IDW - Transformers Wreckers: Tread & Circuits #4

Written by: David Mariotte

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Colours by: Heather Breckel

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Following the Speedia 500, Knock Out has been decided to be the new First Senator of Velocitron, and everyone has gathered for the ceremony.

The Wreckers, still looking for Mayhem, are amongst the crowd, but mostly split up to cover more ground.

Knoc Out begins his first speech, declaring that Velocitron's dedication to spectacle has caused them too much trouble recently, and believes that his political party, the Ascenticons, can help the world get back on track.

Before he can continue however, Submarauder harpoons him, with Minerva attacking him to try and stop the attack. Skullgrin abandons his shell, and detonates it, leaving Minerva holding the harpoon gun.

In the chaos, Mayhem attack the crowds, but the Wreckers and the racers team up to subdue them.

Eventually, Breakdown returns with his security force, only to find the situation settled, however he also reveals that they've captured Minerva, since she was holding the weapon that almost killed the Senator...

Later, the Wreckers, minus Minerva, who has been left behind for a trial (Knock Out promised to put in a good word, due to her trying to save him) leave orbit, and broadcast a final message to their fans, saying that following the drama on Velocitron they're taking a short break, but hope to be back soon.

After sending out the message, Circuit is happy that he was able to do one last episode, as he dies from his previous wounds. The team grieve his death, and launch his body into space in a coffin.

Following this, Thunderclash says they need to return to Cybertron, as they learned during their stay on Velocitron that the Tether on Cybertron has fallen, and things aren't going too well there in general. 

In order to help them, however, Thunderclash suggests that they get in contact with civilians and allies to find out what is happening on Cybertron, and the other Colonies, essentially extending their roster...

Meanwhile, on Velocitron, Minerva is placed into indefinite stasis for trying to murder the First Senator, with Knock Out and his crew all bearing their Decepticon Insignias...

Characters

Autobot/Wrecker

Thunderclash - Truck

Aileron - Jet

Hot Shot - Jeep

Ricochet - Car

Minerva - Car Imprisoned on Velocitron

Circuit Died from Previous Wounds

Decepticon/Mayhem

Knock Out - Car

Breakdown - Armoured Van

Skyquake - Jet

Octopunch

Skullgrin

Submarauder Shell Destroyed

Roadgrabber

Bugly

Slugslinger - Twin Nosed Jet

Thunderblast - Boat

Ruckus - Buggy (Image Only)

Other Velocitronian

Road Rocket - Motorcycle

Override - Race Car

Scrounge - Wheel

Leadfoot - F1 Race Car

RoadHauler - Crane

Clampdown - Police Car

Lickety-Split - Tricycle

"Frogbot"

Velocitronian Crowds and Racers

Security Force Members

Sizzle - Car (Statue Only)

Other Cybertronian

Emirate Xaaron 

Carnivac - Wolf (Image Only)

Topspin - Jet (Image Only)

Bulkhead - Truck (Image Only)

Springer - Helicopter/Car (Image Only)

Smashdown - Hammer (Image Only)

Stardrive - Car/Jet (Image Only)

Lockdown - Car (Image Only)

Whirl - Helicopter (Image Only)

Impactor - Tank (Image Only)

Ironfist - Van (Image Only)

Moonracer - Car (Image Only)

Star Saber - Jet (Image Only)

Rack 'n' Ruin (Image Only)

GoShooter - Police Car (Image Only)

Notes

• This story's place in the timeline is a little confusing this issue. Knock Out is referred to as an Ascenticon throughout the issue, up til the end, where he name-drops the Decepticons, and the insignia is on display, implying it is set following the Senate takeover in the main series. However Thunderclash seemed to be unaware that the Tether has fallen, which happened quite a long time ago now! Maybe they're just out of the loop on some news from Cybertron?
• Overrid and Road Rocket are shown Mongst the signatories behind Knock Out this issue, showing they survived the race's events...Sideways is nowhere to be seen though...maybe he died, and Unicron abducted him to be his new Herald?
• Before Knock Out redecorated it with the Decepticon insignia, the symbols across the Senator's podium is the Speed Planet Key symbol from the Cybertron series.
• As is traditional for a Wreckers series, some one in the main cast has to be killed off. Here, we see Circuit die from the wounds he suffered in issue two.
• Most of the bots in the lineup of prospective new Wreckers are character who have had past fictional connections to the group, or similar teams. However some choices like GoShooter or Moonracer seem to be very random.
• Among the prospective Wreckers is Ruckus, who we know in the main series has been replaced by Exarchon in the present day...so I don't think he'll be much help to them...

IDW - Transformers Wreckers: Tread & Circuits #2

Written by: David Mariotte

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Colours by: Brittany Peer

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

The Wreckers, sans Circuit arrive at a Race Bar to gather intel on the racers, in order to try and determine who could be affiliated with Mayhem, but come up with no leads. Aileron however learns that there's a bet being held to see who ruins the race first, Mayhem or the Wreckers. Aileron ends up insulting Thunderclash to the Mayhems when comparing how they are using the Speedia 500 to try and cause a spectacle, just like the Wreckers do with their stunt cover missions. Thunderclash shouts, but is quickly calmed down, before security chief Breakdown can ban him from the race.

Elsewhere, Circuit is created by his old crewmate, Axer, who now works for Velocitron's security force. The latter offers his apologies for his actions during the Iron Hope incident, and gives him a ride back to the Wrecker's shuttle. Axer suggests that Circuit and the other Wreckers leave the race, since it's being used to flush out Mayhem, and leaves after receiving a message.

Circuit is suspicious, so follows Axer in his exo-suit, eventually finding him meeting with Octopunch, leader of Mayhem, and opening a channel to the other Wreckers to warn them that security has been breached, however the Autobot is shot in the head by a sniper.

The Wreckers, hearing the incident over the Comms rush out to Circuit's last location, but find him badly injured, next to the burning Mayhem hideout.

Circuit is brought back to the shuttle, where Minerva patches him up as best as possible, but isn't sure if he'll survive, before putting him into a CR Chamber.

The team head out to perform the rest of their mission, with Minerva heading to a medical station, in case of any injuries during the race, and the others joining the participants.

The race is started off, with Breakdown announcing security measures during the race, seemingly unaware of the security force's infiltration.

The racers are counted down, and the race for the next leader of Velocitron has begun!

Characters

Autobot/Wrecker

Thunderclash - Truck

Ricochet - Car

Hot Shot - Jeep

Aileron - Jet

Minerva - Car

Circuit Sniped by Mayhem, in CR Chamber

Mayhem

Octopunch

Other Mayhem Members (Mentioned)

Velocitronian

Road Rocket - Motorcycle

Breakdown - Van

Override - Race Car

Knock Out - Car

Leadfoot - Race Car

Sideways - Motorcycle

Jackpot - Car

Lickety-Split 

Scrounge - Wheel

Signal Lancer - Traffic Light 

Drag Strip - Race Car

Burn-Out - Van

Bar Bouncer

Bar Patrons

Medics

Speedia 500 Racers

Sizzle - Race Car (Image)

Electrons - Car (Mentioned) Dead 

Other

Axer

Xaaron

Iron Hope 100 (Mentioned)

Sec-Ops (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue features a lot of cameos from older characters (such as Cybertron Brakedown, Crumplezone, Landmine etc) but with new heads and colourschemes. The characters who appear to be exact transplants are just going to be mentioned as characters in the list though.
• While Override and Sideways appear to just be transplants of their Cybertron and Armada toys respectively, Knock Out appears to use a body based on the Studio Series Jazz toy, possibly giving us a look at an upcoming Legacy Knock Out figure. Leadfoot likewise appears to be using Siege Mirage's body, possibly giving us a look at his next too too.
• The characters mention Sec-ops as being on patrol on Velocitron, but it should be Colonial Security here. It is possible though that locally it is just called Sec-ops though.
• The two games shown in the bar are "Mechanic Mania", an allusion to "Operation" and "Virtual Cube", which is based on the sport of "Cube" from the Cyberverse series.
• Circuit's suit is shown to be able to transform between a hover car and an eco suit....why did he leave the ship without it again?
• Minerva mentions that Circuit's injuries are the worst she's seen in a long time, and that she doesn't remember the last time it's looked this bad, further adding to my thoughts that this series is set during the early stages of the main comic series, before the war breaks out.
• Xaaron is shown this issue starting the race, it's possible that he's a denizen of Velocitron, but it's also possible that he's just there as a Senate representative, authenticating the event.
• Knock Out and Breakdown are shown to be a couple in this continuity again, and are even shown kissing on panel, which I don't remember ever happening in IDW version 1
• As I mentioned last issue...why is Aileron allowed to enter the race, when she uses a flying alternate mode?
• Drag Strip makes a brief cameo this issue, showing off his upcoming Legacy figure, which has just been revealed.

IDW - Transformers Wreckers: Tread and Circuits #1

Written by: David Mariotte

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Colours by: Candice Han

Letters by: Jake M. Wood & Nathan Widick

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

The Wreckers perform a death-defying stunt, a sub-orbital jump from their ship to a planet's surface, without any safety devices, which is broadcasted to their loyal viewbase across the universe, when it is interrupted by Mayhem, a terrorist cell, who demand that Velocitron cancel it's upcoming Speedia 500, and not decide their leadership that way. To prove their seriousness, they kill a former competitor, Electrons, on screen. The Wreckers manage to get control of their signal, and close off the broadcast properly.

Once the cameras are shut down, the Wreckers are back to their real business, guns out and ready to fight if Mayhem are nearby. The team, really an elite covert squad that works outside of Colonial Security, and are now on the mission to take down Mayhem.

Later, the Wreckers arrive on Velocitron, where Thunderclash announces to the gathered crowd that they are going to enter the Speedia 500 to prove that they aren't afraid of Mayhem, much to Aileron's annoyance, since she's planned a covert mission for them to investigate them secretly.

Circuit sneaks away from the ship, to avoid the cameras and crowd, since he feels like a outcast since losing his alternate mode during the Iron Hope incident. He decides to try and scout out the planet to find a potential hideout for Mayhem, but finds himself abused by the Velocitronians, who are all about speed, so a mode-locked bot like him isn't welcome...

After Aileron and Thunderclash argue about the latter's decision to make their mission public, and he agrees that he might have made a mistake in that, they rejoin the rest of the team in a communal area in the ship, when Aileron realizes that Circuit isn't back from his exploration yet!

Back on the streets, Circuit is chased by someone down a tight alleyway, and is shocked when he realizes that his pursuer is Acer, another of the Iron Hope 100 on his Turbo Cycle, who asks what he's doing there...

Characters

Autobot/Wrecker

Thunderclash - Truck

Hot Shot - Jeep

Ricochet - Car

Minerva - Car

Aileron - Jet

Circuit 

Mayhem

Octopunch

Skullgrin

Submarauder 

Velocitronian

Road Pig - Motorcycle

Electrons - Car Killed by Octopunch 

Velocitronian Crowd

Road Rocket - Motorcycle (Hologram)

Blurr - Race Car (Hologram)

Other Cybertronian

Axer 

Primus (Mentioned)

Mortilus (Mentioned)

Exarchon (Mentioned)

The Three-fold Spark (Mentioned)

The Iron Hope 100 (Mentioned)

Colonial Security (Mentioned)

Rust Worms (Mentioned)

Turbofoxes (Mentioned)

Notes

• We don't know when in the continuity this story is set. We don't see any Decepticons in the story (unless Mayhem reveal badges later on) and the Wreckers openly wear Autobot insignias, which would mark them as being part of Optimus' army rather than travelling performers in the current storyline's setting. My guess is that this is set just before the war broke out.
• The only two members of the Wreckers based on recent toys are Hot Shot and Ricochet, who were both in the Selects toyline, and are also shown this issue to be rivals.
• Aileron appears this issue, having had a cameo in the Valentine's Day special, though in that story she was shown as a larger robot, rather than standard sized, like she is here.
• The Speedia 500 and other such races have been a focal point of Velocitron's lore since it was introduced in the Cyberton cartoon, in luding it being used to decide on the leadership of the planet. I am surprised that Override isn't the planet's leader in this continuity, like she usually is though...
• Circuit mentions that he used to focus everything of his life into "being a camera" before losing his alternate mode in the Iron Hope incident. This could mean that Circuit used to have a camera alternate mode, but due to the leftover kibble.on his body lookig more like car parts, I'm assuming he is just refering to his chronicler job, and not his alternate mode.
• Thunderclash mentions that Aileron is entering the Speedia 500...but she has a flying alternate mode...unless she also has a car mode too, like Road Rage, but there's no evidence of that yet.

TFCC - Cheap Shots

Staff

Writer: Forest Lee

Pencils: Dan Khanna

Inks: Jake Isenberg

Colours: Thomas Deer

Letters: Jesse Wittenrich

Managing Editor: Pete Sinclair

Editor in Chief: Brian Savage

Cover/Inside Cover: Thomas Deer

Timelines Creative Director: Lanny Lathem

Plot

Since the end of the war about 20 years ago, Nightbeat has gone off on his own with a small team of Autobots and organics to act as a Detective agency of sorts.

Nightbeat is drinking alone in a bar on Azure when he's approached by some aliens who ask him to come with them to speak with someone. Nightbeat mistakes this as a threat, as does his team (which includes two angry Dinobots) who beat up the aliens, throwing one through a wall. The remaining alien re-states that he just wants to escort Nightbeat to a someone who wants to use his services.

The team are taken to see the client, Amory, a Shi-Lai sentient Battleship who want's Nightbeat to find and rescue her bonded pilot, who was kidnapped on Purgatory, a settlement in an asteroid field, so they head there to investigate.

On Purgatory the team split up, Slag, Sludge and the organics started roughing up the locals to see if anyone knows where Phyrion (the pilot) is, whilst Nightbeat and Siren go to see the local magistrate to see if he knows anything. Neither road leads to anything though.

Later on Amory remembers that Phyrion received a message from an anonymous source before arriving on Purgatory, and knows where the message originated from. Later, Nightbeat and the others stake out the warehouse the message originated from, and wind up entering it, when inside they find Ruckus in command of a new version of the Mayhem Attack Squad, Ruckus reveals that he set all this up for revenge for how Nightbeat and the others ruined their plans back when they worked for Thunderwing, which starts an argument about what happened back then, and leads to an all out battle.

The battle is going in the Autobot's favor when Ruckus calls in reinforcements, Amory, who is forced to help them or Ruckus has said he'll kill Phyrion, and reveals that he brought Phyrion with him, which stuns everyone at his stupidity. Slag quickly slices off Ruckus' arm and frees Phyrion (and claims the arm as a trophy for himself).

Later Phyrion and Amory thank and pay Nightbeat, and take off into space. The team suddenly realize that they don't have a ship and are therefore stranded on Purgatory, but Nightbeat doesn't care, as he's sure someone around here needs a detective.

Characters

Autobot

Nightbeat - Sports Car

Siren - Emergency Car

Sludge - Apatosaurus

Slag - Triceratops

Hosehead (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Ruckus - Baja Buggy

Needlenose - Jet

Octopunch - Crab

Strangehold - Rhino

Sunbeam - Gun

Zigzag - Gun

Thunderwing (Mentioned)

Bludgeon (Mentioned)

Other

Muzzle

Lug

Quig - Siren's Head

Minerva

Amory

Phyrion

Vorg (Azure Alien)

Narfl (Azure Alien)

Azure Residents

Purgatory Residents

Purgatory Magistrate

Notes

• Nightbeat's toy head not having ears is explained here as being because Siren made them explode
• Lug survived Hosehead's death during the Unicron War
• Quig is the only member of the team still bonded to his partner (Siren)
• SIREN IS CONSTANTLY SHOUTING IN THIS COMIC!
• Amory is probably based on Moira from Farscape, she even seems to do a Starburst on the last page!
• Minerva and Muzzle being in a relationship is kind of creepy when you think of it...they're repaints of each other in the toyline
• I wonder if Nightbeat and his crew got back to Earth before the whole "Universe being destroyed" thing from Invasion?