IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #53

Title: The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Alex Milne &Hayato Sakamoto

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

With seven hours left before the DJD are due to attack the Fortress, Velocity comments about the death flowers outside going out. Ratchet  concludes that they're dying out because they're being used for the storm shield. Ratchet is patching up Megatron's wounds from his brief battle with Tarn, whilst doing so he's reading Velocity's notes on the crew's health since he left, and makes comments about how Tailgate's new powers affected the security crew who were near him at the time with signs of an artificial boost and subsequent crash.

Velocity worries that Tailgate is at risk, but Rodimus says he's fine, and breaking apart some interiors for Brainstorm to use for weapons and other things to help them against the DJD. Drift informs Velocity that Rewind is setting up the communications devices to send out their last wills and testaments to Cybertron, despite them not arriving for 3 weeks or so. Velocity looks despondent at this concept, but agrees that it's a good idea. Rodimus wants to speak to the captured Pet, to find out where their ship is, but Ratchet comments that he can't speak, Chromedome wakes up  from his energy drain from his previous injecting session and says he can help.

Elsewhere, Minimus Ambus is being measured by Brainstorm for a new suit of armour, when Nightbeat comes to him to get permission to investigate the hollow planet, as it's bothering him and thinks it could save them.

Nightbeat manages to convince Ambus to agree to his plan, and takes Rung along with him, as he's expendable for the group, though they promise to return before sunset and the battle.

On their way to the lowest points of the base, Nautica grabs them and has the duo join her, Brainstorm, Skids and Velocity in a room, where Nautica performs the ritual to become Amica Endurae with her, as she considers the five of them her closest friends in the crew. Afterwards, Nightbeat and Rung leave, whilst Skids has an awkward goodbye with Rung first...

With six hours left until the battle,  Chromedome begins to inject into the Pet's mind, but finds it all messed up, and finds it feeling wrong...

Elsewhere, Rewind has sent off the final messages from the crew, and starts going through the Necrobot's files, to try and learn where Dominus went again. Minimus comments that that's a waste of time given the circumstances, and through conversation actually reveals a secret about Dominus to Rewind, that he was a loadbearer too, and Rewind had never seen the real version of him.

Rewind pulls up the Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy, an old database on alternate modes created by the Functionist Council, and had Minimus find Dominus' true appearance from there....where he finds entry 113, a Turbofox.....

Back at the medibay, Chromedome discovers that the Pet is a transformer, but was domesticated s torture at some point, he thinks he can reverse the process, but the surgery is killing him due to his weakened condition. Drift contacts Rewind to tell him about what Chromedome is doing, and both of them realize what is happening at the same time...the Pet IS Dominus Ambus!

Rewind rushes to the medibay where he quickly punches Rodimus for letting Chromedome inject again, and Chromedome says he'll get Dominus back for him, Ratchet however tells him to stop as he's dying, but Chromedome cannot...if he stops mid-operation, then Dominus will die instead.

Chromedome is willing to make this sacrifice to allow Rewind to be happy, but Rewind wants to be with Chromedome, he snatches Drift's short sword from his sheath and slices off Chromedome's arm, severing the connection, and killing Dominus.....

Later, with just 30 minutes left before the deadline, the DJD start marching towards the Fortress to begin their attack. outside, Whirl and Cyclonus are setting up a cannon turret whilst Whirl bothers Cyclonus about his and Tailgate's relationship, with Cyclonus basically saying that he doesn't deserve Tailgate's love, but he will protect him no matter the cost...then Whirl tries out the cannon....

10 minutes later the crew are assembled in the Fortress where Rodimus reveals Whirl's discovery...the storm shield around the base doesn't allow gunfire OUT either, meaning they'll be left waiting until the shield dies out. Rodimus says that he thinks they should simply drop the shields and meet their fates honourably.

Megatron comes back from the Medibay and disagrees with Rodimus' plan, Rodimus offers a newly rebuilt fusion cannon to Megatron, built by Brainstorm, but Megatron ignores him and says they should stay hiding for as long as possible. Swerve and Rodimus realize through his words that Megatron doesn't intend on fighting the DJD at all, and Megatron admits to being scared. Rodimus points out that all of them are scared, but they need to fight the DJD. Megatron leaves to hide with the organics in their hidden chamber, whilst Ravage, his eternally loyal friend shouts that he is ashamed of what he's become....

Despite Megatron's hiding, and Nightbeat and Rung not returning from their mission yet, the crew get ready for their final stand. Brainstorm escorts Ambus, now in his new "Maximus Ambus" armour to join them, and the DJD start shooting the shields.

Rodimus gathers his friends and crew together for a group hug, he thanks them for travelling with him and then leads the charge into battle  with the storm shield down....

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Megatron - Tank

Minimus/Maximus Ambus - Minesweeper/Tank(?)

Drift - Car

Chromedome - Car

Rewind - Data Slug

Ratchet - Ambulance

Velocity - Race Car

Tailgate - Car

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Skids - Van

Swerve - Van

Brainstorm - Jet

Nightbeat - Car

Nautica - Submarine

Rung

Dominus Ambus/Agent 113/The Pet - Turbofox Allowed to die by Rewind

Getaway - Car (Mentioned)

Strafe - Jet (Mentioned)

Powerflash - Jet (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Ravage - Cassette

Deathsaurus

Overlord - Tank and Jet

Tarn - Tank

Tesarus - Mobile Metal Shredder

Vos - Rifle

Nickel

Leozack - Jet

Deathsaurus' Troops

Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Ten

Functionist Council (Mentioned)

Other

Organic Captives (Mentioned)

Notes

• So Megatron's fusion cannon blast hole was quite easily fixed wasn't it?
• This issue explains that the energy wave that Tailgate created when his Outlier powers activated also caused some power surges in the security crew around him at the time....I wonder if Cyclonus was affected in any way?
• Nautica shows here that Cybertronians are able to have multiple Anima Endurae at the same time.
• Rewind mentions that Minimus was sitting down all afternoon...he wasn't, he was standing on some boxes being measured.
• Considering his brother is an established point one percenter and a loadbearer, it shouldn't have been much of a shock about Dominus being one too
• The process of Domestication was previously shown in issues 45-46. Little did we know that was a precursor to this issue!
• Agent 113's discovery was hinted at earlier in the series...we didn't know he was still technically in the team, albeit lobotomized and handicapped badly though....
• So Agent 113 was actually Dominus Ambus all along (and later turned into Kaon's "Pet") Why didn't Minimus know about this job of his brother's?
• This also somewhat explains why the DJD never referred to the pet as any other name, it would have been a major spoiler
• It's been shown since pretty much the start of MTMTE that Chromedome "knows" that Rewind loved Dominus more than him, but this issue shows us that Rewind choses him over his old lover after all....n'awwww
• The panel showing Chromedome with Rewind after his arm being severed is a mirroring of the scene in issue 15 just after Chromedome destroyed the Slow Cell, killing his original Rewind.
• Dominus' history shown in the series so far makes more sense knowing what he really looks like. He's a beast-former, which has been seen as an undesirable form, along with Disposable classes like Rewind, explaining his desire to create equality between the different body-classes.
• Also, it was hinted earlier in the series that Prowl was the one to send Dominus on his mission as Agent 113, ultimately making it his fault that he was captured and domesticated, thus hurting Chromedome and Rewind even more....I swear one of them will kill Prowl before this series ends!
• Cyclonus confirms here that he and Tailgate are not in a relationship, because he doesn't think he deserves Tailgate's love. Regardless of this, Cyclonus is willingly shown holding Tailgate's hand for comfort later.
• I just noticed that the bolts on Whirl's claws look a bit like wrist watches. Considering his past as a watchmaker, this is a nice touch.
• Brainstorm turned the teleportation chamber into a new fusion cannon for Megatron...guess they really have given up on escape here?!
• The messages shown in issue 50 are revealed to have been recorded off screen at the start of this issue. This doesn't explain the comments of a gun in the background by the Luna-1 crew though....
• Ravage is ashamed of Megatron now for his hiding...N'AWWWWWW!!!!!
• The new Maximus Ambus body looks like it turns into a tank, if so then it is likely a reference to his originally planned body for the MTMTE series by Nick Roche.
• Rodimus has the team perform a group hug and gives a sincere sounding "thanks" to them all....N'AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #35

Title: The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue

Written by: James Roberts

Pencils by: Alex Milne

Inks by: Alex Milne & Brian Shearer

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Minimus Ambus has returned to Cybertron following the disbanding of the Primal Vanguard and meets with Rewind, hoping to meet with his brother Dominus. The duo are stopped and examined by a Functionary, when suddenly a Lunabot, who have all apparently been "recalled" runs past and knocks the Functionary over. However before long, the Lunabot is executed, as part of the recall, all whilst everyone continues with their day, ignoring the murder.

As is to be expected, on PRESENT DAY CYBERTRON!

On the Lost Light, Rewind wakes up from a memory of the Laser Pointer disposables, but Chromedome, who breaks into the room, having taken a split from rewind due to them both being unsure how to act together following their rebirths, and points out that that never happened, confusing both of them, since Rewind's database has it on record, despite neither remembering it.

Megatron is in the Morgue, and examines Trailcutter's body, having been returned to thee ship, and Rodimus tells him about how Brainstorm poisoned the crew to stop them from stopping him from his mission, and managed to escape into what Perceptor believes to be a time machine, which he plans to change the future so the Decepticons win the war (which as we know by now, didn't happen).

Back on Cybertron, Rewind brings Minimus back to his and Dominus' home, and shows him some footage of protesters being killed for disobeying the Council's wishes, and Minimus suddenly realizes that Rewind and Dominjus are rebels against the Council, and soon realizes why, Dominus appears, having undergone Empurata with his head replaced with a computer screen and his words replaced by text on a screen.

Rewind asks Minimus to join them in taking down the Council, but he needs to think about it, and leaves to go to a meeting with the rest of the Primal Vanguard for their re-employment.

Elsewhere, at the Cog, the Funstionist Council's HQ, the Council discuss the next occupation to be "recalled" which they decide to be the Data Slugs.

Back on the Lost Light, Perceptor shows Rodimus, Magnus and Megatron Brainstorm's time machine, made of his multiple briefcases and explains that the way it's designed means that to by-pass the Grandfather Paradox, it slowly replaced the current history with a new one. He also reveals that Nightbeat found one of Brainstorm's briefcases on the other Lost Light, which has the control device inside it, meaning they can send someone back to solve whatever he is doing 4 million years in the past.

Megatron theorizes that Brainstorm plans to kill Orion Pax before he can become Optimus Prime.

On Cybertron, Minimus is racing back to Rewind's home, whilst witnessing the deaths of the Data Slugs, but finds Rewind still alive and well back at his home, since Dominus removed his Obsolescence Chip earlier, which would have killed him too. Rewind then reveals that Dominus has had his mind altered now, so that his words have been taken away, when suddenly the Council starts communicating with the two of them through Dominus, where they reveal that they've been watching them, through minimus, whom they have upgraded secretly on his way back to Cybertron with cameras in his eyes, along with the rest of the Vanguard, and now plan to do the same to everyone.

Rewind tells the Council that he will reveal everything to the population, but they reveal to him that he has a backup chip in his head too, and activates it, killing the last of the Data Slugs to Minimus' horror.

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Megatron - Tank

Ultra Magnus/Minimus Ambus - Vehicle Transport

Perceptor

Chromedome - Car

Rewind - Data Slug

Nightbeat - Car

Trailcutter - Van Dead

Bluestreak - Car (Flashback)

Mainframe (Flashback)

First Aid - Ambulance (Flashback)

Rung (Flashback)

Repugnus (Flashback)

Doublecross (Flashback)

Shimmerstick - Laser Pointed (Mentioned)

Swerve - Van (Mentioned)

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Brainstorm - Jet (Flashback)

Decepticon Justice Division (Mentioned)

Cybertronian

Adaptus (Mentioned)

The Guiding Hand (Mentioned)

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Alternate Cybertronian

Rewind - Data Slug Killed by Functionist Council

Minimus Ambus - Minesweeper

Dominus Ambus

One-of-Twelve

Two-of-Twelve

Three-of-Twelve

Four-of-Twelve

Five-of-Twelve

Six-of-Twelve

Seven-of-Twelve

Eight-of-Twelve

Nine-of-Twelve

Ten-of-Twelve

Eleven-of-Twelve

Twelve-of-Twelve

Hot  Shot - Car

Bulkhead - Van

Ratchet - Ambulance

Pharma - Jet

Functionary Officers

The Data Slugs Killed by Functionist Council

Last Lunabot - Space Shuttle Killed by Functionaries

Present Day Cybertronians

Female Protester (Footage) Killed by Functionaries

The Primal Vanguard (Mentioned) Disbanded

The Senate (Mentioned) Disbanded

The Cold Constructed (Mentioned) Deported

Other

Black Box Consortia (Mentioned)

Notes

• Brainstorm's actions in the past (whatever they are) have resulted in Functionism never becoming defunct, the Cybertronian population expanding, and even female Transformers existing on Cybertron.
• One has to wonder whether Nova Prime and the Expansion still happened to some extent in this new timeline?
• Most of the cameos seen on Cybertron are from the Unicron Trilogy (there's TOO MANY to name in the character list, especially since most are reuses of established character names in this continuity).
• Something of note: Rung has avoided being cloned for the new timeline again, maybe another clue to his uniqueness.
• We actually see Minimus Ambus' alternate mode for the first time!
• Chromedome and Rewind are having problems adjusting to having eachother back, especially since they had different experiences for a while before their respective deaths.
• Trailcuttter is confirmed to have died at Kaon's hands last issue, it's also shown that the DJD rigged the shuttle his group arrived on to explode, attempting to kill them too.
• Brainstorm has been spiking the Lost Light's Engex for a few months (most likely since the relaunch) and his briefcase simply activated the poison to knock out the crew who were present at the time.
• In the new timeline Empurata (and presumably Shadowplay) has evolved significantly.
• The Council member with the designation Three of Twelve looks different to the one we saw in the past, implying that it is simply a rank, and this is a different guy to the original. (Like what we have with the DJD)
• We also find out that all twelve members of the council have a specific role to perform.
• Brainstorm is revealed to have dozens of identical briefcases, which he had stashed across the Lost Light, which create a time machine when connected (the components are built into the walls). The time machine features an anti-paradox device, which could explain why the briefcase and Rewind from the alternate Lost Light were able to survive the rest of the ship's deletion.
• Perceptor claims that parallel universes were dismissed as a fact some time ago. However, by simply following the Transformers franchise, you know there are MANY parallel universes in play (with the Mirage Spotlight being the perfect example of one active in the IDW-verse, and even Rodimus having his mini-adventure in Regeneration One)
• Considering that the concurrent Robots in Disguise has no indications of edits to history showing, and the knowledge of the upcoming Combiner Wars and Windblade series' in this continuity, I feel safe to assume that Brainstorm's new future will be deleted before long...

IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #21

Title: Remain in Light Part 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Alex Milne

Colours by: Josh Burcham with Joana Lafuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Tyrest is about to step through the portal to Cyberutopia, when Tailgate, who cannot hear the signal from Tyrests weapon jumps on his head and jabs his finger in the hole in his forehead, incapacitating him, Tailgate then turns off the signal, allowing the others to move again. Tyrest gets ready to kill Tailgate, but Rodimus points one of the claimed Legislator weapons to threaten him, and Tailgate pleads with him to just do it, as he's going to die from Cybercrosis within 2 days anyway. However the situation is put out of Rodimus' hands when Tyrest is shot in the back by an even smaller Minimus Ambus!

Outside, at the Smelting Pool the Circle of Light and Whirl fight off the Legislators, whilst Cyclonus goes on to challenge Star Saber, after a short battle, Cyclonus jabs Star Saber in one eye with his horn and prepares to kill him, but Star Saber teleports away at the las moment

Inside the Control Room again, Rodimus is shocked by Ambus's new appearance, and he reveals that THIS is actually his true form, and that he just had 2 body suits. Perceptor and the others get to work to try and reverse the effects of the Kill Switch, when Pharma escapes from his cuffs and heads to the portal. Skids, Rung and First Aid go after him, but Pharma reveals he can't go through anyway, as there's a forcefield, which Rung realises is similar to Aequitas technology, and only one without guilt, and flly at peace can pass through, which only Skids in the group matches, so he heads on through. After Skids has gone, Pharma taunts First Aids, and laughs about killing Ambulon, prompting First Aid to simply blast off his head. Rung consoles his distraught friend.

Rodimus is hooked up to the Kill Switch by Perceptor, who plans to use his Matrix half to reset the sparkcode in all the Cold Constructed Transformers, allowing them to be saved, but in the process it may kill Rodimus, and will certainly destroy the Matrix half. Before he potentially dies he wants to talk to Ambus though. Nearby, Swerve hears Tyrest talking, as he states "One, One". This causes all the Legislators to stop their attack outside, and rush to his aid.

Ambus reveals to Rodimus that he DID lure the Lost Light to Luna-1, but having Tyrest remotely access the armour to return it to him, rather than teleporting, so that they would follow, and Tyrest would knock some sense into Rodimus for his poor leadership style, this was of course before he knew Tyrest had gone coo-coo-bananas. Rodimus in turn reveals that he was involved in Overlord being on the ship, as Prowl basiclaly goaded him into doing it, b ut he promises that if he survives the Kill Switch reset, then he'll make amends. Perceptor activates the switch.

Skids, on the other side of the portal arrives on a strange world with several nearby metallic plants floating around, he is greeted by a giant multi-coloured spark who speaks to him in a strange language he doesn't understand.

The Kill Switch works, and all the Cold Constructed are returned to normal, all across the universe, however, the Matrix half is destroyed in the process. Before long, the Legislators have marched into the room, and start attacking the Autobots. Outside, Cyclonus and Whirl meet on top of the Smelting pool, with Whirl glad about their victory, he asks Cyclonus if they're cool, to which Cyclonus imagines himself pushing Whirl into the pool, killing him, but instead just leaves, agreeing to end their fued.

Skids rushes back through the portal after hearing Rung call for help, and Pharma's headless body is grabbed by some tendrils and pulled through the portal. During the battle, Tailgate learns about Tyrest's computer and how the Legislators are linked to it, so he modified the last accord, which repeals the entire thing, making the Legislators stop in their tracks, however Tailgate collapses from his illness

The next day, Cyclonus is with Chromedome in a medibay with Tailgate, who knows that his death is near now, he tells Cyclonus that he has a gift for him in their hab-suite and how he was only born a couple of weeks before the Ark-1 launch, and he's just wanted to do something with his life, he begs Cyclonus to kill him, but he refuses. Ratchet contacts Cyclonus to tell him they've found the cure in Pharma's medibays with Swerve's help, but it's too late to apply it, as Tailgate's spark is too weak. Cyclonus goes off in a strop, but is stopped by Whirl...a short time later, he arrives at Tailgate's deathbed again, with his great sword, and skewers him with it.

The Lost Light leaves soon afterwards, with Ambus back in the Ultra Magnus armour, and Rodimus beginning his plans to make amends, but is worried about his crew, since Ambulon and several others were killed, First Aid's gone quiet, and Brainstorm's locked himself in his workshop (unknown to others, with the Point One Percentor spark), and they wonder how Luna-1 was kept missing for so long, when Tyrest found it so easily, which is revealed to be, unknown to them as well, because the planet has a massive rocket on the back.

Later, Ultra Magnus visits Cyclonus in his hab suite, now sporting a new horn, thanks to Tailgate, and asks how Tailgate is doing, which Cyclonus replies that he needs to recover still from the treatment, revealing that he used the Great Sword to transplant some of his own spark into him, as he had excess energies, and that it was Whirl's idea. Magnus is impressed, and finally officially welcomes him aboard the ship.

The Sound of Breaking Glass

Earlier on, Rodimus and Ambus lead a mission on Luna-1 to try and recover what they can from the planet before they plan to leave. Brainstom finds his misplaced briefcase, but the space bridge itself is beyond fixing, they wonder about Pharma's missing body, but it's not that important right now. Meanwhile, Perceptor finds Tyrest's communications array, and starts work on repairing it.

At Swerve's bar on the Lost Light, Fort Max meets with Rung, and explains that he's been offered a new job, but it involves leaving the ship.

Rodimus returns to his office, and decides immediately to have Atomizer help him redecorate it appropriately, and remembers his last proper conversation with Drift, when he said he'll take the full consequences for Overlord being on the ship, as Rodimus is needed for the future.

Swerve returns to his bar, happy that he's helped Ratchet decipher the cure to Cybercrosis, when Brainstorm comes in, and asks him to keep an ear out for any chatter about his briefcase, which he's worried was opened during the problems on Luna-1, and that it'd be dangerous if that happened.

At the morgue, Ratchet finds Ambus trying to put the Magnus armour back on, and he reveals that he knows how it works, and helps him put it back on, and tells him that he's always thought of him at the TRUE Ultra Magnus, as he's done it the longest. After Magnus leaves, Ratchet goes on to his true job, and starts reviving Red Alert.

On Luna-1, Rodimus and Getaway are trying to make the hot spot ignite again, but with no luck, as the Matrix was clearly what made it ignite originally, though they do wonder why it has died out anyway, since hot spots tends to stay active after they activate. Soon, Fort Max and Red Alert join them, with Max glad to be taking over as the Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord, and with Red Alert helping him on Luna-1, along with some of the Circle of Light, so they can keep up the job of enforcing the laws, which are still needed, and also protect the moon, and watch over Tyrest's unconscious body. Red Alert plans to reprogram the Legislators to guard Luna-1 as well.

Perceptor has the communications activated, and plans to make a copy for the ship, when they get in contact with Cybertron though, they're shocked to find Starscream responding.

Later, after the ship has gone, Outrigger, a member of the Circle runs and tells Red that Tyrest has moved, but when they get there, he's gone (having activated a recall button of his own, and teleported away)

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Minimus Ambus/Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport Middle body decapitated, back in main Armour

Skids - Van

Ratchet - Ambulance

First Aid - Ambulance

Chromedome - Car

Swerve - Van

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Rung - Maintenance Buggy

Brainstorm - Jet

Perceptor

Getaway

Prowl - Car

Pharma - Jet Decapitated by First Aid, Kidnapped by Tendrils

Fortress Maximus - Tank Stayed on Luna-1

Red Alert Revived, and Stayed on Luna-1

Grapple

Inferno

Drift - Car (Flashback) Self Exiled

Optimus Prime (Mentioned)

Ambulon (Mentioned) Dead

Bumblebee (Mentioned)

Duobots (Mentioned) Dead

Wheeljack (Mentioned)

Atomizer (Mentioned)

High Command on Cybertron (Mentioned)

Pipes - Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Rewind - Giant Memory Stick (Mentioned) Dead

Lancet (Mentioned) Maybe Dead

Lockstock (Mentioned) Maybe Dead

Suture (Mentioned) Died as Ultra Magnus

Datum (Mentioned) Died as Ultra Magnus

Ramp (Mentioned) Died as Ultra Magnus

Blockus (Mentioned) Died as Ultra Magnus

Original Ultra Magnus (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Kaon

Krok

Spinister

Overlord (Mentioned)

Lockdown (Mentioned)

Circle of Light

Dai Atlas (Mentioned) Killed by Star Saber

Outrigger Stays on Luna-1

Other Members Several killed in battle, some stayed on Luna-1

Other

Cyclonus - Jet

Tailgate - Car Cured from Cybercrosis

Chief Justice Tyrest Badly injured by Minimus Ambus, Gone missing

Star Saber Eye stabbed by Cyclonus, teleported away

Starscream - Jet

Legislators Disabled by Tailgate

Strange Giant Spark

Tendrils

The Pet

Brainstorm's Point One Percenter Spark

Nominus Prime (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Sparkeater (Mentioned)

Galactic Council (Mentioned)

Thunder-Something (Mentioned)

Vector Sigma (Mentioned)

NAIL's (Mentioned)

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Notes

• This comic featured a small prose story afterwards, which I have included the brief synopsis for here as well
• I'm pretty sure I predicted that there would be a smaller Minimus inside the larger one at some point as well...
• From the looks of him when he's teleporting, it looks like Cyclonus may have sliced off Star Saber's arm
• Brainstorm is revealed here to be Cold Constructed.
• Rung seems to feel guilty or something, judging by how he can't enter the portal...wonder if that'll be brought up later...
• First Aid killing Pharma the way he does is pretty much exactly what he planned to do last issue, but Ratchet told him not to.
• Oddly, Tyrest accidentally saved Whirl's life, as he called for his Legislators to come to his aide just as one was about to kill him!
• Rodimus reveals that he was in on the Overlord conspiracy from the start, this is sort of hinted at back when Drift comments about Red Alert is snooping around, as Drift mentions to him that he's worried he'll find something he shouldn't.
• The giant spark's speech is made of just images. It's unclear what they mean, but from them, you could see it as meaning "Skids, what, Autobots, Decepticons, (or Cybertronian), The Lost Light, Not the Lost Light, Luna-1" which could be translated as "Skids? Did you come from a Cybertronian ship?", "Not a ship...Luna-1!"
• I really, really do think the alien world Skids went to has something to do with Quintessons, and the tendrils taking away Pharma's body sort of adds to that too!
• Tailgate finally learns the importance of a semi-colon, when it saves the day against the Legislators.
• Tailgate is revealed here to have only been 2 weeks old when he was trapped underground, which reveals why his holo-avatar looked like a baby.
• Tailgate also finally had his arm's writing redone to it's proper state "Waste Disposal"
• Brainstorm has kept the Point One Percenter spark, which seemed to be kept in his chest during the mission on Luna-1
• Cyclonus' connection to the Great Sword (which he's now wearing like Drift did) is explained as being because of his rebirth at Vector Sigma, as it gave him a more powerful and "newer" spark.
• The Space Bridge to "Cyberutopia" was destroyed during the battle with the Legislators.
• Fort Max, Red Alert (who's been revived) and several of the Circle of Light have stayed behind on Luna-1 to maintain it, and to watch over the injured Tyrest (who goes missing)
• Drift's exile is revealed to have been his idea, as a vision he had during the Chaos event showed him that Rodimus was vital to the future.
• Brainstorm thinks someone looked into the briefcase, which he asks Swerve to look into. hey, remember a few issues ago when Swerve said he'll look in that briefcase even if he dies trying?
• Ratchet is revealed to have known about the Magnus Armour since it was created
• The Lost Light now has possession of cures to various fatal illnesses to Cybertronians, thanks to Pharma's Medi-Bay.
• The hot spot on Luna-1 has died out, and Rodimus sprinkles the remains of the Matrix half on it out of respect.
• Rodimus plans to have a memorial to all those who have died under his watch set up in his office now.
• Ambus mentions Rodimus having an incident with someone starting with "Thunder-", since the next issue's solicit shows that Thunderclash is set to appear somehow, it could be him (then again, it could be Thundercracker, finally having left Earth for all we know, or Thunderwing, Thunderblast etc)
• The Lost Light finally make contact with Cybertron, but it's Starscream who answers the call, as he's now leader of the Cybertronians.
• Perceptor plans to create a copy of Tyrest's communications array for the Lost Light.
• It's mentioned here that some of the Circle of Light stay on Luna-1 to help out, that could mean that some went away with the Lost Light.

IDW - More Than Meets the Eye #19

Title: Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self

Written by: James Roberts

Pencils by: Alex Milne

Inks by: Brian Shearer

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editorial Assistant: Kevin Smead

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Earlier, Ultra Magnus arrives on Luna-1 in his shuttle and is recovered by Tyrest who has Pharma repair him. Once Magnus wakes up he screams about Overlord, before realizing that Tyrest is there, then he's punched by the Chief Justic, who considers it fully deserved.

Later, in the cell, Rodimus is confused by Ambus' claim that he IS Ultra Magnus, but the smaller Autobot goes on to explain that there is no real Ultra Magnus, he's just a symbol, and he was the most recent one. He then goes on to explain that Tyrest is unhappy with his work over the past 18 months, and has just relinquished the armour from him, planning to retire it, and replace him with the Legislators and Star Saber.

Ambus explains to his fellow prisoners that there was once a real Ultra Magnus, but he died in battle, however his reputation was so great that Tyrest decided to create an immortal lawman, using his name and appearance, and that all the times Magnus has almost died in the past, have in fact been real deaths, and he's just been recalled each time and had a new inner robot placed inside. He also explains that only a Point One Percenter and a Load Bearer (someone who can keep adapting his body, with his spark not giving up on him) can use the armour. He also gives Tailgate some hope in his own situation, by claiming that the doctors here are miracle workers, and fully repaired him, despite only having 10 days left to live.

Ambus begins to wonder about what Tyrest's real plans are, as he had no idea about the dead Titans, Lockdown or any of the other weird things on Luna-1, so instead of continuing his mission to get evidence that the crew had no idea about Skids' crimes, he goes to investigate his boss. As soon as he leaves though Skids and Swerve are teleported into the cell, unconscious.

Nearby, Whirl and Cyclonus have found a massive smelting pool with a cell perched above it (which is surmised to be Rodimus' cell, ready to be dropped when they are ready to be executed. The two frenemies know there's an armory nearby (as Whirl can smell it) and head off for weapons to help in the jailbreak...however Cyclonus is unwilling to do so yet, as he needs to find something on the moon first.

In the Medibay Pharma is taunting the bodyless Ratchet, who in turn taunts him by claiming that Pharma has left Ratchet's hands connected to his body because he can't remove them with his lack of skills. Pharma however refutes the claims as Tyrest has supplied him with all sorts of weird toys on Luna-1, and agrees to a contest where they perform the same surgery on 2 patients, and the winner get's Pharma's old hands.

Whirl and Cyclonus manage to break into the armory, but Cyclonus gets skewered by a sword. Meanwhile, back in the Medibay, Pharma has reattached Ratchet to his body, and has had the Legislators bring First Aid and Ambulon from the Lost Light, Ratchet tries to cancel the contest, but Pharma won't allow it, he makes the contest to repair them after being slices in half...lengthwise! And he slices Ambulon in half, from head to groin!!! (WHATS?!??!!?!?). 

Back at the armory, Whirl has killed the Legislator who skewered Cyclonus with a Great Sword, who just slides out the sword. Cyclonus asks where Whirl got the sword, and he says he found hundreds there, leading them to find a large prison, with the survivors of the Circle of Light imprisoned!

In the cell, Perceptor examines Skids, and comments on how stab wounds are so rarely fatal, and tend to miss the sparks, and Swerve reveals that Star Saber, aka the crazy religious nut who wanted to perform an Atheist holocaust, was the one who attacked them, and also reveals that the whole ship was under attack, last he heard. Skids wakes up and apologizes for whatever crime he did, when Star Saber turns up with Skids' partner in crime in tow, Getaway.

In the Control Room, Ambus approaches Tyrest, and learns from him about how Nova Prime realized that the energy pulses that powered new sparks on the moons around Cybertron were weakening, so he had Tyrest tap into the Matrix to create artifical sparks (ie those Constructed Cold). After a while however someone in his inner circle found out about all this and stole the Matrix, hiding it in the Undergrid (until Orion Pax finds it later). He also revealed that he discovered that all of the guilty parties in the Aequitas Trials were Constructed Cold, thus meaning, to him anyway, that their bastardizing the Matrix had created Cybertronians more likely to sin, than others. After his discovery for atonement Tyrest started drilling into his own body, and one day drilled into his own brain, and had an epiphany, that Primus, and all the other religious myths in the Cybertronian race are true, and is now convinced that the space bridge portal he has set up, will lead him to Cyberutopia itself!

Outside, Whirl and Cyclonus are armed with Great Swords and are joined by the Circle of Light, and begin to take on the Legislators en masse!

Tyrest explains that he cannot go to Cyberutopia yet, as he is filled with sin, and only the pure can go there, he plans to remove his greatest sin however by triggering an energy wave that will kill all Cold Constructed Cybertronians (as they all have a similar energy source inside them too). Magnus goes to stop him from starting the process, but Tyrest reveals that he set up a new rule 90 (16) Pre-emptive execution, meaning that if the Chief Justice believes himself to be in danger then the Legislators will protect him. As such, one of them crushed Ambus' head, which Tyrest feels was fully deserved as well.....

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Sports Car

Minimus Ambus - Truck Cab Head crushed by Legislator

Ratchet - Ambulance

Pharma - Jet

Ambulon - Leg Sliced in Half by Pharma

First Aid - Ambulance

Skids - Van

Swerve - Van

Rung - Maintenance Buggy

Perceptor

Brainstorm - Jet

Chromedome - Car

Getaway

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Fortress Maximus - Tank

Mainframe

Highbrow - Helicopter

Blaster Badly Injured

Ultra Magnus Armour - Vehicle Transport (Flashback)Retired

Orion Pax (Flashback)

Original Ultra Magnus (Flashback)Dead

Delta Magnus (Flashback)

Drift - Car (Mentioned) Exiled

Suture (Mentioned) Died as Ultra Magnus

Datum (Mentioned) Died as Ultra Magnus by Megatron

Rewind - Giant Memory Stick (Mentioned) Dead

Impactor (Mentioned)

Roller (Mentioned)

Atomizer (Mentioned)

Ammo (Mentioned)

Lancet (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Snake Monster (Flashback)

Megatron (Mentioned)

Overlord (Mentioned) Believed to be Dead

Lockdown (Mentioned)

D.J.D. (Mentioned)

Circle of Light

Dai Atlas

Other Members

Other

Tailgate Dying of Cybercrosis

Cyclonus - Space Jet

Chief Justice Tyrest

Star Saber

Legislators

Nova Prime (Flashback)

Vector Sigma (Flashback)

Matrix Thief/Tigatron? (Flashback)

Nanocons (Mentioned)

Titans (Mentioend) Dead

Primus (Mentioned)

Sparkeaters (Mentioned)

Guiding Hand (Mentioned)

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Notes

• Ambus' spark is green, like Overlord's, further showing how he's a point one percenter
• Ultra Magnus being just an armour suit is of course a reference to his G1 toy, which was basically a suit for his inner robot
• If you look at Ambus' back kibble, you can sort of see parts that resemble his truck mode's cab, so technically he's been seen since Spotlight: Ultra Magnus, just not named!
• Delta Magnus seems to be based on the Powered Convoy version of the Ultra Magnus mold
• Rather than being the nice fella we all knew from Victory, Star Saber seems to be a religious nut here (and not an Autobot from the looks of it)
• The Magnus armour is covered in Attention Deflectors, which explains why no one's ever noticed the inner robot
• This story implies that Impactor and Roller are Point One Percenters as well
• Skids has been disarmed, from the looks of his shoulder cannons
• Cyclonus seems to want to find something or someone on Luna-1, perhaps a cure for Tailgate, or Scourge?
• Pharma's turned into the crazy ex-girlfriend from hell here....seriously!
• Cyclonus asks why Whirl hasn't had his Empurata reversed over the years, but WHirl claims it's because the world is messed-up. Cyclonus is resistant to talk about why he scratched up his face (after hearing of Tailgate's condition)
• The Circle of Light were revealed to be captured by the Legislators back in the 2012 Annual
• 17 (21), which the Legislators were screaming about the past 2 issues is revealed here to be "harbouring a criminal suspect", revealed here to be Skids
• Skids' overwhelming desire and single thoughts to escape that Chromedome read in his mind, was actually someone's name - Getaway!
• It's revealed here that Nova Prime DID have the Matrix at one point, but it was stolen from him by a thief as he was abusing it to Cold Construct new Cybertronians
• The Matrixes thief looks a bit like Tigatron
• Tyrest's holes are revealed to be because after the Aequitas Trials, he started self-harming, which led to him drilling into his brain, and making him "see the light" (and decide to cause genocide, you know, it happens!
• Star Saber going to Dai Atlas for aid in his quest and him being laughed away is sort of a reversal of what happened int Transformers Zone, where Star Saber asks Atlas to be the new Autobot Commander, and he happily accepts!
• Tyrest killing Transformers and using their dead bodies as raw material to build his Legislators is similar to what Megatron does in Beast Machines to build his Vehicon armies.

Speculation

• I think that Tyrest's computer that allows him to alter the Tyrest Accord will eventually be his downfall, as someone else could alter it, to make Tyrest seem to break the law, and the Legislators will take him out...ie someone else names themselves as Chief Justice, or says his actions are unlawful etc.
• Due to his instability, it's possible that Star Saber is Cold Constructed, and will turn on Tyrest before he tries to kill them all
• As implied here Luna-1 was meant to receive those energy pulses from Robots in Disguise 3, which would have revitalized the sparks here. So theoretically, shouldn't Luna-2, still in orbit of the planet, and receiving the energy, be producing sparks again now?

IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #18

Title: Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus

Written by: James Roberts

Pencils by: Alex Milne

Inks by: Brian Shearer

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editorial Assistant: Toni Korde

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Swerve is attacked by a Legislator in his bar, but manages to set off the bar's new weapon's system to weaken him, then finishes him off with his new blaster weapon. Meanwhile, the rest of the ship is under similar attacks, with everyone fighting off the Legislators, with Skids being hit the hardest for some reason in the Oil Reservoir.

On Luna-1, Pharma has taken Ratchet prisoner whilst Lockdown and his team hunt down the Autobots across the moon in the air. The Autobots fly away, but find themselves in a graveyard of Metrotitans and decide to use them to hide in and use them against the Decepticons. They manage to evade them for a short while, but are soon all captured (except Cyclonus and Whirl). 

The Autobots are taken away, and pass an inert Ultra Magnus who seems to ignore them, and then come face to face with Chief Justice Tyrest, the commander of the Legislators, who tells them they're  under arrest for crimes against Creation. Brainstorm and Perceptor notice that there's a prototype space bridge in the room too, and wonder why. Rodimus starts swearing at Tyrest, and before long they're all in a cell with Minimus Ambus (Dominus Ambus' spark brother).

The group talk to Ambus and Rung offers him his Autobot badge as he claims to have misplaced his own. Tailgate starts to panic as he's wasting his last few days in prison. Elsewhere in the facility Pharma wakes up Ratchet and shows off that his new hands have the ability to turn into anything, then asks him to play a game with him, and shows him a box for him to guess what's inside! (Horray FUN!)

Back on the Lost Light, Swerve runs through the ship, passing Deftwing's corpse and approaches the Oil Reservoir where he finds Skids just leaving it, exhausted, but victorious, until Stars Saber teleports in and skewers him, then knocks out Swerve as well.

On Luna-1, Ratchet maintains that he doesn't want to play the game, but Pharma continues anyway, opens it and reveals Ratchet's alternate mode inside, revealing that Ratchet is in fact just a head attacked to his spark right now!!

Inside the jail cell Rung is giving out energon sticks and explains to Tailgate that Chief Justice Tyrest is the same Chief Engineer Tyrest that was around during the time of Nova Prime, and that he became Chief Justice after making some treaties between the Autobots and Decepticons. Rodimus adds that Tyrest went off the grid after the Aequitas trials on Garrus-9 were suspended, on his own orders.

Rung offers Ambus some of the energon sticks, but drops them and makes a mess, annoying Ambus, leading Rung to confirm his theory, as all of Ambus' traits are similar to someone elses, leading him to force Ambus to reveal the truth, that somehow, he is in fact Ultra Magnus! (DUN DUN DUH!!)

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Chromedome - Car

Rung - Maintenance Buggy

Perceptor

Brainstorm - Jet

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Swerve - Small Van Head Conked by Star Saber

Skids - Van Skewered by Star Saber

Minimus Ambus

Ratchet - Ambulance Head and Spark detached from Body by Pharma

Pharma - Jet

Star Saber

Fortress Maximus - Tank

Blaster Injured by Legislators

First Aid - Ambulance

Ambulon - Leg

Hound - Jeep

Gears

Huffer

Inferno

Smokescreen

Hoist - Crane

Dipstick - Car Injured by Legislators

Trailbreaker - Van

Deftwing Killed by Legislators

Ultra Magnus Body Inactive

Optimus Prime (Mentioned)

Dominus Ambus (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Lockdown

Chop Shop

Venom

Ransack

Barrage

"Hardshell" - Insect

Vehicons - Cars and Jets

Megatron (Flashback)

Shockwave (Flashback)

Other

Tailgate - Car Dying

Cyclonus - Jet

Chief Justice Tyrest

Legislators

Medi-Drone Crushed by Legislators

Metrotitan Graveyard Dead

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Dai Atlas (Mentioned)

Nova Prime (Mentioned)

Notes

• Swerve's bar has a sign that bans swords, guns and of course...briefcases (guess Brainstorm's unmentionable thing scares Swerve a bit after all!)
• Brainstorm made Swerve a "My First Blaster" so he can be a better shot, most likely due to his incidents with Rung's head and his own face in the past.
• Fort Max still has some serious skills here! He tears off one Legislator's head whilst blasting another with his leg arms, all whilst tending to Blaster and sending out a message to the crew!!!
• OH NO!! Did they just kill the medical drone!!??!!
• Lockdown's crew is now joined by the car and jet Vehicons and Hardshell-Insecticons from the Prime series
• I get the feeling that all those holes on Tyrest, including on his forehead, as well as him repeating some of his words, like he was being listened to by someone...Quintessons maybe? (Especially with the "crimes against creation" thing too, which was their whole thing back in the 80's cartoon)
• Deftwing gets still by a head injury off screen here...much like what happened to his fellow Lightformer Ironfist in Last Stand of the Wreckers (through Ironfist got more screen time first of course)
• Star Saber has what seems to be an ancient sword with him...maybe he has something to do with the Circle of Light?
• The sparks have calmed down again since Rodimus left the surface of the planet, meaning that he must be a catalyst of some sort for it.