IDW - Unicron #4

Main Story

Title: Road's End

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Alex Milne

Colours by: Sebastian Cheng & David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Side Story

Title: Transition

Written by: Christos Gage

Art by: Paolo Villanelli

Colours by: Mattia Iacono

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Edits by: David Mariotte

Main Story Plot

In Deep Space, Prowl is informed by Stardrive that they have lost contact with Cybertron, which the Autobot is not shocked by he reveals that he always assumed Cybertron would fall, and that he always believed the final battle would be held on Earth...

On Earth, the President is informed that they have also lost contact with Cybertron whilst she is visiting a GI Joe facility, holding Joe Colton prisoner, where they are discussing a recent attack on GI Joe from what looked like Cybertronians and he brings up the Talisman, a device that can be used to kill Cybertronians..

On Cybertron, Windblade arrives at New Prysmos, where she tells Leoric her plan to use the Talisman to transport everyone off the planet to Earth, as the Talisman once managed to move the city to the planet's surface, which the Visionary leader agrees too, seemingly with his own  plans too...

Unicron continues to tear Cybertron apart, as the population of the planet starts to panic and flee for their lives. Blurr sees this from his bar, and also notices the Talisman's magical ribbons transporting anyone it touches away. He rushes outside and starts throwing anyone he comes across into the beams of energy before running for one himself, however before he can reach it, he is caught by an underground explosion, and is torn apart.

Optimus is still talking to Shockwave in his cell, where the latter reveals that he has always had a transporter ready to save himself, and urges his old friend to join him on Earth. Optimus sees the energy ribbons and dives into it, radioing Aileron to have her bridge away the city and everyone they can to Earth.

In orbit, Unicron starts swatting at the ships still fighting him, as they are being transported away by the magic too. To give them extra time, the still barely alive Elita One pilots the remains of Carcer into Unicron's face, killing herself, but giving the fleet a few moments to be rescued...

Now alone, Unicron tears Cybertron in two and begins feasting upon it, with the stars in the sky behind him all blinking away in the process.

Shockwave and some loyal Maximals arrive in Toronto on Earth and immediately start slaughtering the humans they come across and destroying the city so Shockwave can begin his new empire, confident that Unicron was killed when he ate Cybertron, and the Talisman.

At Sanctuary Station, in orbit of Jupiter, Cosmos is trying to make contact with Cybertron when Bludgeon and his corrupted Decepticon fleet arrives, still loyal to Unicron and starts attacking the station. Cosmos, Sky-Byte, Buzzsaw and Laserbeak go out to stall the fleet and allow the remaining denizens escape to Earth, whilst the station plummets into Jupiter, and the four defenders are slaughtered one by one.

Soon, Prowl's team arrives and Stardrive is sent in to slaughter the Maximals and corrupted Decepticons one by one, however she stops in her tracks when Unicron teleports in behind her, leaving everyone in shock at his magnitude.

Back on Earth, Shockwave watches as Toronto is being destroyed, but becomes aware that Unicron is still alive, meaning that the Talisman wasn't on Cybertron when it was devoured...

At the Zambia/Zimbabwe border, Windblade and Ironhide are alone with the Talisman, and Windblade believes that everyone else was killed on Cybertron and despairs, however the survivors of Cybertron's destruction begin to teleport in and she embraces Optimus with joy at everyone having been saved.

Everyone starts to reunite with their friends and take stock, with Starscream even getting punched by Arcee for his negative attitude when Optimus receives a call from Prowl, informing him that Unicron is approaching Earth and they need to stop him there in their final stand....

Side Story Plot

The Micronauts learn that Baron Karza, the now-ruler of Microspace is preparing for war, due to something happening in the larger Macroverse. They discuss whether they should try a revolution whilst he is distracted, or if they should go to help their allies, like Rom and the Autobots.

The team's former leader, Oziron Rael appears before the team, now as a Time Traveler to explain to them that something big is happening in Macrospace, something that will cause great change, but even he cannot see what will happen next. He urges them to put any affairs they have in order, and prepare for an upcoming change on the horizon.

The team ultimately decide that regardless of what happens, they want to continue to adventure together, as a team, for as long as they have left....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Metroplex - Iacon City

Arcee - Sports Car

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Cosmos - Orbiter Killed by Decepticon Vengeance Division

Bumblebee - Hatchback

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck

Skyburst - Helicopter

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Ironhide - Van

Blurr - Race Car Killed by Explosion on Cybertron

Tracks - Muscle Car

Strongarm - Police Vehicle

Chromia - Speedbike

Roadmaster - Truck

Firestar

Prowl - Police Vehicle

Wheelie - Car

Omega Supreme - Rocket Base Dead

Other Torchbearers (Mentioned)

Mainframe (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Fat Tankor - Tank

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Sky-Byte - Flying Car Killed by Decepticon Vengeance Division

Buzzsaw - Motorcycle Killed by Decepticon Vengeance Division

Laserbeak - Motorcycle Killed by Decepticon Vengeance Division

Bludgeon - Tank

Monstructor - Monster Decepticon Gestalt

Broadside - Tank Under Unicron's Thrall

Wideload - Dump Truck Under Unicron's Thrall

Sledge - Backhoe-Payloader Under Unicron's Thrall

Decepticon Vengeance Division Under Unicron's Thrall

Maximal

Optimus Primal - Gorilla

Beast Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Rhinox - Rhino

Unicron's Maximal Army

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Elita One - Car Kamikaze's self into Unicron's Face

Vigilem - Carcer Ship Remains crashed into Unicron's Face

Moonracer - Sports Car

Vanquish - Part of Jet

Fireshot - Part of Jet

Stardrive - Car/Jet

Skywarp - Fighter Jet

Swift - Helicopter

D.O.C.

Cybertronian/Colony Survivors 

Turbofoxes Killed with Cybertron

Insecticons (Mentioned)

Human

Madame President

Scarlett

Joe Colton

GI Joe Troops

Secret Service Troops

Toronto Denizens Several Killed by Maximals and Shockwave

GI Joe Mainframe

Solstar Order

Rom

Livia

Sata

Nikomi

Q'b

Guar

Elonian Survivors

Visionaries

Leoric

Galadria

Other Visionaries

Microspace

Oziron Rael/Time Traveler (Side Story Only)

Larissa (Side Story Only)

Phenolo-Phi (Side Story Only)

Acroyear (Side Story Only)

Biotron (Side Story Only)

Microtron (Side Story Only)

Baron Karza (Side Story Only)

Acroyear III Army (Side Story Only)

Reptos Army (Side Story Only)

Other

Unicron

Garnak

Notes

• So...if Unicron only got his alternate mode, and therefore his head when the Nemesis was merged with him...then why does Prowl have a bust of his head in his store of old Cybertronian artefacts? Maybe him or Shockwave will travel through time with this image soon?
• Scarlett references the attack on GI Joe, seen in the side story from issue 2 of this series. This confirms that it was happening before Unicron arrives on Earth in the next issue.
• During Scarlett's talk about the events of issue 2, she says that the Maximals almost annihilated GI Joe, implying that some of the Joes did die. Since we haven't seen them here, or earlier, we could assume that the death toll includes characters like Salvo and Spitfire.
• Joe Colton is revealed to have been transported to a GI Joe facility on Earth, instead of remaining on Cybertron. This COULD explain how several Cobra villains were seen on Earth following their capture, assuming they somehow escaped jail en-route to the Joe base.
• Again, Cybertron is seen in it's planet-wide city appearance, despite it supposed to be mostly a wasteland still...maybe the planet just had some layout lines on it for future developments? Oh well I guess it doesn't matter any more!
• Strongarm, a character imported from Robots in Disguise 2015, makes her first speaking role this issue. She previously appeared amongst the new Wrecker recruits in Requiem of the Wreckers, and is shown to have a personality similar to that of her RID counterpart here.
• As mentioned in my review of Optimus Prime #23, Blurr makes reference to the Unicron/Unicorn joke.
• Blurr reveals that when he is using his super-speed his brain works faster too, explaining how he can act fast and make corners without crashing due to his high-speed
• NOOOO!!! They forgot to rescue the Turbofoxes from the dying Cybertron!! And here I thought Soundwave was all about protecting ALL life, including the animals....
• Rhinox, Optimus Primal and Beast Megatron (yes, that's his official name in this series) travel to Earth with Shockwave. We knew Rhinox was loyal to Shockwave still, but last time we saw the latter two they were showing off their demon insides to Bludgeon and his crew...so whose side are they actually on now? Unicron or Shockwave? Is Shockwave even aware of their demon insides? Considering the duplicates we've seen, it's possible that the ones we saw with the demonic innards were just copies of the real ones who ARE loyal...I dunno...
• Bludgeon explains that Unicron merging with the Nemesis not only gave him an eye, but also a T-Cog, allowing him to transform, something that Shockwave was not apparently aware of.
• Bludgeon's crew are shown alive, despite Victorion seemingly killing them last issue, though they can apparently talk again now!
• The destruction of Sanctuary Station here was foretold in Optimus' prophetic dream back in Optimus Prime #50, implying that the few remaining parts of the dream are still to come to fruition in this event.
• The timeline is getting a bit wobbly again! We know from Lost Light that their events are happening at least a year before this story, so when Buzzsaw and Laserbeak discuss how Mainframe is on the Lost Light, and how they may lose contact with them next. It seems a bit odd. This seems to imply that they are in contact with the Lost Light again, but if that is the case then why wouldn't they know that Mainframe was killed on Mederi, and why wouldn't Rodimus and his crew have been called back home to help with the battle, considering the Lost Light is arguably one of their best vessels?
• So, despite Optimus and most of the population being transported to Earth by the Talisman, and Metroplex space bridging the rest to safety, they not only all arrive on Earth at the same time, but also at the same location? How convenient....
• Judging from the art, before they were being transported, it looks like Firestar was defending some Elonians, since they are seemingly between her legs as she is sitting on the floor.
• Also, amongst the Elonians, we can see that kid with his alien-dog that Bumblebee befriended in issue 0.
• Windblade seems to finally forgive Optimus for his past mistakes as she hugs him after believing him and the others to have died on Cybertron.
• The Visionaries not being amongst those transported to Earth seems to imply that they were sent to another world/universe to continue their own solo series later (I'm sure this will be elaborated on in a future side story, most likely in Unicron #6)
• The Micronaut's side story was originally planned for release in issue 2, but was moved to here for no known reason.
• Oz finally returns, having left the team after dying to become a Time Traveler!
• Oz explains that regardless of what happens in the Macroverse, the Microverse will be affected, even if Unicron never comes there. My guess is that this is a potential reference to a future continuation of Micronauts, but with them staying in Microspace (depending on if the Earth survives Unicron's attack that is).

IDW - Rom and the Micronauts

Title: Gods and Monsters

Writer: Christos Gage

Artist: Paolo Villanelli

Colourist: Alessandra Alexakis

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Rom and the Micronauts confront Karza and D'rge, whilst the Absence is incubating both the Presence and the Entropy Cloud within himself, speeding up her rebirth. Rom takes on Karza alone, whilst the Micronauts attack D'rge. Using the Presence's power, D'rge sends energy to all the Wraiths on Earth, allowing them to reveal themselves and begin conquering the planet.

Nearby, Orphion and Livia detect the massive Wraith readings, so they decide to join Rom in his battle, leaving the Wraith guards at the facility to Camilla and Darby.

During Rom's fight with Karza, he attempts to retake his energy from the Baron using an Enerchange, shocking Karza, and the two fight over the Enerchanging process and are slowly fusing.

Livia and Orphion arrive, with Livia joining the Micronauts in attacking D'rge, whilst Orphion goes straight for the Absence, shooting into him to hit the Presence...however when he fired into him, he became exposed to the Entropy Cloud inside, corrupting his body. Knowing he is dying from the exposure, he grapples with D'rge and strangles him to death, just as his body fails too, and he dies...

The Micronauts and the Knights begin their attacks on the Presence when Karza appears behind them, having fully merged with Rom, seemingly in charge of the body, however Rom manages to show he has some sway too, and forces him to blast a hole into the Absence, opening a hole, and beginning to seep out the Entropy Cloud forcing him to help them. The group focus all their weapons fire on the hole, and force the Presence to remain inside the decaying body of the Absence, forcing her to also become over-exposed to the Entropy Cloud, killing her with explosive effect.

The group make it outside where Karza ejects Rom from his body, giving him back all his own energy. The Knights and Micronauts prepare to battle their enemy, when he suddenly displaces himself back to Microspace, declaring victory.

The team soon learn that the Wraiths across the planet are being subdued and killed due to their extra energy being removed with the Presence's death.

A while later, Orphion is buried on Earth with full Solstar honours. Rom bids goodbye to his tiny allies, who have learned that when Karza returned to Microspace he took full credit for getting rid of the Entropy Cloud, and is now being hailed as a god. The Micronauts are heading back home to reunited with Oz and the Time Travelers to try and stop Karza and his new regime...

Characters

Solstar Order

Rom

Livia

Orphion Killed by Entropy Cloud Exposure

Micronaut

Larissa

Phenolo-Phi

Acroyear

Biotron

Microtron

Oziron Rael (Mentioned)

Dire Wraith

The Presence Killed by Entropy Cloud Exposure

The Absence Killed with The Presence

D'rge Killed by Orphion

UN President Wraith Defeated

NORAD Wraiths Defeated

Parisian Wraiths Defeated

Other Earth Wraiths Defeated

Other Microspace

Baron Karza

Microspacian Citizens (Footage)

Acroyear III Units (Footage)

Time Travelers (Mentioned)

Human

Camilla Byers

Darby Mason

UN Members

NORAD Workers

Parisian Citizens

Notes

• It turns out, despite his theory that he would survive exposure to the Entropy Cloud, due to his armour, that Rom would have died if he had of back in Microspace.
• So...for basically the main villain of the Rom series, D'rge dies from being strangled....I'm surprisingly okay with that!
• Orphion's death was sort of spoiled in the earlier released (not reviewed here yet) Unicron #0, where he was missing from the Solstar Order's ranks
• So...I was sort of right in my theory...Karza did end up betraying the Wraiths and helped to kill their Goddess, but he was forced to do so by Rom. So I sort of got it right I guess?
• AHHHH!!! Microtron zombie!!! I mean he clearly seemed to die before, so what other explanation is there to him coming back to the story?
• It can be assumed that Livia leaves Earth after the events of this story to return to Elonia for the events of Unicron #0. This is likely due to the Wraith infection on Earth being so minimal now.
• Oz gets a name-drop in this issue! Now if only he would have appeared...
• Aww what a happy ending (minus the Orphion dying part) it sure would be a pity is some evil demon planet was to come along and ruin it...
• Despite this being the ending of the Rom and Micronauts series', this really feels like an opening to another series for the Micronauts back in Microspace being set up.

IDW - Rom and the Micronauts

Writer: Christos Gage

Artist: Paolo Villanelli

Colourist: Alessandra Alexakis

Letterer: Shawn Lee

Editors: Carlos Guzman & David Mariotte

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

D'rge and Karza discuss their potential new alliance to deal with their now mutual enemies, with The Absence joining them to at that he has a plan for them to work together to defeat the Micronauts and Rom alike. He teleports them all away to their goal...

A few hours later, the Micronauts arrive at the Dire Wraith's lighthouse, having been following Karza's signal but find it abandoned. They detect Wraith signals there too, but since there's no sign of a battle they assume that the two forces have teamed up. They head off to find Rom, as they figure he'd be interested in working together since the Wraiths are involved.

Inside the Lighthouse, one piece of the Absence remains and reports to the others that the Micronauts are doing as they planned.

Later, the Micronauts find Rom and his human allies, Darby Mason and Camilla Byers, in Utah having just taken down a Wraith cell, and they agree to join the Micronauts in taking down Karza and the Wraiths alike. Rom uses his Analyzer to detect a location where Wraith and Microspace technologies are the highest, and determines that that must be where they are hiding. He sends a message to Orphion and Livia, who are currently dealing with another mission, to tell them where they are going and they head off.

Soon our heroes arrive at the Yucca Mountains in Nevada where they immediately attack the Wraiths, but unfortunately they planned for this, and using a combination of Karza's Enerchange ability, and D'rge's magic, Karza begins to Enerchange with Rom himself. Rom tries to fight off the Baron, but he's getting weaker as Karza is stealing his strength, whilst the rest of the team are busy with the Wraiths, and cannot help their ally.

Orphion and Livia manage to arrive, just in time to see Rom seemingly reduced to nothingness and Karza has taken all his power. The other two Knights attack Karza, but he easily defeats them, and leaves with the remaining Wraiths, planning to kill the Knights at a later date.

Later, the Knights are revived and they confirm that there is no sign of Rom, or the Micronauts. They swear to take down Karza in the name of Rom, and will get revenge for him...

Some time later still, the Micronauts manage to unearth themselves from some rubble they were trapped under during the battle, where they make shocking discovery, Rom is not dead, he has been transported to Microspace. They decide to head to Microspace to rescue him, and also see if he has some way to stop Karza, since their powers are now connected through the Enerchange...

In Microspace, Rom is floating in space, surrounded by a Reptos swarm....

Characters

Solstar Order

Rom Displaced to Microspace, Energy Drained by Karza

Orphion

Livia

Fy-Laa (Mentioned) Dead

Micronaut

Larissa

Phenolo-Phi

Acroyear

Biotron

Microtron

Dire Wraith

The Absence 

D'rge

Lava Monster Likely Killed by Orphion and Livia

Wraith Troops

Wraith Cows Killed by Rom's Team

The Presence (Mentioned)

Human

Darby Mason

Camilla Byers

Action Man (Flashback Only)

Scarlett (Flashback Only)

Roadblock (Flashback Only)

Snake Eyes (Flashback Only)

Other Joes (Flashback Only)

Miles Mayhem (Mentioned)

Other Microspace

Baron Karza

Reptos Swarm

Other

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Flashback Only)

Notes

• It's confirmed here that The Absence is in various locations at once, partly explaining his translucent appearance and intangibility 
• It's also confirmed that The Presence is not literally under the Earth's crust, but in a "Synchronic Dimension" that appears to be connected to the crust
• Larissa has been given a slight redesign, giving her a fully shaved head, likely to help distinguish her from Darby Mason, who could honestly be her alternate universe self, they look so similar!
• Orphion and Livia are fighting against a lava monster of some sort...I guess that explains where they were during the First Strike tie-ins, but....WHY AREN'T WE SEEING THAT STORY?!?
• Rom doesn't look in any way concerned that Darby is wearing his dead best friend's arm on her arm does he? Also his other human friend still has Dire Wraith powers.....I think we're missing a story here!
• Biotron kept up to his promise to analyse the Wraith magic so the Micronauts can be protected from it
• From the looks of it, Karza didn't just steal Rom's strength and size, but also his Neutralizer energies...who wants to be that he'll turn against the Wraiths and kill some with that power in this series?
• The beam of Neutralizer energy that Orphion and Livia shoot up in memorial for Rom's "death" is a reference to what Rom did to memorialize his family's murder by the Wraiths in his annual.
• Oh hey! Rom was sent to Microspace! I look forward to returning there for the first time since pretty much the start of the Micronauts series!
• It's mentioned a few times that there is a Microspace colony on Earth now...I want to see that!
• Considering how Microspace looks peaceful, and the Reptos as alive again, we can assume that the Time Travelers were successful in stopping the Entropy Cloud...yay!

IDW - First Strike - Rom

Written by: Christos Gage

Art by: Chris Panda

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Rom attacks the Micronauts, believing them to be Dire Wraiths, and is soon disarmed by Acroyear, though Rom shows off his ability to use his Neutralizer abilities without his physical weapon. The Micronauts continue to fight with Rom, until Biotron points out that he is a robot, so he couldn't be a Wraith. Rom accepts this, and requests that he scans them further. He soon determines that whilst they are not Wraiths, they have been infected with the Wraith-Taint, but due to being Micronauts, they were not turned. He uses the Neutralizer to purify them, allowing them to work together.

The Micronauts proceed to explain their encounter with the Wraiths in the sewers and about the pathogen they are developing to infect multiple humans at once, leading to Rom jumping to action.

The Micronauts and Rom soon arrive at the sewers where they find a mass of half-transformed humans, but also a perfected one. Rom soon destroys the hybrids and they go after the Wraiths, who have already left to spread their virus.

D'rge and his acolyte arrive at a carnival the next day and have one of their other followers, posing as a ride operator, and stops them up the top of a Ferris Wheel. They manage to release the virus, but Rom suddenly appears and kills the acolyte, Biotron manages to vacuum up the virus into his containment chamber to stop it from spreading. Rom fights with D'rge, who is able to use his shielding magic to stop the Knight, and gloats that the virus cannot be stopped that easily, and it mutates and breaks out of the chamber

The Micronauts opt to distract D'rge, as Rom uses the Neutralizer to destroy the virus monster. D'rge mocks the Micronauts for the futility of their work here, since he can simply just create more of the virus and spread it in the future, however Biotron reveals that he had the virus inside his body for long enough to analyse it and create an antidote, which he will share with the humans. D'rge, furious with the Micronauts, announces them as enemies of his race, and escapes by morphing into a iny creature and flying away.

The Micronauts and Rom part ways with them agreeing to call on each other in the future if they need each other's help against the Wraiths or other villains.

Later, in a hidden location, D'rge is fuming about the Micronauts, when Baron Karza suddenly appears and offers to help him deal with their mutual enemies. D'rge's new acolyte tries to take out Karza, but the tiny tyrant easily kills him. D'rge is unwilling to work with Karza, since he remembers his role in betraying the Wraiths during the Revolution, but Karza claims to be able to help him revive "The Presence", the Wraith's dark god. D'rge agrees, and begins to talk with the despot....

Characters

Micronaut

Larissa

Phenolo-Phi

Acroyear

Biotron

Microtron

Baron Karza

Dire Wraith

D'rge

D'rge's Acolyte Killed by Rom

D'rge's New Acolyte Killed by Karza

Ferris Wheel Operator

Partially Mutated Human-Wraiths Died from Mutation

Wraith-Hound Killed by Rom

Wraith Virus Construct Killed by Rom

"The Presence" (Mentioned) Asleep

Other

Rom, the Space Knight

Carnival Goers 

Notes

• This issue directly follows the events of First Strike: Micronauts, and leads into the upcoming "Rom and the Micronauts" series.
• This issue also has no mention of the Cybertronians or the First Strike event, making it a tie-in, in name only.
• We've known for a little while now that Solstar Knights don't need their weapons to use Neutralizer energy, but this is the first time we've seen Rom shoot lasers out of his eyes!
• It may seem odd that Rom claims that Wraiths cannot possess inorganic beings, when the concurrently releasing series "Rom vs Transformers: Shining Armor" shows that they can possess Cybertronians. But remember that Transformers aren't technically inorganic, and are made of a living metal.
• The head Sorcerer from last issue is revealed to be D'rge, a major villain from the early issues of the Rom series.
• Dire Wraiths can apparently change their size, without changing their appearance...good to know!
• As everyone else has likely already remembered, Karza never actually allied with the Dire Wraiths during Revolution, he was allied with Miles Mayhem who was in turn allied with the Wraiths. He did "betray" them by forcing them to merge with him, but he wasn't technically their ally in the first place.

IDW - First Strike - Micronauts

Written by: Christos Gage

Art by: Chris Panda

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

The Micronauts, still on Earth following the Earthwar have landed in the garden of a house where they are trying to figure out what to do now, since their leader is gone with the Time Travelers, and their new leader is Larissa, whom they have only recently learned is the daughter of Baron Karza himself, so they are unsure about how to fully trust her.

Before they can decide to do anything however they are "attacked" by some of the human giants with a giant killing machine (some gardeners with a lawnmower), luckily Larissa uses her forcefield generator to jam the blades and allows them to escape to their new ship.

The gardeners examine their "jammed" lawnmower when one of them is stung by a strange fly...and then suddenly explodes into a mess of Dire Wraith goo. The Micronauts go to assist the humans and are attacked by the flies themselves. They learn when one tries to infect Phen that the flies appear to be only able to infect humans, allowing the Micronauts to tear them apart without fear of infection too. Soon, the flies and even the infected gardener all turn to ash, Biotron captures on of the flies before it dies and scans it, determining that it was altered by Dire Wraith "magic". The Micronauts determine that they need to go after the Wraiths to stop this plot...

The Micronauts head into a hidden tunnel in the sewers where they decide to try and locate Rom, a member of the Solstar Order who is currently stationed on Earth. However they find the Dire Wraiths first and manage to take down all the minions with relative ease. The Sorcerer Wraiths use their powers to cast a spell that appears to harm the Micronauts. They manage to struggle their way to their ship and escape to get help from Rom after all. One of the Sorcerers attempts to go after them, but his superior is fine with them leaving, as it is all going to plan...

The Micronauts recover from their attack on the Wraiths and manage to find Rom, however his Analyzer detects that the Micronauts are Dire Wraiths, and prepares to Neutralize them!

To be continued....

Characters

Micronaut

Larissa

Phenolo-Phi

Acroyear

Biotron

Microtron

Oziron Rael (Mentioned) Ascended to a Time Traveler

Baron Karza (Mentioned)

Solstar Order

Rom, the Space Knight

Other Solstar Knights (Mentioned)

Dire Wraith

Wraith Holiness

Wraith Acolyte

Wraith Hound Killed by Larissa

Wraith-Flies Turned to Ash

Other Wraiths Killed by Acroyear and Biotron

Human

Gardener Ernie

Gardener Jimmy Killed by Wraith-Flies and turned to Ash

Other

Cybertronians (Mentioned)

Notes

• Whilst being part of the First Strike event, it has nothing (bar a brief mention of the incident on Cybertron) to do with the event. It mostly acts as a backdoor pilot to the upcoming "Rom and the Micronauts" series.
• This issue takes place shortly after Wrath of Karza, it introduces us to the Micronaut's currently unnamed new ship as well as Oz being gone due to him ascending to a Time Traveler
• The worm that Biotron holds up has some angry eyes on him...I'm pretty sure worms don't have visible eyes....
• Biotron mentions how Rom and the Earth are uneasy allies due to the Solstar Knights destroying Wraith-infested planets....unless this is mentioned in the final issue of Rom, this information should only really be known to the Knights themselves
• It looks like the Dire Wraith's spell have changed how Rom's Analyser sees the Micronauts, and makes them appear as Wraiths themselves. I seriously doubt they are now actually Dire Wraiths themselves.
• Where is Livia? Is she with Orphion following the events of the Rom series? Did she end up dying again? Guess I'll have to wait for next issue...

IDW - Micronauts Wrath of Karza #5

Written by: Cullen Bunn & Jimmy Johnston

Art by: Andrew Griffith & Ron Joseph

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Assistant Editor: David Mariotte

Editor: David Hedgecock

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Shazraella, now Enerchanged with the Mad Time Traveler takes the battle in her own hands, she quickly destroys Microtron's Tron army and prepares to go after the remaining Micronauts.

Optimus and the Autobots arrive at the fight area, where Optimus grabs Karza to pay him back for his previous attack and imprisonment of him, Arcee and Jazz, however Karza accesses Micronus' body again and grows to a giant size, attacking the Autobots all at once again.

The Micronauts fight through the Ministry of War troops to get to Shazraella, whom is marching through the battlefield, using the Time Traveler's powers to both mess with time, and spread the Entropy Cloud. Oz charges towards Shazraella to stop her once and for all, but she simply dissolves him, leaving only the Time Mask behind.

Upon his death, Oz is sent back to his previous death, and his conversation with a Time Traveler, where he reveals that the war on Earth is needed, and Oz himself needs to embrace time itself in order to win the war...

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Karza notices that Shazraella is spreading Entropy across this planet now, and knowing how devastating that will be orders a truce between him and the Autobots to stop her, which Optimus agrees to.

The Autobots and Karza charge towards Shazraella, with Karza at first trying to talk her down, she takes offence to his defiance of her, and forces her husband to split from Micronus Prime, and sends the Prime far away, greatly weakening the Baron. She allows him to fall to the ground, but their daughter, Larissa catches him with her shield generator.

The assembled Micronauts, Autobots and Karza prepare to fight Shazraella in the final showdown, however are stopped when the Time Travelers, now led by an ascended Oz confront her, Oz merged with the Time Mask and the Travelers surround Shazraella, and begin dragging her into a Time Casket as punishment.

Before she is locked up, the Time Traveler de-Enerchanges from her and is forced himself in the Casket, before he can be trapped though he warps Shazraella and Karza away, so they won't be imprisoned too.

Following the battle, Oz joins the other Time Travelers to repair Microspace and even rescue the people trapped inside the Entropy Cloud. They easily reverse the effects on Earth, and sets up permanent space bridges between Microspace and Earth, in order to allow better relations between the two universes. Oz leaves with the others, but does promise to reunite with his friends again soon...

In the aftermath, the Micronauts go looking for Acroyear, who is still fighting with Raith and wonder if they can find a new ship...

Elsewhere, Karza arrives in Illinois, and considers how he can save his people now, whilst Shazraella arrives in San Francisco and starts work on her next plans....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Arcee - Sports Car

Jazz - Sports Car

Micronaut

Oziron Rael Became a Time Traveler, Merged with Time Mask

Time Mask Merged with Oziron Rael

Larissa

Phenolo-Phi

Acroyear

Biotron

Microtron

Alphatron Destroyed by Shazraella

Betatron Destroyed by Shazraella

Gammatron Destroyed by Shazraella

Ministry of War

Baron Karza Sent to Illinois by Entropy Time Traveler

Shazraella Sent to San Francisco by Entropy Time Traveler

Commander Raith

Army Remnants 

Other Microspace

Entropy Time Traveler Trapped inside a Time Chamber

Time Travelers

Other Cybertronian

Micronus Prime Sent Far From Now by Shazraella

Notes

• Omegatron isn't seen amongst the dead "Trons" this issue, but since he doesn't appear in the First Strike tie-in, I'm gunna assume he's dead too...pity...
• Similarly, Commander Raith's fate is left unknown, he was last shown fighting with Acroyear, and it was mentioned that they were making friends, but he doesn't appear in First Strike...guess he died too?
• Whilst the Micronaut's new bodies are all new designs, the Transformer redesigns when Shazraella messes with time include Hearts of Steel based bodies at first, and later Optimus in his Pre-Earth body, Jazz in his Costa Ongoing body, and Arcee in her Robots in Disguise Pre-Earth body
• Oz's repressed discussion with the Time Traveler is a continuation of the conversation he had during his brief "death" during the finale of the first arc of the Micronauts comic.
• It was mentioned earlier in this very series that the Mad Time Traveler was the one who caused the Entropy Cloud, Shazraella causing it to spread to Earth when fused with him is a direct nod to this.
• Micronus Prime's body is  send "far from now" most likely so they don't have another Prime running around in the main storyline...we have a few right now after all.
• Shazraella ending up in San Francisco leads directly to her being discovered by Miles Mayhem and Baron Ironblood in the Origins story in First Strike #4, whilst Karza's landing in Smithton, Illinois, wondering how to save his people now is likely to be a plot point for the upcoming Rom and the Micronauts series, set after First Strike concludes.
• Remember that Karza was warped away BEFORE he learned that the Entropy Cloud is now being dealt with, so he is unaware that he doesn't HAVE to save his people any more...

IDW - Micronauts: Wrath of Karza #3

Written by: Cullen Bunn & Jimmy Johnston

Art by: Andrew Griffith & Ron Joseph

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Tom B Long

Assistant Editor: David Mariotte

Editor: David Hedgecock

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Baron Karza contacts several villains, or people with bad reputations at least, in order to offer them roles as Barons in his conquest of Earth, as he doesn't desire to eradicate humanity, just rule them. Mayhem outright refuses to serve him, but Karza seems confident that he will change him mind, due to how strong his forces are, and how badly they are assaulting New York even now.

At the Heliopolis' wreckage Larissa and Microtron are trying to figure out how to rescue their friends from Karza, but Microtron reveals that his scans are being blocked by something. However, the Time Mask reveals his sentience to them and explains that HE can locate Oz, shocking both of them in the process. Microtron then reveals him newest project, built from the remains of their ship, are a group of new Trons, given personalities by Microtron's scans of the crew, which don't impress Larissa...

At their holding cell, Oz, Phen and Biotron are trying to figure out what is happening, when they are joined by Membros, he taunts them by stating that Larissa and Microtron are dead, and that Acroyear is undergoing reconditioning to join Karza's crew, making Oz despondent at the loss of his friends.

Nearby, Acroyear has been strapped to a device and his mask is brutally removed, revealing his mangled real face, with preparations for his reconditioning beginning...

Elsewhere still, Karza explains further to his wife about how the Time Travelers explained the Entropy Cloud to him, and revealed that one of their own is responsible for all of this, and he is needed to stop him, however he needs to meet with the final Time Travelers before that, so he needs to get Earth ready for his arrival...

Larissa and the robots arrive at a facility set up by Karza which uses a technology that hides it outside of normal time and space, which the Time Mask has managed to locate using his natural skills. The Trons attack and defeat the guards and they manage to break into the facility, revealed to be the holding facility. The group fight their way towards the cell and manage to rescue their captured friends, but still need to locate Acroyear. On their mission around the facility they break into Membros' interrogation room, and orders him to lead them to their friends...the Transformer prisoners so they can help out in the fight....

Characters

Heliopolis Micronauts

Oziron Rael

Larissa

Phenolo-Phi

Acroyear Being "Reconditioned" by Commander Raith

Time Mask

Biotron

Microtron

Alphatron

Betatron

Gammatron

Omegatron

Ministry of War

Baron Karza

Lady Shazraella

Membros

Commander Raith

Acroyear Forces

Karza's Army

Human

Miles Mayhem (On Conference Call Only)

Doctor X (On Conference Call Only)

Storm Shadow (On Conference Call Only)

Tomax Paoli (On Conference Call Only)

Iron Klaw (On Conference Call Only)

Baron Ironblood (On Conference Call Only)

Destro (On Conference Call Only)

Hasbro Fanboy (In Entropy Cloud Vision Only)

Human Soldiers Being Defeated by Karza's Forces

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab In Karza Custody

Arcee - Sports Car In Karza Custody

Jazz - Sports Car In Karza Custody

Decepticon

Razorclaw - Drill Tank (On Conference Call Only)

Other Cybertronian

Micronus Prime Body being used as Karza's Base

Blackrock/Sovereign - Head (On Conference Call Only)

Other Macrospace

Rom, the Space Knight (On T-Shirt only)

Other Microspace

Mad Time Traveler (Flashback Only)

Other Time Travelers (Flashback Only) All gone from Time Stream

Baron Daegon (Toy Only)

Lobros (Mentioned)

Notes

• So the opening panel of this comic actually helps us to place this series in the main timeline, it shows Razorclaw active (he was seemingly killed in Revolutionaries) and Blackrock is visible amongst the "villains" contacted by Karza, so this is likely before the start of Revolutionaries. This also sort of confirms that Karza will fail in this mission (like he would ever succeed) since the President mentions that she has witnessed various failed invasions recently in the Optimus Prime series. However the Heliopolis was seen in issue 2 of Revolutionaries, so maybe this is set just AFTER that issue? I dunno...still doesn't explain where Doctor Conway and her family are though....
• Razorclaw seems to be in his pre-Earth mode, as we can see his old faceplate design and the top of his drill bit..maybe this was before he was controlled by Iron Klaw?
• Amongst the buildings seen in the background of the Earthwar seems to be the Empire State Building, confirming this is happening in New York.
• Karza's vessel, the body of Micronus, still looks like a giant version of himself, even though he seems to be just inhabiting the vessel, and not Enerchanged with it, implying this could be a permanent remodelling of the Prime.
• So...the Time Mask CAN talk to the other Micronauts and not just Oz? Guess he was just being a jerk after all!
• I did notice all the odd heads amongst the Heliopolis wreckage last issue, but I don't think I mentioned it, as I assumed they were just more "weapons" appropriated by Acroyear from Billy's toy chest. Turns out there were there to justify the newly built "Trons" this issue.
• So Biotron apparently survived getting crashed upon by the Heliopolis last issue with just an arm falling off and a few scratch marks...cool!
• Membros confirms my assumption that Karza has merged the Ministries into the Ministry of War after defeating Daegon.
• So...yeah...the scene with Acroyear's mask being torn off will haunt my nightmares for a few months!
• Also, I think the green Acroyear is meant to be Commander Raith, but since they all look the same, I can't be certain yet (I'll still name him that in the character list though)
• More information regarding the Entropy Cloud is given, it basically keeps everything it has consumed within it, waiting for something to happen to all of it. Also the Time Travelers are destined to fail in stopping the one member of theirs who created the Cloud, which is why they need someone else to stop him and save Microspace.
• Amongst Karza's views through reality he sees a child playing with toys of Karza and Daegon fighting, wearing a Rom T-Shirt, which confuses him. This is likely a view into a Quadwal universe (real world) and I hope are signs of new toys to come :D
• The Autobots and Micronauts are shown to be the only groups to have actually been captured by Karza's troops, with the other heroes to Earth just being disabled for the time being.