IDW - Lost Light #17

Title: The Everlasting Voices Part 2: The God War

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Jack Lawrence

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

On the Afterspark, Ultra Magnus examines the area where Rodimus was struck by Primus' lightning, the group determine it wasn't normal lightning, since there would be remains. Suddenly Magnus is approached by his deceased brother, Dominus Ambus, who tells him that he has been watching over him and is proud of everything he has done. After hearing this, Magnus begins to ascend into the Matrix.

Elsewhere on the planet, Anode and Lug are pillaging the soft Ununtrium from a temple they found, as Anode isn't sure this even is the afterlife, she rations that if they are dead, then it doesn't matter, but if they are still alive, then she can get this rare alloy to set her and Lug up for life. The two thieves fly off to examine the Matrix, as Lug wants some of the blue crystals.

Nightbeat notices some crystals on the floor and starts to follow them, leaving Nautica, Brainstorm and Drift alone...that is until Drift is also struck down by divine lightning too.

Drift soon arrives by Rodimus' side in front of the Guiding Hand, soon followed by Ratchet and Ultra Magnus (who is peeved as he was about to ascend when he was scooped away). Rodimus has called his friends to help him convince the Guiding Hand to revive them, so they can get back to their real lives. At first Rodimus feels that he just wants revenge on Getaway for stealing his ship, but he quickly realizes that he really wants his friends to be happy again, and the Lost Light is where everyone was happy last. The Guiding Hand however reject this notion, since his crew are happy here in the Afterspark, and if they revived them now, they can never return. The Hand sends Rodimus and his team away, back into the Afterspark to await ascension.

Back in the Afterspark, Cyclonus and Tailgate catch up on what happened since they last saw each other. Cyclonus admits that he should never have left Necroworld without Tailgate, and the two promise to never separate again, as they travel towards the Matrix.

Rodimus and the others arrive back outside the temple, where Magnus immediately leaves to go be with Dominus some more, however, Ratchet notices some words over the archway into the temple, words that only he can see announcing "We are all trapped light".

On the other side of the temple, Nautica and Brainstorm are exploring, with Brainstorm convinced that the place is trying to distract everyone from exploring, and seems to be splitting them up. Just then, Brainstorm's crush, Quark appears and announces that he has always loved Brainstorm and wants to be his spark-mate. Brainstorm, despite knowing this is probably a trick drops his Early Early Warning Device and leaves with Quark. Nautica, now left alone notices that the device is now red hot, and also now notices a door reading "Danger. Do not enter" on it. She goes to open it, when Skids suddenly appears behind her, asking her to come walk with him...

Back with Rodimus' group, they follow a tunnel that leads them to a room bearing the markings "W0" on the door, again, with only Ratchet being able to see it. Inside the room, they all see an eclectic group of aliens hooked up to a device generating some light. The aliens all start chanting "Prepare. Confront. Repel" in unison and the group are surrounded from the shadows

Outside, Nightbeat has followed the trail of Crystals back towards the main group under the Matrix. He locates Whirl, who he asks where Rung is, because he wants to tell him his new discovery...the TRUE purpose to his alternate mode, however, upon announcing this, he rises up, and his spark is ripped from his body, re-entering the Matrix.

Inside the temple again, Nautica is unmoved by Skids' appearance, despite his best attempts to get her to come with him, she just dismisses him...causing his form to glitch out and start to distort. Nautica takes this to mean that she is doing the right thing, and opens the dangerous door, and coming face-to-face with the Scavengers, still stuck inside Grimlock's old cell on Garrus-9!!

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Drift - Car

Ultra Magnus/Minimus Ambus - Vehicle Transport

Ratchet - Ambulance

Nautica - Submarine

Brainstorm - Jet

Nightbeat - Car Ascended into Matrix

Velocity - Race Car

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Swerve - Van

Tailgate - Car (After Spark?)

Pipes - Truck (After Spark)

Trailcutter - Van (After Spark)

Dominus Ambus - Turbo Fox (After Spark)

Quark - Electron Microscope (After Spark)

Skids - Van (After Spark)

Getaway - Car (Mentioned)

Kaput (Mentioned) Dead

Rung - Photonic Crystal Generator? (Mentioned)

Chromedome - Car (Mentioned)

Rewind - Data Slug (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Misfire - Jet

Spinister - Helicopter

Krok

Crankcase - Van

Fulcrum - Bomb

Nickel - Rocket-Powered Buggy

Skip - Space Shuttle (Mentioned) Dead

Other Cybertronian

Primus (After Spark)

Mortilus (After Spark)

Solomus (After Spark)

Adaptus (After Spark)

Epistemus (After Spark)

Cyclonus - Jet

Anode - Bi-Plane

Lug - Backpack Equipment

Ancient Cybertronians (Flashback)

Vector Sigma (Flashback)

Ten (Flashback) Ascended into Matrix

Beta Trion (Mentioned)

Other

Trapped Light Aliens Attached to Strange Device

Verity Carlo (Mentioned)

Notes

• Hey look, we finally see Dominus Ambus in his "true" robot mode body, we briefly saw him in a schematic file at the end of MTMTE, but this is his first proper appearance
• Okay if anyone still thinks that this is the Cybertronian afterlife, when we have non-Cybertronians being held there, the dead characters appear to be glitching out or acting out of character amongst all the other issues, then they really need to read more comics...
• Rodimus' choice of Magnus, Ratchet and Drift to help him talking with the Guiding Hand is a light mirror to what Tyrest did with himself, Pharma and Star Saber, representing the three pillars of most societies, law, science and religion. Funnily enough, according to James Roberts on Twitter, he originally planned to have Rodimus refer to them as "Rodimus' Trinity", a further reference to "Rossum's Trinity" (aka the connection of the brain, spark and T-Cog in Transformers)
• Drift's story of the Guiding Hand is a little different to the one told by Cyclonus back in the MTMTE Annual, further implying that it was just a story, or not the complete truth. 
• If you pay attention, you'll notice that the Guiding Hand do not confirm or deny Drift's story of their conflict. This makes me think that they may be, at least partially, the real deal. Perhaps they are trying to keep Cybertronians safe here to preserve them following Unicron's oncoming attack.
• Also, one of the members paraphrases Unicron from the 1986 movie, when he warns Magnus that they will "proceed directly into oblivion". We previously saw that the mysterious "Grand Architect" did the same thing with Scorponok and Flame when he rescued them and conscripted them into his faction. Also the aliens in this issue repeat the phrase "Prepare. Confront. Repel." which is known to be related to that same group. Looks like my theory on Adaptus being the Architect may be true after all!
• I also want to believe that Tailgate is the real one here, having been transported to the "Afterspark" from his isolation cage on Necroworld, neither he nor Cyclonus appear to be acting off, so it doesn't match up with Pipes and the others. (Also given the logic of this world, wouldn't Cyclonus and/or Tailgate have ascended right after they reunited)
• Nightbeat realizes in this issue that because Rung creates his photonic crystals whilst in robot mode, that means his alternate mode's purpose has not been revealed after all. Well Nightbeat claims that he knows what it is, but he ascends right as he's about to mention it. Personally I believe his purpose is my original idea from all the way back at the start of MTMTE, he's a key of some sort.
• Rung is mentioned as being with Rewind and Chromedome. None of them have appeared in this storyline (at least not outside of flashbacks) This seems a little suspect. Also, wouldn't Rewind and Chromedome have ascended straight away, they have no known unfinished business, and they are known for being happiest when together.
• In case you forgot, the reason Nautica doesn't remember why she and Skids are best friends is because she had her emotions linked to him removed earlier in the series. It left her memories and experiences with him, but none of the emotions attached.
• Huh...that ending sure asks me two questions. Were Team Rodimus sent to Garrus-9 somehow, or were the Scavengers sent to the "Afterspark". I personally believe it would be the latter, since the Magnificence gave the Scavengers the coordinates to Garrus-9, and if my theory on that being Epistemus turns out to be true as well.

IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #49

Title: Speak, Memory! (Part 2)

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Hayato Sakamoto

Coordination by: Phases

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Sunder continues his attack on Skids' mind, and forces him to relive his time at Grindcore prison.

At the prison, Skids is revealed to have repaired the prison's transport generators, which will allow the prison to send it's prisoners to other locations for hard-labour. Skids is returned to his cell, where Quark moans at him for helping the Decepticons, but Skids justifies t by pointing out that because of him, fifty of the prisoners are to be shipped off soon, which means they're going to be off this horrible place. The two are stopped in their conversation when Tarn starts to play the Empyrean Suite over the intercom....

Back in the present, Rung blocks Sunder's gaze, and stops the memories, in the meanwhile, Froid opens Sunder's cell and unshackles the mad-man (for some reason he never really explains). The guards, Fervor and Kindle rush into the ship and order him to stand down and return to the cell, but Sunder simply uses his full Mnemosurgery kills to attack the duo, shocking both Skids and Rung in the process. Rung sends off a transmission to someone....

A little while later, Tailgate has woken up from his coma, and is exploring the Lost Light for any signs of people, finds all the lights turned off, and several orbs lining the corridors. He finds himself in the brig, where he tries to get Getaway to explain what happened, but he gets no response from the prisoner, and gets angry, not knowing that Getaway has been stripped of his limbs and mouth as part of his punishment.

Soon, Tailgate encounters Rung, Froid and Skids who explain about Sunder being on the loose, and his ability to trick a Transformer into thinking the best option to defend against him is to transform, but also makes them forget how to transform properly, forcing them into an orb shape. Rung explains that the crew have been locked in their rooms, and the lights were turned off to help slow down Sunder, but they're looking for Chromedome to help lock down the memories in Skids' head before he is mentally scarred. Sunder creeps up on the group and Skids begins to remember again...

Back in the past, Tarn thanks Skids for his help, and confirms that the prisoners were transported to the Manganese Mountains. Skids tries to bargain for more prisoners to be sent off-world again, but Tarn tells him that he doesn't need his help any more, since he had Snare learn how to make the repairs by watching Skids previously, but does plan to send Skids on the next transport tomorrow. Skids is interested, but asks if someone else can take his place....

Rung forces himself and Froid in front of Sunder to block the memories again, but in the process Froid is inverted into a sphere too. After his inversion Sunder is shot by the newly arrived Thunderclash. Thunderclash, along with Megatron give chase to Sunder, who is now heading to the shuttle bay again, whilst the similarly newly arrived Chromedome quickly seals up Skids' open memories. Rung and Tailgate head off to join the others whilst Chromedome works on Skids.

Sunder returns to his and Froid's shuttle, which Megatron recognizes are being his long dead brother, Sceptre. Sunder transforms the shuttle into a battle-suit for protect himself, and uses his powers on Thudnerclash, turning him into a sphere. Before he can do the same to Megatron however, Rung appears with his model ships and uses them to attack Sunder, taking out his eyes, and disabling his abilities.

Tailgate prompts Megatron to pick up Thunderclash's gun and shoot Sunder, but Megatron instead tries to talk down the mad-man. Tailgate however decides to not try to reason with him, picks up the Rodpod, and throws it t the battle-suit bound robot, knocking him out, much to everyone's shock.

Later, on the bridge, Rung hands in his resignation to Megatron, pointing out that despite him disagreeing with the tribunal's decision in the past, he was struck off, he will tell the crew, but won't allow them to change his decision.

Rodimus then comes to the bridge, having been returned to normal, and Rodimus shares Velocity's report on Tailgate's new abilities, saying that due to his agitated nature and stress, in combination with the radiation from their time travelling in the past caused Tailgate to become a new Outlier with increased strength, speed and invulnerability. Rodimus asks Megatron why he refused to shoot Sunder, which Megatron reveals is due to his new decision, that following recent events, he has decided to defy violence, and will never harm another living creature, ever again...

Back in the past at Grindcore, Skids and Quark are both led into the transport chamber, since Tarn was so "touched" by Skids' actions that he let him go too, along with his friend Quark. The entire group are led into the chamber, and the door is locked, and they find the entire room very...hot...

Skids soon notices that the floors are engraved with drainage ducts, which he quickly understands the purpose for.

Suddenly the room's temperature rises and the Empyrean Suite places extremely loud, causing everyone in the room pain. Skids is suddenly teleported out, and finds himself in Tarn's office again. Once there, Tarn reveals that Megatron needs the raw materials from the Autobots to make new MTO soldiers for the war, so he's been using the euphemism of a teleporter to get people to queue up for it. Tarn coaxes Skids to his window, where he tells Skids that he doesn't believe in heaven, but he does believe in a hell...as they watch over the melting and screaming bodies below them.....(and now I throw up!)

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Megatron - Tank

Thunderclash - Truck

Tailgate - Car

Rung

Skids - Van

Chromedome - Car

Kindle

Fervor

Sunder - Car Captured or Killed by Tailgate

Sceptre - Space Shuttle/Battle Suit Dead

Getaway - Car Imprisoned in Brig

Quark - Electron Microscope (Flashback) Smelted in Grindcore

Grindcore Prisoners (Flashback) Smelted in Grindcore

Velocity - Race Car (Mentioned)

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport (Mentioned)

Decepticon

"Tarn" - Tank (Flashback)

Talon - Jet (Flashback)

Snare - Jet (Flashback)

Cybertronian

Froid - Jet

Cyclonus - Jet (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

The Necrobot (Mentioned)

Mortilus (Mentioned)

Notes

• Tarn is never called "Tarn" in this story or the previous one, similarly to Chromedome's original name and Shockwave's identity in previous past-set comics. This somewhat adds to the idea that he is really Roller in disguise, and this is before he joined the DJD
• Tarn is shown having his transformation addiction even this early on in his career.
• From the tyres on his wrists, it's safe to assume that Sunder turns into a car or land vehicle of some sort.
• Either Sunder is taking the time to write down "Mortilus Saves" after inverting crew members, or someone else is following him. Either way it's kinda odd.
• Getaway's imprisonment is designed to be escape proof, due to him being a famed escapologist. His limbs are removed for obvious reasons, but his mouth and voice box are removed to stop him from manipulating people with his "silver tongue".
• Tarn is shown with several corpses displayed on his office walls...I'm afraid....
• Tarn is so obsessed with the Decepticons that his Engex bottle has a Decepticon insignia stopper.
• It's unclear if Froid survived his inversion, but let's hope he died for his black-mails etc.
• Based on Sceptre's ship-mode's insignia, it's very likely that he and Sunder are actually Autobots.
• It's revealed that Rung has outfitted his model ships with working engines and weaponry...wonder if the Lost Light model has a working miniature Quantum Engine?
• How on Cybertron did Tailgate get the idea to even TRY and pick up the Rodpod?!
• During their time travelling adventures, it was discovered that Sentinel Prime tried to use radiation to create artificial Outliers, it's revealed here that his theory was correct, but he was simply using the wrong type of radiation.
• Sunder's "Mortilus impression" is represented by a black text-box, his normal voice uses a regular white one.
• The horrible memory that Skids has repressed, his loss of faith in Primus, and his interest in music and the Empyrean Suite are all revealed to the audience, but not Skids himself here.
• I'm going to admit something here, originally I considered using the final panel for one of my screenshots here...but it has been giving me nightmares since I saw it D:

IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #48

Title: Speak, Memory: Part 1

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Hayato Sakamoto

Coordination by: Phases

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long & Chris Mowry

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Skids is having another session with Rung, to try and uncover his repressed memories, whilst building one of his models. Skids recounts how he was captured by the Decepticons after the Simanzi Massacre and placed into a cell with an inhibiter device attached, however he starts to lose the details halfway through, so they call it quits

Skids prepares the leave when Ruing receives a visit from Froid, whom had be believed dead for some time now. The two reunite and Skids excuses himself, commenting on the new arrival's Primal Beads around his neck.

At the Medibay, Cyclonus sits next to an unconscious Tailgate, and Velocity marvels at how he wasn't killed by the multiple gun shot wounds he sustained. Megatron arrives and offers his apologies for striking out at Tailgate earlier, and insists that he'd never have actually killed the little Autobot (despite beginning to crush his neck). Rodimus explains that they discovered from Tailgate's mind (via Mnemosurgery) that Getaway and Atomizer set him up, and they've been arrested by Magnus in response. They also explain that Tailgate's energy wave actually managed to wake up Thunderclash as well, now all they need is for Tailgate to wake up too.

Back at Rung's office, Froid recounts how after he helped capture Sunder, a Mnemosurgeon who turned into a serial killer, he joined the prison transport ship that was taking him to Garrus-6, when Sunder escaped and took him hostage, they were believed to be killed when the shuttle they were in was destroyed. Unknown to the rest of the crew however, Sunder and Froid ended up on Scarvix, where Froid became a famous psychiatrist there, whilst helping Sunder get past the death of his accomplice and brother during the shuttle destruction. however, Sunder and Froid ended up on Scarvix, where Froid became a famous psychiatrist there, whilst helping Sunder get past the death of his accomplice and brother during the shuttle destruction.

After the story, Froid reveals the reason he tracked down Rung..he want's to look at his patient notes, which Rung vehemently refuses, due to both patient confidentiality, and of Froid's past of plagiarizing his work. However Froid threatens to reveal Rung's dark secret if he refuses...

Skids sits at the Oil Reservoir and continues to try and recall his memories again, where he recalls helping his new cell-mate Quark remove his inhibitor device, allowing him to transform between modes again. Skids explains that he learned how to do it whilst watching them construct one earlier due to his outlier skills. Quark suggests to keep his abilities a secret in case of being singled out by the Decepticons, when suddenly the commandant of the prison arrives at the door, and Skids recognizes the voice...before his memory starts to fail again.

Rung refuses the request of Froid's and he seems to take it well, but asks Rung to see him off the ship. Once they reach the shuttle bay, Rung is surprised to see some guards, until Froid shows him inside his ship...where Sunder is sitting in a cell, and has been writing words worshiping Mortilus on the walls. Rung claims this is wrong, and Froid is too close to Sunder to be objectional, but Froid throws that in his face by bringing up that Ruing got too close to a patient on a previous assignment, and was disbarred, however the ship was destroyed, so as the sole survivor Rung was able to pretrend it never happened.

Froid reveals that Sunder is able to feed on troubled memories and experiencing by using a rare Mnemosurgery technique where he can read minds just using his eyesight, so he had his eye's scooped out, and planned to use Rung's patients to feed him.

Suddenly, Froid is sent flying as Skids appears and shoots him away with his grappling hook. Rung tells Skids to leave, but Skids is confused as Rung himself called for him to come assist him, but that was before he knew about Sunder's skill. Froid takes this moment to reveal that his Primal Beads are actually Sunder's eyes, and gives them back. Sunder greets the two Autobots, and scans Rung's mind, shattering his spectacles in the process, then turns to Skids, unlocking his repressed memory...

Skids' cell opens up to the prison's commandant...the Decepticon now named Tarn!

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Sports Car

Megatron - Tank

Rung

Skids - Van

Velocity - Race Car

Tailgate - Car Unconscious

Kindle

Fervor

Riptide - Boat (Voice Only)

Quark - Electron Microscope (Flashback)

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport (Flashback)

Getaway - Car (Flashback) Arrested

Atomizer - Car (Flashback) Arrested

Heavy Tread (Flashback) Detonated as a Landmine

Grindcore Prisoners (Flashback)

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax (Mentioned)

Thunderclash - Truck (Mentioned) He woke up!

Chromedome - Car (Mentioned)

Wheeljack - Race Car (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Tarn - Tank (Flashback)

Flywheels - Tank/Jet (Flashback)

Stalker - Personnel Carrier (Flashback)

Skyquake - Jet (Flashback)

Wingthing (Flashback)

Glit (Flashback)

Dreadwind - Stealth Bomber (Flashback)

Ruckus - Baja Buggy (Flashback)

Octus - Dalek (Flashback)

Take-Off (Flashback)

Charger (Flashback)

Grindcore Staff (Flashback)

Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Froid - Jet

Sunder

Sceptre (Mentioned) Killed in Ship Explosion

The Senate (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Mortilus (Mentioned)

The Guiding Hand (Mentioned)

Notes

• It's hinted in this issue that Skids losing his "faith" is somehow related to what happened at Grindcore
• Given Glit's medical background in their profile, it's likely the "cross on their back is the Decepticon's version of the medical symbol.
• It's revealed that Rung only collects models of ships that he's served on. This also reveals that Rung was SUPPOSED to be on the Ark-1, but was recalled last minute
• Froid is shown in full in this issue, showing that his design is VERY much based on Prime Sondwave, just with a Seeker-looking chest.
• The effects of Tailgate's spark-wave is revealed to have woken up Thunderclash from his coma, it's also probable that he also revived Cyclonus as well, since he miraculously survived being blasted by the security crew.
• Sunder is normally an Autobot cassette-bird...guess he's a very different character now!
• Rung appears to have a habit of polishing his spectacles when he's nervous, the last time he was shown doing it was after his therapy session with Megatron.
• Since we know Quark died in Grindcore due to that being Brainstorm's motives behind making his time cases, it can be assumed that Tarn will kill him to torment Skids at some point.
• Skids appears to recognize Tarn's voice at Grindcore. Since there'd be no reason he'd know a Decepticon by code-name, just by voice alone, it can be assumed that he know's the voice of the guy under the mask, who is most likely Roller.
• Tarn appears to know about Skids' outlier abilities, which was known to Roller as well, further adding to the theory.
• From their names, I can probably assume that Kindle and Fervor are the previously mentioned Pyrobots