IDW - Transformers Annual 2021

Title: Light/Star

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Alex Milne

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Lodestar undergoes an upgrade at the Black Hub station, where she and her City Speaker, Light bright, are joined by a technical crew led by Scattershot. Lodestar and Lightbright are upset with an Imploder weapon onto her, since that was the weapon used to kill Croaton, and all Titans now despise them.

Eventually, a possible sighting of Vigilem is reported, and Lodestar heads off to the Hexagon station to try and bring him in. The station's commander Thunderwing is quite off-putting towards the new arrivals and claims to have now known about Vigilems crimes on Cybertron.

The Technobots head to the station while Lightbright stays aboard Lodestar, with both hoping to get through to Vigilem and get him to return to stasis rather than destroy him.

On the station, the Technobots are shocked to find Bludgeon and the Conehead Seekers as part of Thunderwing's main crew, being known criminals, but try to work with them to get Vigilem to stand down.

The Technobots are split up, where they are quickly targeted by the station crew, when they point out contradictions with things that Thunderwing has stated, in listing letting it slip that he knows the Senate has fallen, but doesn't know about Vigilem's attack. He reveals that his plan is to use Vigilem to return to Cybertron and join the Decepticons as heroes.

Eventually, the Technobots are rounded up in another hired criminal, Airachnid's lab, where she is trying to recreate the lost artifacts of the Primes, and the Technobots are knocked into an artificial Enigma of Combination, where they are forcibly combined into Computron, sending the Conehead adrift into space, and forcing Airachnid to get Thunderwing to eject her lab to get Computron off the station before he can destroy them all.

Outside, Vigilem starts launching away, with Lodestar giving chase. The two Titans transform and engage in battle when Vigilem refuses to talk, forcing Lodestar to use the Imploder and destroy the rogue Titan, injuring herself in the process, and watches his remains fall into the system's star, destroying him fully...

Later, the Technobots are adrift in the ejected chunk of Hexagon station, having de-combined and Scattershot still infused with the Enigma's energies. Soon the team are recovered by an injured Lodestar, who is stuck in robot mode due to her injuries.

Later still, Lightbright and Lodestar are relaxing to energetic music when she is informed of an intercepted message from Cybertron that all of the orbiting Titans have crashed and been destroyed, leaving Lodestar as the last Titan. Hearing this catastrophic news, Lodestar and Lightbright mourn with somber music instead....

Characters

Autobot

Scattershot - Jet

Strafe - Jet

Lightspeed - Car

Afterburner - Speedbike

Nosecone - Drill Tank

Computron - Technobot Gestalt

Sentinel Prime (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Lightbright Injured in Imploder Detonation

Lodestar - Titan Ship

Vigilem - Titan War Ship Killed by Lodestar

Thunderwing - Jet

Bludgeon - Tank

Airachnid - Aircraft/Spider

Dirge - Jet Sent Adrift into Space, by Computron

Ramjet - Jet Sent Adrift into Space, by Computron

Thrust - Jet Sent Adrift into Space, by Computron

Metalhawk - Jet

Syphon

Black Hub Staff

Jazz - Car (On Monitor Only)

Skystalker - Car (Mentioned)

Croaton - Titan Ship (Mentioned) Dead

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport (Mentioned) Missing

The Primes (Mentioned)

The Orbiting Titans (Mentioned) Dead

The Senate (Mentioned) Captured by Decepticons

Hexagon Cybertronian Population (Mentioned)

Other

Hexagon Organic Population

Thraal Assassinator (Mentioned)

Notes

• The Technobots actually all have Autobot insignias, this is rare at this point in the continuity, since the Autobot insignia has mostly only been seen on Optimus Prime so far, since it's still officially only a political party.
• This story feels more like a finale to the Galaxies series than a solo story, with many of the events from that series referenced, and even fits the off-Cybertron story theme of the series. My guess is that this was originally planned to be the finale of the series, but was changed to a solo story when the series was ended.
• Lodestar left Cybertron to get upgraded back in issue 21 of the main series.
• We barely see Metalhawk in the early pages of this story, but he appears to use his Timelines toy, usually they use the most recent toy for the character, but considering the Power of the Primes figure was a Prime Master, we can probably understand this change.
• The Technobots use the Unite Warriors version of the team, but with some colour changes 
• We learn that Croaton was killed using an Imploder, we learned previously that he was killed by Citadel, so he must have used that weopon to do the action. However, we know that Croaton was reduced to a cloud of rubble, while Vigilem only has a massive chunk torn out of him by it. There's a few possible explanations for this, such as that Citadel used a larger Imploder, he used multiple weapons, Croaton was just smaller than Vigilem, or even that Lodestar just used the weapon wrong. I wonder if we'll ever find out the answer?
• We last saw the Hexagon outpost in issue 12 where Nautica and Road Rage fought off a Thraal assassination attempt.
• Thunderwing used his Generations toy model for his appearance here, while Bludgeon uses a design based on his RID2015 model, but with some modifications
• The Conehead Seekers appear to be using their current Earthrise figures as a basis, but with Cybertronian modes.
• Airachnid is a transfer of the Prime series character, but with an updated design that has her as a triplechanger instead of just having a spider-themed attack mode.
• It's mentioned that the Enigma of Combination is one of the "lost" artifacts of the Primes, but we saw Termagax and the Constructicons discover it in issue 1 of Galaxies...so...where did it go?
• Scattershot has absorbed the power of Airachnid's artificial Enigma, much like how Superior did in the previous continuity.
• We end this issue with confirmation that all of the orbiting Titans on Cybertron have crashed and died, which also tells us that this story ends at about the same time that issue 29 of the main series is set (but could be a bit later, since the message could be delayed)
• I find it hard to believe that there's no more Titans out in the universe, perhaps stationed on one of the Colony world's or on deep space missions.

IDW - Transformers #17

Title: The Change in Your Nature, Part Five

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova & Bethany McGuire-Smith

Colours by: Joana LaFuente & John-Paul Bove

Letters by: Jake M. Wood & Neil Uyetake

Editors: David Mariotte

Plot

The Risers leave the Titan hub building, noting that even if someone can track what they've done, they cannot stop it, so they're heading back to their headquarters, to wait for the inevitable to happen...
At the remains of the Memorial Crater, Cyclonus is thinking about what to do next, and his to avenge the destroyed monument, when he is asked to move along, for his safety by Hot Spot, who tells him that Sixshot and the Rise caused this, giving Cyclonus a target for his anger...

At the Winged Moon, Wheeljack has discovered a siphon and transmitter that was sending Energon to the Rise base at the monument, and reports this to Lancer, so she can relay it to Perceptor. Gears has an accident and almost goes flying into orbit again, but is quickly rescued by Wheeljack. Cosmos arrives, but not to save Gears this time, he wants to know why a Titan is heading right towards the Moon...

At the primary Titan hub in Iacon, Blaster and his team can't get ahold of Vigilem, who is heading right for the Moon, and can't reach any other dormant Titan in orbit, due to the Rise's sabotage. Luckily they remember that Lodestar was still active due to only just returning, and Lightbright remaining aboard, so they decide to call her for help.
Aboard Lodestar, Lightbright is informed about the situation, and they set out to intercept the rogue Titan, who seems to just ignore them, and just quotes Codexa's writings about the Titans, worrying the others, before during upon them.
Lodestar tried matching his firepower, but Vigilem is more powerful than her. Seeing the attacks from the Winged Moon, Wheeljack orders everyone to go deep inside the Moon for safety.
Vigilem soon lands on the underside of the Moon and attacks the Tether attaching it to Cybertron. Lodestar tried to stop him again, but the more powerful Titan cripples her, and sends Lightbright flying around inside her. Lodestar reports something terrifying to Lightbright, despite her injuries...the Tether is falling.....

Characters

The Rise

Slipstream - Jet
Shadow Striker - Car
Astrotrain - Trackless Train/Space Shuttle
Flamewar - Motorcycle
Tracer - Helicopter
Skystalker - Car
Blackjack - Car
Sixshot - Car/Tank/Jet/Gun/Winged Beast

Security Forces/Autobot

Blue/white Guy's Body Dead

Sentinel Prime - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Lodestar - Titan Spaceship Badly Damaged by Vigilem
Vigilem - Titan Warship
Lightbright
Wheeljack - Car
Gears - Van
Huffer - Truck
Lancer - Car
Cosmos - Orbiter 
Blaster
Playback
Gizmo
Wavelength
Cyclonus - Jet
Hot Spot - Fire Truck
Groundbuster - Bulldozer
Others in Search & Rescue Team
Gridlock (Ghost)
Highfire (Ghost)
Provoke (Ghost)
Grudge (Ghost)
Primus (Mentioned) The Thirteen (Mentioned)
The Knights of Legend (Mentioned)
The Dormant Titans (Mentioned)
The Other Titan Cityspeakers (Mentioned)
The Reversionists (Mentioned)
Paragon (Mentioned)
Froid - Jet (Mentioned)
Perceptor (Mentioned)
Codexa (Mentioned)
Waypoint (Mentioned)
Chela (Mentioned)
Tempo (Mentioned)

Other
The Szorian Empire (Mentioned)

Notes

• The majority of this issue is drawn my Malkova, with McGuire-Smith providing the art for cyclonus' scene and the first scene on the Winged Moon
• Astrotrain is huge in this continuity. He's at least three times the size of the other Ascenticons in robot mode in this issue!
• Huffer uses his toy character model from his Combiner Wars toy. Whilst that IS the most recent Generations toy for him, it doesn't look a lot like his traditional design.
• Gear being found adrift in space was previously a plot point in the valentine's Day special
• The previously unnamed Titan who acted as Sentinel Prime's ship is named as Lodestar in this issue
• Blaster's team at the Titan net hub is filled with previously one-off characters with Wavelength and Gizmo coming from the previous IDW continuity, and Playback coming from the G1 cartoon.
• Continuing my thoughts from the previous issue, the City Speakers in this continuity still feel more like Titan Masters in design here, since each one is assigned to a specific Titan.
• Velocitron is mentioned in the song Lightbright is dancing to during her introduction, confirming it's existence in this continuity.
• Vigilem quoting Codexa's writings could be a part of Megatron's plans, since she was Orion Pax's mentor, and this could be a way to discredit the Autobots. Maybe?
• Two of the other mentioned Titans, Chela and Tempo were both either named or appeared in the previous IDW continuity, whilst Waypoint appears to be a completely new creation.
• It's not clear, but I believe that Vigilem landed on the underside of the Winged Moon and is shooting the tether near the top, based on Wheeljack being nearby when he lands and the star field being behind the "ground" during the panel where Lodestar shoots at Vigilem.
• Whilst it dies end on s clear cliffhanger, solicits mention that next issue focuses on Arcee and Greenlight getting Gauge off the planet, so I'm assuming that the next issue will be technically a continuation of this story, as well as another sixth issue stand alone story.

IDW - Till All Are One #7

Title: Desperate Measures

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Ironhide's troops are fighting the Titans on Cybertron's surface, as Windblade's team attacks Carcer, planning to try and convince him to help in the battle against the others. Starscream and the remaining council members are watching the action unfold from the Spire, and Starscream admits that he really does hope that Windblade succeeds, but feels like she wont, since heroes tend to die...

Devastator is tearing into Carcer's hull, but is soon confronted by an attack force led by Strika, who seems to be matched up to him in terms of strength.

Obsidian notes how the shuttles seem to be acting strange in the area, and orders for the nearby ones to be struck, in case of any infiltrators. The shuttle carrying Windblade's team is hit, and detonates, but Fireshot is able to get them out safely by having everyone hide within rubble, and crash onto the hull, leading to them making it into an airlock.

Inside the Titan, the team splits into two groups, one to reach the armoury, the other to the brain chamber. Obsidian soon detects the team heading to the armoury, and reports this to Elita, also reporting that Windblade is with them. Elita, assuming that this is Starscream's doing, leads a team to intercept them herself.

She attacks the team, and manages to clip Windblade's wing, and swatting the others away at the same time, she goes to finish off Windblade personally, but "Windblade" is revealed to just be Lightbright having used a holo-projector to disguise herself as her, much to Elita's distaste.

Windblade's real team arrives at the brain chamber, having avoided detection by going through the vents. Windblade prepares to interface with Carcer's brain, but is interrupted by Obsidian, who figured that something was going on, and reasoned that the brain was the better tactical decision for Windblade to go for, rather than the armoury.

Obsidian tries to convince Windblade that reactivating Carcer is a mistake, but she insists that he is needed for the battle. Obsidian unleashes his weapons, and opens fire on the team, who work together to disable the Carcerian delegate, allowing Windblade to link up to Carcer's brain, even as Obsidian continues to call for her to stop.

Windblade taps into the mind of Carcer, and manages to reactivate him, realizing too late why the Carcer crew refused to allow him to fight...he isn't really Carcer...he is the evil Titan Vigilem, who was loyal only to Liege Maximo....

Characters

Autobot

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Blurr - Race Car

Metroplex - Iacon City/Space Ship Knocked Out

Bumblebee - Cybertronian Car (Ghost)

Ironhide - Van (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Sparkstalker - Insect Monster

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt

Metalhawk - Fighter Jet (Flashback) Killed by Starscream

Ironhide's Security Force (Mentioned)

Colonist

Tigatron - Tiger

Airazor - Eagle

Knock Out - Sports Car

Moonracer - Sports Car

Prime Breakdown - Armoured Van

Lightbright

Fireshot - Part of Jet

Carcerian

Elita One

Obsidian - Stealth Osprey Helicopter

Strika - Battle Tank

Lancer

Greenlight

Carcerian Troops

Other

Titan Swarm - Space Ships

Vigilem - Spaceship Carcer

Notes

• Despite being on the roll call page, and being mentioned as fighting the Titans, Ironhide doesn't actually appear in this issue
• Also, despite all appearances, Windblade doesn't actually appear on the issue cover. That's Lightbright in disguise.
• Starscream's getting a bit sloppy in his chats with Bumblebee's ghost. He does so in front of Airazor and Knock Out in this issue, with the former even commenting on it.
• Strika is strong enough to fight off Devastator....yikes!
• With the revelation that Carcer is actually Vigilem, the Titan mentioned to be loyal to Liege Maximo in the Revolution tie-in issue, it's quite likely that the former captain, who currently acts as Elita One's throne is ACTUALLY Liege Maximo's body!
• It is assumed that the secret device Sparkstalker gave Windblade was he holo-projector that Lightbright used this issue.
• All members of the Council of Worlds appear in this issue, except for Vanquish.

IDW - Till All Are One #6

Title: Desperate Times

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Metroplex is being overrun by the Titan Swarm, despite the united Cybertronian army fighting them off as well, he is taking too much damage. Windblade realizes that the Titans are fighting anything that moves, so she severs Metroplex's brain module, connecting it to an Energon stint, and causes him to effectively die, stopping the Titans from further attacking him.

Starscream sees this from his tower, and starts panicking further. He gets Elita One on the communicator again, but she still refuses to allow Carcer to transform and join the battle on the ground.

Following the bad exchange with Elita, Starscream calls the other Council members and allies to have them return to the Spire for an emergency meeting.

Once all gathered, Starscream explains that Elita is refusing Carcer to join the battle, and suggests that they evacuate the planet and escape from the Titans that way. No one is happy with this, but they understand what has to be done...

Ironhide starts filing civilians into the shuttles, but there's too many people trying to escape the planet. The prisoners are escorted to the shuttles, and Chromia sees Ironhide, warning him to get to Windblade, since she knows she'll do something stupid without someone to balance out her ideals.

Much to her prediction, Windblade speaks up, and suggests a mission for a team to head to Carcer, and take control of it to allow him to join the battle, despite Elita's arguments.

Windblade quickly assembles her team, which includes herself, Blurr, Tigatron, Airazor, Moonracer, Lightbright, Sparkstalker, Breakdown (the Veloctironian one) and Fireshot, who will take a ship, and hide amongst the others sent to attack Carcer from the outside. Sparkstalker gives Windblade a strange device that she asked him for, and they leave.

Elita contacts Starscream to ask him why he's sent shuttles to attack her, and he just says that she brought this on herself. Starscream has the Constructicons deployed, and combine them into Devastator to assault the hull of the Titan directly.

Obsidian tries to reason with Elita, pointing out that they are still their allies, and they should just explain the situation to them, but she ignores him, and orders her troops to open fire on the other Cybertronians.....

Characters

Autobot

Metroplex - Iacon City Deactivated by Windblade

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Blurr - Race Car

Ironhide - Van

Chromia - Speedbike

Bumblebee - Car (Ghost)

Decepticon

Sparkstalker - Insect Monster

Tall Tankor - Truck/Jet

Fat Tankor - Tank

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Constructicons - Construction Vehicles

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt

Ironhide's Security Force

Cybertronian Civilians

Prison Warden - Truck

Prisoners

Colonist

Caminus (Mentioned)

Lightbright

Knock Out - Sports Car

Moonracer - Sports Car

Breakdown - Armoured Van

Quicklightning - Race Car

Vanquish - Part of Jet

Fireshot - Part of Jet

Tigatron - Tiger

Airazor - Falcon

Carcer - Space Shuttle

Elita One - Car

Obsidian - Osprey Stealth Bomber

Lancer

Greenlight

Other

Titan Swarm Several Killed in Battle

Notes

• Lightbright being a Cityspeaker was shown at the start of Combiner Wars, when we were introduced to Caminus itself. It just hasn't appeared too much since then...
• It's explained here that Caminus' brain was removed so that his body could be used throughout the planet
• Despite appearances, the Carcer crew appear to WANT to help Cybertron by Transforming their Titan, but Elita is just being stubborn due to the currently unknown secret of the Titan.
• The prison warden here looks a lot like Armorhide from the Live Action Movie toyline. A similar looking robot appeared in several flashbacks as the manager of the race track.
• Devastator is shown with a Decepticon insignia again now, this is most likely a mistake though, since Scoop is forming the centre of his consciousness now, and he is a Neutral/former Autobot.