IDW - Transformers: Beast Wars #13

Title: The Speedway of Central Consciousness

Written by: Erik Burnham

Art by: Winston Chan

Colours by: Sidvenblu

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Editor: Jazmine Joyner

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Plot

The Maximals and Predacons battle it out on an Energon crystal field, but at one point an errant blast hits one of the crystals, knocking out Cheetor...

Cheetor wakes up on Cybertron, before the launch of the Axalon, but still remembers the events of the Beast Wars. Upon waking up, he is asked by multiple people about how Protoforms are modified, confusing the former racer, but eventually he remembers the explosion, and thinks that he's just dreaming following the trauma.

Soon, one of the Vok, Pakak, appears before him in a dark version of his own form and tries to force him to give up the information for him to use on the Protoforms in the real world, since he cannot unlock the information, for now. During his torture, Cheetor realizes that Palak needs him to live to get the information, which further infuriates Pakak.

The Vok offers Cheetor a deal, if he can win in a race against him, he will be awoken, but if Cheetor loses, he has to give up the information. Cheetor agrees, but soon regrets it when Pakak changes his form to Blurr's, the greatest racer in history.

After a close race, Cheetor manages to win, but Pakak reveals that he didn't care, as their race was along circuitry inside of Cheetor's own mind, allowing him to access the information he wanted. Pakak still frees Cheetor from his mind as a reward to winning, but causes a hard reboot of his systems upon reawakening, just after Cheetor mentions the word "Vok" to Optimus Primal and Rhinox, before returning to Subspace for their master plan with the Protoforms...

Characters

Maximal

Optimus Primal - Gorilla

Cheetor - Cheetah (Race Car in Dream)

Rhinox - Rhino

Rattrap - Rat

Nyx - Bat

Dinobot - Velociraptor

CatSCAN - Car (Dream Only)

Science Ministry (Mentioned)

Predacon

Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Skorponok - Scorpion

Tarantulas - Tarantula

Skold - Alligator Snapping Turtle

Waspinator - Wasp 

Vok

Pakak - Cheetah (as Cheetor), Race Car (as Blurr)

Other Vok (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Cheetor's Fans (Dream Only)

Random Cybertronians (Dream Only)

Blurr - Race Car (Disguise Used in Dream) Implied Dead

Other Racers (Flashback Only)

Afterburner - Speedbike (Mentioned) Implied Dead

Rev (Mentioned)

Crashed Protorform Pods (Mentioned)

Notes

• CatSCAN's design is based on a version of the Transtech version of Cheetor, rather than using Cheetor's Cybertronian node from this series, to better differentiate the characters this issue.
• The shorter of Cheetor's fans seems to use a modified version of Swerve's Titans Return design.
• I really hope we get a Pakak repaint of Cheetor from his appearance this issue... They could just call him Nemesis Cheetor for marketing if they need to!
• Pakak indirectly mentions that Blurr is dead by the present day in this issue. Similarly, an "Afterburner Memorial Speedway" implies that the Technobot is dead too.
• The "Tiwaz Maneuver" mentioned a few times this issue is just a red herring, from Cheetor's days as an athlete, but due to its repeated use, I'm going to guess it'll reappear later in the series.

IDW - Transformers: Shattered Glass #1

Written by: Danny Lore

Art by: Guido Guidi

Inks by: John Wycough

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Colour Assists by: Ed Pirrie

Letters by: Lettersquids

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Design by: Jake Wood & Johanna Nattalie

Plot

The bodyscrapper Blurr brings in the remains of his recent bounty, Sixshot, to Gold City, where he delivers himnto his middlebot, Ratchet, who is currently experimenting on a new patient...

While there, Blurr is informed of a new bounty from Goldbug himself, he wants the Devepticon Starscream brought to him, alive, as he wants the information he holds.

Elsewhere, Starscream is struggling against two more Bodyscrappers, Chromedome and Hardhead, but managed to injure the latter, while the former is suddenly attacked by Blurr, who feigns switching sides.

Starscream and Blurr make it to the Static Zone, outside the city where Starscream confronts the Evil Autobot on why he would help him. Blurr tries to tell him that he only joined the Autobots out of necessity originally, and points out that if Goldbug is looking for him, then the other higher up Autobots like Optimus and Prowl must be after him too for his information...the location of Megatron.

Starscream agrees, and tells Blurr the direction to take to reach the Decepticon leader, and the duo head through the active volcanic fields...

Along the way, Blurr monologues to himself about how he's going to lead Starscream to Goldbug and will then bring in Megatron himself, when suddenly Starscream attacks the Autobot, revealing that he knew his plan all along, and just needed him to keep him safe while he gets through the Static Zone.

The two fight, with Blurr using his super speed to outpace the Decepticon, but his speed ends up being his outdoing, when Starscream tricks him into stepping in the path of a volcanic eruption, trapping him and encasing him in lava, as he screams revenge on the Seeker...

The next morning, Starscream thanks Blurr for his unintended help, explaining that he stayed with him in case he somehow survived, and heads out to meet with Megatron at his hiding place....

Characters

Autobot

Blurr - Race Car Smelted in Volcanic Eruption

Ratchet - Ambulance

Hardhead - Tank

Chromedome - Car

Gold City Denizens

Ratchet's "Patient"

Metroplex - Titan Ship/City Dead/Immersant

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Flashback Only)

Goldbug - Car (Flashback Only)

Prowl - Police Car (Flashback Only)

Fortress Maximus - Titan Ship/City (Flashback Only)

Brainstorm - Jet (Flashback Only)

Highbrow - Helicopter (Flashback Only)

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport (Flashback Only)

Springer - Helicopter/Car (Flashback Only)

Roadbuster - Jeep (Flashback Only)

Kup - Pick-up Truck (Flashback Only)

Optimus Prime's Enforcer (Flashback Only)

Flashback Autobots (Flashback Only)

Ratchet's Fallen Comrade (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Starscream - Tetrajet 

Sixshot - Tank/Jet/Gun/Winged Wolf/Car Killed by Blurr

Refraktor - Hovercraft (Flashback Only) Captured by Headmasters

Flashback Decepticons (Flashback Only)

Megatron - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Notes

• Unusually for a comic, this issue came with a full sized Blurr figure. There is a mass release version that doesn't have the toy, but who would want that? :P 
• Beyond the cover and the adverts (which were likely made when the comic was produced in the Pulse version as theybare all of things from several months ago) there's no differences between the versions, unlike when we previously had pack-in comics, where they were censored in various ways. I guess in this case it's different due to this only being sent with the figure, and not placed in the packaging.
• This version of Shattered Glass is not connected to the previous Shattered Glass continuity made by Fun Publications, other than being in the same multiverse of course...
• This marks the first mainstream, successful reboot to the Shattered Glass concept, with the previous attempts either being concepts or just one-offs.
• It's likely, that just like how the original version was the mirror universe counterpart to the Classics universe, that this version is a counterpart to the current IDW continuity, due to the use of current toy moulds, whether as virtual retools or using the new Shattered Glass collection figures. Also the appearance of Metroplex, seemingly being Immersant, adds to the possibility.
• Unlike in the previous Shattered Glass universe, most of the secondary characters colourschemes in this story aren't based on another colourscheme, they just used what looked best.
• Ratchet holds up the Data fob for Blurr holding the information in his next target, but the speech bubble is covering it up, making the next few panels a little confusing.
• Hardhead refers to Chromedome as "Chromey", likely a corruption on his nickname from Rewind in IDW Version 1 of "Domey".
• The dialogue in this issue tells us that this is set after the Transformers have been to Earth, and even that a version of the Headmasters storyline has happened too.
• It's left unclear at the end if Blurr somehow survived being melted in place by the volcano (face it, we've seen Transformers survive literal atomisation in the past). But it would be weird to kill off a character that is sold with the comic he's killed in....

Fun Pub - The Return of Blurr!!

Plot

Sari joins Arcee's class on a tour of Metroplex so she can learn more about her Cybertronian origins, however her new classmates, Siren, Nightbeat and Hosehead all seem a bit disgusted by her organic nature, and her eating habits.

Arcee takes the class through the Cybertronian Intelligence Division offices, and Sari notices a disposal hatch to dump the remains of her lunch in, when she falls through the hatch.

At the bottom of the hatch, she touches a blue cube, that reacts with her residual Allspark energy and reactivates the spark of Blurr inside. Blurr explains how Shockwave crushed him into a cube and had Cliffjumper unknowingly dispose of him down the hatch.

Sari uses her tech-savvy powers to find an exit to the incinerator, when she accidentally activates an old Decepticon trap called Kremzeek...

Arcee and the rest of the class are inside the Council Chambers and realize that Sari is missing. The group start to look for her, when they hear an announcement about an intruder in the recycling center, leading to the class assuming it to be Sari.

Sari and the Blurr cube find themselves on a conveyor belt in the recycling center. Kremzeek reveals himself, and activates the conveyor belt, sending the two heroes towards a furnace, luckily however, Arcee and the other students manage to rescue them before they get killed by jamming the belt and other machinery.

Arcee speaks with Sari and Blurr about what is happening, but before long Kremzeek jumps into Nightbeat and tries to use her to get himself to Fortress Maximus so he can destroy the Autobots. Arcee manages to use a control panel to lock down the room, then attacks her possessed pupil with her laser blades.

Kremzeek jumps out of Nightbeat and into Siren, who uses his sonic powers to blow a hole into the wall. Hosehead tries to stop him from escaping by using his foam cannons, but Kremzeek switches bodies to Hosehead and runs away through the hole in the wall.

Sari transforms her scooter into her jet pack and catches Hosehead before he can reach Fortress Maximus, however Kremzeek instead jumps into the jetpack, ejects Sari from it and takes off at top speed.

All seems lost until Sari uses her strange powers to plug Blurr into her backpack and take on his super-speed powers, and Arcee tags along by holding onto her.

Sari and Arcee speed through Cybertron, going past Cheetor and Sideswipe, who are on patrol at the time, and head towards Fortress Maximus.

At Trypticon prison, Shockwave realizes that Kremzeek has been activated and is about to destroy everything. Shockwave admits to Megatron that he didn't intend to be on Cybertron when he was activated, much to Megatron's disappointment.

Inside the control center at Fortress Maximus, Jetfire and Jetstorm are manning their posts with Sentinel Magnus when Kremzeek lands inside the Fortress and takes it over, and begins to activate the photon pulse cannon, and points it towards the city if Iacon.

Sari, Arcee and the Blurr cube enter the room, and Sari manages to force Kremzeek into her body, however due to her being Techo-Organic he cannot fully control her. Arcee tells Sari that they need to contain Kremzeek somewhere. Sari remembers the soda bottle that she forgot to dispose of earlier and spits Kremzeek inside it, and seals it up, saving the day!

Later, at the CyberNinja Dojo, Optimus and Jazz use the Allspark fragments inside the Matrix to fully repair Blurr's body. Sari's classmates all sum up what they learned from the experience and Blurr happily races around the dojo, trying to find out what to do next, now that he is fully formed (and TFA season 4 was never produced).

Characters

Autobot

Arcee - Cybertronian Sports Car

Hosehead - Pick Up Truck

Nightbeat - Cybertronian Sports Car

Siren - Hatchback

Blurr - Cybertronian Race Car

Cheetor - Cybertronian Race Car

Sideswipe - Cybertronian Sports Car

Sentinel Magnus - Pick Up Truck

Optimus Prime - Truck

Jazz - Sports Car

Jetfire - Cybertronian Jet

Jetstorm - Cybertronian Jet

Cliffjumper - Cybertronian Car (Mentioned)

Bumblebee - Hatchback (Mentioned)

Ratchet - Ambulance (Mentioned)

Bulkhead - SWAT Van (Mentioned)

Prowl - Police Motorcycle (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Megatron - Helicopter Incarcerated in Trypticon

Shockwave/Longarm Prime - Cybertronian Tank/Crane Incarcerated in Trypticon

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Skywarp - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Other

Sari Sumdac - Human Girl

Kremzeek Trapped in Soda Bottle

Original Longarm (Mentioned) Disposed of by Shockwave

Ultra Magnus - Armoured Missile Truck (Mentioned) Near Death from Shockwave Attack

Tutor-Bot (Mentioned)

Isaac Sumdac (Mentioned)

Notes

• This storybook is based on the 2015 Botcon script reading
• Due to this being based on a live script reading, it includes various fourth wall breaks, I'll be ignoring them here where possible however, unless it seems pertinent for the plot etc.
• This story is set during the Stunti-con Job comic story.
• The "Headmaster Jrs" is a title normally given to the repaint variants of these characters from Japanese continuities (Shuta, Cab and Minerva)
• The three Headmaster Jrs use existing character models, like with many background characters in comics. Siren uses Bumblebee's body, Hosehead uses Sentinel Prime's, and Nightbeat uses Arcee's. Out of the three of them, only Nightbeat was fully revealed before this story as she appeared in the Complete Allspark Almanac.
• The trio also feature exaggerated gimmicks, Siren screams everything, Nightbeat tries to use her detective skills on everything, and Hosehead is Canadian....yup...that's the joke!
• This story shows that Blurr was probably killed when he was crushed by Shockwave, but Sari revived him with the Allspark Key energy residues inside her.
• In this continuity Kremzeek was a Trojan horse program made by Shockwave to disrupt Autobot systems and other technology....why is he a popular image amongst the Autobots in drinks etc then!?
• Arcee was given her laser blades (from the toy) from Ratchet, who was attempting to make her pointers for her lectures.
• This story indicates that the Fortress Maximus is not located in Iacon (as it aims it's gun towards the city)

IDW - Transformers: Windblade #5

Title: Race Against the Light

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Corin Howell

Colours by: Thomas Deer

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Windblade and the others now know why the Velocitronian cities are always moving, and why they are able to survive energy-wise from just solar power...their sun literally scorches the surface of their planet. Windblade and the team race alongside the city, and manage to work together to reach an access door, and enter the city, where they meet up with Moonracer.

Inside the city, the team are told about how the only way they can get Velocitron to ally with Cybertron is to win the Benefit race that day, and to win impressively, since the current planet leader, Override, is having some problems with a rival, Ransack lately.

Ironhide escorts Blurr to the stadium, along with Moonracer, who needs to be present for the proceedings, whilst Windblade, Chromia, and Moonracer's assistant Clocker head down to Navitas' brain chamber.

In the brain chamber, Windblade is depressed to find it in disrepair, and tries to communicate with Navitas, but finds him brain damaged, since the Velocitronians abandoned him, and just rely on him to maintain the city and their needs.

Blurr enters the race, which he learns is a "no rules" event, and is soon attacked by his fellow racers, who have all been outfitted with weapons and tools to injure the others. During the race, Moonracer identifies Blurr to Override, and suggests that Cybertron may still want their alliance to happen, but Override is so far unimpressed by the Cybertronian racer.

In Navitas' brain chamber, Windblade directly accesses Navitas' brain, and uses it to cause obstacles, and ramps along the race course (since there are no rules) and manages to let Blurr win that way, since the Velocitronians weren't expecting it.

After the race, Blurr calls out Override on whether the alliance should go ahead, which Override puts to the audience. They all agree and Blurr succeeds in creating the alliance.

Windblade tells Wheeljack, back on Cybertron, but he's worried since Starscream is now getting ready to meet MORE colony representatives....

Characters

Autobot

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Chromia - Speedbike

Blurr - Race Rocket Car

Ironhide - Van

Wheeljack - Race Car

Metroplex - City/Space Ship (Mentioned)

Velocitronian

Override - Race Car

Ransack - Motorcycle (Probably)

Moonracer - Sports Car

Knock Out - Sports Car

Clocker - Race Car

Knock Out's Conjunx Endura (Prime Breakdown) - Off Road Vehicle

Roadmaster - Race Car

Navitas - Part of Delta City

Velocitronians - Racing Vehicles

Camien

Mistress of Flame (Mentioned)

Caminus - City/Space Ship (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Notes

• Moonracer was made Cybertronian ambassador because she impressed everyone by keeping up with the moving city for an entire day
• Override and Ransack, the two "leaders" of Velocitron are based on their Cybertron series counterparts. Clocker is also based on his Cybertron counterpart.
• Like how Metroplex and Caminus are being used as cities, Navitas is also incorporated into Delta City on Velocitron.
• The guards to the Benefit race appear to be based, design and colour-wise by Transformers Arms Micron Wildrider
• Racemaster appears to be based on the G2 character Rapido, but with his name from his United counterpart.
• Blurr has been turned into a vehicle similar to Cybertron series Crumplezone's in this series, rather than being a more traditional car.
• The pin in Windblade's "head-dress" is shown to be able to act as a stylus for touch-screen interfaces. Most likely in case the Titans are unable to talk properly etc, like with Navitas here.
• From the preview and past issues, we can guess that the new guests are from Eukaris (the Beast Wars planet)

IDW - Transformers: Windblade #4

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Corin Howell

Colours by: Thomas Deer

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Plot

On the outskirts of Metroplex the Decepticons and the newly arrived Camiens are having an almost violent argument over the Decepticons daring to use energy from the sacred Titan to power their shanty town. Windblade is forced to leave as she has to meet with some delegates from Velocitron, leaving Chromia to solve the situation alone, without resorting to violence this time.

Windblade arrives at the meeting twenty minutes late, but tries to make it up to Knock Out and Moonracer from the newly found colony. After a quick tour and explanation of how the Council of Worlds will work, Knock Out declines their offer for membership since Velocitron is a closed society, and have enough Energon and energy sources in general to last them, so they leave. Windblade catches up with them, and invites them to a party at Blurr's bar before they go.

The three of them arrive at the bar where they are introduced to fellow racer Blurr, who whips them up some drinks. Windblade explains to Moonracer that the Cybertronians need to have the colony worlds join with them so they can rebuild without the history of factions, and the colonies can expand and return to Cybertron to help themselves too.

Following this, Knock Out sits with Blurr and the two talk about racing, with Knock Out not believing that Blurr could be as fast as he claims to be, and Moonracer goes socializing with the other patrons.

After a while, Windblade sits with Moonracer, where Moonracer explains that life on Velocitron is very stunted, and that only racing is important, and she worries that their entire way of life is getting smaller every year. Moonracer reveals that there's an open race the next day, and if they can win, they could present the proposal for the Council of Worlds to the planet's leaders without fail. Whilst Moonracer cannot officially invite them, she does give Windblade her comm-link frequency, so they can meet up when/if they come to Velocitron to win. Knock Out and Moonracer return to Velocitron following this.

Later, Windblade, Chromia, Wheeljack and Ironhide enter Metroplex's brain chamber, where Wheeljack gets the coordinates for Velocitron from Metroplex's records, and Metroplex gives Windblade some information on Velocitron, and how they were originally scientists who wanted to develop superior energy sources, resulting in them becoming obsessed with using that energy to become faster. Windblade finds Blurr and invites him along for the trip to Velocitron, considering his past as a great racer.

Rattrap lets Windblade and the others, minus Wheeljack, who runs the bridge, through the portal. The group arrive on the planet and find it freezing cold, and deserted, except for a large set of track-marks. Suddenly Chromia looks behind her and realizes why the planet uses moving cities, rather than stationary ones, as a city is driving towards them, followed by a cloud of fire!

Characters

Autobot

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Chromia - Speedbike

Blurr - Race Car

Ironhide - Van

Wheeljack - Race Car

Slug - Triceratops

Metroplex - City/Space Ship

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Photo Only)

Jazz - Car (Photo Only)

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport (Photo Only)

Decepticon

Sparkstalker - Insect Monster

Waspinator - Wasp

Fat Tankor - Tank

Tall Tankor - Oil Tanker/Cargo Plane

Angry Decepticons

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Rattrap - Rat

Badgeless Officers

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Mentioned) In Custody

Camien

Lightbright

Camien Migrants

Velocitronian

Knock Out - Car

Moonracer - Car

Override (Flashback)

Crumplezone (Flashback)

Ransack (Flashback)

TFA Bumblebee Mold (Flashback)

Random Velocitronians - Cars (Flashback)

Navitas - City/Space Ship (Mentioned)

Knock Out's Conjunx Endura (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronians

Council of Worlds (Mentioned)

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Notes

• Following the end of Combiner Wars, the series has now moved onto a colony-exploring storyline
• The dialogue shows that Devastator is still in custody in this issue, meaning this is set just before the events of Robots in Disguise #42. This would also imply that the planet Windblade and Chromia were returning from may have been Velocitron following this storyline.
• Lightbright and Sparkstalker appear to have started dating....awwwww
• The Camiens have started building new constructs outside of Metroplex...hopefully this means they can start to live outside of the Titan before long!
• Knock Out, fully seen here, if a direct reference to his Prime series counterpart...so yeah, you can put those Prime Knock Outs on the CHUG shelf now!
• The "Part 4" part of the "Not the End of the World" party most likely follows the parties after the Decepticon riots in Iacon, the party they had after the Necrotitan died, the presumed party after the death of Shockwave, and now for the resolution of the Combiner Wars (even though the Combiner Wars didn't really affect Cybertron itself too much)
• Looking at the revelation in MTMTE that Caminus prioritizes the arts, and Velocitron prioritizing racing as the only worthwhile things, it seems like Functionism evolved on those planets too!
• Knock Out's unnamed Conjunx Endura, mentioned by Moonracer here was confirmed to be based on Prime Breakdown by Mairghread Scott, so yeah, it's canon now!
• Override, Crumplezone and Ransack, as seen in Moonracer's explanation are based on their Cybertron counterparts. The other robot with them looks like he's based on Animated Bumblebee's Earth character model, which makes sense considering his need for speed too.
• If we continue the assumption that the Knights of Cybertron are also the Thirteen Primes, then it seems that the Velocitronians, being originally scientists may have been preceded by Alchemist Prime.

IDW - Windblade #3

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sarah Stone

Letters by: Chris Mowry

Editorial Assistance: Rebecca Huard

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Windblade and her gang fight off against the Terrorcons and manage to cause a lot of damage to their enemies, until Starscream and his new secret police arrive and arrest them for their "crimes".

The group are put in jail, except for Chromia, who escaped, and Windblade who is sent to a torture chamber for an interrogation. Starscream tries to convince the others that Windblade is the bad guy here, as she is an alien who cares nothing for Cybertron, but the jailed guys don't seem to be buying it.

Rattrap's interrogation of Windblade isn't going well, as she isn't admitting to betraying Cybertron, and she accuses Starscream of being responsible for the explosions in the city recently, which shocks him, as he believes it's her. He has her sent to the cell with the others.

Windblade tells Blurr what she just discovered when Chromia bursts into the jail with the rest of Blurr's regular patrons and rescues the jailed guys.

Windblade and Chromia start to race off towards Metroplex to discover who is actually involved in these problems, not knowing that whoever it is has completed the power transfer, and has opened a space bridge....

Characters

Autobot

Wingblade - VTOL Jet

Chromia - Speedbike

Metroplex - City/Space Ship

Slug - Triceratops

Blurr - Race Car

Decepticon

Cutthroat - Winged Beast

Sinnertwin - Two Headed Beast

Rippersnapper - Land Shark

Tall Tankor - Jet/Truck

Fat Tankor - Tank

Waspinator - Wasp

Swindle - Van

United Cybertronian

Starscream - Jet

Rattrap - Mole Rat

Longtoooth

Circuit

Sky Byte - Shark

The Badgeless - Jets

Notes

• Windblade seems surprized tat Cutthroat can fly in his alternate mode, this could mean that aerial modes are rare on Caminus
• It's revealed here that the people of Caminus do not use ranged weapons (like guns etc) as they find them wasteful, explaining Chromia and Windbblade's axe and sword.
• It's shown here, that despite Starscream being responsible for then mining operation, he wasn't involved in the bombings or power outages, and seemed to believe that Windblade was responsible this whole time!
• The power outages are revealed to be due to Metroplex opening a space bridge inside himself for someone to use.

IDW - Windblade #1

Title: A 'Bot And Her City

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sarah Stone

Letters by: Chris Mowry

Editorial Assistance: Rebecca Huard

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Six months have passed since the climax of the Dark Cybertron prophecy, and Metroplex has been made the last city on Cybertron. Windblade has been made the "Cityspeaker" for Metroplex, since he is unable to talk still due to his injuries, and Starscream is still in charge of the planet.

Starscream meets with Windblade to ask her why the city (Metroplex) is losing power, she says she's working on the problem, but he doesn't believe her. He thinks she's trying to undermine him and make him seem like a weak leader, and threatens her to fix the problems, or he'll turn everyone against her.

As Starscream and Rattrap leaves, Chromia wonders why no-one ever killed Starscream. Windblade however agrees with Starscream, she NEEDS to find out what's wrong with Metroplex.

She goes to converse with his brain module and learns that there's a power diversion in a section of the city she hasn't found yet, but thinks that Ironhide might know where it is, due to him exploring the depths, she teases Chromia about telling him how she feels about him before flying off.

Windblade manages to find Ironhide and feels sorry for him losing his faith in the future following Drak Cybertron, but she does learn where the junction she needs is located, so she calls Chromia to meet her there.

The two female Autobots start searching the area, but can't find the appropriate junction so Chromia forces Windblade to call it a night. On the way home, Windblade comes across Maccadam's Old Oil House, and decides to do some recon on Starscream, to see what sort of a person he is....Before long she has been through the entire bar and has learned that Starscream is only out for himself, and will get rid of anyone who gets in his way.

The next day Chromia and Windblade get ready to start their search again when suddenly a bomb goes off and Windblade is badly injured. Chromia manages to save her life and several others around her. Starscream blames the explosion on poor maintenance and urges the populace to move back to the Iacon Ruins (they don't)

During her recovery, Windblade recalls how her planet was visited by Thunderclash and told about the problems with Metroplex, which is how they were sent to him in the first place, and recalls how she hoped to find Cybertron, the long lost planet of their origins, a nicer place than Caminus, but instead found it as a ruin during a massive battle.

She ends her reverie by showing that she saw Rattrap leaving the site, just before the bomb was set off, which told her something important...Starscream tried to kill her, and will likely try again!

Characters

Autobot

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Chromia - Wheeled Vehicle (not confirmed what yet, likely a car?)

Ironhide - Van

Metroplex - City/Spaceship Repairing self

Fizzle - Baja Buggy

Slug - Triceratops

Blurr - Race Car

Thunderclash (Flashback)

Nautica (Flasshback)

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Flashback)

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport (Flashback)

Rodimus - Sports Car (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Tall Tankor - Oil Tanker/Cargo Plane

Shockwave - Flying Artillery (Flashback) Dead

United Cybertron

Starscream - Jet

Rattrap - Mole-Rat

Fat Tankor - Tank

Swindle - Van

Waspinator - Wasp

Sky-Byte - Shark

Circuit

Inhabitants of Metroplex

Primus (Mentioned)

Cybertronian

Caminus - City/Spaceship (Flashback)

Camiens (Flashback)

Notes

• As to be expected from her titular comic, we learn a lot about Windblade here. Her face makeup is made in honour of Caminus, the Titan from her homeworld. Her affinity with speaking to Metroplex is revealed to be actually a learned skill from her planet.
• Chromia is revealed to be a bodyguard here, explaining her fighting skills shown in Dark Cybertron.
• Starscream is revealed to be still in charge of Cybertron here, despite having his plans to vilify Metalhawk exposed to the Autobots, and Rattrap is still his second in command too!
• The pictograms Windblade sees when she speaks to Metroplex are sort of similar to those seen by Skids on "Cyberutopia" so most likely he was talking to a Titan at that point.
• Chromia being worried about Windblade telling Ironhide she thinks he's mopey is sort of a reference to their relationship in the G1 cartoon.
• The city of Iacon is revealed to have been destroyed fully in Dark Cybertron. To the extent that Metroplex is now the sole city left (why they haven't built any more settlements in 6 months is beyond me of course!
• Ironhide's faith from the earlier RID issues is gone now, since several points from his vision of the future have been rendered mute (Gorlam Prime being destroyed is a major one of course). So now he's exploring Metroplex to find answers
• Blurr has reopened Maccadam's Old Oil House again! This time it looks like a traditional pub.
• Fizzle is revealed to have left the Lost Light here.
• Following his attack from Bludgeon near the end of Dark Cybertron, Waspinator is shown to be alive after all!
• The two Tankors have become friends, to the extent that other people refer to them as Fat and Tall Tankor to distinguish between them.
• Swindle looks a bit like his Animated counterpart
• Circuit is still running his news service
• Titans are revealed here to have naturally occurring Hot Spots within them, explaining how new Cybertronian life can be born on new worlds.
• One of the Camien Cityspeakers resembles Prime Arcee.
• Female Transformers are explained simply as existing because they evolved that way on Caminus.
• If my theory that the Knights of Cybertron are actually the Original Thirteen, then the one that Caminus is supposed to guard is most likely Solus Prime.
• It's not explained how Windblade and the others are Autobots. Maybe Thunderclash inducted them?

IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #27

Written by: James Roberts and John Barber

Art by: Alex Milne, Brendan Cahill and Livio Ramondelli

Additional Inks by: Brian Shearer

Colours by: Josh Perez and Livio Ramondelli

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Optimus Prime and his team leave Nova's castle to find their portal home has collapsed leaving them separated from Wheelie and Garnak at the Gorlam Prime entrance. Nightbeat manages to find a small tear in the sky however, but it's much too small to fit through...then the entire Dead Universe begins to collapse in on itself...

At Crystal City on Cybertron Shockwave has Galvatron restrained and is using him to draw out the energies from the Dead Universe into himself for his master plan.

At Iacon, the battle with the Necrotitan is over, Metroplex is resting whilst the rest of the Cybertronians, including the returned Lost Lighters are starting to celebrate and begin repairs on themselves. Bumblebee tells Ratchet to make Megatron's repairs a priority as he did save them all with his actions, and begins to wonder about the new arrivals who are using feminine pronouns

During the celebrations Prowl gets annoyed by his Constructicon fanboys, and tries to concentrate on them finishing off Shockwave, but Bumblebee tells him to take a moment to relax, as there must be someone he wants to speak to from the Lost Light.

Meanwhile Ultra Magnus meets with Chromedome at Metroplex and asks him to inject into his brain to help repair his mind following his illness, but Chromedome refuses as he promised Rewind he'd stop doing it.

Ratchet takes Megatron on board the Lost Light and begins repairing him in his medi-bay, during the process Megatron compliments Ratchet on his skills, and even admits that he originally wanted to be a doctor, but didn't have the patience.

In the Dead Universe the team are running from the collapsing universe, and begin thinking of plans to escape, Nightbeat suggests they use the spacebridge inside himself (as he's realised that all Dead Universe denizens must have a spacebridge inside them like Kup, Nova etc) but Optimus refuses to allow anyone to kill themselves to save anyone else, then he and the others start to notice some music coming from somewhere...

Back on the Lost Light Hound is shocked that after all there years of war, the Autobots and Decepticons appear to be at peace, and all drinking and singing in a bar together of all things! At the bar itself Brainstorm is grumpy and complains of a sparkache making him feel ill, then annoys Bluestreak with his mispronunciation of the word "Necrotitan" before Blurr walks into the bar, making Swerve fangirl out. Skids manages to convince Swerve to just talk to Blurr and be casual with him...instead Swerve shakes him hand for several minutes, babbles on about being his stalker and creeping him out entirely.

At Crystal City, Shockwave finishes explaining everything to Galvatron, including about how he was never truly loyal to Megatron and his troops, but just uses them for his own goals, unknowingly also telling Waspinator and Metalhawk the same things from their hiding place high-up. Skywarp arrives and takes the two eaves droppers away so they can tell the others about what they've learned, but leaving before they hear his last comment about how he plans to bring time itself to an end.

Prowl is on the Lost Light and winds up at the medi-bay where he finds Arcee in her new body following her battle damage and pays her a compliment on how nice it is, she doesn't care, then Ratchet tells Prowl that if he's looking for Bumblebee, he's with Megatron, and they're laughing!

Inside his room, Megatron and Bumblebee are having a discussion, on how Megatron thinks they're both similar, since they both had Cybertron in their grasps, but lost it to Starscream. Megatron then admits that he regrets the war, and that he feels that the moment he stopped being a revolutionary and started being a warrior, he lost the people's hearts.

Prowl finds Chromedome outside, and confronts him on how he messed with his head before leaving on the Lost Light, then makes a snipe quip about Rewind's death. Chromedome loses it and throws him off the cliff they're standing on.

Inside Metroplex, Magnus goes to see Windblade to ask how Metroplex is doing, she reports that he's unable to talk still, except through his pattern method which she can understand. Magnus gets to what he wants to asks really though, and asks if Windblade can ask Metroplex about the Knights of Cybertron, but Nautica reveals that they themselves asked him weeks earlier, and he said that none of them deserved to know. Magnus receives a report of Prowl and Chromedome's fight outside and goes to deal with it.

Magnus manages to break up the fight, but also gives Prowl a verbal beatdown on all the evil and amoral things he's done in the past, and that he shouldn't be surprised when others begin to fight back, then leaves him to the company of his new "friends" the Constructicons.

Elsewhere in the ruined Iacon Starscream and Rattrap go to see a despondent Scoop and learn that he heard the whole prophecy from Shockwave before the war even started, suddenly Skywarp appears with Metalhawk and Waspinator to report what they've learned, but not before Metalhawk shoots Starscream for killing him, then moves on...

All the meanwhile Shockwave begins the final phase of his plan to make everything stand still at one point in time, and never change again, thus creating perfect order by calling in his biggest weapon...

Outside the Cybertronians all notice the stars beginning to go out...then they realize that that's not what's happening, the stars are being blocked out by the 70 billion Ammonites who have been summoned by Shockwave, who are there to stop anyone from stopping him in the last crucial stages!

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Rodimus - Car

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Nightbeat - Car

Bumblebee - Muscle Car

Metroplex - Space Ship/City Damaged

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Hound - Jeep

Prowl - Emergency Car

Windblade - Jet

Chromia

Nautica

Arcee - Car

Slug - Triceratops

Snarl - Stegosaurus

Sludge - Apatosaurus

Swoop - Pteranodon

Chromedome - Car

Ratchet - Ambulance

Swerve - Van

Bluestreak - Car

Brainstorm - Jet

Crosscut - Van

Fixit - Ambulance

Perceptor

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Skids - Van

Getaway

Mirage - Race Car

Ironhide - Van

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Sideswipe - Car

Sunstreaker - Car

Huffer - Truck

Gears - Van

Hoist - Crane

Brawn - Van

Atomizer

Blaster

Slapdash

Xaaron

Cosmos - Orbiter

Dogfight - Jet

Rung

Trailcutter - Van

Siren

Rollout

Wheelie - Car (Voice Only)

Rewind (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Bludgeon - Tank

Dreadwing - Stealth Bomber

Monstructor -Gestalt 

Megatron

Waspinator - Wasp

Skywarp - Jet

Bonecrusher - Bulldozer

Scavenger - Excavator

Hook - Crane

Mixmaster - Mixing Truck

Long Haul - Dump Truck

Soundwave - Van

Ravage - Cassette

Rumble - Tank

Frenzy - Tank

Astrotrain - Space Shuttle/Train

Blitzwing - Jet/Tank

Overlord (Mentioned)

Devastator (Mentioned)

United Cybertron

Starscream - Jet

Rattrap - Mole Rat

Scoop - Front End Loader

Metalhawk - Jet

Flatline - Van

Blurr - Race Car

Jazz - Car

Sky-Byte - Flying Shark

Quickmix - Mixing Truck

Landfill - Dump Truck

Tracer - Gun

Holepunch - Gun

Ricochet - Gun

Boomer - Gun

Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet Dying

Galvatron - Laser Tank

Jhiaxus - Jet

Bob

Other Cybertronians

Necrotitan - Space Ship/City (Footage) Dead

Nova Prime - Truck (Mentioned) Dead

The Thirteen Tribes (Mentioned)

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Tyrest (Mentioned)

Others

Ammonite Army

Centuritron - Ammonite Gestalt

Swerve's Serving Droid

Garnak (Mentioned)

Notes

• Kup asks questions about Wheelie's rhyming, which Rodimus claims he can't help. This reinforces the fact that Kup has been gone since JUST before Wheelie was recovered by Rodimus
• In a nice bit of detailing, Monstructor uses his second set of arms to hold Galvatron in place.
• Shockwave explains that his plan was to have all of his ores return to Cybertron, as they all act as counterbalances to each other, and cause strange effects, which he plans to use to freeze all time into one point, with him ruling over it all.
• The giant 2 page spread of the aftermath of the battle with the Necrotitan is just beautiful!
• Metroplex is revealed to still be a bit iffy after the battle, as the regenerative ore he absorbed has become inert.
• You have to wonder, what if Flatline was just outside the door when he compliments Ratchet as being "better than my best"
• The Autobots, Decepticons and NAIL's all join together to sing and relax in Swerve's bar on the Lost Light (most likely since Maccadam's is still burned down)
• Swerve finally gets to meet Blurr properly (and Blurr hates him for it)
• Blurr and Crosscut seem to be on familiar terms, this would make sense since both are basically celebrities
• Skywarp is shown to have survived the explosion from before, but he seems unable to stay in a corporeal form for too long, though his teleportational powers seems to be stronger now
• Arcee's new body would appear to be her upcoming, currently unseen Generations toy
• Aww how cute, Flatline has his hand across Ratchet's shoulder whilst they look at Arcee (I think I caught the "fangirl" bug from somewhere...)
• It was hinted at in Shadowplay and with some of the discussions about Prowl throughout More Than Meets The Eye that he and Chromedome had a past relationship, it seems all but confirmed here with his smirk about Rewind's death, essentially at his own hands 
• Metroplex is revealed to have contracted his illness by some Ammonites who attacked him on Shockwave's orders for the ore he had within him (which he jettisoned within his thumb which the Lost Light found), and he escaped them, and slowed the infection by teleporting to Hydrophena (the red ocean planet)
• It's revealed that Scoop heard the entire Dark Cybertron prophecy from Senator Shockwave before his empurata when he was at the Acadaemy, meaning that it was possibly made up by him for some reason (he wasn't mad back then) or he decided to make the prophecy happen afterwards.
• What is it with Soundwave always holding Ravage like a pet cat? I thought they thought of each other as equals?!
• It's revealed that when Metroplex acted as the Autobot HQ in the early war he was asked about the Knights of Cybertron by some Autobots, but he refused to answer any questions about them.
• When Skywarp teleports in, Waspinator is upsidedown and seems to be panicking...poor fella!
• The Thirteen Tribes are most likely something to do with "The Thirteen", like tribes who followed their individual ideals etc
• Nautica expresses an interest in the Knights of Cybertron and legends etc here, considering she is absent from the previews of the upcoming Windblade series it seems likely she'll be joining the Lost Light in "season 2"

IDW - Robots in Disguise #20

Title: Three Monologues

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith

Colours by: Priscilla Tramontano

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

In the aftermath of the battle in Iacon, Starscream visits the corpse of Metalhawk, and apologizes to him for killing him, but says he did it, as it was the only way to save Cybertron in the end, and by martyring Metalhawk he made it possible for the Autobots and Decepticons to be forced out of the city, so they could rebuild, and reveals that he truly liked him as a friend.

Starscream meets with Blurr, who is rebuilding his bar, and wants him to help him reach the "Common Cybertronian" in his bar, which leads Blurr to laughing in his face. Just as he's showing him the way out, the power goes out. Blurr tells Starscream that if he wants the people to like him, then he needs to fix the city, and earn some respect, as the only reason he's in charge is because he was the lesser evil at that moment.

Elsewhere, Circuit interviews Scoop, who vows to, with his team, rebuild Iacon and repair all the injured battlers, like Superion. Starscream goes to speak with Dirge, as he's the last Seeker left in the city, and wants him to help him out as he was one of the heroes in the battle, but Dirge refuses by just punching his former commander. Starscream threatens to kill him, but is reminded that the eyes of Iacon are always on him now, as he's their leader. Just as Starscream is making his excuses for "assaulting a hero" the power in the city is turned back on, with Scoop being responsible, and gets more popular with the people, which just annoys Starscream.

Soon, Rattrap appears to him, and reveals that the power system Wheeljack made couldn't have failed so easily, and shows a power coupling that's been burned with Phosphex, suggesting it was sabotaged. Rattrap also reveals that Scoop's always been jealous of other engineers etc who got flashier jobs and always wants attention.

Starscream goes and meets with the disabled Megatron, and mocks him, that he's finally in charge, and Megatron's loyal followers have been cast into the wilds of Cybertron. Later again, Starscream goes to the communications array, that was damaged in the battle, and sees SCoop about to climb it to repair the thing. Scoop sees Starscream, and bows to him, and reveals to him that he and his team are religious, and believe that Starscream is some sort of messiah after what the Metrotitan said to him.

After this, he meets with Rattrap, who starts pestering Starscream about his "theory" that Scoop is causing incidents just so he can fix them, before long Scoop has finished fixing the array and climbs down to a cheering crowd. Rattrap however trips him up, and forces his tool box to fall open, and a used can of Phospex to be revealed to the crowd.

Starscream reveals that an investigation into the blackout revealed Phosphex damage, and accuses Scoop of sabotage, and has him taken away and arrested until a trial can be set up. Scoop is dragged away screaming his innocence. Starscream then promises into the cameras that he'll fix everything.

Later, Rattrap returns to his home in the sewers and finds Starscream waiting for him. Screamer reveals that he knows Rattrap framed Scoop for this whole thing, as Scoop was truly just trying to help, and he can tell a liar when he sees one, as he's one himself. Rattrap asks what he wants, and Starscream offers him a "government job"

Later again, Starscream is looking out to the early-rising sun and talks about how he's going to need a lot of good help in the rebuilding of Cybertron, and reveals (to the reader) that he's placed Wheeljack into a CR tube, and he's in fact still alive and being repaired!

Characters

Cybertronians

Starscream - Jet

Scoop

Rattrap - Z'Verein Mole-Rat

Circuit

Longtooth

Dirge - Jet

Flatline - Van

Cloudraker

Fastlane

Blurr - Race Car

Sky Byte - Flying Shark

Tappet - Car

Swindle - Van

Landfill

Boomer

Ricochet

Quickmix

Takedown

Groundpounder

Metalhawl - Jet Corpse

The Injured Being Repaired

Metrotitan (Mentioned) Dead

Cybertronian Civilians

Autobot

Wheeljack - Car In CR Chamber

Superion - Aerilabot Gestalt Being Repaired

Aerialbots (Mentioned) Being Repaired

Optimus Prime (Mentioned)

Metroplex (Mentioned)

Bumblebee - Car (Mentioned)

Prowl - Car (Mentioned)

Autobot Forces Exiled

Decepticon

Megatron Paralyzed by Fore Field Bubble

Seekers (Mentioned) Disbanded

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Mentioned)

Decepticon Forces Exiled

Other

Primus (Mentioned)

Notes

• This story is taking place at the same time as the story that follow's Arcee (as shown by the early sunrise), and is still set the night/morning after the battle of Iacon
• Metalhawk's body is being kept in a light-cage with a photo of him and Starscream on display.
• Blurr's the only character shown to still have his Autobot insignia here, but this is probably because it'd be too difficult for him to safely remove it (and considering it's been just hours since the battle, he might not have had a chance yet)
• Flatline seems to use the new Generations Skids toy as a basis, apparently just as an artistic nod to the toy, but you know, I can hope!
• Flatline mentions that Starscream has a new body being made (likely because of him having to tear off his canopy to get rid of his insignia). It's probably just a coincidence, but there's a new Generations toy based on Armada Starscream coming soon....
• Circuit seems to know that Starscream's full of crap, as he points out when he starts making a speech that the microphone's not on, making him stop
• Rattrap's body is based on his original Beast Wars body (even with a beast mode).
• Megatron is still in his forcefield bubble prison
• The communications array being damaged could be an explanation for the Lost Light's messages not reaching Cybertron from MTMTE
• Scoop and his team apparently only joined the Autobots because Optimus raised Metroplex, and left when the Titan told Starscream he was the chosen one.
• VERY confusingly one of the guards to take away Scoop at the end looks like a blue version of Circuit, who is also in the scene too!!
• Wheeljack's alive!! (Well in a CR tank, being repaired anyway)