as seen in War's End.
• Smokescreen is seemingly revealed to have a past with Bombshell, possibly being responsible for the Insecticons during their "clean-up missions" during the first war.
• Even though the Autobots and Decepticons are allied right now, Jhiaxus is forcing the Autobots to remain in one location, likely to either backstab them easier later, or to stop them from being seen as the heroes of this situation.
• The Mediator confirms that the Matrix chose Optimus to be it's next bearer. Previously it appeared that it just accepted him, following Sentinel's murder.

IDW - Transformers: Beast Wars 2022 Annual

Title: Skold's No Good, Very Bad Day

Written by: Sam Maggs

Art by: Lanna Souvanny

Title: Rhinox's Amaze-ing Adventure

Written by: David Mariotte

Art by: Phillip Johnson

Title: The Morphlings

Written by: Nick Marino

Art by: Andrea Bell

Editor: Jazmine Joyner

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Skold's No Good, Very Bad Day

Skold decides that she is going to make this day go well, but I'd immediately assaulted by Terrorsaur, and pushed into a cell with Powerhug.

The other Predacons watch her, upset in the cell, on the security system.

Powerhug talks to Skold, and makes her feel better about herself, and is quickly decapitated by the Predacon, to use his circuitry to free herself from the cell, to the shock of the other Predacons, and the decapitated Powerhug.

Rhinox's Amaze-ing Adventure

Whilst out looking for fallen Protoform Pods, Rhinox ends up falling into a maze trap, set up by the Spider Predacons, where he also finds Waspinator, who was also trapped by the Spiders.

The two work together, and make it to the exit. Waspinator flies out, but leaves Rhinox behind to get out himself, much to Rhinox's annoyance.

The Morphlings

Whilst waiting for Optimus to return from a mission, the Maximals sit around a campfire, leading Cheetor to start telling a "spooky" story.

Cheetor starts telling a fan-fic about the Beast Wars cast, but kills them all off screen, except a few characters, before having them all killed or corrupted by small creatures called Morphlings.

Cheetor muses on whether his story could ever happen, with the others unimpressed.

Characters

Maximal

Rhinox - Rhino

Cheetor - Cheetah

Rattrap - Rat

Nyx - Bat

Powerhug - Pill Bug Decapitated by Skold

Optimus Primal - Ape (Mentioned)

Fallen Protoform Pods (Mentioned)

Predacon

Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Skold - Alligator Snapping Turtle

Tarantulas - Tarantula

Blackarachnia - Black Widow Spider

Waspinator - Wasp

Terrorsaur - Pteranodon 

Scorponok - Scorpion

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck (Mentioned)

Fictional Characters

Megasavage

Servicons

Nightshriek - Bat Corrupted by Megasavage

Botanicus - Plant Killed by Servicons

Silverklaw - Bird Killed by Morphlings

Unnamed Ape Dead

Unnamed Spider Dead

Unnamed Rat Dead

Unnamed Cat Dead

Notes

• This special issue of Beast Wars presents us with some side stories set at uncertain points in the series. At the most, we can assume they are all set following Blackarachnia's introduction, but with the first one set before Terrorsaur's death.
• The Maximal Powerhug being on the Darksyde is never explained. Is he a prisoner? A corrupted Protoform that has just arrived there? One of the Children of the Vok? Does he die at the end of the issue, after Skold decapitates him? Why are the Predacons shocked at her killing one of their enemies?
• In the second story, we see Waspinator speaking like he does in the original cartoon, which hasn't really been a thing in this series this far. Also his dismissive nature in the first story COULD be out of character, but that was also just in Skold's imagination.
• The third story's fictional tale is, obviously, based on the Beast Machines cartoon, with all the characters representing characters from the show, but with the Defiance (the Maximal counterparts) being completely destroyed in this story.
• The only character to transform during the fictional story is Nightshriek, so it's not really confirmed if any of the others even can transform (I'd assume so though)
• The preview included in this comic is for the upcoming Beast Wars 16, which is actually two issues after this comic was released, spoiling that Megatron and Optimus escape their captures from issue 14.
• Among the character designs shown in the extra features is Amordillo, a character who has yet to appear in the series yet. Due to his electric green eyes however, I'm going to guess that he's a Child of the Vok who will be revealed before the finale.
• Interestingly, Optimus Primal never appears in this special, even as a cameo (assuming you don't count the Morphlings Optimus stand-in). Also, Dinobot doesn't even get a mention in any of these stories!