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.