IDW - Revolutionaries #4

Title: The Iron Klaw

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Fico Ossio

Colours by: Sebastian Cheng

Letters by: Tom B Long

Assistant Edits by: David Mariotte

Edited by: David Hedgecock

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

The villains are based out in Mklavia in Kalistan, under the protection of Iron Klaw, who has somehow gained the Predacons as guards. Ironblood receives a message from Kreiger, saying that Tomax needs an emergency evac from his mission, which Ironblood is annoyed by, but he activates the MASS Device anyway...unaware that Snake Eyes is hiding in the rafters of the castle.

Outside, Kup, Action Man and Mayday are waiting for a signal, and Kup is shown an image of the Predacons, who he identifies, and explains that he trained them before the war, but after the war ended they wound up on Earth working for China, trying to develop combining technologies before the discovery of the Enigma of Combination.

Tomax arrives through the MASS Device, and is chewed out for losing his helmet and Centurion, but he is soon forgiven when he reveals that he has Garrison Blackrock as a prisoner, who they plan to dissect to figure out how he works...

On their way to the castle, Mayday explains her history with Mklavia, saying how she was on an observational team when she first worked for GI Joe, and so knows the area quite well. She then goes on to explain about how Tomax acted as though Cobra were the heroes, and the Joes, and the Western world in general were bad, until they ended up being destroyed when Snake Eyes infiltrated the group and caused an incident involving the death of another mole in the group.

Inside the castle, Blackrock is hooked up to a Talisman look-a-like, and Kreiger uses his mind to try and uncover more of the secrets of the device. Snake Eyes makes a noise, and is discovered, causing the Iron Grenadiers to attack him in response, meanwhile, the rest of the villains realise that Snake Eyes wouldn't be alone, so they deploy the Predacons too...

Outside, the team have lost contact with their team inside, so they decide to attack the castle. Kup breaks down a wall, but finds the Predacons combined into Predaking!

Inside the castle, Snake Eyes is dead, and Kreiger asks Tomax to report on Project: Ice Man, which he appears to be confused about. Ironblood examines the body of Snake Eyes, and discovers that he is a robot! "Tomax" rips off his face, and reveals that he is actually Snake Eyes, who has been using a voice modulator to allow Kup to impersonate Tomax for him (until he turns it off) and he attacks the Iron villains.

Back outside, Kup and Action Man fight Predaking, with Kup noticing that the combiner isn't right, since the Predacons would never work together like this, and determines that they are being controlled some how. Mayday leaves to go inside, and see if there's some way to break the control.

Inside again, Snake Eyes frees Blackrock from his harness, and he joins the battle, along with Mayday when she reaches them. She reveals about the presumed control on the Predacons, so Blackrock approaches the control harness and prepares to slowly release their control...until Snake Eyes just bludgeons the controls, freeing them instantly.

Outside, the Predacons, released from their control, de-combine and are left knocked out due to the shock. Razorcalw however quickly wakes up, and thrashes at Action Man and Kup. Razorclaw is soon concerned about how Kup got there, until Kup exploits his one weakness...he shoots off his head.

The Revolutionaries inside the castle make it to the MASS Device, and are teleported outside the castle, where Kup and Action Man recover them, and they speed away, having learned where the Talisman came from, and where Tomax and his mystery allies are going to be...

In the aftermath, the villains meet up, and decide to "burn" Centurion and Tomax, despite the cost that would cause, but Ironblood isn't worried, as they still have more "surprises".

Elsewhere, Doctor X and Stormshadow are at a facility, where a frozen alternate version of Optimus Prime is sitting.....

Characters

Autobot

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Garrison Blackrock/Sovereign - Titan Master Head

"Project Ice Man"/HOS Optimus Prime - Train Frozen

"Centurion"/HOS Bumblebee - Cabless Train Car (Mentioned)

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Predaking - Predacon Gestalt

Razorclaw - Lion Head Blown off by Kup

Tantrum - Bison

Rampage - Tiger

Divebomb - Hawk

Headstrong - Rhino

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

GI Joe/Action Man Program

Mayday

Action Man

Snake Eyes

Joe Colton (Flashback Only)

Duke (Flashback Only)

Big Ben (Flashback Only)

Roadblock (Flashback Only)

Doc (Flashback Only)

Hashtag (Flashback Only)

Zilong Qian (Mentioned)

Unnamed Villain Group/Cobra

Iron Klaw

Baron Ironblood

Garrison Kreiger

Doctor X

Storm Shadow

Iron Grenadiers Many killed by Snake Eyes

Tomax Paoli (Flashback and Disguise Only)

Destro (Flashback Only)

Cobra's P.R. Flack (Mentioned)

Other Human

Mklavian Residents

Isaac Craft (Flashback Only) Seemingly Killed by Snake Eyes

Earth Defense Command (Mentioned)

Skywatch (Mentioned)

Other

Snake Eyes Drone Killed by Iron Grenadiers

Onyx Prime (Flashback Only)

Octopus Aliens (Flashback Only) Killed by Predacons

Notes

• The narration boxes in this issue are actually a transmission being sent to Optimus Prime by Kup
• Iron Klaw, Baron Ironblood and the Iron Grenadiers? I think there's a theme going on here.
• Also of note, the Hearts of Steel characters are being used by them, Iron and Steel are very similar metals...another connection?
• Last time we saw some of the Predacons, they were amongst the attempted attack on Earth led by Galvatron at the end of the Transformers Ongoing. I guess they were abducted by the villains in this story after that fight?
• A large deal of this story is set in flashback form, showing some otherwise missing history from both Transformers and GI Joe, which includes the abandoned story lines from GI Joe's past volumes.
• "Tomax's" outfit is based on his outfit shown in the original GI Joe animated series.
• More of Mayday's back story is given here, she worked at Skywatch (likely the one before Spike took over) and then joined a Joe team with Big Ben and Duke, she left when the team was exposed by Cobra, and joined the EDC, and we know what's happened since then.
• Snake Eyes is revealed to have been under deep cover working at Cobra at the end of the previous GI Joe volume for the Joes, which led to it's disbanding before the current storyline.
• Kreiger is revealed to have made a replica of the Talisman which he has been experimenting on since he lost it to the Adventure Team
• Kreiger and Ironblood see Snake Eyes' disfigured face for a few moments this issue, but we don't get to...not sure if that's good or not yet....
• Blackrock reports that the Talisman comes from Onyx Prime, who was his master before taking on his human persona, and it seems to be able to unlock hidden memories from his past life too.
• Oh...Hearts of Steel Optimus is here too? And he is frozen, and referred to as "Ice Man" just like Megatron from the Live Action Movies.
• It seems like more Transformers from the Hearts of Steel universe have made it to the Hasbroverse, either through a multiversal portal of some sort, or the two universes getting merged due to one of the big universe destroying events from the past few years.
• A brief mention is made to a helmet being used by Tomax in relation to "Centurion" (HOS Bumblebee). This is likely what the Cobra Commander helmet from last issue is for.

IDW - Primacy #2

Written by: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Art by: Livio Ramondelli
Letters by: Chris Mowry
Editor: John Barber

Plot

Starscream and his Seekers head out to several other planets and recover several Decepticon sub-groups who left due to Scorponok's leadership, and tells them of Megatron's return. The also head to Junkion and recruit the Junkions to build their "World Ship" for the Decepticons to use.

On Cybertron, Alpha Trion is amazed to see Omega Supreme back amongst other Cybertronians again, but cautions Optimus that he won't want to join the battle with the Decepticons, after so long being alone and waiting for Nova to return.

After a short while, the Decepticons head back to Cybertron, and have Trypticon fall from orbit with Metroplex as the target. Optimus orders Metroplex to transform to fight the other giant Transformer. Trypticon lands on the Titan and knocks him over, greeting him as if he knew him in the process....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Alpha Trion - Tumbler

Metroplex - City/Space Ship

Omega Supreme - Rocket and Base

Bulkhead - Van

Bumblebee - Car

Grimlock - Armoured Truck

Hot Rod - Car

Other Autobots

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Soundwave - Acoustic Tank

Trypticon - Battle Platform

Starsceam - Jet

Thundercracker - Jet

Astrotrain - Space Shuttle

Motor Master - Truck

Dragstrip - Car

Dead End - Car

Breakdown - Car

Wildrider - Car

Razorclaw - Lion

Divebomb - Eagle

Rampage - Tiger

Tantrum - Bull

Headstrong - Rhino

Onslaught - Tank

Brawl - Tank

Vortex - Helicopter

Blast Off - Space Shuttle

Swindle - Van

Scorponok - Scorpion Tank (Mentioned)

Other

Strongbox - Van Injured/Killed by Stunticons

Junkions

Nominus Prime - Jet (Mentioned)

Notes

• It appears that a lot of the Decepticons fled Cybertron when Megatron was overthrown in Monstrosity, just to be brought back together now (of course, hardly ANY time has passed since that event...)
• Gee, I wonder if it's a coincidence that all the teams featured amongst the Decepticons here are all traditionally combiner teams? Wonder if that has anything to do with the upcoming Combiner Wars series?
• Magmara Nine being nickn-named "The Cauldron" could be a reference to the location featured in the 3H Universe comics
• Strongbox was last seen being ambushed by the Dynobots...poor fella.
• The Predacons being found in bestial modes on a forest planet could be a reference to their reappearance in the Dreamwave series too.
• Most likely the Predacon's bestial modes were to make it easier for them to travel across the jungle-like planet they were on. They're later shown to rescan to vehicle modes by the time of Spotlight: Jazz.
• Omega Supreme seems to be reluctant to join the Autobots here (we do know he later joins them of course though)
• This is the first issue to show the Combaticons all together as a whole team! Normally Swindle is shown going solo as an arms dealer type.
• Nominus Prime is mentioned as having had a Garrison world....guess he was a jerk too after all!
• Megatron took command of the Junkions after slaughtering most of them in Monstrosity.
• The Decepticons use a Quintesson cork-screw ship. Most likely having been salvaged from Junkion, as it was likely Pentius' originally.
• The scene of the Autobots scrambling whilst Metroplex transforms is probably in homage to the 80's Transformers movie's Autobot City battle scene.
• Trypticon greets Metroplex as if he knows him. This could mean that Trypticon himself, as an ancient Transformer remembers Titans from the past, or maybe Pentius just remembers the Titans from some point in the past?

DW - 20th Anniversary Summer Special

G1 - Welcome to the Jungle

Plot

Megatron fights a feral Razorclaw on Planet Beest, having already defeated and captured the other Predacons, but manages to defeat the Predacon leader in the forest and take shim back to his lair inside a temple where he fixes his mind and refits Razorclaw to be able to combine with his fellow Predacons, into Predaking.

Characters

Decepticon

Megatron - Gun

Razorclaw - Lion

Predacons (Seen in Predaking Mode)

Predaking - Predacon Gestalt

Air Warriors - Jets

Other

Battle Beasts

Notes

• This story is set between Megatron killing Wreck-Gar and returning to Cybertron
• The denizens of Planet Beest are the Battle Beasts.
• Despite what is shown on the cover, the other Predacons don't actually appear in this comic

Energon - Perspective

Plot

Slugslinger, Snow Cat and Sharkticon return from a mission (to steal the Omega Supreme plans) in failure and lie to Megatron about what went wrong, and telling him how it wasn't each of their faults. After listening to all of them, Megatron talks to Slugslinger and says that his lie was the most convincing, which is what he needs in his army, so he promotes him to senior lieutenant.

Characters

Autobot

Omega Supreme - Crane and Train (Flashback) Under Construction

Decepticon

Megatron - Space Jet

Snow Cat - Snow Tracker

Slugslinger - Twin Nosed Jet

Sharkticon - Submarine

Shockblast - Sattelite/Tank (Mentioned)

Mini-Con

Skyboom - Shuttle (Flashback)

Wreckage - Warship (Flashback)

Scattor - Jet (Flashback)

Human

Kicker (Flashback)

Notes

• This is set after the last to be released issue of Energon
• ...Why was Snow Cat...who turns into a snowmobile sent on a mission to Ocean City, which is in the ocean...?
• Slugslinger and Sharkticon's faces look different to their normal states, both looking more normal than they should
• The Energon Saber Team are in their Armada series counterpart's colours

RID - Ultra Magnus...to the Rescue?

Plot

Megatron tells Scourge and Sky-Byte that their supplies from Cybertron have been cut off due to issues there, so he orders them to drain energy from Earth, whilst he and some of the Decepticons cause distractions for the Autobots.

The attacks begin and the Autobots are stretched thin so Optimus goes to deal with Scourge and Sky-Byte himself, who are attacking a power plant in Arizona, when Ultra Magnus joins in as well. The two learn to work together and eventually manage to defeat the bad guys, saving the day, however Magnus still doesn't want to be part of Prime's team, so he goes off on his own once more.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Fire Truck

Ultra Magnus - Car Carrier

Prowl - Police Car

Side Burn - Muscle Car

X-Brawn - SUV

T-Ai

Rapid Run - Bullet Train (On Screen)

Predacon

Megatron - Dragon/Bat/Hand/Car/Jet

Sky-Byte - Shark

Slapper - Toad

Gas Skunk - Skunk

Darkscream - Flying Squirrel

Decepticon

Scourge - Oil Tanker

Armorhide - Tank

Rollbar - Jeep

Human

Workers

Firemen

Notes

• This comic seems to be set during the RID TV series. It's likely however that had this of been picked up as a series that we'd have seen it diverge somewhat
• From the looks of things, Megatron is performing a diversion in this story....why?!
• Magnus pretty much calls Scourge a repaint.
• ...What is wrong with Side Burn's head in this story!?!?

BW - Ain't No Rat

Plot

The Maximals are on their way home with Megatron as their prisoner, so the Maximals all take a stasis nap to pass the time, whilst asleep, Rattrap has a dream about him being out alone, when Dinobot 2 attacks him, but he's rescued by three Maximals he doesn't recognize. Rattrap invites the Maximals to return to base with him for safety, but they refuse, saying they have more important things to do.

Rattrap wakes up to Optimus Primal wondering what he was talking about whilst sleeping, but Rattrap doesn't think it's important, and that it's just a dream, and they continue back home.

Characters

Maximal

Optimus Primal - Ape/Armoured Truck/Jet

Rattrap - Rat

Cheetor - Cheetah

Rhinox - Thino

Black Arachnia - Spider

Silverbolt - Winged Wolf

Optimus Minor - Spider Monkey (Flashback)

Bonecrusher - Bison (Flashback)

Wolfang - Wolf (Flashback)

Predacon

Megatron - Dragon

Dinobot 2 - Raptor (Flashback)

Notes

• This story was selected to be the next Dreamwave series, however Dreamwave collapsed before it could be made, however the series was recycled by IDW for The Gathering, which has the same basic plot and characters (as seen from released scripts)
• This is of course set between the end of Beast wars and the start of Beast Machines.
• Despite what is shown on the front cover, Megatron ISN'T in his Tyrannosaurus Rex body in this story

IDW - Stormbringer

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Jetfire - Jet

Nosecone - Drill Tank

Afterburner - Speedbike

Lightspeed - Car

Strafe - Jet

Scattershot - Jet

Springer - Helicopter/Rocket Car

Roadbuster - Gun Mounted Vehicle

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Twin Twist - Drill Tank

Topspin - Jet

Broadside - Jet

Sandstorm - Jet

Scoop - Front End Loader

Searchlight - Speeder

Dogfight - Jet

Bluster - Acoustic Tank

Smokescreen - Speeder

Siren - Car

Pincher

Crosshairs - Car

Groundbreaker

Overdrive - Car

Downshift - Car

Gunrunner - Jet

Kick-Off

Sureshot - Car

Pointblank - Car

Override - Speedbike

Backstreet - Car

Bluestreak - Speeder

Perceptor (Hologram Only)

Swerve (Hologram Only)

Omega Supreme - Space Shuttle (Flashback Only)

Decepticon

Thunderwing - Space Shuttle Comatose

Bludgeon - Tank

Iguanus - Speedbike

Skullgrin - Tank

Finback - Hovercraft

Bomb-Burst - VTOL Jet

Megatron - Tank

Darkwing - Jet

Dreadwind - Jet

Ruckus - Buggy Killed by Thunderwing

Skullcruncher Killed by Thunderwing

Thrust - Jet

Crankcase - Van Killed by Thunderwing

Roadgrabber - Jet Killed by Thunderwing

Razorclaw - Drill Tank

Rampage - Armoured Vehicle

Tantrum - Armoured Vehicle

Headstrong - Armoured Vehicle

Divebomb - Jet

Windsweeper - Jet

Carnivac

Blast Off - Space Shuttle

Triggerhappy - Jet

Spinister - Helicopter

Barrage

Quake - Tank

Soundwave - Acoustic Tank (Hologram Only)

Mixmaster - Mixing Truck (Hologram Only)

Trypticon - Battle Platform (Flashback Only)

Other

Nebulans Killed by Thunderwing

Storyline

Whilst orbiting Cybertron, Jetfire and the Technobots detect a potent energy signature on the dead world and examine it from orbit, determining that it's a hybrid Energon (Ore-13) and think that it's a natural occurrence after the planet's been bombarded with debris for years since it was abandoned. They decide to take a look on the planet to make sure, despite it being an off-limits area now, they arrive in the Thunderhead Pass, where Thunderwing started his rampage and caused Cybertron to accelerate its death, and they commented that they never found his body. Optimus remembers the final battle with Thunderwing, and how he worked with Megatron to stop Thunderwing. Back in the present, Searchlight gives Optimus a message from Ironhide about the situation of Earth, and tells him to keep a monitor on the situation, whilst Optimus is still preoccupied with the Thunderhead Pass Incident. Back on Cybertron the team begin their scans for the Energon, when Jetfire remembers how Thunderwing had warned everyone about the planet's imminent destruction, but no one would listen to him. The team launches a probe into the orbit to take scans, when suddenly they are attacked by a group of cloaked Decepticons, who knock out the team and take them to their base. Nosecone and Afterburner, who are still on the Calabi-Yau (their ship) suddenly detect some missiles from the planet and launch a distress buoy, just as the missiles hit. Back on the planet, Jetfire wakes up underground and sees Bludgeon and his crew worshipping the inert form of Thunderwing.

Jetfire calls his captors insane for having anything to do with Thunderwing after what he did to the planet before, whilst Bludgeon counters that they destroyed Cybertron with the war, Thunderwing just accelerated it. Bludgeon then reveals that they are continuing his work by creating the Pretender shells, and Bludgeon brags that the Calabi-Yau was destroyed in orbit, unaware that Nosecone and Afterburner survived by riding part of the ship down to Cybertron. Back at the Hub, Searchlight tells Optimus that they've received a distress signal from the Calabi-Yau, and can't pick them up any more. Optimus tells Searchlight to tell the Wreckers to go to Cybertron to help him deal with it.

On Varas Centralus in the Kol System, the Wreckers are fighting the Decepticons of the planet, but aren't doing so well, when Springer is given Optimus' message and pulls out his team to head back home. On Cybertron, Bludgeon begins the awakening process for Thunderwing, but Jetfire fights back, trying to stop them but fails. Springer contacts Optimus on route to Cybertron, and says that he wants to destroy the planet if it will destroy Thunderwing once and for all (it's been assumed that the energy signature from Thunderhead Pass was Thunderwing). Optimus says that he'll take it under advisement. Optimus remembers when Megatron said basically the same thing in the past, and how he was unsure about his decision even then. On Cybertron, Nosecone and Afterburner watch as Thunderwing takes off and heads off into space, but start to fail due to a lack of forcefields, and are then approached by some of the old Centurion robots that Bludgeon reactivated. On Nebulos the Decepticon Infiltration team pick up on a signal approaching the planet, and witness Thunderwing's arrival on the poor unsuspecting planet.

Thunderwing begins to destroy Nebulos on Bludgeon's orders, as Bludgeon comments on his plans to use him to destroy all other planets and to rebuild Cybertron under their control, and how he plans to use the Pretender Process to give him and his team new protective shells. Elsewhere on Cybertron Nosecone and Afterburner are rescued from the Centurions by the newly arrived Wreckers and Optimus' team. The Autobots all head down into Bludgeon's base, which is revealed to be an old border fortification from the war days. Back on Nebulos the Decepticons decide to join in the fight against Thunderwing, as if the planet they are charged with is totally destroyed then Megatron would be angered. The Autobots break into the base and start killing the Decepticons. Iguanus goes to warn Bludgeon, but finds him inside his Pretender Shell, and acting out of character. Back on Nebulos, Thunderwing easily defeats the Decepticons, and proceeds to Ionize the atmosphere (doing what it did to Cybertron), Darkwing, Dreadwind and Thrust escape through the atmosphere before it's too late. Back on Cybertron again the Autobots go into the lab and find Bludgeon literally tearing his face off out of madness, proving that the Pretender Process is still a failure, and find Iguanus dead next to him, having been sliced up. Jetfire tells them that the Axis Cradle is what Bludgeon used to control Thunderwing, so Springer destroys it, just before Jetfire says that that was the only way to stop the Decepticon.

Razorclaw reports what happened to Nebulos to Megatron on Earth, who tells Razorclaw to destroy any world that Thunderwing goes to in order to destroy the beast, even if it's Cybertron itself. Back on the planet Broadside picks up on Thunderwing's signature, heading to Cybertron.

Thunderwing heads back home to Cybertron on an basic instinct and the Autobots prepare for his arrival. Elsewhere, Razorbeast orders his crew on the Thanatos to track down Thunderwing, and find him heading back to Cybertron. Razorclaw is hesitant to destroy the planet however. Once back on the planet Thunderwing starts to remember the events around the incident in the past and how Megatron disregarded his plans etc, leaving him to rage in the present day, and starts a rampage on the planet once again. The Autobots begin to attack the Decepticon, but are no match. Razorclaw watches from his ship and sends down some teams to help the Autobots in fighting the crazed Decepticon, but still keeping the orbital barrage active, just in case. The battle is going badly, until the Decepticons arrive and help out, and during the battle Thunderwing switches to his Ultra Mode, Razorclaw has his troops pull out of the planet and Optimus does a continuous blast on the Decepticon to stop him and manages to stop him in his tracks and knocks him out with just one second left on the Decepticon's timer. Optimus has Jetfire examine the Ultra Energon/Ore-13 and find out where it came from, and says that he's worried that things could get worse from here on out. Later Jetfire reports to Optimus that Bludgeon was put in charge of looking into Shockwave's Regenesis project, which was what created the Ultra Energon,a nd that he found it on Earth and transported it back to Cybertron off the radar. Upon learning this, Optimus decides to head to Earth to meet with Prowl's team and investigate the Ultra Energon himself as well.

Notes

• All of the alternate modes in this comic are Cybertronian/Alien.
• Jetfire's character model is based on/was the basis for his Classics toy, otherwise all the characters here have new character models, like in Infiltration.
• The Autobot Orbital Command Hub is above Planet Opulus.
• Due to Blaster being currently lost in space, the guy in the Hub is his cousin "Bluster"
• The Transformers are only able to walk on Cybertron thanks to specially made forcefields due to the storms caused by the planet losing it's atmosphere.
• The Pretender process is called the Polydermal Abrasion Grafting Process here...it sounds gross, but is does protect them from radiation etc!
• There's a brief scene where a light that looks like the Matrix is found in Optimus' chest, but this is impossible since Nova Prime still has the Matrix. So the light must have been Optimus' Spark or something showing instead.
• Bludgeon's team's character models are based on a combination of their inner robot modes and Pretender Shells from the G1 line.
• The Wreckers are introduced into the IDW continuity here, and would reappear multiple times over the years.
• Nebulos has been destroyed, or at least mostly destroyed in this comic by Thunderwing...that can't be good for Cybertronian relations with the rest of the galaxy!
• Despite Optimus having Ark-27 take him to Earth to help Prowl and the others, he doesn't have any of it's crew go down to the planet with him, DESPITE him sending for Nightbeat, Hot Rod and Hardhead as reinforcements in the next story!
• The Autobot Battlecruiser used by the Wreckers, the Xantium looks like it could transform into a large robot (akin to Fortress Maximus) but this has never been shown, and it's been heavily implied that the ship was destroyed during Megatron's big push in All Hail Megatron, so we'll never know.

My Thoughts

Art

This story has fantastic artwork, it shows a lot of characters in their pre-earth modes, and of course, since parts of it were set on ships and space stations there are a lot of cameos of characters, who even now haven't made a full appearance yet.

Story

The story was quite strong as well, it works well to show that there's more to the Civil War than what was happening on Earth, and also explains that happened to Cybertron, and sets up a couple of future plot points, such as Thunderwing's involvement in the Expansion conflict, and helping to explain the Ore-13 found on Earth.

Continuity

This story is set at the same time as Infiltration, as can be seen from a few crossover points, like Optimus getting Ironhide's message and Razorclaw talking to Megatron. This comic leads directly into the last page of Infiltration.

Other

The character designs in this comic are different to the ones seen in Megatron: Origin, but honestly I don't care about that, it's a great book and a little visual continuity error is hardly uncommon for a comic series!