IDW - Optimus Prime #24

Title: A Sunrise Dark

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith & Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Six hours ago, Prowl and his team have followed Unicron to Earth, but are unsure as to why the planet eater hasn't attacked the world yet, but Stardrive suggests that it's because he is waiting for everyone to arrive there to take out all his enemies at once.

At Mount Rusmore, the press start to arrive at the site to find out what is happening with Unicron, the Joes and Jazz allow them in, despite Jazz's history with the reporter, Sofia Orozco, who led him to a trap earlier in her career. Marissa is talking to the President about what is happening, when she learns about the survivors of Cybertron arriving in Africa.

In Africa, Windblade is trying to determine how many Cybertronians have arrived on Earth, when Soundwave picks up chatter from Mount Rushmore.

Within an hour, Arcee, Soundwave and Rom arrive at Rushmore where they find Gimlet dead, and they learn about the brief battle and Slug killing him. Jazz finds Rom and learns what Unicron is from him, but also relays the news that Cybettron, Elonia and all of the colony worlds, bar Earth, have all been destroyed by Unicron, disturbing everyone there.

Soon, Flint starts questioning Soundwave about where Optimus is during this event, when it comes to Soundwave's knowledge that his friend, Mainframe was also killed in the battle, he takes his body and emits a sonic scream in mourning. Sofia, despite the screech, records this, which gets sent out everywhere, showing the humans that Cybertronians DO have emotions after all

A little later, Prowl and his team orbital jump their shuttle under the surface of the area, due to Goldbug not understanding the organic structure of the planet. Jazz is untrusting of Prowl at first, since the last time he saw him he was trying to start a coup against Optimus, but Prowl points out that they need to work together to deal with Unicron.

Later, Thundercracker is putting some extra work on his new film, about the GI Joe operative Chuckles, when Buster starts barking at something outside the window...Unicron's gravitational pull is starting to drag Hollywood into the sky... Thundercracker heads out to help the innocents outside...

In Africa, Optimus is speaking with Slide about what happened at Mount Rushmore earlier, Optimus believes that Soundwave's emotions being broadcasted will help them in the long run, and will allow the humans to believe him in the future. Slide dismisses that, with Optimus just not caring about others and using others for his own goals, even sending others to deal with awkward situations like they had at Rushmore, and storms off.

Jazz appears and relates that they need to make the world they leave behind them better for those that come later, ie their "kids"

Optimus goes to speak with Arcee, and asks if they took them down a bad path, since they seem to only be able to fight and destroy, but Arcee comments that they could try love for a change, and even if it can't change the outcome of the fight, it cannot hurt either.

The Cybertronians, humans and colonists spend what could be their last moments with their friends and families, burying their dead and reconciling, whilst Optimus just stares up at Unicron, anticipating the final battle that is fast approaching....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Prowl - Police Vehicle

Bumblebee - Hatchback

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Arcee - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Jazz - Sports Car

Slide - Part of Oil Tanker

Roulette - Muscle Car

Midnight Express - Bullet Train

Bump - Armadillo

Gimlet - Lobster Dead

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Goldbug - Car

Beachcomber - Dune Buggy

Seaspray - Hovercraft

Sandstorm - Dune Buggy/Helicopter

Slug - Triceratops

Swoop - Pteranodon

Snarl - Stegosaurus

Sludge - Apatosaurus

Metroplex - Cybertronian City

Oiler - Prat of Oil Tanker (Hologram Only) Dead

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Junkion

Wreck-Gar (Living Head Only)

Rum-Maj

Sharkticons - Sharks

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Trypticon - Earth Embassy 

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Stardrive - Jet/Car

Strafe - Two Headed Dragon/Car

G2 Sideswipe - Car

Next Generation Cybertronians Still being Formed

Centurion - Luxury Car

Swift - Helicopter

Tigatron - Tiger

Airazor - Falcon

D.O.C.

Turbo Foxes

Other Cybertronian/Colony Survivors

Titan Swarm (Mentioned)

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

The "False" Primes (Mentioned)

Solstar Order

Rom

Livia

Elonian Survivors

GI Joe

Flint

Hi-Tech

Spike

Talon

Mainframe Dead

Scarlett (Mentioned)

Scarlett's Team (Mentioned)

Other Human

Marissa Faireborn

Sofia Orozco

Sofia's Cameraman

Officer Reggie Winslow

Winslow's Partner

L.A. Civilians

Chuckles Actor (Footage Only)

Jinx Actor (Footage Only)

Xamot Actor (Footage Only)

Madame President (Voice Only)

J.J. Hackensack (Mentioned)

Other

Unicron

Buster the Dog

Garnak

The Visionaries (Mentioned)

Notes

• Sorry this review is SO late, I've been busy with some real world stuff (and Yugioh Duel Links) and I am using a new laptop for this article, so fun! I figured I should get this up before the finale issues begin to get released this week!
• This issue follows the events of Optimus Prime #23, but is also set during the events of Unicron #5, showing a few scenes mentioned in that issue, but not shown at the time.
• Apparently in the actual events being shown in Thundercracker's Chuckles movie, Chuckles wound up killing Jinx, instead of saving her...guess he prefers the happy ending approach to historical documents!
• Um...I know people can get immersed when they are doing work, but I find it hard to believe that Thundercracker didn't notice Unicron attacking Hollywood before Buster started barking at him!
• The President claims that a billion and a half Transformers have arrived in Africa. Due to her phrasing, we can eliminate the Elonians and animals from that number...I REALLY doubt that's an accurate number considering the area they are inhabiting.
• A small correction here from what was shown in Unicron #4, they DID save some of the Turbofoxes!!! I guess this just means the few we saw being killed with Cybertron were just the stragglers?
• D.O.C. is shown with a puppy face whilst Bumblebee is petting his head...n'awwww...I wonder if he knows Cosmos is dead yet?
• Aileron is mentioned as being a "part-time cityspeaker"....um....WHAT?!?! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!
• Jazz refers to Unicron as a "ginormous thing", much like how he did in the original Movie.
• This issue confirms the suggestion from Unicron #5 that the new generation of Cybertronians being grown inside Trypticon are still being formed, despite a few being seen, such as the new Sideswipe.
• Prowl mentions how he stopped a bunch of Titans in the past...this is of course inaccurate as all he did was cause their trip to Cybertron to take longer than originally planned, they still arrived and caused a lot of havoc.
• Stardrive suggests that Unicron is not attacking Earth because he wants all his enemies to arrive there before he takes them all out. We actually learn in Unicron #5 that he is holding back until the Talisman can be removed, so it won't kill him.

IDW - First Strike #6

Main Story

Written by: Mairghread Scott & David A. Rodriguez

Art by: Max Dunbar

Colours: Ander Zarate

Coda Story

Title: The Signal

Written by: Mairghread Scott & David A. Rodriguez

Art by: James Raiz

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Assistant Editor: David Mariotte

Editor: David Hedgecock

Publisher: Ted Adams

Main Story Plot

Scarlett and her allies face off against Colton and his "Iron Ring", the battle seems pretty even between the two factions, but it is disrupted when Starscream, Elita One and Obsidian arrive, with the latter two intent on killing the invading humans.

Matt Trakker uses his compound made from Astrotrain's remains to attack Elita, allowing her to be controlled by Gloria, making her attack the others on her small team. The battles continue, and Colton accidentally stabs Scarett in her abdomen, and immediately feels bad, even revealing that he never intended for his team to return to Cybertron, as he always assumed that the activation of the Talisman would kill them all too. Scarlett manages to overpower Colton, but he reveals that it is too late...

Kreiger has set up the Talisman, and begins a strange chant that activates it. The heroes charge at him to try and stop it, but all their technology is disabled around him, and he reveals himself to be in fact an alien from the planet Prysmos named Merklynn. He announces that the Age of Magic is about to begin anew, as the Talisman activates and sends a surge of power throughout the planet tainting the Energon within the planet and the Transformers alike.

Merklynn reveals to everyone that this was always his plan, to use the Energon on Cybertron to activate the Talisman and recreate his long lost homeworld. Merklynn admits that not as much of his world has returned as he wanted, but this "city" in the planet's core will be a good start. He erects a barrier that prevents technology from entering his new "city" within the planet's core and teleports everyone away from him, promising that his "Visionaries" will soon arrive and they will end the Age of Technology across the galaxy...

On the planet's surface, Colton, feeling utterly defeated, surrenders to Starscream and the others, and his cohorts are forced to do the same

In the aftermath of the Iron Ring's invasion, the Ring are all placed into cells, whilst the Cybertronians try to figure out what exactly is happening in "New Prysmos" and how they can fix their now tainted Energon supplies. The heroic humans return to Earth through the Space Bridge, where Matt and Scarlett promise to work together in the future and hope that Colton one day sees the real error of his ways and can be redeemed one day...

Coda Plot

During Merklynn's energon surge, Windblade was inside Metroplex's brain chamber monitoring the situation on the planet. Suddenly the planet shoots almost half of it's energon supplies into space, destroying everything it passes. Eventually it reaches a dead planet, seemingly caught in the gravitational pull of a black hole, reactivating a monster within....Unicron....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Arcee - Sports Car

Ironhide - Van

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet (Coda Only)

Metroplex - Iacon City (Coda Only)

Wheelie - Car (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Astrotrain - Space Shuttle/Train (Mentioned) Dead

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Elita One 

Obsidian - Stealth Osprey Helicopter

Badgeless Officer

Cybertronian Civilians

GI Joe/MASK

Scarlett

Roadblock

Lady Jaye

Matt Trakker

Gloria Baker

Shipwreck (Mentioned)

The Iron Ring

Garrison Kreiger/Merklynn

Joe Colton Arrested and Detained on Cybertron

Miles Mayhem Arrested and Detained on Cybertron

Destro Arrested and Detained on Cybertron

Storm Shadow Arrested and Detained on Cybertron

Shazraella Arrested and Detained on Cybertron

Vanessa Warfield/Ice Queen (Mentioned)

Other Human

Marissa Faireborn

Other

Unicron - Planet Reawoken by Cybertron's Energy (Coda Only)

The Visionaries (Mentioned)

Notes

• Despite last issue saying he wanted the humans a "traitors" under Optimus' command arrested, Starscream seems quick to attack Optimus and do nothing to stop Elita from attacking the humans herself.
• The compound made from Astrotrain's remains is revealed to be able to allow a human to control a Cybertronian body remotely
• Kreiger's true identity was actually hinted at in his FIRST appearance! The hieroglyphs that appears next to him in the flashback to Egypt showed what a lot of fans pointed out seemed to be a panel of a Visionary's armour...my god! Also his escape from the Revolutionaries in issue 8 of their series can be explained as him using magic to escape his cuffs.
• If you look at his Hasbro Sourcebook profile you'll also notice that it never technically mentions where his homeland is, just that he is new to America at the time.
• Everyone knew that the Visionaries were coming to the IDW Hasbroverse, but I'm pretty sure that no-one saw Kreiger being the one to cause it ever!
• The spell that Kreiger/Merklynn uses to activate the Talisman is the one used by Leoric in the original toyline to activate his owl staff's power. The symbols that appear after it's activation are also the animal spirit symbols that appeared on the Visionaries chest plates.
• You can just see at the end that Shazraella is de-Enerchanged from her host. In Optimus Prime 13 it is implied that Antagony died, both confirming her host's name, and her fate...aww....
• Rather than follow this story with another issue of "The Origins of Evil" we get a short teaser comic for the upcoming and previously announced Unicron series...ooo-er
• Unicron in this universe is shown to have been encased in an unidentified planet, much like he is in both the Aligned and Live Action Movie universes, however in those universes he forms the core of Earth itself. It is likely that the planet that he was sealed inside was the original planet Prysmos, explaining why their "Age of Magic" died out. With Cybertron's core being replaced by a "New Prysmos" it would seem fitting that whatever was keeping Unicron dormant would be reactivated due to this (especially since the core of Cybertron is usually where Primus, Unicron's brother, resides too)
• Isn't it kind of amusing? Both characters in this continuity that have the name Garrison (Blackrock and Kreiger) have been revealed to be an alien in disguise!

TFNation - Animated: Trial & Error

Script: Chris McFeely and Jim Sorenson

Cover Art: Josh Perez

Chapter One Art and SFX by: Ed Pirrie

Chapter Two Art by: Herzspalter, Colour Assist from Nathalie Suter

Chapter Three Art by: Gavin Spence

Lettering by: Andrew Turnbull

Plot

At the Metroplex in Iacon, Alpha Trion has called Sari Sumdac as well as some of her Autobot allies, along with her father, to a meeting to discuss the situation with the Allspark. Whilst he is glad that the Allspark has returned to Earth, and under Autobot custody, he is worried that due to it missing several shards, due to being used to create several Transformers on Earth, it is not at full power. He wants Sari to go to the Well of Allsparks to return the Allspark to it, and restore it to full power, due to her noted natural affinity with it. Isaac Sumdac is at first upset with this idea, but agrees when Sari simply states that she has to do this, as she can feel something calling to her. Bumblebee and Bulkhead join her as her bodyguards, which Trion agrees to.

Meanwhile at the Fortress Maximus, Sentinel has officially announced Megatron's trial as a public event, that will be televised across the planet. Optimus is unsure about how this will go down, but Sentinel is sure he can handle any possible insurgencies caused by this with the help of his new Powermaster armour, and he has some plans for how to render Megatron helpless during the trial as well.

At Trypticon Prison, Megatron is musing in his cell, following the failed rescue attempt by Team Stunticon, leading to their imprisonment too. Megatron gets the attention of one of the Mini-Con guards and requests to send out a message...

Sari and her group are led to the foot of Metroplex, where a tunnel will lead them directly towards the Well, during their goodbyes, Alpha Trion receives a message that distracts him and the groups split up. Sari is in good spirits to finally travel to the centre of Cybertron and learn who she really is...until some time passes and she gets bored in the long tunnels. Along the way, Bulkhead finds some etchings on the walls that explains the story of how the Allspark was a holy object that creates Cybertronians, and was one day placed into a contained, built by a powerful individual using a hammer that fell from the skies, and became the symbol of the Cybertronian leader, aka, the Magnus. Bumblebee interjects that the story is just a fairy-tale that was made up to show how strong the Autobots are. Bulkhead keeps on reading, and learns that the primitive Cybertronians created Centurion Droids to guard the Well from anyone who may want to harm it, including the monsters in the tunnels. Bumblebee dismisses the idea of monsters in the tunnels...until one appears behind them and attacks the group!

Elsewhere, at the Metroplex, Optimus Prime has been summoned by Alpha Trion on Megatron's request for him to act as his defendant, due to him being honourable and Megatron not trusting Sentinel to fairly conduct the trial. Though wary of the decision, the two Autobots agree to this request. At the Fortress Maximus, Sentinel is talking with a mysterious individual over the communicator, when he is interrupted by Cliffjumper informing him about Optimus' appointment as Megatron's defendant. He screams loud enough to interrupt the protestors below his office (they're unhappy with how the Decepticon prisoners are being treated)

Back in the tunnels, Sari and the others encounter another monster, and are trapped in a large spider-web. Soon, Blackarachnia appears along with Waspinator, and reveals that the two monsters are two of her new Predacons, Inferno and Antagony. Sari questions how she survived the transwarp explosion that seemed to kill her on Dinobot Island. Blackarachnia doesn't go into too much detail, but explains that she got the attention of the Decepticons by using residual transwarp energy from Waspinator's body. Arachnia plans to experiment on Sari to explore her technorganic origins to further her own research, but Sari uses her blades to free herself and the Autobots from the web, and run away...right into a chamber filled with Centurion Droids guarding the Well of Allsparks!

At the Jekka Amphitheatre, Sentinel begins the trial of Megatron, and reveals his plan to humiliate the Decepticon leader, by having him carted in on a pedestal, reduced to only his head. Alpha Trion reads Megatron a list of the crimes he is being tried for, and he declares himself as "Not Guilty". Sentinel screams at Megatron for his plea of innocence, and starts calling witnesses against the Decepticon...

In the Well Chamber, the Centurions prepare to attack the Autobots to defend the Well from attackers, but stop when they see Sari is carrying the Allspark, and declare their loyalty to her. The Predacons enter the chamber, and the Centurions attack them, in order to protect both the Allspark and it's bearer. Sari and the Autobots run towards the Well's inner chamber, whilst the Predacons are distracted.

They enter the inner chamber, and the Allspark reacts to the Well, and levitates itself into the Well. After a few seconds of nothing happening, the ghost of Prowl appears from the Well, and thanks Sari for what she just did, then shares the Allspark's power with her and the other Autobots to show her why she was created. The Allspark can see through history and knows everything that will ever happen, so it sent a special Protoform, designed to perfectly mimic humans when it was touched by one, and was able to access the full powers of the Allspark itself, to Earth as it knew it would eventually wind up there. Prowl fades back into the Allspark, but issues one last mission from it to Sari and the others...

Back at the trial, the witnesses, aka the inner-circle Decepticons, are declaring how Megatron will conquer Cybertron, and are making it so much harder for Optimus to defend him. Optimus eventually gets his turn to call witnesses, which Optimus simply calls one, Megatron himself.

Megatron addresses the court and paints himself as a freedom fighter against the oppressive Autobots, and claims that all of his actions were to protect Cybertron. The crowd appears to be wavering to his way of thinking, which Optimus suddenly realizes was Megatron's plan all along, to corrupt a younger generation of Cybertronians who never experienced the war, and to ensure Optimus made it happen

Trion calls for order in the court, but Megatron comments that it was long enough. Optimus notices this, as well as a beeping sound from Sentinel's wrist, just as one of the walls cave in, and Team Chaar, led by Strika, break in. The Autobots charge against them, whilst Sentinel sneaks away to get into his Powermaster armour, only to be disabled by Scalpel slicing into his neck and disabling him.

With Sentinel disabled, Strika has the rest of the team release a new body for Megatron, which he is attached to by Scalpel, greatly pleasing the Decepticon....

Inside Omega Supreme, Ratchet is too preoccupied on watching the trial on the monitors to notice that Cyclonus has entered the medical bay, and is heading towards Ultra Magnus, planning to kill the Autobot's true leader.

Megatron tears through the Autobots with his new triple changer body, leading to the Autobots being outpowered, and the remaining Decepticon prisoners being freed and joining the battle. Suddenly the Autbots, Predacons, Centurions and Sari from the tunnel are plonked into the court, having been teleported there by the Allspark. Sari is now fused with Allspark power, and shares a vision into the past with everyone present. Sentinel was contacted by Strika earlier, claiming to want Megatron executed during his trial, so she can take full command of the Decepticons, then Sentinel can "defeat" them using his new armour to be the hero for all of Cybertron. Which he agreed to.

In the aftermath of this revelation, the Autobots pretty much disown Sentinel, and Megatron gloats on his inevitable victory, however Optimus has taken the Powermaster armour, and wears it himself (much to Sentinel's horror), with the Magnus Hammer in hand to boot. Optimus and Megatron lead their respective armies in a final battle to decide Cybertron's fate once and for all.

Sari slips away to get to Omega Supreme, where she exposes Cyclonus' assassination attempt before he is successful, having been warned of it by the Allspark, she uses her new powers to recreate the Allspark Key and uses it to power up Ratchet, allowing him to overpower and blast Cyclonus out of the ship.

The battle at the court is fairly even, however Sari arrives to help out Optimus, she uses her abilities to superchange the Magnus Hammer, which exudes the Allspark energy throughout it, and Optimus, allowing Optimus to charge at Megatron, and cleave his head back off the Triple Changer body, defeating him, and dissuading the other Decepticons...

Some time later, the defeated Decepticons have been captured, and forced to work in the Nucleon mines, Megatron, still just a head, is under heavy guard and Alpha Trion has been named the new interim-Magnus. Sentinel has been demoted and removed from the Elite Guard, and now works as a repair-bot with Hosehead, Nightbeat and Siren, who are driving him mad. Optimus has been given Sentinel's old position in the Guard, and Sari is now the official liaison to the Allspark.

Optimus visits Ultra Magnus to tell him all about this, but just as he goes to leave...Ultra Magnus wakes up, and says that he was wrong when he told Optimus that he wasn't a hero...

The End.

Characters

Autobot

Ultra Magnus - Missile Truck Comes off Life Support

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Sentinel (Magnus) - Cybertronian Truck Loses Rank

Alpha Trion

Bumblebee - Hatchback

Bulkhead - SWAT Van

Ratchet - Ambulance

Prowl - Police Motorcycle Dead, Part of Allspark

Jazz - Sports Car

Arcee - Sports Car

Rodimus Prime - Car

Ironhide - Treaded Vehicle

Red Alert - Ambulance

Brawn - Treaded Vehicle

Hot Shot - Car

Jetfire - Jet

Jetstorm - Jet

Safeguard - Jet Twin Combiner

Perceptor - Mobile Laboratory

Wheeljack - Race Car

Cliffjumper - Car

Autotrooper - Treaded Vehicle

Horsepower - Motorcycle

Sparkride - Motorcycle

Omega Supreme - Starship Orion

Dug Base - Mobile Platform

Leader-1

Grindor

High Wire

Jackpot - Car

Ransack - Motorcycle

Rattletrap - Motorcycle

Scrounge - Wheel

Lickety-Split - Motor-Trike

Lightbright - Hovercraft

Seaspray - Hovercraft

Wheelie - Car

Moscardo - Car

Tap-Out - Car

Mirage - Race Car

Tracks - Car

Botanica - Car

Glyph - Car

Warpath - Radar Tank

Chase - Car

Cosmos - Mobile Observatory

Rosanna

Sedan - Car

Ferak - Car

Star Upper

Dai Atlas

Chromia - Motorcycle

Hosehead - Snow Plough Pick Up Truck

Nightbeat - Sports Car

Siren - Hatchback

Cybertron Civilians/Crowd Filler

Powered Convoy Magnus - Armoured Vehicle (Flashback Only)

Wreck-Gar - Garbage Truck (Allspark Vision Only)

Blurr - Race Car (Allspark Vision Only)

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Allspark Vision Only)

Snarl - Triceratops (Allspark Vision Only)

Swoop - Pternodon (Allspark Vision Only)

Shattered Glass Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Allspark Vision Only)

Shattered Glass Bumblebee - Hatchback (Allspark Vision Only)

Decepticon - All implied to be incarcerated by end

Megatron - Tank/Jet, Formerly Osprey Helicopter Incarcerated

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Lugnut - Bomber Plane

Shockwave - Tank/Crane/Lomgarm

Strika - Battle Tank

Oil Slick - Motorcycle

Cyclonus - Space Jet

Sky-Byte - Bomber Plane

Scalpel

Mindwipe

Blot - Treaded Vehicle

The Motor Master - Truck

Drag Strip - Sports Car

Wildrider - Muscle Car

Dead End - Sports Car

Breadown - Race Car

Toxitron - Truck

Reflector - Light Cannon (Flashback Only)

Straxus - Jet (Flashback Only)

Starscream - Harrier Jet (Allspark Vision Only)

Slipstream - Harrier Jet (Allspark Vision Only)

Ramjet - Harrier Jet (Allspark Vision Only)

Skywarp - Harrier Jet (Allspark Vision Only)

Sunstorm - Harrier Jet (Allspark Vision Only)

Swindle - SUV (Allspark Vision Only)

Soundwave - Van (Allspark Vision Only)

Dirt Boss - Fork Lift Truck (Allspark Vision Only)

Scrapper - Excavator (Allspark Vision Only)

Mixmaster - Bulldozer-Mixing Truck (Allspark Vision Only)

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Allspark Vision Only)

Predacon - All implied to be incarcerated by end

Blackarachnia - Spider

Waspinator - Wasp

Inferno - Wasp

Antagony - Wasp

Other Cybertronian

Sari Sumdac - Young Human Woman

Centurion Droids

Primitive Cybertronians (Carvings Only)

Lockdown - Muscle Car (Allspark Vision Only)

Shattered Glass Sari Sumdac - Young Human Woman (Allspark Vision Only)

Human

Isaac Sumdac

Master Disaster (Allspark Vision Only)

Headmaster (Allspark Vision Only)

Slo-Mo (Allspark Vision Only)

Professor Princess (Allspark Vision Only)

Angry Archer (Allspark Vision Only)

Nanosec (Allspark Vision Only)

Porter C. Powell (Allspark Vision Only)

Meltdown (Allspark Vision Only)

Other

A Rocklord (Allspark Vision Only)

Kremzeek (Allspark Vision Only)

Notes

• This is a non-canon comic made for TFNation 2017 to help conclude the Animated TV series. It also has visual references to previous follow-up comics/stories, The Stunti-Con Job and The Return of Blurr.
• This comic utilizes some plans and concepts for the fourth season of Animated, a lot of which could be found in the Allspark Almanac books.
• This story is introduced by Vector Prime, simply explaining that he wanted to finally give some resolution to this universe. This design was made by Andrew Turnbull, the letterer for this comic.
• The new Centurion Droids were designed by Cover Artist, Josh Perez
• The two new Predacons, Antagony and Inferno, as well as Blackarachnia's new colour-scheme were first shown in the Almanacs
• One big difference in this comic to the information from the Almanac is that Ultra Magnus was going to eventually succumb to his injuries, but here he manages to survive.
• In the original plan, Megatron's trial would have been interrupted by Trypticon Prison being launched into space and towards Earth, leading to his experimentations with Blackarachnia to create his new Triple Changer body. This was fast-tracked here of course.
• The new Powermaster armour, which can be used by both Optimus and Sentinel is a detail lifted from the plans for the franchise from the Almanacs, though here we actually see it in full colour rather than a resin prototype.
• Unnamed here, the figure shown in the flashback to early Cybertron is Powered Convoy Magnus, the precursor to Ultra Magnus.
• The rat seen in the sewers is based on the Special Edition Japanese Metals Rattle (Rattrap) toy
• Quite a lot of the crowd-filler characters are generics, which seems a bit odd, since a lot of characters from the Almanacs didn't appear in this book, including most of the multitudes of Bumblebee mould-mates
• Amongst the crowd-fillers is a white Bumblebee remould with long ears. I'm not sure why, but I get a Ferak vibe from him, and so I will name him that! :D
• The flashback to Omega Supreme during the war is based on a planned scene from Transwarped that was scrapped, where Straxus and Reflector were due to appear too.
• The view into time from the Allspark shows us a few more aborted plot lines, including the Constructicons working on creating the Devastator Combiner, the Shattered Glass Animated Universe, and even the line up of the Autobots on Earth for Season Four (Ironhide, Elite Guard Bumblebee and Ratchet, all in new colours)
• Prowl returning as an Allspark ghost was also a planned plot point too, though he would have possessed other Allspark-powered Transformers in the series proper
• Megatron's new Triple Changer mode was first shown in the Allspark Almanac as well, in the series it would have been made by studying Blitzwing, but removing the insanity part, but here it was just gifted to him by Blackarachnia. His head was based on his first Beast Machines body
• The epilogue gives us a nice little bit of vengeance for Optimus, he swaps ranks with Sentinel, with Sentinel becoming a repair-bot, and Optimus becoming second-in-command for Alpha Trion, the new Acting-Magnus.
• Whilst it is unsaid, it seems likely that when Sari used the Allspark Key on Ratchet, the energies helped to heal Ultra Magnus, leading to his ultimate revival.
• Megatron's guards in the Epilogue are the very obscure characters Horsepower and Sparkride from the Jet Twin toy tie-in comic.
• I can understand Dirge and Thrust not getting shown in the Allspark vision...but where is Thundercracker?!

TFCC #71 - Of Masters and Monsters Part 5

Title: Pandora's Gift

Writers: Jesse Wittenrich & Pete Sinclair

Pencils: Dan Khanna

Inks: Jake Isenberg

Colours: Evan Gauntt

Letters: Jesse Wittenrich

Managing Editor: Pete Sinclair

Main Strip

Plot

Having rescued Spike and the other humans from the damaged bus, Garry the Gorilla starts talking and thanks Spike for showing him that humans are good and worth saving, so he decides to help them.

The Autobot Pretenders are battling Thunder Mayhem nearby, but aren't doing too well against the destructive force. Garry approaches them and "suits on" revealing himself to be a Transformer too, who knows the weak points of Thunder Mayhem, having been involved in the final battle on Cybertron, revealing himself to be Optimus Prime himself.

Despite this though, Mayhem grabs the Autobot leader and restrains him, as he continues the attack on the city. The humans are panicking below, but Elizabeth tries to calm everyone down, as she has a plan...

Nearby, Megatron is glad that Optimus is still alive, but is still alone as his Decepticons are all gone. Soon, Ramjet arrives, promising to kill Megatron, until the Wreckers arrive, and Toxitron uses his acidic touch to melt Ramjet's face and arm. The Wreckers leave Ramjet to die, as they head off to join the battle, not noticing that Ramjet is healing from his wounds using his dark powers....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Pick Up Truck

Hi-Q - Space Shuttle/Gun

Metalhawk - Fighter Jet

Crossblades - Helicopter Injured by Thunder Mayhem

Vroom - Motorcycle

Impactor - Armoured Truck

Bluestreak - Sports Car

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Thunder Mayhem - Mayhem Attack Squad Gestalt

Ramjet - Fighter Jet

Toxitron - Truck Cab

Fractyl - Fighter Jet

Counterpunch - Sports Car

Human

Spike Witwicky

Elizabeth

Detectives

Civilians

Notes

• WHAT?!?! Garry the Gorilla is actually Optimus Prime in disguise?! Who could have guessed that obvious twist was ever going to happen?!
• It's mentioned that Thunder Mayhem is made much stronger than the component parts when combined because of...reasons...but Optimus somehow knows his weak spots....how?
• You know, for a destructive killing machine, Thunder Mayhem hasn't killed anyone, or caused any major destruction (besides one bus) yet...
• I like how no-one even acknowledges Hi-Q being with Optimus...guess Targetmaster-lives don't matter in the Classicsverse.
• It's mentioned that Optimus was locked inside a ship and made to watch Thunder Mayhem's rampage over Cybertron in an apparent attempt to drive him insane...WHY BOTHER?!?!
• Wait, who are those guys appearing at the end of this story? Well they come from the prose stories that accompanied this series, due to what I can only assume to be because of the ending of the TFCC and their stories needing to be tied up quickly.
• Toxitron is supposed to be an altered Decepticon made as a clone of sorts for Optimus, including his own fake Matrix....he looks nothing like that Optimus of this universe....

Title: The Re-Burn of Blurr

Writer: Derrick J. Wyatt

Art: Josh Perez

Letters: Jesse Wittenrich

TFASDSG Strip

Plot

The Headmaster Jrs and Sari are on a trip with their teacher when they are greeted by a saddened Kremzeek, who tries to tell them about how the poor, slow Blurr was crushed accidentally by Shockwave, but the Headmasters aren't interested, so they attack Kremzeek and further damage the Blurr-cube, leaving Kremzeek even sadder....

Characters

Autobot

Arcee - Sports Car

Nightbeat - Sports Car

Siren - Htachback

Hosehead - Snow Plough

Blurr - (Slow) Race Car Pretty Much Dead

Decepticon

Shockwave - Tank/Crane (Flashback)

Other

Sari Sumdac

Kremzeek

Notes

• This story is a Shattered Glass take on the "Return of Blurr" script reading/storybook
• The teacher is a little odd, it's based on Arcee, so you'd assume it was a SG version of her, just in Scourge's colours, but this version also features Scourge's facial hair and head doo-dah, and comments they will "drain the Dinobot" aka a take on "drain the lizard" which is male speak for going to the toilet. I dunno, maybe Arcee's just male in this universe?
• Nightbeat appears to be based on Harley Quinn, with her mallet and "puddin" comment, so I would guess Hosehead and Siren are based on Suicide Squad characters too, but....I haven't seen the film yet, so I can't identify them.
• Siren's tiny speech is an inversion of his loud and obnoxious voice in the regular universes, it's difficult to read, but the dialogue says "Derrick J. Wyatt sees me in his dreams" and "Josh Perez thinks I taste like mint chocolate".....right then!

Other Features

The Secret Origin of the G2 Powermasters! - Article on the motorized Powermasters.

Transformers Animated profiles - A bunch of TFA character tech specs, nothing new though.

TFA Season 4 Episode Guide - A list and brief overview on the cancelled season 4 of Animated

Sari-Blurr artwork - A visual representation of the Sari-Blurr fusion from the script reading

TFA Headmaster Jrs. Profile - Profiles for Siren, Hosehead and Nightbeat

Advert for the TF/GI Joe Crossover toys - Buy things!!!!

IDW - Revolution: Transformers: Till All Are One

Title: Informed

Written by: Mairghread Scott

Art by: Naoto Tsushima

Colours by: DAI-XT

Letters by: Tom B Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Windblade is recharging in her quarters on Cybertron when she is approached by Pyra Magna and Soundwave to come to Earth to assist him in a delicate matter, though unhappy with the sudden request, she agrees, since she cannot refuse a Prime.

The trio soon arrive on Earth and Optimus explains that Metrotitan hasn't spoken to anyone in some time, since forming Autobot City, and he wants Windblade to find out what's wrong with him. Windblade, Pyra and Soundwave examine Metrotitan's systems and find nothing wrong with him. Several days later, Pyra gets annoyed and claims that it's like Metrotitan is giving them the cold shoulder, making Windblade realize that there's nothing wrong with Metrotitan, but he just doesn't want to talk to them.

Windblade locates Metrotitan's interface port and realizes that he wants to talk directly to Optimus, but she knows they don't know if this will be safe, so she interfaces instead.

Inside his mind, Windblade is angrily confronted by Metrotitan, who is insulted that Optimus sent a "speck" in his place to speak to him, but allows her to speak to the one who really wanted to speak to Optimus...Micronus Prime....

Windblade's mind is transported into Microspace, where she encounters Micronus, who has a message for Optimus regarding the destruction of Microspace, but tells Windblade that she has to experience what is happening, in order to fully understand it...

Soon, Windblade is shot out of the Entropy Cloud where she is collected by the Ministry of Defense, who find her interesting, as she has been reformatted into a pure energy being. Shazraella is called to interrogate the mysterious creature, and explains about the entropy cloud destroying Microspace, and also explains about the war between the Ministries of Defense and Science, but makes it sound like the MOD are the ones in the right.

Windblade doesn't trust Shazraella, so she doesn't give any real information to her, but is pressured by Shazraella, who is insistent that she is an alien from the cloud, using it as a weapon. Windblade gets tortured through electrocution , which event harms her physical body in Macrospace.

Windblade is forced to tell Shazraella about Cybertron and the war, but hides that the planet is currently under uneasy leadership, in case the Microspace residents ever come to their universe. Soon, one of her handmaidens calls Shazraella away to see her husband, before being attacked by another handmaiden.

The traitor handmaiden releases Windblade from her restraints and asks her for help, but doesn't believe in getting it through torture. Windblade begins to assure her that she'll help, but she fades away from Microspace, as the handmaiden is killed for her treason.

Windblade sees Micronus' face before her and begins to pass on his message to her....

Soon, Windblade wakes up in Autobot City, where she tells Optimus about Micronus Prime's universe being destroyed, and begs him for help there. Optimus however refuses, as he wants to concentrate on protecting Earth from the current Ore-13 instabilities, and due to him now being resistant to aiding another Prime following their past mistakes. Windblade points out that Optimus is no better than them, as he annexed Earth in the name of the Primes, and they accepted that due to him being a Prime. Optimus still denies her request, but asks her to remain on Earth to help him, which she accepts...because he is a Prime....she goes off alone, watched by the newly arrived Rom....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck

Sentinel Prime - Truck/Jet (Mentioned)

Chromia - Speedbike (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Illusion)

Bruticus - Combaticon Gestalt (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Metrotitan - Autobot City

Micronus Prime In Life-Death State

Windblade's Possible Pasts and Futures (In Metrotitan's Mindscape)

Liege Maximo (Mentioned)

Vigilem - City/Space Ship (Mentioned)

The Primes (Mentioned)

Mistress of Flame (Mentioned)

Microspace

Baron Karza

Shazraella

Traitor Handmaiden Killed for treachery

Shazraella's Handmaidens

Acroyear II Unit

Ministry of Defense Troops (Footage)

Ministry of Science Troops (Footage)

Other

Rom, the Space Knight

Notes

• The start of this issue begins between the end of the Titans Return event, but before Revolution #1. The "present day" part is set between Revolution #2 and #3, as evident by Windblade's knowledge of Microspace, and Rom's presence in Autobot City.
• Despite being made by the series regular artist, Sara Pitre-Durocher, the main cover for this issue features Windblade with the wrong facial markings. Also Metrotitan is shown with an Autobot insignia, which he doesn't have, and on top of that, the Micronauts don't appear ANYWHERE in this issue...
• Metrotitan has a tower in his city mode that is topped by his robot mode head...that's creepy...
• The ancient symbol of the Primes that Metrotitan uses here is based on the symbol seen on the earliest Prime from Five Faces of Darkness.
• Micronus' character model in this issue is pretty much his character model from Robots in Disguise, rather than the design based on that character seen so far in the crossover.
• The servants who assist Shazraella during Micronauts are identified as "handmaidens" here
• Shazraella's official role is given here as leader of the Ministry of Defense - Intelligence Division, before we only knew she was at one point the "mistress of spies"
• Windblade's trip into Microspace appears to have sent her back in time as well, since Baron Karza should be working from Micronus' body by this point, rather than still being in normal Microspace. It's likely that this is due in part to the time-altering nature of the entropy cloud, as shown when Baron Karza entered the cloud after the Heliopolis, but wound up exploring it for years whilst the Heliopolis was only there a couple of days.
• Windblade compares Shazraella to Starscream in personality....I don't know who should be more insulted there!

IDW - Revolution #3

Title: O Ship of State

Written by: John Barber & Cullen Bunn

Art by: Fico Ossio

Colours by: Sebastian Cheng

Letters by: Tom B Long

Edited by: David Hedgecock

Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

In Microspace, the Heliopolis is at the centre of the Entropy Cloud, and the ship approaches the planet sized (to their point of view) body of Micronus Prime, the progenitor of Microspace itself, and is now being used as Baron Karza's base of operations to try and save Microspace,

Karza contacts the crew of the Heliopolis and explains that he has been in the cloud for many years now, trying to learn how to save the universe, and explains that time works differently in the cloud. He asks for the crew's help in saving the universe along with him, which they reluctantly agree to do, despite his evil past.

In the Macroverse, Matt Trakker returns to Governor's Island and confronts Scarlett about not telling him and his team about the Cybertronians being sentient, and accidentally reveals that Miles has captured one of them, without her knowledge. Miles turns up and escorts Matt away, to speak with him.

Elsewhere, Kup is hooked to a torture device and watched by Sly and Vanessa of MASK, and Vanessa tricks him into revealing all he knows about Ore-13 and the reason it is exploding, along with the knowledge of the stash of Ore-13 under Autobot City.

Rom has been taken back to Autobot City for both parties to explain their actions to eachother, and Rom explains how he only killed Dire Wraiths, and warns the Autobots about them infiltrating the planet's infrastructure, and are using Ore-13 to cloak themselves from his analyzer. Windblade reveals her recent finding that the Titan has a connection to another universe where Micronus Prime lies, dead, and explains that the Microspace is dying as well. Optimus is sympathetic to the situation, and decides that they must prioritize Earth's safety over another universe's, which Windblade agrees to, disgruntledly.

Aileron returns to Autobot City and reports that Kup has been captured, and he the Ore-13 is being sent away through a spacebridge to another universe, causing it to detonate. Aileron is prepared for repairs, whilst Rom looks at the spacebridge and begins thinking about things...

Back at Governor's Island, Scarlett is wondering if they can trust Manheim since he's hiding things from her and his own team, when suddenly Doc enters the room and reveals that the Joe corpses weren't humans after all, including Colton. The group are unnerved by this revelation, and wonder if the alien infiltrators are their allies, or enemies.

Scarlett gets in contact with an "old friend" to try and solve this issue out once and for all...

In Microspace, Karza receives  communication from his ally in the Macroverse, who tells him to not take any more Ore-13 yet, as the transport is causing the Ore to explode on Earth. Karza doesn't care however, as he sees the safety of Microspace to be more important than one planet, so he activates the spacebridge regardless.

On the Heliopolis, a Time Traveler suddenly appears and informs the crew that their true mission is about to begin, just as the spacebridge is deployed from Micronus' chest...

At Autobot City the Autobots try to figure out the link between Aileron's report and Rom's mission, when Rom examines the spacebridge and gets shocked when his suit reacts to it, and the Ore-13 around the room...

Back in Microspace, the spacebridge is opened, and to Karza's shock Ore-13 begins shooting through it, and starts detonating in the space around Micronus, he believes that his ally has turned against him. Elsewhere, the Time Traveler tells Oz and the crew to head through the portal so they can save the universe, including Microspace, which they agree to...

Back on Earth, Rom has taken control of the spacebridge in Autobot City, and the Ore-13 and is the one sending it through the portal to Microspace, justifying it as sacrificing an unknown universe to save this planet. Windblade stops him however when she points out to both him and Optimus that sacrificing anyone for their own mission is just wrong.

Rom surrenders, and shuts down the spacebridge, and allows himself to be restrained by the Cybertronians, and agrees that they must fight to protect both Earth and Microspace.

Unnoticed by anyone else, the Heliopolis flies through the portal and the Micronauts find themselves in a large metallic maze, unaware that they are tiny in this universe. They look for a way out of the metallic world they're in when they run into what they believe to be a giant version of Baron Karza, but is actually a human in a black ninja suit...Snake-Eyes...who is preparing for battle....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Kup - Pick Up Truck In MASK Captivity

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Arcee - Sports Car

Jazz - Sports Car

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Other Cybertronian

Micronus Prime Maybe Dead in Microspace

Metrotitan - Autobot City

GI Joe

Scarlett

Mainframe

Doc

Snake-Eyes

M.A.S.K.

Miles Manheim

Matt Trakker

Vanessa Warfield

Sly Rax

Other Human

Madame President (Mentioned)

EDC (Mentioned) Absorbed into GI Joe

Matt Trakker's Dad (Mentioned) Dead

Dire Wraith

Example Wraith (Projection Only)

Joe Colton (Mentioned) Dead

Other Dead GI Joes (Mentioned) Dead

Micronaut

Oz Rael

Phenolo-Phi

Larissa

Biotron

Acroyear

Microtron

Other Microspace Denizens

Baron Karza

Time Traveler

Other Biotron Units Dead

Other

Rom, the Space Knight

Karza's Ally

Notes

• The start of this issue retells and continues on from the end of the Micronauts Revolution one-shot
• Despite Micronus being believed to be dead, his optics are still lit up, indicating that he is probably still alive in some manner
• It's explained that Ore-13 is being used by Karza to suppress the effects of the Entropy Cloud
• Rom resolved his issues with Optimus and the others pretty quickly huh? Last we saw them they were still fighting
• Windblade reveals that she learned about Micronus creating Microspace and now lays there "dead" during the Till All Are One Revolution one-shot...this issue hasn't been released yet...SPOILERS!!!!
• Aileron is identified as "Autobot Idealist" here, marking the first official point where she is identified as an Autobot...then again she could just be idealistic towards the Autobot cause without being one of them yet.
• Why does Scarlett have Snake-Eyes on her phone as "classified"? Is it just for the end of the issue cliffhanger? That's dumb...
• The identity of Karza's ally is unidentifiable here, but I would guess it's Miles Mayhem, as he contacts Karza right after his agents learn about the Ore-13 detonating when being transported elsewhere, and he is pretty much one of the only other villains in the series so far...
• Micronus' spacebridge ejects from his body from his chest, out of the detailing that resembles a Mini-Con powerlinx port.
• Rom mentions that spacebridges were thought to be lost. Before the resurgence of the Titans in modern issues, the only spacebridges being used were Nova Prime's ones from the Dead Universe, and the ones created by Bombshell and Shockwave in All Hail Megatron and the Costa Ongoing.
• Rom's armour has an affinity with both Ore-13 and the Titan spacebridges, implying that his armour could have connections with Cybertron.
• Rom confirms his dislike for Cybertronians is due to the galactic opinions of the species, but also appears to accept that they are trying to make up for their "crimes" now.
• Despite their smaller size, the Micronauts ship appears to be visible to Snake-Eyes.