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.