IDW - Transformers #42

Title: Radical Time

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Andrew Lee Griffith

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

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

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

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

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

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

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

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Ironhide - Van

Chromia - Car

Elita-1 - Car

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Highbrow - Helicopter

Perceptor

Bumblebee - Winged Hovercraft

Novastar - Car

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Wheeljack - Car

Blaster

Tap-Out - Winged Hovercraft

Glyph - Car

Hound - Jeep

Road Rage - Flying Car

Javelin - car

Blades - Helicopter

Springer - Helicopter/Car

Smokescreen - Car

Pipes - Truck

Subsea - Submarine

Backstreet - Car

Groove - Motorcycle

Vibes

Cromar - Jet

Sideswipe - Car

Strongarm - Police Vehicle

Other Autobot Soldiers

Pyra Magna - Truck (Mentioned)

Sureshot - Buggy (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Jhiaxus - Jet

Heavywait - Tank

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Airwave - Battle Platform

Power Punch - Tank

Windsweeper - Jet

Red Wing - Jet

Thundercracker - Jet

Other Seekers - Jets

Other Decepticon Soldiers

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Strika - Battle Tank (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Termagax - Van

Insecticlones

Primus Within Matrix

Past Cybertronians Within Matrix

Mountain Titan Long Dead

Codexa (Flashback Only, Image used by Mediator)

Lodestar - Titan Ship (Mentioned)

Bombshell - Boll Weevil (Mentioned)

Exarchon (Mentioned)

Other

Rust Worms

The Mediator Within Matrix

Notes

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

IDW - Beast Wars #1

Title: Savage Landing, Part 1

Written by: Erik Burnham

Art by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Editor: David Mariotte

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

On Cybertron, the Tripredacus Agent Galavar, now going by the same Megatron, after the long-gone Decepticon leader, has led a team of loyal Predacons to steal a golden disk from the Science Ministry, and steal a Transwarp ship, destroying most of the rest at the shipyard in the process, much to the annoyance of the Tripredacus Council, who consider taking credit for it if his plan actually works though...

Elsewhere, the Axalon is is on a delivery mission when they are contacted by Ironhide of Maximal Command, who informs Optimus Primal of the theft on Cybertron, and orders him to intercept the Predacons before they can time jump with the Transwarp drive, since the Axalon is the only active Transwarp capable shuttle still in the area.

Soon, the Predacon shuttle passes them, causing the Maximals to give chase, and try to take out their engines, but they initiate the Transwarp drive, and start their time jump. Primal orders Nyx to tether their coordinates to the Predacon's, and the Axalon is pulled through too...

Now in the distant past, the Predacons arrive above an unnamed planet with two moons, and open fire on the second-to-arrive Axalon, taking out their weapons. Not letting that defeat the, Nyx rams the Axalon into the Predacon ship and sends both plummeting to the surface. On the way down, Rhinox ejects the Stasis Pods being stored on-board, to keep them safe from the crash impact, hoping they will land safely at a later date.

The two ships manage to dislodge and crash on opposite sides of a vast valley, knocking out both crews in the process, prompting the ship's A.I.s to repair them, but upon detecting high levels of Energon in the area, they scan the local lifeforms to grant them an extra organic shield to the exposure.

The two factions all recooperate and aclimate to their new forms, and Megatron plots to continue his grand scheme, but first, he plans to take out their pursuers...

Characters

Maximal

Ironhide - Tank

Optimus Primal - Gorilla (Previously Hover Truck)

Rhinox - Rhino (Previously Bulldozer)

Cheetor - Cheetah (Previously Race Car)

Rattrap - Rat (Previously Motorcycle)

Nyx - Bat (Previously Hover Speeder)

Under-3 - Car Killed by Scorponok

Other Maximal Command Security Force Members - Car Stunned by Predacons

Maximal Protoforms (Mentioned) In Stasis Pods, in Orbit

Maximal Command (Mentioned)

The Science Ministry (Mentioned)

Predacon

Sea Clamp

Ram Horn

Cicadacon

Galavar/Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Previously Tank)

Dinobot- Velociraptor (Previously Jet) 

Terrorsaur - Pteranodon (Previously Jet)

Waspinator - Wasp (Previously Jet)

Tarantulas - Tarantula (Previously Dragster)

Scorponok - Scorpion (Previously Pincer Tank)

Skold - Alligator Snapping Turtle (Previously Tank)

Other Cybertronian

Wheeljack (Statue Only)

G1 Megatron (Mentioned Only)

Notes

• This series marks the start of the first official remake of Beast Wars since the cartoon began, other comic series have been sequel, prequels or side-quels. (Uprising was set in a universe where G1 Megatron was killed by Blackarachnia's venom, after Beast Megatron's attempt to kill G1 Optimus, making it a sequel too). The series is being marketed as a celebration of the line's 25th anniversary, and is supposed to be an ongoing. We'll see how long this new series lasts though :)
• This issue essentially remakes the "Theft of the Golden Disk" mini-episode produced for Botcon many years ago, and the opening scene of the original cartoon's first episode.
• Most of the guards at the Science Ministry are based on the MCSF from the Botcon parts of the franchise, but seemingly using the character model made for Unit-3 (Under-3) for the final Botcon, using the Combiner Wars Dead End mould as the basis...I don't think this version of him will be combining into Magnaboss any time soon though... The other ones seen are kind of hard to identify, but three might be Shatterpoint, Highbeam and Switchblade, but I'm just not sure...
• Most of the main cast are using older toy designs of the characters (mostly from the various Botcon figures) but a few are new designs with their own histories, like Dinobot using the IDW1 design for Metalhawk that originated in "The Death of Optimus Prime" or Tarantulas using his Mesothulas design from "Sins of the Wreckers".
• The new characters introduced this issue are also based on older characters too, Skold is designed using Beast Machines Tankor's design in her Cybertronian mode, and a modified version of Beast Wars Snapper for the beast mode body. Nyx doesn't seem to have a particular basis for her Cybertronian body, but her beast mode is likely based on Beast Wars Sonar, but without the Transmetal II parts. Her name is likely based on Onyx Primal, who was also a bat Transformer from the past.
• The main cast Maximal Cybertronians alternate modes are show in the backmatter of this issue (albeit, using very small images though), but the Predacons are just shown in bot mode, so I am guess on their alternate modes, based on the previous uses of their designs.
• It's been known for a long time that Megatron had a different name before taking on the former Decepticon leader's name in his honour, but we never knew his name before now (other than the Gnashteeth link from the Micron Booster character). Galavar is most likely derived from Galvatron, a character that G1 Megatron would become (assuming this follows the same basic historical timeline as the original Beast Wars).
• Unlike in the original, the Maximals and Predacons had their beast-themed names before they even took on their beast modes.
• The Axalon and Darksyde are redesigned somewhat to make them more boxy that the original versions, which were more streamlined.
• Optimus Primal is shown to be a bit more of a loose cannon than his cartoon counterpart, being interested in trying time travel, even before his orders were given.
• Unlike in the cartoon, the two ship's crews were knocked into stasis lock when they crashed, and were scanned automatically by their ship's computers into animals to protect them from the planet's Energon exposure. In the original they made the decision themselves whilst still conscious.
• It's not currently clear if the planet they crash on here is the Prehistoric Earth like in the original version, but the presence of Earth animals does imply that it is.

IDW - Transformers #25

Title: War World: Prime

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova

Colours by: Joana LaFuente 

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Following his rescue of the Winged Moon, Wheeljack crashes on Cybertron, looking for help in rescuing it again from a team who have usurped it again. Unfortunately he only finds the Battlechargers, who attack him on sight, but gets rescued by Streetwise and Slapdash and taken to safety.

At the Senate building, the captured Guards are stuck in one of the lower cells, whilst Sentinel Prime and Orion Pax are imprisoned in the high security cells above them, guarded by Ravage and Laserbeak, and both taunted by Megatron.

At a security facility, Chromia, Hound, Novastar and Ironhide are debating how to deal with the Decepticons and save the Senators when Wheeljack is brought in, who tells them about the Decepticon team capturing the Moon, prompting Nova Star to lead a team to rescue it, while Wheeljack is sent for repairs.

Whilst planning, Megatron declares that the Decepticons are in charge now, and imposes a lockdown, on punishment of death, until their enemies are all gone.

Kip is given a new team to lead, replacing the firm Heavies from the old war, and everyone is given their missions, Prowls team is to stay behind for back up at a safe house, while Ironhides crew breaks into the Senate to resume the captured bots and Kup's crew provide a distraction by attacking the senate building from the outside.

Inside the building, Megatron us trying to convert the captured Senators to the Decepticons when he hears the explosions from outside, and sends Strika and HER new team of Heavies to confront them.

Ironhide's team break into the cell holding the guards, quickly freeing them and break into the upper cells, where they chase off Laserbeak and Ravage before freeing the isolated Senators. Ironhide splits his team up again, with half of them escorting the two Senators to the safe house, whilst the rest will join him in trying to free the other Senators. Megatron learns of this attack from laserbeak, and redirects Strika's team to take them out.

Roulette is quickly killed, and the rest of the crew are pinned down by the other Heavies. Forced to escape, Ironhide, Groove and Backstreet break out of the Senate building, but Chainclaw is killed by Clench's roof mounted rail gun.

Bumper tries to save Chainclaw, but I'd also shot by the Decepticon. Sideswipe goes to help out Bumper, while their sniper, the recently recovered Javelin, is having a panic attack.

Sunrunner drops a beacon next to Clench from the air, allowing Flak and Sidetrack to use homing missiles to destroy the gun and it's operator.

In the aftermath, Sideswipe appears cradling the dead body of Bumper, and requires medical attention himself.

Soon, Sentinel and Orion are brought to safety, but Sentinel rushes away to get to a communications tower to let the people know he is still in charge. Clench spots his launch and warns Megatron, who sends the Rainmakers after him.

Sentinel tries to outfly the Rainmakers, but gets grounded by them, before being mortally wounded by the trio after a quick battle.

Chromia, Orion, Brawn and Flare-up arrive too late, with Sentinel's last words being to pass the Matrix to Ultra Magnus and to kill Starscream. Orion takes the Matrix, intending to fulfill his promise, but the Matrix reacts to him, and compels him to place it within his own chest, reforming it to hold the Matrix, and Orion collapses.

Inside the Matrix, Orion is met by the Mediator, in the form of his own mentor, Codexa, where it shows him the past if Cybertron and the lineage if Primes, warning Orion of the upcoming shadow, and their need if the true "Thirteenth Prime" to save them all.

Orion wakes up in reality again, and declares his name as Optimus Prime

Characters

Autobot/Security Forces/Senate Guard

Orion Pax/Optimus Prime - Truck

Sentinel Prime - Space Shuttle Killed by the Rainmakers

Chromia - Car

Novastar - Car

Ironhide - Van

Hound - Jeep

Kup - Pick-up Truck

Springer - Helicopter/Car

Sunrunner - Bomber Jet

Sidetrack - Anti-aircraft Tank

Flak - Missile Tank

Top Shot - Self Propelled Gun Truck

Prowl - Police Car

Streetwise - Police Car

Slapdash - Race Car

Bumper - Car Killed by Clench

Strongarm - Police Vehicle

Pointblank - Car

Javelin

Sideswipe - Car

Zetar - Drill Tank

Brawn - Van

Backstreet - Car

Pipes - Truck

Groove - Motorcycle

Chainclaw - Bear Killed by Clench

Flareup - Motorcycle

Roulette - Car Killed by Blitzwing

Subsea - Submarine

Grotesque - Winged Tiger Monster

Decepticon/The Rise

Megatron - Mining Vehicle

Soundwave - Hovercraft

Laserbeak - Cassette

Ravage - Cassette

Nova Storm - Jet

Ion Storm - Jet

Acid Storm - Jet

Strika - Battle Tank

Snap Trap - Turtle

Heavywait

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Apeface - Ape/Jet

Clench - Truck Killed by Flak and Sidetrack

Refraktor - Hovercraft

Crasher - Race Car

Runamuck - Car

Runabout - Car

Team Stream (Mentioned)

Mindwipe - Bat (Mentioned)

Quake - Tank (Mentioned) Dead

Other Cybertronian

Wheeljack - Race Car

The Senate Most Captured by the Decepticons

Primus (In Matrix/Statue Only)

The Thirteenth Prime (In Matrix Only)

Nominus Prime - Jet (In Matrix Only)

Zeta Prime - Truck (In Matrix Only)

Nova Prime - Truck (In Matrix Only)

Other Matrix Bearers (In Matrix Only)

Prediction (In Matrix Only)

Halonix Maximus (In Matrix Only)

Zarak Maximus (In Matrix Only)

Solus Prime (In Matrix/Stained Glass Only)

Vector Prime (Stained Glass Only)

Codexa (Image Used for The Mediator)

Exarchon (Mentioned)

The First Forged (Mentioned)

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Solomus (Mentioned)

Mortilus (Mentioned)

Bumblebee - Winged Hovercraft (Mentioned)

Starscream - Jet (Mentioned)

Vigilem - Titan War Ship (Mentioned)

Warpath - Tank (Mentioned) In Stasis

Powerglide - Jet (Mentioned)

Brainstorm - Jet (Mentioned) Dead

Rubble (Mentioned) Dead

Tether Victims (Mentioned) Dead

Swindle - Van (Mentioned)

Ratchet - Ambulance (Mentioned)

Hoist - Tow Truck (Mentioned)

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport(Mentioned)

Perceptor (Mentioned) 

Other

Flying Eye Drones

The Mediator (In Matrix Only)

"It" (In Matrix Only)

Turbofoxes (In Matrix Only)

Slaargs (Mentioned)

"The Coming Shadow" (Mentioned)

Notes

• The Autobots, Security Forces and Senate guards are pretty much acting as one faction from this issue, so we can probably assume that the Autobot moniker will be applied to all of them soon
• Wheeljack's crash landing back on Cybertron is following the cliffhanger from issue 24 where the Stream Team started their attack on the Moon.
• Sentinel's fear that if Cybertronians venture too far from Cybertron with expansion etc will cause the rest of the universe to fear and hate them, much like what happened to them in the previous IDW continuity.
• Zetar is seen transforming in his brief cameo, but doesn't parts-form like his recent toy does.
• Nova Storm is referred to as female here, much like her Cyberverse counterpart
• The new character Heavywait was previously seen in flashbacks in the Optimus Prime comic, albeit her gender and name weren't revealed then.
• Clench's railgun weapon is most likely a reference to his original toys weaponry
• Javelin's inability to use her gun is most likely due to her getting shot the last time she used one.
• Bumper's death here continues the seeming tradition of him dying early on, or having horrible things happen to him.
• The bar where Sentinel has his final stand-off is called the "Slaarg and Turbofox". We learn in Escape #1 that Slaargs are extinct, either meaning this place was established before their extinction, or this would be the human equivalent to calling your bar "the Dodo and the fox"
• Through the Mediator, we see Codexa in her full glory for the first time.
• Through the Matrix journey we learn that the Hate Plague occured in Cybertron's past, and this version caused a lot if death, with several sparks returning to the Allspark.
• Exarchon is mentioned to have not returned to the Allspark, implying he is still alive, like Cyclonus suggested earlier in the series.
• The journey through the Matrix implies that the Thirteen Primes being connected to Primus has been restored, after the previous continuity made them just bots used by Shockwave for his grand scheme.
• Among the past Matrix-bearers we see who can be assumed to be Nova Prime, using his Timelines toy as the basis.
• Zeta Prime in this comic is based on his retconned appearance from the G1 cartoon, rather than his unique design from the previous IDW continuity.
• The Mediator mentions a "coming shadow", which is likely not the Decepticons, since they're already a threat, implying a future terror for Cybertron (Quintessons, Unicron, Exarchon, who knows?)
• Orion Pax's design doesn't change when he becomes Optimus Prime. Just saying, he has a lot of WFC figures that could have been used to distinguish the evolution.

IDW - Transformers #22

Title: Rise of the Decepticons, Part 4: Prisoners

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Plot

Novastar's team battles it out with Sixshot, but the six-changer is far too powerful for them to handle, and it gets worse when Rumble and Frenzy free Quake from the electro net. Luckily for security though, Leviathan arrives and smashes Quake into the ground like a discarded toy. The Riser does manage to shoot the giant Cybertronian in the leg, causing her to fall directly on top of him. Knowing they're unable to win this now, Sixshot has Frenzy and Rumble retreat with hm.

Happy with having one of their top targets in custody, Novastar decides to let the other Risers escape for now, so they can also get aid for their injured team members.

News of Quake's capture spreads to Iacon quickly, and crowds begin to gather to witness the "parade" that Sentinel is having the prisoner go through before going into the prison itself, so as to show his dominance over the Rise and Ascenticons. Orion isn't happy with this idea as he thinks it'll go horribly wrong, but Sentinel is uninterested. Behind his back, Orion has Security line the streets along with some of Ironhide's Senate Guards to try and keep the likely attacks on the prisoner at bay. Whilst making these plans, Nautica contacts Orion to warn him that the dangerous Voin Asserter she and Road Rage had been escorting around Iacon has gone missing..

Elsewhere at his safe house, Bumblebee goes to a hole in the wall (caused when the Tether fell) to watch the prison parade, where he notices a lot of Ascenticons in the crowd, making him nervous.

During the "parade" Flatline works on Roughstuff's heavily damaged form, while Skytread has been working up the Ascenticons in the crowd, so they start to rush the parade platform carrying Quake, allowing the dangerous bot to escape, albeit still shackled and trapped in robot mode.

Quake manages to slip through the crowd, and down an alleyway, where he encounters the Voin Asserter, who sets his enslaved organics on the Riser causing him heavy damage, before Quake kills another Voin.

Bumblebee arrives in the aftermath, seeing Quake having been unshackled during the battle and jumps him from behind with a sword dropped by one of the dead organics, skewering his throat, causing a reaction that decapitates him and ejects his spark casing in the process.

Shortly afterwards, Stakeout and Smokescreen arrive, and although the recognise why he had to kill him, they need to arrest him for murder now. Bumblebee calmly accepts this fate, having gotten revenge on the bot who killed Rubble, but also knows his work isn't complete yet...Barricade is still alive, and his intel was what led to Quake murdering Rubble in the first place.... 

Characters

Autobot/Security Forces/Senate Guard

Sentinel Prime - Space Shuttle

Orion  Pax - Truck

Ironhide - Van

Stakeout - Police Vehicle

Novastar - Car

Springer - Car/Helicopter

Smokescreen - Car

Sureshot - Buggy
Windblade - VTOL Jet

Vibes

Bumper - Car

Roulette - Car

Pipes - Truck

Brawn - Van

Grotusque

Other Guards

Blades - Helicopter (Mentioned) Injured

Ascenticon/The Rise

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

Quake - Tank Killed by Bumblebee

Skytread - Tank and Jet

Rumble - Cassette

Frenzy - Cassette

Roughstuff - Truck Badly Injured, Under Repairs

Ascenticons in the Crowd

Soundwave - Hovercraft (Voice Only)

Megatron - Mining Vehicle (Mentioned)

Barricade - Police Vehicle (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Bumblebee - Winged Hovercraft Arrested by Stakeout

Starscream - Jet

Nautica - Submarine

Flatline -  Van

Leviathan - Metal Harvester Injured by Quake

Andromeda

Voxpop

Iacon Crowds

Rubble (Mentioned) Dead

Road Rage - Flying Car (Mentioned)

Beachcomber - Buggy (Mentioned) Injured

Hoist - Tow Truck (Mentioned)

Ratchet - Ambulance (Mentioned)

Other

Voin Asserter Killed by Quake

Enslaved Organics Killed by Quake

Notes

• I know this is a common comment in this series now, but the main cover with the main female Risers really has nothing to do with this issue's plot, in the slightest.
• Despite being depicted as a friendly character, Leviathan is shown with red eyes and a mostly purple colourscheme, which is more evocative of a Decepticon design...wonder if that's a story-beat for the future?
• The two headed NAIL from early in the Robots In Disguise era of Transformers comics is finally named here as Voxpop. His gimmick is that one of his heads just says "pop".
• Ironhide's team is confirmed here to be separate to the main Security Forces, as they are specifically Senate Guards
• Despite how it seemed last issue, Roughstuff is still alive (but in a VERY bad condition)
• In Bumblebee's defence, I don't think Quake was going to survive long after his wounds fighting the Voin Asserter

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 - Transformers vs Visionaries #5

Title: The Curtain

Written by: Magdelene Visaggio

Art by: Fico Ossio

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Lettered by: Shawn Lee

Edited by: Sarah Gaydos & David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Leoric makes it to the outskirts of New Prysmos, where he is met by Cryotek, and is snuck into the city, when inside, they make it to Witterquick and Mortdred's torture chamber, where they free the former, and leave the latter to die (I guess?). Leoric soon amasses the other Spectral Knights and brings them under his command again, leading them against the Darkling Lords.

Leoric quickly reaches Virulina's throne room, and the two fight it out, but it ends when Virulina uses a corruption spell on Leoric to try and kill him. However it turns out that Merklynn has betrayed her, and the spell she uses also affects her too. The two leaders slowly die as Merklynn announces his plans to use Arzon as his proxy and take over the planet.

Outside, Arzon slashes the Counter-wave bomb, but only damages the case, allowing the Autobots to still use it, assuming they can get to Vector Sigma in time to unleash it.

The group fights, with Ironhide taking the bomb into his chest to act as the casing. Galadria rushes to him and uses a healing spell on the Autobot, which spreads into the bomb, and further into the Talisman. The city is covered in a green light which soon spreads to the planet's surface.

One week later, Leoric and Virulina are recovering in a hospital, when Galadria comes to them, and explains that her spell reacted well with the bomb and Talisman, sending New Prysmos to the planet's surface, creating new plants and animal life, and even healing the corruption of Cybertron's Energon.

At Wheeljack's lab, Waspinator has been healed from his magic-induced wounds, along with Ironhide, and everything is starting to go back to normal. Tankor informs Ironhide about the patch of land taken over by the Prysmosians, which Ironhide says is fine, they can live together after all they've been through. Tankor suggests that he should learn how to do magic, which drives Ironhide to laughter.

In New Prysmos, Leoric finds Arzon and forgives him for his betrayal, and they begins planning to rebuild hey society anew.

In the dungeons of the city, Cindarr delivers some food for Merklynn in his jail cell, and promises to get him released. However Merklynn has seen the future and knows there is no point in trying to rebuild again...the end of the world is coming....

Characters

Autobot

Ironhide - Van

Wheeljack - Car

Kup - Pick Up Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Fat Tankor - Tank

Waspinator - Wasp Cured of Magic Poisoning

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Breakdown - Armoured Van

Vector Sigma (Mentioned)

Spectral Knight

Leoric

Galadria

Ectar

Witterquick

Cryotek

Arzon 

Craggor

Ramak

Hydron

Other Spectral Knights

Feryl (Mentioned)

Darkling Lord

Virulina

Mortdred

Lexor

Cravex

Cindarr

Darkstorm (Mentioned)

Other Prysmosian

Merklynn Imprisoned by Prysmosians

Valorak Warlocks (Mentioned)

Other

Unicron - Ringed Planet (In Scrying Pool)

Notes

• Um....why are people acting like Mortdred did actually betray the Spectral Knights? He was captured and tortured along with Witterquick...
• This is really stupidly hypocritical when you remember that Leoric instantly forgives both Cryotek and Arzon, who DID literally betray him!
• Turns out the Visionary armour is able to change colour by tapping on the armour's shield...maybe it requires a spell from the faction's leader (we only see them being tapped) but wouldn't this make treachery an easy task for them?
• It isn't shown on screen, but due to the colour of his trousers, I'd guess that Arzon rejoined the Spectral Knights after his betrayal failed
• Just a small nit-pick, but the Leoric background on page 7 is really awkwardly stretched out..if you removed the panels his face would be way too long.
• Apparently Virulina and Galadria's spells are actually based on the ones featured in the Marvel comic series.
• Oh, turns out Merklynn was planning to betray Virulina all along...in order to put Arzon in charge? Did he plan this all along? That seems like a dumb plan.
• We don't know it yet (technically) but in Unicron #0 we learn that the pulse of energy that transported New Prysmos to Cybertron's surface sent out another message into space, saying "Unicron"
• Okay, my question remains. Why does New Prysmos have an atmosphere that they can breath, and seemingly has a nice breeze (based on Leoric's flowing hair). They only terraformed a couple hundred square miles of Cybertron....
• So...I wonder if Leoric decided to punish any of the Prysmosians who overthrew him and his team earlier in the series?
• Oh cool, Waspinator is okay after being turned into a chariot for Virulina...I bet he'll survive the events of the Unicron series.....
• Oh there's Fat Tankor! Last time we saw him he was guarding New Prysmos, and then we were told all the Cybertronians in the city were killed....I guess he ran away?
• Ahh what a happy ending. I bet nothing horrible will happen to New Prysmos or Cybertron in the Unicron series!
• So yep! My worry that the day would be saved by a deus ex machine turned out to be right! Galadria used a never established before spell to send healing energy into the counter wave bomb, so as to heal Cybertron and make everything okay again.
• I am actually shocked that they didn't bring back Kup with the power of love or something in this story!
• So...what was the point of Ectar exactly? I think he only said one line in this entire series!