Panini - Armada #3

Cover Date: 16th July 2003

Price: £1.75

Main Story

Title: Deep Trouble!

Script: Simon Furman

Pencils: Andrew Wildman

Inks: Bambos Georgiou

Colours: Junior Tomlin

Letters: Neil Porter

Plot

The Humans and Mini-Cons travel back into the cave where the Mini-Con ship sits, as the Autobots need a locator inside it to help them find the other Mini-Cons before the Decepticons can, unfortunately though, the Autobots are too big to enter the cave themselves.

Inside the cave, they soon find the locator, but Demolishor breaks through the cave walls and begins the attack the group. The Mini-Cons try to hold him off, but are too weak. Rad distracts Demolishor before he can finish off the Mini-Cons by stealing the locator and leading him into the tunnels.

The humans run away in the tunnels, but drop the locator near a weak area that Rad knows about. The vibrations from Demolishor's treads set off a reaction that destroys the locator (not sure how, but comic science!)

The humans and Mini-Cons leave the tunnel, and Optimus is okay with the locator being destroyed, since the Mini-Cons will make themselves known in their own times now.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Hot Shot - Sports Car

Red Alert - Emergency SUV

Decepticon

Demolishor - Battle Tank

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Mini-Con

High Wire - BMX

Sureshock - Scooter

Grindor - Skateboard

Longarm - Crane (Flashback)

Runway - Stealth Jet (Flashback)

Jetstorm - Concorde Jet (Flashback)

Human

Rad White

Carlos Lopez

Alexis

Tales of the Mini-Cons...

Title: Just a Memory!

Script: Simon Furman

Pencils: Kieron Ward

Inks: Bambos Georgiou

Colours: Junior Tomlin

Letters: Neil Porter

Plot

School finishes for the kids, but as they go their separate ways afterwards, their partner Mini-Cons follow them in secret.

Rad is in detention for not paying attention in his chemistry class along with Fred and Billy, whilst there, the bullies tamper with Rad's chemicals, which makes High Wire remember when a compound for clean fuel he created on Cybertron was tampered with by Decepticons, to cause extra pollution on the planet. High Wire gets angry and grabs the bullies out of the window and knocks them around a bit. Rad takes the opportunity to escape from detention.

Elsewhere, at the mall, Carlos is planning to show off some new skateboard tricks to his friends, when Grindor remembers himself showing off his skills on Cybertron, so he decides to help Carlos to show off by replacing his skateboards and helping him perform impossible tricks. Carlos gets angry and has Grindor take him out of the mall.

Outside they run into Rad and High Wire, and soon Alexis, who says that Sureshock overloaded the observatory computers by trying to fill it with Cybertronian data.

The Mini-Cons explain that they're only trying to help the humans and learn from them about Earth customs. Rad promises that he'll help them to learn, which worries the other kids....

Characters

Mini-Con

High Wire - BMX

Sureshock - Scooter

Grindor - Skateboard

Sparkplug - Sports Car (Flashback)

Longarm - Crane (Flashback)

Human

Rad White

Carlos Lopez

Alexis

Billy

Fred

Chemistry Teacher

Skaters

Pedestrians

Notes

• Starting with this issue, we get 2 comic strips, a main story and a side-story starring the Mini-Cons
• Despite the cover, the only Decepticon who appears in either comic is Demolishor.
• Why does Demolishor has a buzzsaw? It's not the Mini-Con Buzzsaw, so where did it come from?
• Also that buzzsaw looks more like a wood cutter, it's far too thin to break rocks like that!
• The tracker is designed like the Mini-Con panels from the cartoon. In this series, like the Dreamwave one, the Mini-Cons are kept in stasis pods or similar devices, and not the panels
• Awwww the Mini-Cons have tiny blasters!
• How did Billy, Fred or the teacher not notice High Wire either lingering in the area, grabbing the two bullies, or transforming and allowing Rad to escape?
• The data file for Demolishor actually shows off his "artillery mode". This is quite cool :)

Other Features

Various Contests and Adverts

Make your escape! - Solve the puzzles to leave the page...er....cave....

Data File #5: Demolishor

Aerial Assault! - Colour in a picture of the Autobots being chased by Decepticons

Super Optimus Prime! - Pull-out Poster

Escape from Planet Cybertron! - It's a board game to play! The back cover has ut out counters, but really, wouldn't it be more fun to play with Armada series Mini-Cons?

Data File #6: Blackout

Hot Shot's Hot Mail! - More mail, let's hope Starscream steals it from him soon!

Dreamwave - Armada FCBD

Written by: Brandon Easton

Penciled by: Don Figueroa

Inks by: Elaine To

Colours by: Alan Wang, Rob Ruffolo, David Cheung, Stuart Ng, Susan Luo, Felipe Smith

Flats by: Sigmund Torre

Letters by: Paul Villafuerte

Graphic Design: Matt Moylan

Pre-Press: Kell-O-Graphics

Plot

Millions of years ago, the Autobots and Decepticons began fighting over the Mini-Cons, leading to the smaller robots self-exiling themselves off Cybertron, and they crashed into Earth's Moon, and Earth itself.

In the present day Rad and Carlos are riding their bikes on a nature hike (yeah) when they come across the Mini-Con Swindle, who claims to have escaped the Decepticons, they quickly become friends, and the kids offer to take Swindle to see the Autobots, and he offers to ride them to school. Suddenly the kids and Swindle are spotted by Starscream, who is after the escaped Mini-Con, so the small group start to hide, however Cyclonus and Demolishor also appear from no-where, and they capture the kids, however they're soon rescued when Hot Shot, Red Alert and Smokescreen appear (they were tracking Swindle as well) and fight off the Decepticons, all is going well until Megatron appears and blasts the three Autobots.

Megatron then orders Swindle out of hiding, and he's forced to bring the kids with him, revealing that he "escaped" on a mission for Megatron. The kids try to reach Swindle with the power of friendship, and he does let them go, however Megatron catches them himself soon afterwards. Swindle asks, that since he's completed his mission, and the Autobots are defeated and the kids captured, if he can be free now, which invites laughter from the meanie Decepticons. Megatron reveals that he plans to try and fuse humans with Cybertronian tech to create a new power source, but before he can really elaborate, Optimus Prime arrives and interrupts him, and rescues the kids from his grasp.

Optimus and Megatron have a quick battle, but it ends when Starscream shoots Optimus in the back, Starscream suggests that he should be leader due to him defeating Optimus, leading Megatron to aim his cannon at him, asking him to repeat that.

The Autobots are all tied up with Energon bonds, that Red Alert deduces will short out if exposed to a strong energy blast. The kids hide in some bushes, and are approached by Swindle, who's sick of the Decepticons now, and wants to help out, he turns into his alternate mode and speeds past the Decepticons, reaches the Autobot's discarded weapons, and blasts's Optimus' bonds, freeing him. Optimus in turn frees his teammates and the Autobots chase off the Decepticons with surprising ease.

As the Decepticons retreat, Swindle cheers along with the humans and Autobots, until Starscream hits him with a tractor beam of sorts and drags him away. The kids are sad to see him taken away, but still can't forgive him for lying to them before, and wonder if they can trust another Mini-Con again. Optimus assures them that everyone deserves a second chance, even the Decepticons. With that they all drive off, ready for the next adventure.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Hot Shot - Sports Car

Red Alert - Emergency SUV

Smokescreen - Crane-Mounted Tow Truck

Other Combatants (Flashback)

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Cyclonus - Helicopter

Demolishor - Tank

Other Combatants (Flashback)

Mini-Con

Swindle - F1 Race Car

Leader-1 - Gun-Mounted Buggy (Flashback)

Runway (Flashback)

Wreckage (Flashback)

Spiral (Flashback)

Jolt (Flashback)

Blackout (Flashback)

Sparkplug (Flashback)

Human

Rad

Carlos

Carlos' Parents (Mentioned)

Notes

• WHY DOES A FREE COMIC BOOK NEED SO MANY COLOURISTS?!?!?
• The present day parts of this comic are set between issues 5 and 6 of the main comic
• Gee, have you noticed how every single character in this comic gets a name-drop? Almost like this comic is used as an advert for the series or something!
• The only Mini-Con to appear in the present day scenes is Swindle, seems a bit odd since you'd expect at least the Decepticons to come armed with Mini-cons to kill the Autobots with, wouldn't you?
• Where is Scavenger and Alexis during this issue?
• Why did Megatron have the Decepticons ambush the kids and Swindle? Why not let them take him to the Autobot's base, and let them know where they're hiding?!
• Megatron's plan to fuse humans with Cybertronian tech is never mentioned again...would have been cool though! Imagine Mini-Con Powermasters!!
• Rad considering not trusting another Mini-Con seems a bit odd, since he's pretty close to the Street Action Team and Sparkplug.
• Speaking of them, why weren't Rad and Carlos riding with High Wire and Grindor?

DW - Energon #19-24

Plot

Ten years have passed since the battle with Unicron and Cybertron has been rebuilt as a peaceful world, however Optimus has a bad feeling about something and asks the High Council to develop an army again, just in case of war returning, however they refuse as they believe that since Megatron and Unicron are gone there are no more threats to the Transformers out there.

Elsewhere at an Energon Processing plant some Decepticons are working, but also seem to be agitated with the peace as well. Scorponok arrives and as his first point of business shoots Starscream into a processor, Tidal Wave, seeing the Decepticon is still alive goes to finish him off, but Starscream pulls him in with him, badly damaging him. Scorponok takes the remaining Decepticons with him through a Space Bridge whilst Starscream's body to crushed and processed.

Elsewhere Optimus goes to see Over-Run at one of the Mini-Con villages but is stopped by the Omnicons, who don't recognize him. Over-Run however agrees to see him, and tells Optimus about how he's been tapping into the planet itself, and Optimus can do so as well to find out the answers he needs about his concerns.

Scorponok and his Decepticons arrive inside Unicron's husk of a body where they meet with Alpha Quintesson who conscripts them into helping him collect Energon to help revive Unicron's body, in exchange he'll give them new "hyper modes", which gives them greater power and strength, which they agree to.

Optimus, Hot Shot and Ironhide arrive at one of the hub nodules Over-Run told Optimus about and he manages to connect with the planet and he witnesses the Decepticons on Unicron's body leaving through a Space Bridge to Earth, but also hears Megatron's voice warning him about what's happening. Optimus disconnects just before Alpha Quintesson sends out the Horsemen of Unicron into space.

In Australia, Earth, the Decepticons (Terrorcons) under Scorponok's command are attacking facilities and people, looking for Energon, and Kicker is caught in the middle of it. Carlos, in a satellite above the planet monitors the situation and tells Rad and Dr Jones at Alterenergy Mobile Command and they realize that the animal Transformers must be Decepticons. The Military are called in to attack the robots and pass over a protest group led by Alexis. Suddenly Kicker rides into the protestors on his bike, being chased by Battle Ravage.

Elsewhere, Dr Jones sends Rad out to look for Kicker, who he knows was in the area of the attack. The Terrorcons easily beat the Military, whilst Battle Ravage is blinded by Alexis' flare gun, whilst she and Kicker ride away.

On Cybertron Optimus talks to the Council again to tell them about what he saw about Earth, but they don't want to start a war again, but they permit him to go to Earth alone to check it out. Just as he's telling his team about it though, explosions start occuring outside as the Horsemen have arrived and are causing chaos.

During the battle with the Horsemen, Optimus recognizes them as some of the Transformers captured during the battle with Unicron, and evidently they have been brainwashed by Unicron into following him, and are now slaughtering the Cybertronians, and badly injure most of Optimus' team.

The Terrorcons continue their search for Energon and wonder where Battle Ravage is (he's still chasing Kicker and Alexis). On Cybertron the Autobots are saved from death by the Omnicons, who tell Optimus to uplink to Cybertron again, upon doing so he is upgraded into a new body and spreads the upgrade to his team, giving them the Spark of Combination, allowing them to combine in pairs and fight off the Horsemen.

The Horsemen receive word from Alpha Quintesson to return to Unicron, so they leave, after the battle Councillor Levitacus arrives and gives Optimus and his whole team permission to investigate Earth, given the recent attack here.

Battle Ravage returns to Scorponok and delivers Kicker and Alexis to him, where Scorponok scans them, and sees why the Terrorcon chased them for so long, Kicker has a strange Energon-like signature around him.

Scorponok explains that Kicker seems to be able to detect Energon, from the looks of his body signatures and tries to find out how he does it. Rad arrives nearby and notices Alexis is with Kicker. The Autobots Space Bridge over to Earth, and on the way Optimus hears Megatron again.

The Terrorcons start to tap into an Energon seam and power themselves up, and realize that Earth is teeming with Energon. The Autobots start to approach the site and are attacked by the Terrorcons, Rad meanwhile runs to save Alexis and Kicker, but is blocked by Battle Ravage, Rad contacts Carlos on the satellite and has him take remote control of his vehicle and ram it into the Energon siphon, causing it to explode.

Scorponok sees the explosion and has his team stop the attack and return to the site to try and scavenge any that's left.

The weakened Optimus lays there and hears Megatron calling for him to come to him.

The Terrorcons attack the Alterenergy Command to make Kicker work with them to locate another Energon seam. Rad and Alexis are running back towards the Command when they run into the Autobots, reuniting with their old friends.

The Terrorcons have been taken to another seam and start to siphon it off when the Autobots arrive again and a full-out battle ensues, during the battle Tidal Wave is guarding Kicker in his cage when Hot Shot and Strongarm arrive, attack Tidal Wave and free Kicker, who then warns the Autobots to leave the area now, as it's going to get hot around here soon. They leave and Tidal Wave starts to attack them, when suddenly the Energon, which turns out to be impure explodes.

The battle between the Terrorcons and Autobots ends abruptly when the Horsemen pull them out of the battle through Space Bridges, as Alpha Quintesson is displeased with their failure at securing the Energon. Everyone reunites and the Autobots announce that they plan on staying on Earth for the meanwhile.

Later, on Cybertron, Ironhide is overseeing the construction of some base units for transport to Earth, but is being stalked by Tidal Wave, who attacks him and Cliffjumper, threatening to kill his friend if he doesn't do something for him.

Jetfire wonders where Ironhide has gone and goes to look for him, finding Cliffjumper injured and off the road, but alive still. Tidal Wave has Ironhide get him some Seismic Shock Warheads that were stockpiled by Megatron in the past, to use on Earth now, but Ironhide reneges on him and turns on the warhead now, threatening to kill them both. Tidal Wave gets pummeled by Ironhide, but runs away in a Space Bridge to safety before Jetfire arrives, and Ironhide reveals that it was a dud warhead, impressing Jetfire with his quick thinking.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Vehicle Transport (Formerly Truck)

Hot Shot - Sports Car

Inferno - Fire Engine

Ironhide - Van

Jetfire - Space Shuttle
Arcee - Motorcycle
Strongarm - Jeep
Signal Flare - Satellite Truck
Skyblast - Jet

Rodimus - Truck Cab

Landmine - Armoured Tow-Plough

Cliffjumper - Buggy
Prowl - F1 Police Car
Red Alert - Emergency SUV
Hoist - Excavator
Scavenger - Bulldozer
Alpha Trion
Councillor Levitacus
Councillor Avalon
High Council

Decepticon
Megatron - Tank Body Destroyed, trapped inside Unicron
Scorponok - Scorpion Tank/Jet
Tidal Wave - Battleship
Battle Ravage - Jaguar
Divebomb - Falcon
Cruellock - Raptor
Insecticon - Beetle
Thrust - Fighter Jet
Demolishor - Battle Tank
Cyclonus - Helicopter
Starscream - Fighter Jet Killed by Scorponok

Horsemen of Unicron

Rhinox/War - Rhino

Airazor/Death - Eagle

Cheetor/Pestilence - Cheetah

Terrorsaur/Famine - Pteranodon

Mini-Con

Over-Run - Jet

Human

Chad "Kicker" Jones

Rad

Alexis

Carlos

Dr Jones
Other Humans

Other

Alpha Quintesson

Unicron - Ringed Planet Body Dead

Other Cybertronians

Notes

• One of the civilians on Cybertron looks like Cybertron series Shortround's alternate mode
• Optimus is still in his Armada body at the start of this story, as well as the Decepticons, but none of the other characters who return are (if they have new bodies that is, like Hot Shot or Jetfire)
• The Omnicons were created by Over-Run, who has been tapping into Cybertron itself to manipulate the Cybertronian evolutionary process
• This story shows that after Megatron was blasted into the depths of Unicron he was torn apart by Unicron's internal systems and had his consciousness split from his now useless body, but when Unicron was killed, Megatron started building himself a new body, but is unable to enter it alone...