IDW - Transformers: War's End #1

Written by: Brian Ruckley 

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Inks by: Matt Froese

Colours by: John-Paul Bove & Priscilla Tramontano

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Plot

Geomotus and Landmine are sent to the Sonic Canyons with some Autobot guards to investigate the area, as Optimus and the other higher-ups think that something will happen there regarding Exarchon.

Eventually the team encounter a set of old automated weapons that weren't disabled following the war. Unable to stop them, the team elect to jump further down the canyons to (relative) safety.

At his base, Exarchon explains to Shockwave how he jumped into Provoke's body and managed to survive. He offers positions in his new bid to conquer Cybertron to Skywarp and Shockwave, the latter of which is willing to listen when he mentions there were secrets he kept, even from him back in the original war.

Soon, Soundblaster and the Combaticons, minus Blast Off, who is AWOL, agree to join Exarchon, but Skywarp is uninterested and warps away. Onslaught tries to stop him, but Exarchon doesn't care. He says that he has something important in the Sonic Canyons, and that the Autobots are already there...but adds that HE is also there too...

Back at the Canyons, the Autobots survived their fall, and Geomotus soon finds an artificial shaft in the ground, which Zetar tries to drill down to inetrcept it, but the entrance opens, and Exarchon, in his new Deathsaurus body exits and prepares to kill the intruders...

At Iacon, Cyclonus approaches the Decepticon's HQ, still holding the decapitated head of Provoke/Exarchon and demands to see Megatron, after a short fight with the guards, Sixshot comes out and agrees when Cyclonus mentions Exarchon...

Sixshot brings Cyclonus to Megatron, but the Decepticon leader isn't interested, but Sixshot brings up all the strange occurrences recently, like strange revivals and disappearances such as Flatline and Deathsaurus.

Characters

Autobot

Geomotus - Radar Buggy

Landmine - Plough Buggy

Pointblank - Car

Zetar - Drill Tank

Sureshot - Buggy

Optimus Prime - Truck (Mentioned)

Pyra Magna - Truck (Mentioned)

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Crystal City Defenders (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

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

Soundwave - Hovercraft

Starscream - Jet

Gutcruncher

Roughstuff - Truck

Blast Off - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Threefold Spark

Exarchon/Flatline - Van

Exarchon/Deathsaurus - Dragon

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Soundblaster - Hovercraft

Onslaught - Tank

Brawl - Tank

Vortex - Helicopter

Exarchon/Provoke (Flashback) Dead

Exarchon's Last War Body (Flashback) Dead

Exarchon/Ruckus - Buggy Dead

Clone Swarms (Mentioned) Destroyed

Other Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Skywarp - Jet

Paragon (Ghost)

Provoke (Ghost)

Grudge (Ghost)

Gridlock (Ghost)

Highfire (Ghost)

Cosmos - Orbiter (Mentioned)

Swindle - Van (Mentioned)

Insecticons (Mentioned)

Other

Flyts

Rust Worms (Mentioned)

Exarchon's Re-makers (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue is mentioned as happening concurrently with Transformers 40, with the attack on the Crystal City being referenced multiple times.
• It's very likely that the events of "War's End" was originally meant to be the B story of the main series, but due to the approaching end of the IDW license, they simply released it as its own series to allow the story to be completed properly.
• Just like with Bumblebee and Elita-1 in the main series, Geomotus and Landmine don't have Autobot insignias this issue, but are very clearly sided with them, so I'm just marking them as Autobots here.
• Optimus thinks that something will happen at the Sonic Canyons, most likely, because of Jumpstream's time jump, where she learned that she and Cyclonus are killed there.
• The Sonic Canyons seen here are explained as being named for the air moving through pores in the fissures of the mountain ranges.
• Cyclonus killed the Provoke/Exarchon vessel in Transformers #39, he is shown to still be holding her head here.
• Roughstuff and Gutcruncher are shown positioned together as guards, both were previously employees of Swindle's, who were apparently undercut by him.
• Soundblaster confirms that he was created by both Shockwave and Exarchon, though it's not mentioned here, it is still very likely that he is a clone of Soundwave, for some reason.
• Blast Off is mentioned as having left to meet someone, most likely Cosmos on the Winged Moon, as the two were shown to have started a relationship in the Valentine's Day special.
• When Zetar transforms, he is shown separating and reassembling, much like his current Selects toy...does this mean his parts can turn into weapons too then?

IDW - Transformers #32

Title: Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova & Angel Hernandez

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

In Exarchon's world, Jumpstream is berated by the despot inside Megatron, Onslaught and Shockwave's bodies, before they decide that she isn't worth their time, and sends her to be sold to the Voin.

After being escorted to the Thraal Mercenaries, she is dragged towards the Voin, and along the way she determines that this must be an alternate timeline where Exarchon won the war...

Before much more can happen though, a group of rebels led by Bumblebee find and rescue her, killing the Thraal. One of the rebels, Swift, is confused however, as she saw Jumpstream killed along with Cyclonus a long time ago. Unfortunately however, the group are soon tracked down by Exarchon's forces and are slowly killed, until only Bumblebee and Jumpstream remain. Bee gives Jumpstream his nucleon converter, as well as the now dead Powerglide's, to refuel her teleportation device, to allow her to return home, just as Beebis also killed.

Jumpstream is flung through the intermediate space again, catching the attention of a shadowy figure in there in the process, before falling out, back in Perceptor's lab, but unconscious.

Elsewhere, in Shockwave's lab, Sunstorm is trying to get Onslaught, and later Vortex, to let him out of his containment, so he can show everyone his new world...

At the Iacon Medical Center, Cyclonus rushes to Provoke's room, as she has just suddenly awoken, despite being essentially dead just a short time before...

Back at Perceptor's lab, Pyra Magna is furious with Perceptor for endangering her soldier like this, but he's more preoccupied by something else, despite him believing her jumps to enable her to cross dimensions with the upgrades, she isntead travelled to the future, and now they just need her to same up to tell them what she saw there...

In between the timeframes again, the shadowy figure finds a stream a light leftover by Jumpstream's recent jump, and uses it to follow her trip, allowing a long lost Skywarp to finally return to Cybertron!

Characters

Autobot

Pyra Magna - Truck

Jumpstream - Car Unconscious

Perceptor - Treaded Vehicle

Ratchet - Ambulance

Lancer - Car

Future Jumpstream - Car (Mentioned) Dead

Future Pyra Magna - Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Onslaught - Anti-aircraft Truck

Vortex - Helicopter

Sunstorm - Jet In Confinement

Threefold Spark

Exarchon 

Megatron - Tank Body controlled by Exarchon

Onslaught - Anti-aircraft Truck Body controlled by Exarchon

Shockwave - Flying Artillery Body controlled by Exarchon

Vortex - Helicopter

Triggerhappy - Jet Killed by Bumblebee

Clone Drone Swarm - Jets

Insecticon Clone Swarm - Insects 

Future Rebels

Bumblebee Killed by Threefold Spark Forces

Swift Killed by Vortex

Blackjack Killed by Insecticon Swarm

Powerglide Killed by Triggerhappy

Other Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Flatline - Van

Skywarp - Jet

Provoke

Future Corpses Dead

Primus (Mentioned)

Future Cyclonus - Jet (Mentioned) Dead

Cyclonus' Team (Mentioned) Dead

Other

Flyts

A skitter Eaten by Flyts 

Future Thraal Mercenaries Killed by Rebels

The Voin (Mentioned)

Notes

• The future Thraal in this issue use mech suits similar to their original counterparts from the Titan UK comics.
• The Thraal are a part of the Mercenary faction, based on their insignias, rather than just independent mercenaries.
• The brief appearance of the Skywarp Clones in jet mode makes it seem like they are on their Earth modes, possibly hinting that this is set after Earthfall.
• Powerglide using Sideswipe's Thermal Lance implies that he probably died in the past. Poor fella!
• The rebels have been forced to use Necleon for fuel for so long, that they've now lost their alternate modes. So essentially they are stuck as Action Masters....maybe death WAS a better option?
• Provoke waking up, after us being told that she was basically dead, after having her unknown surgery before being buried is quite suspect huh? I think we know where Exarchon was hiding...

IDW - Bumblebee: Win if you Dare

Written by: James Asmus

Art by: Marcelo Ferreira & Athila Fabbio

Colours by: Valentina Pinto

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Plot

Bumblebee returns to the Ark following a test drive of his new body frame, and gets warned by Optimus against being so reckless in the future and taking on foes larger than him. Soon, the other Autobots are sent out on missions, whilst Bee is requested to complete another test drive, which he does, and starts to question his role on the team.

Soon, Bee sees a couple of racers, and disguises himself amongst them, only to get rammed by the racing jeep. The driver of the pick-up truck racer, Mateo, who has prosthetic limbs, berates the jeep driver for doing that, only for him to get rammed too, sending him over the side of the mountain road. Before he collides with the ground however, Bee transforms and saves him and his truck, shocking Mateo, who isn't aware of the Cybertronians.

Bee tows Mateo's truck back to his house for repairs, where Mateo explains that he lives with his mother, an aerospace engineer, who has been busy on a top-secret project recently.

Meanwhile, at her top-secret military hangar, Mateo's mother, Angela, is making last minutes plans for her upcoming presentation on a new stealth bomber, unaware than Swindle, the jeep from the earlier race, has been spying on her!

The next day, Mateo has breakfast with his mother, who explains that her presentation is the next day, so she can spend more time with him after that. 

With his mother gone, Mateo goes to their aircraft hanger, where Bee is hiding, as he plans to work with Mateo to find out who their race opponent was, and bring him to justice for trying to kill him. Mateo directs Bee to a garage where he meets with his friend Nicole, who works there and he thinks may know the identity of the racer. They awkwardly talk and Bee realizes that they like each other and tries to bring them closer. Nicole tells Mateo that she's going to the dance that night with some friends, and asks him to join them, before directing him to a military surplus and museum.

At the surplus, Mateo confronts the owner, Herman, who he thinks is the racer, when he notices his mother's bomber design on his boards. Realizing this is bigger than he though, he runs away to Bee, but is rammed by Swindle, who has been hiding there, knocking off his prosthesis, but managing to get into Bee. Bee and Mateo chase Swindle, unaware that the other Combaticons are still at the surplus, continuing their plot. Swindle manages to escape from the duo, and they return to Mateo's home, where Bee convinces him to go to the dance that night instead!

Angela's car breaks down on the way home from the airforce base, when she is captured by Swindle and is taken back to the surplus, where she is shown footage of Mateo, to force her to help them build their own stealth engines....

Mateo goes into the dance hall and starts awkwardly hanging out with Nicole, but Bee has a plan, he takes control of Mateo's prosthesis and makes him dance to impress Nicole, and the two have fun (with Bee revealing he only started him dancing, he's been doing it himself for a while now).

Soon, Bee notices Vortex in the area filming the school and chases him. Mateo and Nicole follow him (with the latter just believing the car was stolen) in Nicole's car. Bee tries to contact the Autobots, but Vortex is jamming his signals.

Back at the surplus, Onslaught starts yelling about Vortex going after Bee, instead of staying with the kid, giving Angela her cue. She grabs the planning board and smacks Swindle with it, allowing her to escape into one of the planes in the yard, allowing her to escape in one.

Angela flies to Sierra Station, where her bomber is based, hoping to get help against the Decepticons, but discovers that due to the presentation the next day, the base has minimal live ammunition on-site.

Bee and his humans friends arrive at the air field just after Angela, just in time for the Combaticons to combine into Bruticus. Despite the difference in size, Bee goes up to him in vehicle mode, and manages to drive around his legs, causing him to lose balance and fall, forcing him to de-combine. Soon, the Autobot and his human allies have gone missing, and they soon know why...they are on the stealth bomber and use it to bomb the Decepticons, with Bee knocking them out with an EMP as well.

Bee calls in the other Autobots, who round up and capture the Combaticons, and Bee tells Optimus what he learned from all this. He needs to concentrate on what he IS good at, and not what he lacks in. Bee says goodbye to his new friends by having one last race with Mateo....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Bumblebee - VW Beetle

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Sideswipe - Lamborghini 

Blaster - Boom Box

Ratchet - Ambulance 

Wheeljack - Race Car

Prowl - Police Car

Hound - Jeep (On Screen)

Ironhide - Van (On Screen)

Jazz - Porsche (On Screen)

Mirage - F1 Race Car (Mentioned)

Trailcutter - Camper Van (Mentioned)

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Onslaught - Anti-Aircraft Truck Capture by Autobots

Swindle - Jeep Capture by Autobots

Brawl - Tank Capture by Autobots

Vortex - Helicopter Capture by Autobots

Blast Off - Space Shuttle Capture by Autobots

Bruticus - Combaticon Gestalt

Megatron - Gun (Mentioned)

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Human

Mateo Cruz

Angela Cruz

Nicole

Herman

Captain Devlin

Random Humans

Sierra Station Personnel

Other

Diagnostic Drone

Notes

• This new graphic novel series is set in a variant of the G1 animated cartoon. Though I guess it COULD be the same continuity, but set in the years between season two and three...but then where did Windblade go after this series?
• Due to the stealth bomber's role in this comic, the story seems to be set in the mid-nineties, putting it after season two, however Mateo doesn't seem to know about Transformers, who have been active on Earth for at least a decade this means....maybe he's just very unattentive?
• The title of this volume is, of course, based on the line from the Stan Bush song "Dare", a prominent piece from the 80's G1 movie.
• Bumblebee is mentioned as being in a new body, explaining why he looks so different to his original cartoon look, despite the rest of the characters looking fairly authentic.
• Optimus points out to Bee that he cannot fly....well he COULD in the pilot episodes!!
• So....why exactly is Swindle getting involved in street races?
• Bee's use of the radio and making himself break down to try and get Mateo and Nicole together is clearly a reference to the similar scenes from the Live Action movie.
• Bee having a display with his face on it to interact with his drivers is taken straight from the original Robots in Disguise series, and Rescue Bots.
• So...I can buy Bee being able to control Mateo's prosthetic limbs with radio signals...but how is he controlling his ORGANIC arms?!
• Swindle has been mentioned as being out of favours with Megatron again, like he was in Aerial Assault and B.O.T. from the cartoon, though at least his friends, the Combaticons are still willing to work with him....surely that's not because of him forming a leg in their gestalt form though!
• Trailbreaker is referred to as "Trailcutter" in this comic, despite his original name being available again now....
• Wheeljack is mentioned as being "the smartest"...don't tell Perceptor or Brainstorm!!
• Despite them being captured at the end of this story, their reappearance in Season Three of the cartoon would tell us they get released/escape between now and then.

IDW - Till All Are One #11

Title: If I Know You

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Blast Off assures Onslaught that despite some minor memory loss, the team are fine, and he should just ask him to fill in any gaps. Starscream arrives to see how his bodyguards are doing, and offers them a rest to get over their injuries. Outside, a doctor asks him to come with him as he has an issue to discuss with him.

Starscream is immediately annoyed when he finds that the doctor wants to discuss Windblade, whom is currently comatose, and written off as dead by Stascream, however the doctor corrects him that Windblade isn't dead, but rather her body is housing two minds at the moment, which both of them determine to be Vigilem. The doctor wants to have Starscream's permission to look for another surgeon to look at her, but Starscream refuses, not wanting people to see her as the hero who saved Cybertron, when that is what he's trying to do, so he leaves.

Outside the room, the "ghost" of Bumblebee appears and snaps at Starscream for not admitting that he wants to help Windblade, since he knows it's a lie, since he keeps thinking about her. Starscream screams at Bumblebee that he's doing this because he has to be alone, because any time he's ever tried to do otherwise, life has taken it all away from him, and even demands that Bumblebee leaves too. This outburst draws the attention of the medical staff, but he ignores them, now noticing that Bumblebee has indeed now left him alone....

In her comatose mind, Windblade flies away from the manifestation of Vigilem, who is tearing through the cityscape that forms her mind, he dismisses her efforts to evade him, and points out that when the city is all gone, then so will her life. At this, Windblade fights back and attacks the Titan, growing in size and power to match him, however the Titan fights back and messes with her mind, making her believe that if they work together they can overthrow Starscream, due to his clear madness, he even brings up how Windblade has compromised her strong morals in the past, hiding Chromia's murders, bribing Starscream, manipulating Navitas, and even spying on Starscream and his crew and seems to make her think....

Back in the waking world, Starscream goes on with his life, but becomes unnerved by the lack of Bumblebee. Soon, Onslaught and Blast Off arrive, having finished their guarding jobs for him for the day, so Onslaught heads off. Blast Off is left alone with Starscream and Blast Off insists on seeing Swindle, who Starscream has kept hidden still, despite his freedom being a part of their deal. Surprisingly Starscream agrees!

In her secret lab, Airachnid is patching up a newly revived Swindle, whom she has managed to fix. This cheers up Blast Off, and he has a chat with his long lost friend. Whilst the Combaticons are talking, Starscream asks Airachnid about Windblade's case, as she has made herself familiar with it, and explains that due to Camien and Titan mind signals being similar it will require another mind to join with them to destroy the remains of Vigilem, allowing Windblade to wake up, however by doing so it will put added stress on her brain, risking all three minds in the process.

That night, Starscream is in his hab-suite telling himself that he won't do this as it is stupid, but soon realizes that he NEEDS Windblade, as she is a public figure that people like, and this will help him in the long run. He tells the nothingness around him that he hates it...to which a shadowy figure of Bumblebee replies that he knows....

Characters

Autobot

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet Comatose

Bumblebee - Car Hallucination

Chromia - Speedbike (Flashback)

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Metroplex - Iacon City (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Onslaught - Anti-Aircraft Tank

Blast Off - Jet

Swindle - Van

Brawl - Tank (Mentioned)

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Rattrap - Mole Rat

Windblade's Doctor

Medical Staff

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Airachnid - Spider

Vigilem - Carcer Starship Trapped in Windblade's mind

Mistress of Flame (Flashback)

Windblade's Training Partner (Flashback)

Windblade's Teacher (Flashback)

Solus Prime (Mentioned) Dead

Liege Maximo (Mentioned)

Elita One (Mentioned)

Chromia's Victims (Mentioned) Dead

Notes

• This issue begins where the previous issue leaves off, with Onslaught and Blast Off holding hands
• The medical staff featured in this issue all share a colour scheme with Ratchet, Ambulon, First Aid and Pharma, further showing the "uniform" of the Cybertronian medical staff, though one of these guys seems to turn into a tank....YIKES!
• Windblade's confusing status since her melding with Vigilem is revealed now, she is in a comatose state due to Vigilem downloading himself into her brain just before his death.
• Bumblebee's sudden vanishing, and latter reappearance, complete with a shadow, is likely because of the recent revelation in the Transformers Annual that he is still alive in the Crystal City, stuck in the singularity in the Rust Sea.
• Though saying that, I still hope this is just Centurion coming to Cybertron to mess with Starscream's head :D
• As Windblade fights with the Vigilem construct in her mind, she gains extra adornments that somewhat resembles her Combiner Hunters version, but with extra tassels and pins.
• Similarly Vigilem changes into a darker version of Windblade, but with a flame effect instead of her headdress...I smell a repaint!!!!
• Windblade's old teacher during her flashbacks looks a little like the Animated version of Rodimus
• The cityscape in her mind looks like how Cybertron did before the reformatting of the planet...why does Windblade have this image in her mind? (From what we've seen of it, Caminus looks very different).
• Swindle sure looks perky for a guy who was shot in the chest and was braindead for like a year or two huh?
• Airachnid knows about Starscream's "hallucinations" but Starscream appears to not want her to remove him...guess he wants his little angel on the shoulder.

IDW - Till All Are One #10

Title: The Price of You

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Starscream speaks with his imaginary Bumblebee friend about his recent bad choices with the judgement on the Badgeless officer, and releasing Chromia on the condition that she killed Liege Maximo, and also bemoans that Elita One is almost finished with her repairs on her ship, and is preparing to take off again, whilst stilling milking the "sacrifices" she made during the Titans attack.

Starscream receives a message from an employee of his, whom Bumblebee urges him to ignore, but Starscream still decides to meet with the sender, his secret Mnemosurgeon employee, Airachnid.

Airachnid has been working for Starscream for some time now to try and find Swindle, by entering the minds of other Decepticons, and later worked on the Combaticons following their capture. She was forced into exile from Eukaris due to her experimenting on and torturing other Eukarians, leading to her arrival on Cybertron.

Airachnid explains that whilst altering the minds of the Combaticons is too risky, as they may notice inconsistencies between the events they remember, but since they already have shared a mind once, she can control all of them by having one of them altered, and act as a lynchpin for the story so the others don't question it....

Blast Off wakes up in his apartment with Onslaught, where the two are getting ready for another day working on protecting Starscream, and then they lean in for a kiss....Starscream intrudes, pausing Onslaught in place, revealing to Blast Off that all of this is still in his mind.

Starscream proceeds to point out how all the other Combaticons are monsters, but Blast Off wants things to be better, so he offers him to have his mind altered so that it looks like the Combaticons have been working for Starscream all along, and that Swindle was shot by accident during the riots. Blast Off is, of course angry at this idea since it goes against everything they've fought over, but Starscream offers to also make Onslaught notice him when he wakes up, and also allow Blast Off to remember the truth, but also have the new memories too, in exchange for the Combaticons protecting him as Bruticus in the future.

Starscream manipulates Blast Off and points out that Onslaught will never notice him on his own, and will just start a new coup when he wakes up, whilst the Combaticons are treated as criminals, just as Starscream leaves...Blast Off agrees....

A little later, the Combaticons, including Swindle have started coming around, and Starscream tells Ironhide that Airachnid believes that the Enigma of Combination caused Bruticus to go on his rampage. Ironhide isn't happy, but accepts Starscream's story, but is still insistent on finding out who stole the Enigma to cause them to combine in the first place.

Onslaught wakes up to find Blast Off standing over his bed, they joke about Blast Off plotting against Onslaught, until Onslaught starts to notice something new about Blast Off......

Characters

Autobot

Chromia - Speed Bike

Ironhide - Van

Bumblebee - Cybertronian Car (Hallucination-Ghost)

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Blast Off - Space Shuttle

Onslaught - Anti-Aircraft Tank

Vortex - Helicopter (Flashback)

Brawl - Tank (Flashback)

Swindle - Van (Flashback) Mind repaired by Airachnid

Bruticus - Combaticon Gestalt (Flashback)

Rioters (Flashback)

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

"Guilty" Badgeless Officer

Badgeless Officers (Flashback)

Colonists

Airachnid - Spider

Blackarachnia - Spider (Flashback)

Other Fate Spinner (Flashback)

Airachnia's Victims (Flashback) Dead

Elita One (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Vigilem - Carcer Spaceship Dead

Liege Maximo (Mentioned)

Notes

• This is the first issue reviewed since the announcement that Till All Are One was cancelled after issue 12, so it's been revealed that this final story arc is essentially a wrap-up plot for the main characters
• Also along with the announcement a few abandoned plot lines were disclosed, including one where Elita One almost starts a new war from Kaon, Knock Out fat-shaming "Breakdown", and the "wedding" of Lightbright and Sparkstalker...Maaaaaaybe ending here was a good idea after all?
• It's revealed that the Mnemosurgeon who was assaulting Decepticons at the start of this series was Airachnid, who is a Eukarian who has been in Starscream's employ for some time now
• She's unnamed here, but the third Fate Spinner in Airachnid's flashback looks sort of like a brown version of Beast Wars Insecticon, who turned into a beetle.
• Airachnid is a straight transplant of the same character from Transformers: Prime, except that she appears to transform into a spider, rather than a helicopter here.
• Okay, I have a massive problem with the ending of this story, everyone seems completely fine with Onslaught having his mind altered to make him "notice" Blast Off in a romantic way, whilst it could be argued that Blast Off was forced to do this, or be stuck in a comatose state, but he wasn't, this was just an incentive offered by Starscream, Blast Off didn't need to accept having Onslaught fall for him in this forced manner. I would love to see how the audience would react if it was a character like Arcee who was forced to "notice" another Autobot to try and reign in her violent tendencies, like was done here.

IDW - Till All Are One #4

Title: The Line Between Us

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B Long

Editors: John Barber & Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

The Combaticons have now combined into Bruticus, but due to their anger, they wind up going on a rampage and attacking the city. Chromia, Rattrap and Wheeljack run away to avoid being killed by the combiner.

Inside his head, the Combaticons are looking for the secret that Swindle had on Starscream, when Blast Off finds the memory, the team discover that Starscream gave the Enigma to Swindle to cause havoc on Caminus with the Stunticons, but that he recorded the conversation for proof. The Combaticons, minus Blast Off want to kill Starscream now, but Blast Off just wants the tape to take down Starscream legitimately, leaving Bruticus outwardly confused and further angry.

Ironhide is informed of the Combiner attack and gathers his security forces to take him on, quickly recognizing one of the limbs as being Blast Off, he tries to reach out to him, but the other Combaticons see him as an enemy. Bruticus attacks the security forces, whilst the Council Chambers are evacuated for their safety. Starscream orders Windblade to assassinate Bruticus so his secrets can be kept safe, and threatens Chromia's safety again.

Windblade has had enough, and contacts Chromia telling her to stop Ironhide from killing Bruticus, as she has decided to break off her deal with Starscream, and take him down with Bruticus' information. She orders Chromia to return to Caminus as soon as she can for safety from persecution.

Windblade makes it to Bruticus, and Chromia manages to get Ironhide to stop his attacks on him. Windblade appeals to Bruticus and tells him that she is against Starscream too, and wants his help, but the angry combiner doesn't believe her and smacks her out of the sky. Chromia rushes to Windblade's aid, and Bruticus aims his back cannons at the two Camiens, preparing to kill them.

However Ironhide shoots Bruticus through the head, and forces the Combaticons to decombine, knocking them all unconscious in the process, stopping Windblade from getting the information from them.

Chromia and Windblade are mad as this was their only chance to take down Starscream, and now he'll use the dirt on Chromia to destroy them both. Chromia sees Circuit and Longtooth nearby and decides to protect Windblade one last time. She interrupts their live report on the Combaticons and admits to her murders and causing the Acrolight earthquake. She forces Ironhide to arrest her, to show that NO-ONE is above the law.

Starscream watches this on the news feed and is clearly angry at losing his main gambling point with Windblade, and hopes that Windblade will be fine without her, and will step into the light now...

Characters

Autobot

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Ironhide - Van

Chromia - Speedbike Arrested by Ironhide

Wheeljack - Race Car

Metroplex - Iacon City

Decepticon

Bruticus - Combaticon Gestalt Disabled by Ironhide

Onslaught - Anti-Aircraft Tank Arrested by Security Force

Blast Off - Jet Arrested by Security Force

Swindle - Van Brain-Dead, Arrested by Security Force

Vortex - Helicopter Arrested by Security Force

Brawl - Tank Arrested by Security Force

Sparkstalker - Insect Monster

Tall Tankor - Truck/Jet

Fat Tankor - Tank

Unified Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Rattrap - Mole Rat

Circuit

Longtooth

Unaligned Colonist

Strika - Battle Tank

Moonracer - Sports Car

Knock Out - Sports Car

Air Hammer - Owl-Hammerhead Shark Fuzor

Other Cybertronian

Random Civilians

The Primes (Mentioned)

Scrap Cruncher (Mentioned) Killed by Chromia

Exhaust (Mentioned) Killed by Chromia

Technimus (Mentioned) Killed by Chromia

Notes

• This issue marks the end of the first storyline in Till All Are One, resolving the mystery of Swindle's "death", the Combaticon's role in modern Cybertron, and even the plot thread of Starscream blackmailing Windblade over Chromia's crimes.
• This is the first time a combiner created by the Enigma of Combination has gone on a rampage, and has had visible problems. This is likely because of Swindle being brain-dead, but could be because of the team not really trusting each other.
• Windblade decides that her Cityspeaker role should include speaking to Combiners....that doesn't work too well....
• So Bruticus was defeated with just one shot through the head by Ironhide? Seems a bit anti-climactic for the built-up "villain" of this first story arc.
• The names scratched into Chromia's scalp are confirmed here to be the names of the Cybertronians she killed.
• The next issue to be released will be the Revolutions tie-in. So unless #5 is set during the same time as Titans Return, I'm guessing there will be a time-gap between the issues
• Despite their factions not being mentioned here, Chromia's three victims sound like Decepticon names.

IDW - Till All Are One #3

Title: Things We Said We'd Never Do

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Windblade arrives at Metroplex's brain chamber and asks him to monitor the rust corridors to look for both Onslaught and Swindle's body, Metroplex asks her why, but Windblade is unwilling to reveal that. Unfortunately for her, Chromia appears and forces her to reveal that she's doing surveillance work for Starscream because he is threatening to expose Chromia's crimes to everyone.

Windblade reveals to her that she's looking for Swindle and trying to find him before Onslaught can because Starscream thinks he can do something to him to hurt his leadership.

Chromia reveals that she has secured footage of the space bridge room during the Combiner Wars and brings it up, but finds it corrupted. Chromia starts working on de-corrupting it, which takes a long time.

Over the next two weeks, Chromia works on repairing the footage, whilst Ironhide is training up his new police force. After the montage, both Blast Off and Chromia manage to hack into the security footage, showing Rattrap and Wheeljack carrying off Swindle's body.

Chromia rushes off to find Wheeljack, and contacts Windblade to keep her informed, however Starscream wont leave her alone, since she hasn't given him any good information yet.

Chromia reaches Wheeljack's apartment and tries to speak to him, just as Blast Off and Vortex blow a hole in the wall, intending to take Wheeljack in.

After a short battle, Chromia is beaten, and Wheeljack reveals that he and Rattrap didn't try to hide Swindle's body, they were trying to save him as he claimed to have secret information on Starscream, but they were too late, and found him brain-dead.

Soon afterwards, Onslaught confronts Rattrap, but is stopped from hurting him by Blast Off, who has arrived with his own Autobot prisoners. Onslaught forces Rattrap to fetch "something" for him, whilst Wheeljack takes him to Swindle's body.

Wheeljack leads Chromia and the Combaticons to a hidden lab where they find a brain-dead Swindle lies hooked up to some machines. Onslught still seems hopeful to get the information from Swindle's mind, but Blast Off is fed up with this. They've found Swindle, but he's brain-dead, they have failed in their plans. Onslught manages to convince him to just help him once more, which Blast Off regretfully does.

Rattrap turns up and Onslaught takes the "something" from him....the Enigma of Combination! Onslaught plans to use this to combine the Combaticons with Swindle, so they can both get the information from his head, and also get revenge on Starscream....

Characters

Autobot

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Chromia - Speed Bike

Ironhide - Van

Wheeljack - Race Car

Metroplex - Iacon City

Decepticon

Onslaught - Anti-Aircraft Truck

Blast Off - Space Shuttle

Vortex - Helicopter

Brawl - Tank

Swindle - Van Brain Dead

Sparkstalker - Insect Monster

Fat Tankor - Tank

Tall Tankor - Truck/Jet

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Rattrap - Mole Rat

New Badgeless Recruits

Colonist

Obsidian - Osprey Stealth Jet

Strika - Battle Tank

Moonracer - Sports Car

Knock Out - Sports Car

Tigatron - Tiger

Airazor - Falcon

Fireshot - Part of Jet

Elita One (Mentioned)

Other

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Notes

• Windblade reveals to Chromia that Starscream is blackmailing her because of what Chromia did in the original Windblade mini-series.
• Despite not being a City Speaker, Chromia can communicate with Metroplex using a keyboard and monitors etc.
• Metroplex has seemingly grown some streets of apartments for the Cybertronians to live in!
• How did Rattrap manage to steal the Enigma of Combination here? Last time we saw it, it was under constant guard by at least two individuals.
• Despite what it appears to be, it looks like Blast Off is willing to abandon Onslaught and the other Combaticons after this mission to try and save Swindle, most likely as a consequence of his positive police training by Ironhide.
• On the other hand, Onslaught appears to be turning a little bit possessive and wants to merge with the Combaticons for ever!!!
• This issue came with a pull-out advert for the upcoming Revolution event.

IDW - Till All Are One #2

Title: Applicable Skills

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Priscilla Tramontano

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

The riots over the death of a Decepticon by one of the Badgeless officers continues through the night, but Blast Off, who was directly involved in the incident has snuck back to the Combaticon Apartment, once there, Onslught quickly determines that Blast Off has done something and takes him to one side for a discussion.

The rioters, now being led by Onslaught and Blast Off storm towards the Council building, ready to lynch Starscream for his criminal actions.

An emergency meeting of the Council of Worlds is held, where Starscream suggests that they lock down the city and arrest everyone who has committed any crime to set an example. The Council disagree, and suggest calling on Victorion from Earth, as she could end the riots easily, however Starscream refuses since opening the space bridge could allow the rioters to take control of it.

Starscream reveals to the Council that Onslaught has a vendetta against him due to him breaking a deal with him over power in the past.

Ironhide, Windblade and Obsidian manipulate the situation, and force Starscream into naming Ironhide the new head of the Badgeless, as he's respected by the public.

Ironhide heads outside to announce his new position to the rioters and promises the find Swindle or his corpse, and also asks the rioters for volunteers to join the Badgeless and help him, regardless of past factions etc.

After a short period of silence, the Tankors and Sparkstalker volunteer, at this Onslaught snaps and attacks Ironhide, however Blast Off turns on his leader and restrains him, joining the New Badgeless himself, to Onsluaght's anger.

Up at the observation level of the Council building, the Council members decide to make a comment on the situation and leave. Windblade remains to ask Starscream if he does have Swindle's body, which Starscream finally confirms to not have. Starscream blackmails Windblade into taking down the Combaticons, before they can hurt him, or he'll expose Chromia's past crimes to the population.

In the streets of Iacon, Fat Tankor offers Blast Off to stay with him since he's fallen out with the Combaticons, which Blast Off accepts. Blast Off wanders off on his own and bumps into Onslught....who congratulates him on his good work!

Characters

Autobot

Ironhide - Van

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Chromia - Speed Bike

Bumblebee - Car (Ghost)

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Onslaught - Anti-Aircraft Truck

Blast Off - Space Shuttle

Brawl - Tank

Vortex - Helicopter

Sparkstalker - Insect Monster

Tall Tankor - Jet/Truck

Fat Tankor - Treaded Vehicle

"Drunkatron" - Car (Footage Only) Dead

Swindle - Van (Mentioned) Assumed Dead

Decepticon Justice Division (Mentioned)

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Rattrap - Mole Rat

Circuit

Badgeless Officers

Colonist

Obsidian - Osprey Stealth Bomber

Strika - Battle Tank

Airazor - Falcon

Tigatron - Tiger

Knock Out - Sports Car

Moonracer - Sports Car

Vanquish - Part of Jet

Fireshot - Part of Jet

Elita One - Car (Mentioned)

Other

Various Rioters

Primus (Mentioned)

Notes

• From the images shown in during the opening of this issue, it's very likely that Blast Off was the one to record the death of "Drunkatron" and leaked it to the press himself, just to add to the havoc.
• Obsidian claims that Elita One has kept the people from Carcer back on their ship, but last issue we clearly saw Lancer and Greenlight at the bar...it was even a major plot point!
• Onslaught and the Combaticons are revealed to have a vendetta against Starscream because he made a deal with them following the return to Cybertron, that if he managed to rise to power on Cybertron then he'd let them join him, however he reneged on the plan, causing their hatred.

IDW - Till All Are One #1

Title: 07:00:00

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Pricilla Tramontano

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

An injured Decepticon stumbles around in the wilderness outside Iacon, and dies from his injuries, whilst Obsidian observes this from above.

In the city, the integrated populations of Cybertron and the colonies are going about their everyday routines, when Ironhide is summoned to a meeting of the Justice Committee. There, he is introduced to the arranged Council of Worlds members as a private security officer. Obsidian reveals that he wants Ironhide to investigate the mysterious death of the Decepticon, who was a supplier for Carcer, and was just the most recent, and most fatale victim of a string of attacks on Decepticons lately via Mnemosurgery.

Obsidian believes that the Mnemosurgery attacks are being caused by Starscream and his police force, because of recent rumours of Swindle still being alive, despite being a casualty of the Combiner Wars (at Starscream's own hands too). Starscream is annoyed, but agrees to consider allowing Ironhide to investigate the situation.

A little further away, the surviving Combaticons are hanging out in their apartment, discussing some work they've been offered, but Onslaught is tired from hunting for Swindle, but with no luck, he's been receiving messages from an unidentified person, who's told him that Swindle is still alive, despite all appearances. Onslaught leaves to search the sewers again, and Blast Off finds another message from the informant. The message leads him to a set of Badgeless armour, which he puts on to do his own investigations.

Ironhide leaves the meeting to head to Maccadam's where a drunk Decepticons is causing some problems for the colonist patrons, whom he escorts away, meanwhile Blast Off replaces one of the Badgeless officers with himself to infiltrate their ranks.

Ironhide and the Decepticon leave the bar, but the Decepticon is being loud and annoys the nearby Badgeless, and makes the mistake of claiming "Swindle Lives". The Badgeless attack him and threaten to take his memories away, which Ironhide overhears. The Decepticon panics and runs away down an alleyway. The Badgeless appear to shoot the Decepticon, and he is soon found dead by Ironhide, with the Badgeless standing over him with smoking guns nearby.

A riot starts to brew when some of the crowd begin to swarm the Badgeless, and one of the Badgeless (likely Blast Off) sneaks away. The crowd gets scared off when the Badgeless start shooting into the air. Windblade, Obsidian and Starscream arrive, and Ironhide directly confronts Starscream about his troops actually being responsible for the attacks.

Obsidian condemns Starscream and says he'll inform the council and Elita One of this revelation, before flying away. Starscream admits to Windblade what he's authorized to be done, but threatens her with making the incident with Chromia (from Windblade Volume 1) public, and making it seem like an attempted insurrection from Caminus to destroy Cybertron.

Circuit and Longtooth appear through the crowd to get a quote from Starscream about the Badgeless attack, Starscream tries to deny that the Badgeless attacked the Decepticon, but Circuit reveals that footage of the attack has been spreading across the city already....

Characters

Autobot

Ironhide -Van

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Chromia - Speedbike

Blurr - Race Car

Metroplex - City/Space Ship

Bumblebee - Car Ghost/Hallucination

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Onslaught - Anti-Aircraft Truck

Brawl - Tank

Vortex - Helicopter

Blast Off - Space Shuttle

Fat Tankor - Treaded Vehicle

Tall Tankor - Jet/Truck

"Drunkatron" - Car Killed by Badgeless

Carcer Supplier - Car Died from Mnemosurgery

Swindle - Van (Mentioned) Supposedly Dead

Galvatron - Tank (Mentioned)

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Rattrap - Mole Rat

Circuit

Longtooth

Badgeless Officers

Colonist

Elita One

Obsidian - Stealth-Bomber Osprey

Strika - Battle Tank

Lancer

Greenlight

Airazor - Falcon

Tigatron - Tiger

Vanquish - Part of Jet

Fireshot - Part of Jet

Moonracer - Sports Car

Knock Out - Sports Car

Prime Breakdown - Off Road Vehicle

Quicklightning

Other

Crowd in Iacon

"DC-357" (Alias of Combaticon contact)

Carcer - Space Ship (Mentioned)

Navitas (Mentioned) Getting Repaired

Exhaust (Name Written on Chromia's scalp)

Technimus (Name Written on Chromia's scalp)

Notes

• This series continues from where Windblade Volume two ended. It was originally meant to be released earlier in the year, but was pushed back (likely due to Sins of the Wreckers being delayed too)
• Chromia has a couple of names carved into her scalp, as seen when she briefly has her helmet off...I wonder if that will have a role later in the series?
• Fat Tankor is shown in vehicle mode, but without a tank turret, possibly meaning that weaponized vehicle modes on peace-time Cybertron are prohibited in some manner.
• Following the rise of the Badgeless on Cybertron, as shown in the previous two Windblade series' Ironhide has set up his own security firm, since no-one trusts them, or Starscream.
• The Combaticons didn't like Swindle, but they want to find him because they believe he's the "key" to some big secret and the process of combination. Swindle was only ever shown as part of their team during Primacy.
• Considering how he was the one to spirit Prowl away following the Combiner Wars, it is POSSIBLE that Rattrap somehow managed to fake Swindle's death. It's also very likely that he is DC-357 if this is the case, since it would be easy for him to get a Badgeless suit as well.
• It's revealed here that the Badgeless all look and sound the same because they use holographic armour and voice synthesizers
• Chromia and Strika have apparently made "friends" and now act as sparring partners for each other.
• "Drunkatron" confusing Greenlight and Lancer for Camiens is probably due to the initial belief of fans that all denizens of Caminus were female (which was later proven false during Combiner Wars of course)
• Whilst not confirmed yet, it's likely that Blast Off was the one who attacked "Drunkatron", just to work up the crowd more.
• This issue appears to take place during the early parts of "All Hail Optimus" as Circuit is still on Cybertron here. It's likely that Starscream sent Circuit to Earth, in the middle of a hostile encounter, as some sort of revenge for Circuit airing the footage of "Drunkatron" being murdered by the Badgeless.