IDW - Transformers (2019) #1

Title: The World in Your Eyes Part One

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Angel Hernandez & Cachet Whitman

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Plot

A newborn Cybertronian, Rubble climbs a "mountain", really a sleeping Titan, and admires the beauty of Cybertron, much to the annoyance of his mentor, Bumblebee, who is trying to escort him to see Brainstorm and learn what he does for a job, to give Rubble some ideas for his own future career and alternate mode.

Soon the two encounter some Voin Scavengers, but are saved from them by Windblade, a friend of Bumblebee's who has received some reports from Brainstorm about anomalies, so decides to join them in their trip there.

Elsewhere, the Ascenticons are marching towards Tarn, whilst Senator Orion Pax summons their leader, his fellow Senator Megatron, and the two politely argue over the marches, especially after the last one left dozens injured. Megatron leaves on bad terms to rejoin his people..

On the way to Brainstorm's Energon Transmission Station, where Rubble marvels about how the ground naturally lights up rather than being illuminated by other means, soon Rubble sees a shooting star, but Windblade explains that it's a sleeping Titan in orbit, ready to protect the planet if needed in the future, and it's revealed that Bee used to work with Windblade in security, but left for unknown reasons...

Soon the trio reach the station, but Windblade notices a broken window, so investigates the area with Bee, Rubble is left alone outside, where he hears a noise and soon finds Brainstorm with bullet holes riddled through his chest!

Characters

Autobot

Orion Pax - Truck

Ironhide - Van

Prowl - Police Car (Mentioned)

Ascenticon

Megatron - Treaded Vehicle

Ruckus - Van

Elita One?

Other Marchers

Other Cybertronian

Bumblebee - Car

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Rubble

Brainstorm - Jet Shot and Dying

Security Drones

Orbiting Titan Dormant

The Sleeping Titans  Dormant

Termagax (Mentioned)

Other

Voin Scavengers

"The Rise" (Mentioned)

Notes

• This is the start of the new IDW continuity, the first true reboot of the comic franchise since 2005!
• The second artist of this issue, Cachet Whitman, did the scenes of Orion Pax's side of the story, with Hernandez doing the Rubble and Bumblebee story. Personally, I prefer Whitman's art to Hernandez'.
• The characters in this story are mostly based on available Siege toy models, with exceptions to either new characters like Rubble and characters without a toy yet, like Bumblebee and Windblade. Brainstorm is seemingly based on his design from MTMTE.
• During Whitman's scenes, you can see what are clearly the peg holes of the character's toy counterparts. It's possible that they actually have a use, like they are ports for weapons or something, but otherwise it may be just overly accurate to the toy designs.
• Rubble isn't supposed to have an alternate yet by this time in the story, but we can see two very prominent wheels on his back, either this means that land based vehicles are just the default for newborn Transformers, or they are just decorative (or it's just an art mistake)
• This series is already showing a clear difference to the previous IDW continuity, with Functionism being nowhere to be seen, Rubble being a newborn, and being able to visit and choose a career of his own, AND being allowed to later choose an alternate mode is clearly against the whole Functionism doctrine of "every shape has a purpose"
• Bumblebee asks if his voice box is malfunctioning, a joke to the gimmick for the character in most recent continuities, including the Movies, Aligned continuity and Cyberverse.
• The only Transformer who transforms this issue is Windblade.
• The Autobots at the moment seem to be just Orion Pax's crew, and the only character wearing the badge is Orion himself (I'll count Ironhide and Prowl as Autobots too, since they are mentioned as working for him directly)
• The Ascenticons are obviously a prelude to the Decepticons, and their insignia appears to be a simplified upside down Decepticon insignia.
• Tarn is mentioned as the destination for the Ascenticon march, this city is traditionally one of the major early conquests of the Decepticons later in history.
• Cyebrtron is mentioned as being a "living planet", possibly hinting at a "Cybertron is Primus' physical body" twist for later in the series, which was a popular storyplot before the previous IDW continuity.
• Bumblebee and Windblade are mentioned as being longterm friends, much like they are in the Cyberverse cartoon.
• Megatron and Orion Pax are mentioned as both being senators, and being pretty much the same age as each other, showing that they have had a long history as rivals, even before their destined war, and further showing the heavy differences between this continuity and the previous one.
• The Titan in orbit isn't shown too clearly, but due to Omega Supreme being in the Siege toyline as a Titan class toy, we can probably assume that this is him.
• We can see at least two moons in orbit of Cybertron in this issue, showing us subtly that the Guiding Hand's backstory from the previous continuity is also not likely to be in place here too
• Considering the solicits for this series makes it clear that a murder is the main focus of the series, we can assume that Brainstorm's injuries this issue are going to the be fatal (he's not dead yet, due to the "TZZT" sound effect coming off him now and again)

IDW - Lost Light #25

Title: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It: Part 2

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Following the Functionist Council's defeat, Prowl has arrived on Functionist Cybertron to check up on the newly ignited Hot Spot on Luna-1, but he also tells Rodimus that he is there to also re-arrest Megatron for a new trail, since his appeal for the Knights of Cybertron to preside over his trial is now impossible. Megatron agrees to go with him, but Prowl also has more bad news. He wants to have the Lost Light's engines removed to help power up the new Cybertron. Rodimus reluctantly agrees, but has one request, a lap of honour in the ship for him and his crew...

One day later, the crew finish their lap, having had no problems and begin their trip back to Functionist Cybertron, with Rewind taking footage of the entire ship for posterity and everyone agrees that they should allow the ship to be scrapped rather than having it repurposed and/or replaced with something else. The team head off to toast their journey's end, when Nautica, Perceptor and Brainstorm approach Rodimus with a radical idea...

The trio of scientists believe they can recreate the original accident that caused the ship to duplicate itself, but to also shunt it into an alternate universe, thereby preventing the risk of them being deleted from existence like last time. They won't know if it worked, as they would just see themselves as arriving back at Functionist Cybertron, but they have a chance of continuing their journeys in uncharted space. Rodimus agrees to try if the rest of the crew agree in a vote...

Unaware if their plan worked or not, the crew toast the journey in the bar and say their goodbyes. Swerve tries to lock everyone inside the bar, but it fails when the hull of the ship is being ripped apart with them still inside, telling them that it's time to wrap it all up.

The crew soon head off on their own ways, with Nautica and Velocity heading to Earth to visit it and everyone else starting a new life. Prowl officially takes in Megatron, with Magnus joining them, leaving Rodimus alone.

Following Megatron's new trial, presided over by the Galactic Council, Rodimus goes to visit Megatron, who is waiting for his sentencing, which is either death or infinite imprisonment, and Megatron gives Rodimus the Rodimus Star that he was given over 800 years earlier, from his perspective and asks him to look after it for him. Soon, they are called back to the court for the verdict, but before they go, Magnus tells Megatron that he plans to destroy the Magnus armour, and live his life out as his true self, Minimus Ambus, which Megatron is very happy to hear. 

Over the intervening years, Drift and Ratchet become Conjunx Endura and settle down happily until Ratchet's old age catches up to him and he slowly dies. Rewind becomes obsessed with the history of the Functionist Universe and overloads, trapping him in his alternate mode, and Chromedome spends his time taking care of him. Swerve starts up a bar franchise, but eventually loses all but one of them. Nautica writes a semi-autobiographical book about her adventures. Most of the crew settle down on New Cybertron, with Ambus and Anode working on Luna-1 to bring the new "Lunarian" Cybertronians to term. Whirl is going in and out of prison at an alarming rate, and Rodimus is now working on a ship under Thunderclash's command. At some time, Brainstorm has a lab accident which now requires him to use a life-support device, housed in a briefcase, to survive.

Some time later, the crew are gathered together again for Ratchet's funeral, where they catch up and mourn their fallen comrade. After the funeral. Drift gifts Whirl Ratchet's hands to replace the ones he lost a long time ago, but he refuses to take them, as he doesn't see himself as broken any more.

Rodimus arrives at New Cybertron, just after the service, due to the Exitus being too far away to get there in time. He leaves Megatron's old Rodimus Star as an offering to Ratchet.

Cyclonus learns about Whirl's time in and out of prison and offers to take him in to his and Tailgate's home when he is released again, prompting a hug from his one-time nemesis.

Rodimus prepares to return to the ship when Drift approaches him and asks Rodimus whether he thinks their last plan worked or not, but Rodimus reminds him that they promised never to discuss it, but admits that he hopes that it did. He leaves, but promises to keep in touch with Drift...

Back in the past, the new quantum duplicate of the Lost Light arrives in uncharted space, and the crew celebrate their successful plan, and head off for new adventures in a completely unknown land...

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Megatron - Tank Imprisoned or Killed by Galactic Council

Ultra Magnus/Minimus Ambus - Vehicle Transport/Minesweeper Magnus Armour Destroyed

Prowl - Police Vehicle

Drift - Car

Ratchet - Ambulance Died of Old Age

Fortress Maximus - Tank

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Thunderclash - Truck

Chromedome - Car

Rewind - Data Slug Trapped in Alternate Mode

Swerve - Van

Tailgate - Car

Brainstorm - Jet

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Nautica - Submarine

Velocity - Race Car

Perceptor - Tank

First Aid - Ambulance

Hot Spot - Fire Truck

Blades - Helicopter

Groove - Motorcycle

Streetwise - Police Vehicle

Huffer - Truck

Xaaron

Bluestreak - Car

Crosscut - Van

Grapple - Crane

Hoist - Crane 

Gears - Van

Hound - Jeep

Riptide - Boat

Blaster - Acoustic Tank

Red Alert - Car

Garrus-10 Guards - Vans

Duplicate Rodimus - Car

Duplicate Megatron - Tank

Duplicate Ultra Magnus/Minimus Ambus - Vehicle Transport/Minesweeper

Duplicate Blaster - Acoustic Tank

Duplicate Brainstorm - Jet

Duplicate Perceptor - Tank

Duplicate Drift - Car

Duplciate Chromedome - Car

Duplicate Rewind - Data Slug

Duplicate Swerve - Van

Duplicate Nautica - Submarine

Duplicate Ratchet - Ambulance 

Duplicate Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Duplicate Tailgate - Car

Nightbeat (Toy)

Trailcutter (Toy)

Skids (Toy)

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Chromia - Speedbike (Mentioned)

Impactor - Drill Tank (Mentioned) Dead

Rung/Primus - Matrix Forge (Mentioned) Dead and Forgotten

Decepticon

Misfire - Fighter Jet

Crankcase - Van

Spinister - Helicopter

Fulcrum - K-Class Bomb

Krok

Nickel - Rocket Powered Buggy

Duplicate Crankcase - Van

Duplicate Misfire - Fighter Jet

Duplicate Krok

Ravage (Toy)

Other Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Roller - Truck

Anode - Bi-Plane

Lug - Backpack Equipment

Clicker - Laser Pointer

Funeralbot

Rodimus' Pilot

Other Lost Lighters All get duplicated

Duplicate Anode - Bi-Plane

Duplicate Lug - Backpack Equipment

Duplicate Cyclonus - Jet

Ten (Toy)

Functionist Council (Mentioned) Dead

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Population of Functionist/New Cybertron (Mentioned)

Lunarians (Mentioned)

Other

Galactic Council (Mentioned)

Mederi Telepaths (Mentioned)

The Improbability Police (Mentioned)

Beryl, the Sentient Rust (Mentioned)

CONS4EVA, the Dire Wraith (Mentioned)

Notes

• The title of this issue is a reference to issue one of More Than Meets The Eye
• So, despite an unknown amount of time (quite a while we can guess from the dialogue) no one has changed their body from the present? It's not impossible, but seems very unlikely seeing how most characters change bodies every couple of years, if not more.
• The earlier mentioned issue with the timeline is not fixed in this issue. It will probably be waved off as being because of the Lost Lighters traveling through the Warren, causing about two years to pass without notice, but it just seems kind of lazy writing as an explanation.
• This issue was released a week before Unicron #6 was released, meaning that Earth's survival in that issue, along with Prowl, Windblade and Chromia surviving was spoiled by this issue.
• Prowl mentions that Cybertron is trying for membership with the Galactic Council. This makes IMMENSE sense due to the majority of their worlds being destroyed by Unicron.
• After a while, Functionist Cybertron gets officially renamed to New Cybertron.
• The G-10 guards escorting Whirl in the future scenes are based on the museum guards from the Robots in Disguise cartoon.
• Swerve mentions that there's a large omission in Nautica's book, which mostly hurts her own part in it, this is likely due to her erasing her emotions connected to Skids and effecting that narrative
• So...we aren't told how long has passed between the events of the previous issue and the start of this story's present scenes, but it can't be more than a few weeks....how has everyone forgotten about Rung in that time?! They have footage of him, and there's historical record of him (even a psychological procedure named after him!) Hell, even the Functionist Universe version of him was remembered about 800 years after his death (Since the council mention him amongst the dead, and we learn this issue that Megatron was holding onto his Rodimus Star for over 800 years). This is just silly!
• Also, if they don't remember Rung, where did they think they got a dozen Matrixes to save the day last issue?
• Lug refers to Anode as her wife here....why? The term used in continuity for spouse is Conjunx Endura.
• Oh and Bluestreak is alive again! I guess it was sad he was killed as a Sparkeater on Mederi, but...how did this happen?
• Similarly, the also very dead looking Protectobots are seen alive here too! (sans Rook that is). I eagerly await seeing Mirage and Atomizer stapled back together and alive too!
• Whirl's avatar's shirt stating "Ask me about my feminist agenda" is based on the one worn by Mockingbird on a controversial comic cover from Marvel. Bit of a brave choice to have a murderous literal psychopath who starts wars being the declared feminist of the crew, but whatever!
• Ratchet suggests that Drift's visions at the start of the series were due to the Mederi telepaths sending him images of the final battle through the Warren....okay....
• Ultra Magnus is revealed to have originally joining the crew to build up his contact list
• One of the guards accompanying Prowl to re-arrest Megatron is based on Kup's Titans Return toy.
• Despite being under oath, Rodimus lies in his testimony about Megatron and claims that he was the one to open the Matrix on Functionist Cybertron, and not Rodimus.
• The Lunarians are revealed to all resemble Rung, at least their heads do, making me also question how none of Rung's old friends have had a flash of memories about him yet!
• So....how did the crew recreate the original accident? Did they sacrifice someone to be partially absorbed into the engines again?
• The ending with the crew entering a new, unknown universe and debating what it would be like is very much a metaphor for what if happening in the real world Transformers comics, as the universe is being rebooted for a new one, which we don't know anything about yet.
• So...who wants to bet that in the new IDW Universe we'll eventually bump into the new version of the Lost Light?

IDW - Lost Light #19

Title: Crucible Part 1: A Dance Before Dying

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: E.J. Su

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Rodimus, his team, and the Scavengers look on in horror as the mutinous crew of the Lost Light rain down on them, now turned into Sparkeaters. Brainstorm approaches the now "zombified" Perceptor and tries to reason with his old friend and lab-mate, but the Sparkeater just sprays acidic vomit from his mouth on the Autobot. Nautica gets him out of the way and the group flee from their old friends.

A shuttle appears above them and drops what they believe to be a bomb, but is revealed to be Grimlock, who proceeds to crush some of the Sparkeaters, and slices up Mainframe. Magnus uses Crankcase as a gun to stop Grimlock, explaining that those are Autobots his is killing. Soon, the shuttle fires lasers at the monsters, causing them to scatter, before it lands, revealing First Aid, Riptide, Thunderclash and Wipe-Out inside.

With this moment of calm, the Scavengers reunite with Grimlock, to Magnus' shock, and First Aid and the others explain what Getaway's been doing on the Lost Light, and how they all met up on Troja Major. All of a sudden, the Lost Light appears in the sky and fires upon Wipe-Out's shuttle, damaging it, and Rodimus is horrified to see the Grand Architect's symbol on the bottom of his ship.

Inside the Lost Light, Getaway is talking to someone over a communicator about how they need to take out Rodimus and the others before they can proceed with the Grand Architect's plans. He denies to the other person that he wants them to get back onto the ship, as he watches the Scraplets in the Oil Reservoir combine into a massive form...

Back on Mederi, the crew watch as the Lost Light flies away, and the weather starts to change to a stormier scene, however before they can do anything about it a second wave of Sparkeaters appear and start attacking Rodimus and his crew. They try their best to disable the monsters, without killing their friends, but due to their bodies being messed up they keep causing them to die.

Rodimus soon realises that this is part of Getaway's plan, to make him murder his own crew, so he does as Whirl suggested earlier...think like Megatron, and gets a plan..

Back aboard the Lost Light, Getaway is being admonished by another person, Tyrest over a communicator, for his plan taking too long, and states that they're sending in some help. Tyrest states that Getaway's mission is pointless since Megatron isn't even with Rodimus and his crew now, and he's the "dangerous one" they're there to take out. Which Getaway just declares that they didn't need Megatron to defeat him last time...

Several of the Mederi team have barricaded themselves into Ward Zero, so they can distract the Sparkeaters from Rodimus and the others, who have repaired Wipe-Out's shuttle and infiltrate the Lost Light. Whilst there, they can use the advanced medical facility to try and cure the Sparkeaters, and return them to their old Autobot states.

Rodimus and his team manage to get onto the Lost Light, as the doors to Shuttle Bay Four are open and they exit to find no guards or crew. As soon as they land, the doors start to close, but Rodimus and Cyclonus manage to escape just in time. The ceiling to the shuttle bay detonates, and the oil reservoir above them floods into the room, leaving them trapped in oil with a massive combined red Scraplet monster!

Rodimus and Cyclonus rush towards the bridge, where Rodimus is certain Getaway will be, also sure that the others can handle anything that comes at them in the shuttle bay. The duo are stopped however when they reach the bridge to find Getaway, flanked by Star Saber and Scorponok....

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Drift - Car

Ratchet - Ambulance

Velocity - Race Car

Brainstorm - Jet

Nautica - Submarine

Chromedome - Car

Rewind - Data Slug

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Tailgate - Car

Swerve - Van

Rung - Photonic Crystal Generator

Thunderclash - Truck

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

First Aid - Ambulance

Riptide - Boat

Getaway - Car

Sparkeater Perceptor - Tank

Sparkeater Blaster - Acoustic Tank

Sparkeater Hound - Jeep

Sparkeater Hoist - Crane

Sparkeater Brawn - Van

Sparkeater Crosscut - Van

Sparkeater Xaaron

Sparkeater Powerflash - Jet

Sparkeater Hosehead - Fire Truck

Sparkeater Siren - Car Crushed by Grimlock

Sparkeater Gears - Van

Sparkeater Huffer - Truck

Sparkeater Mainframe Killed by Grimlock

Sparkeater Slapdash - Race Car Killed by Krok

Sparkeater Bluestreak - Car Killed by Ratchet

Sparkeater Jackpot - Car Killed by Thunderclash

Sparkeater Lost Light Crew

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Krok

Misfire - Jet

Crankcase - Van

Fulcrum - K-Class Bomb

Spinister - Helicopter

Nickel - Rocket Powered Buggy

Scorponok - Scorpion

The First Born (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Roller - Truck

Anode - Bi-Plane

Lug - Backpack Equipment

Wipe-Out - Car

Star Saber - Jet

Tyest (Hologram)

Agonizer/The Curator (Mentioned)

Other

Red Scraplets

Alien Telepaths Comatose

The Grand Architect (Mentioned)

Notes

• A small update: Last issue I questioned whether the organic aliens were long living or being cared for on Mederi. I remembered since that issue that there was a massive store of organics in pods under Demus' facility, so that's most likely where they were coming from.
• This issue marks the start of the seven-issue finale to Lost Light, which will also in some way link into the overall finale to the IDW universe along with the Unicron series and finale to Optimus Prime
• This issue features E.J. Su, the artist who did the art for the early IDW series, such as Infiltration, Revelation and others. In this case he is emulating Jack Lawrence's style, which in turn was emulating Alex Milne...this is confusing!
• So...following their leaving the Lost Light, First Aid and the others were heading to Troja Major to repair Thunderclash, along the way they run into Grimlock, who escaped from Scorponok's Worldsweeper, and on the planet they hire Wipe-Out for his ship and hunt down the Lost Light, which First Aid left a tracer on before he left...so that was a whole lot of coincidence just to get all these side characters to arrive on Mederi to save Rodimus and his crew huh?! Who wants to bet that Fort Max and the Luna-1 crew will also turn up before the finale?
• Unshockingly, Getaway has joined forces with the Grand Architect's crew, which also includes the long missing Tyrest and Scorponok.
• Mederi is now beginning to suffer the same weird weather as what was beginning on Troja Major. The two worlds were mentioned to be on the same spiritual ley-lines last issue, indicating that they are linked...who wants to bet they are in some way under attack from Unicron here?
• It's kind of funny that Rodimus refers to First Aid as "loyal" since we learned that he was actually amongst those who agreed to mutineer against Rodimus in an earlier issue.
• Okay, I understand most of the choices for the crew to return to the Lost Light. Rodimus and Cyclonus want first hand revenge on Getaway. Drift, Grimlock, Magnus, Roller, Whirl and Thunderclash are all good fighters and can handle themselves in a crisis, as mentioned in the issue, and Crankcase was needed for his piloting skills...but why are Anode and Lug here? They have no connection with the Lost Light, haven't shown any battle skills and have no connections with any of the other characters. my only guess is they're there for a plot point involving Scorponok or someone else on the ship to be revealed later.
• We learn in this issue that the Oil Reservoir is located above Shuttle Bay Four...what would Getaway have done if they chose to enter the ship in any of the OTHER shuttle bays?
• I'm getting the feeling that the Scraplets, or at least some of them, may be revealed to be the "baby" from the Holiday Special, and they recognize Whirl as their "father" and help him out.
• From how empty the ship is, it can be assumed that the entire crew, minus Getaway and Star Saber, have been turned into Sparkeaters now...I wonder if that includes Sunder and Froid though....

IDW - Lost Light #17

Title: The Everlasting Voices Part 2: The God War

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

On the Afterspark, Ultra Magnus examines the area where Rodimus was struck by Primus' lightning, the group determine it wasn't normal lightning, since there would be remains. Suddenly Magnus is approached by his deceased brother, Dominus Ambus, who tells him that he has been watching over him and is proud of everything he has done. After hearing this, Magnus begins to ascend into the Matrix.

Elsewhere on the planet, Anode and Lug are pillaging the soft Ununtrium from a temple they found, as Anode isn't sure this even is the afterlife, she rations that if they are dead, then it doesn't matter, but if they are still alive, then she can get this rare alloy to set her and Lug up for life. The two thieves fly off to examine the Matrix, as Lug wants some of the blue crystals.

Nightbeat notices some crystals on the floor and starts to follow them, leaving Nautica, Brainstorm and Drift alone...that is until Drift is also struck down by divine lightning too.

Drift soon arrives by Rodimus' side in front of the Guiding Hand, soon followed by Ratchet and Ultra Magnus (who is peeved as he was about to ascend when he was scooped away). Rodimus has called his friends to help him convince the Guiding Hand to revive them, so they can get back to their real lives. At first Rodimus feels that he just wants revenge on Getaway for stealing his ship, but he quickly realizes that he really wants his friends to be happy again, and the Lost Light is where everyone was happy last. The Guiding Hand however reject this notion, since his crew are happy here in the Afterspark, and if they revived them now, they can never return. The Hand sends Rodimus and his team away, back into the Afterspark to await ascension.

Back in the Afterspark, Cyclonus and Tailgate catch up on what happened since they last saw each other. Cyclonus admits that he should never have left Necroworld without Tailgate, and the two promise to never separate again, as they travel towards the Matrix.

Rodimus and the others arrive back outside the temple, where Magnus immediately leaves to go be with Dominus some more, however, Ratchet notices some words over the archway into the temple, words that only he can see announcing "We are all trapped light".

On the other side of the temple, Nautica and Brainstorm are exploring, with Brainstorm convinced that the place is trying to distract everyone from exploring, and seems to be splitting them up. Just then, Brainstorm's crush, Quark appears and announces that he has always loved Brainstorm and wants to be his spark-mate. Brainstorm, despite knowing this is probably a trick drops his Early Early Warning Device and leaves with Quark. Nautica, now left alone notices that the device is now red hot, and also now notices a door reading "Danger. Do not enter" on it. She goes to open it, when Skids suddenly appears behind her, asking her to come walk with him...

Back with Rodimus' group, they follow a tunnel that leads them to a room bearing the markings "W0" on the door, again, with only Ratchet being able to see it. Inside the room, they all see an eclectic group of aliens hooked up to a device generating some light. The aliens all start chanting "Prepare. Confront. Repel" in unison and the group are surrounded from the shadows

Outside, Nightbeat has followed the trail of Crystals back towards the main group under the Matrix. He locates Whirl, who he asks where Rung is, because he wants to tell him his new discovery...the TRUE purpose to his alternate mode, however, upon announcing this, he rises up, and his spark is ripped from his body, re-entering the Matrix.

Inside the temple again, Nautica is unmoved by Skids' appearance, despite his best attempts to get her to come with him, she just dismisses him...causing his form to glitch out and start to distort. Nautica takes this to mean that she is doing the right thing, and opens the dangerous door, and coming face-to-face with the Scavengers, still stuck inside Grimlock's old cell on Garrus-9!!

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Drift - Car

Ultra Magnus/Minimus Ambus - Vehicle Transport

Ratchet - Ambulance

Nautica - Submarine

Brainstorm - Jet

Nightbeat - Car Ascended into Matrix

Velocity - Race Car

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Swerve - Van

Tailgate - Car (After Spark?)

Pipes - Truck (After Spark)

Trailcutter - Van (After Spark)

Dominus Ambus - Turbo Fox (After Spark)

Quark - Electron Microscope (After Spark)

Skids - Van (After Spark)

Getaway - Car (Mentioned)

Kaput (Mentioned) Dead

Rung - Photonic Crystal Generator? (Mentioned)

Chromedome - Car (Mentioned)

Rewind - Data Slug (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Misfire - Jet

Spinister - Helicopter

Krok

Crankcase - Van

Fulcrum - Bomb

Nickel - Rocket-Powered Buggy

Skip - Space Shuttle (Mentioned) Dead

Other Cybertronian

Primus (After Spark)

Mortilus (After Spark)

Solomus (After Spark)

Adaptus (After Spark)

Epistemus (After Spark)

Cyclonus - Jet

Anode - Bi-Plane

Lug - Backpack Equipment

Ancient Cybertronians (Flashback)

Vector Sigma (Flashback)

Ten (Flashback) Ascended into Matrix

Beta Trion (Mentioned)

Other

Trapped Light Aliens Attached to Strange Device

Verity Carlo (Mentioned)

Notes

• Hey look, we finally see Dominus Ambus in his "true" robot mode body, we briefly saw him in a schematic file at the end of MTMTE, but this is his first proper appearance
• Okay if anyone still thinks that this is the Cybertronian afterlife, when we have non-Cybertronians being held there, the dead characters appear to be glitching out or acting out of character amongst all the other issues, then they really need to read more comics...
• Rodimus' choice of Magnus, Ratchet and Drift to help him talking with the Guiding Hand is a light mirror to what Tyrest did with himself, Pharma and Star Saber, representing the three pillars of most societies, law, science and religion. Funnily enough, according to James Roberts on Twitter, he originally planned to have Rodimus refer to them as "Rodimus' Trinity", a further reference to "Rossum's Trinity" (aka the connection of the brain, spark and T-Cog in Transformers)
• Drift's story of the Guiding Hand is a little different to the one told by Cyclonus back in the MTMTE Annual, further implying that it was just a story, or not the complete truth. 
• If you pay attention, you'll notice that the Guiding Hand do not confirm or deny Drift's story of their conflict. This makes me think that they may be, at least partially, the real deal. Perhaps they are trying to keep Cybertronians safe here to preserve them following Unicron's oncoming attack.
• Also, one of the members paraphrases Unicron from the 1986 movie, when he warns Magnus that they will "proceed directly into oblivion". We previously saw that the mysterious "Grand Architect" did the same thing with Scorponok and Flame when he rescued them and conscripted them into his faction. Also the aliens in this issue repeat the phrase "Prepare. Confront. Repel." which is known to be related to that same group. Looks like my theory on Adaptus being the Architect may be true after all!
• I also want to believe that Tailgate is the real one here, having been transported to the "Afterspark" from his isolation cage on Necroworld, neither he nor Cyclonus appear to be acting off, so it doesn't match up with Pipes and the others. (Also given the logic of this world, wouldn't Cyclonus and/or Tailgate have ascended right after they reunited)
• Nightbeat realizes in this issue that because Rung creates his photonic crystals whilst in robot mode, that means his alternate mode's purpose has not been revealed after all. Well Nightbeat claims that he knows what it is, but he ascends right as he's about to mention it. Personally I believe his purpose is my original idea from all the way back at the start of MTMTE, he's a key of some sort.
• Rung is mentioned as being with Rewind and Chromedome. None of them have appeared in this storyline (at least not outside of flashbacks) This seems a little suspect. Also, wouldn't Rewind and Chromedome have ascended straight away, they have no known unfinished business, and they are known for being happiest when together.
• In case you forgot, the reason Nautica doesn't remember why she and Skids are best friends is because she had her emotions linked to him removed earlier in the series. It left her memories and experiences with him, but none of the emotions attached.
• Huh...that ending sure asks me two questions. Were Team Rodimus sent to Garrus-9 somehow, or were the Scavengers sent to the "Afterspark". I personally believe it would be the latter, since the Magnificence gave the Scavengers the coordinates to Garrus-9, and if my theory on that being Epistemus turns out to be true as well.