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 - Lost Light #9

Title: Chasing the Infinite 

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Priscilla Tramontano

Colours by: Joana LaFuente 

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Story Consultant: Rachel Stevens

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

In Mengel's workshop on Troja Major, Nautica is shocked by how much the Catharsian merchant is charging for use of her Resus Cradle to revive Skids, and tries to barter anything she can to get him revived. Mengel is uninterested in most of her offers, but suggests that Nautica give her the grief felt over Skids' death, so she can sell it on to a third party. Velocity is wary of this, and think it's some sort of scam, since this doesn't seem very realistic in her opinion as a doctor, especially the part about reviving Skids by just his brain module, though Nautica dismisses this as Velocity not being a real doctor, due to her failing her exams nine times before passing. Mengel then claims that Skids' brain is almost too cold to revive, so she needs to up the price, and suggests that she takes away Nautica's feelings of friendship for Velocity for the price too....

Across town, in the bar, Anode tries talking away and assumes that Flame is the Grand Architect, as she has never met him before. Wipe-Out points out that he is actually just Flame, and cannot be the Architect. Flame reveals that he has been tasked with taking out all of the Architect's former employees, the Blacksmiths, since they no longer need them for his experiments. Anode begins to try and bribe for their escape, but ends up punching at her enemy instead. Anode transforms to her aerial mode and carries Lug and Wipe-out away, escaping from their attackers.

Flame is a bit confounded over this escape, but is soon distracted by news of their other target, "the Infinite", the coffin-bot from last issue, has been located and was killed by the Black Block Consortia. They decide to head off to see their local contact, unaware that the Infinite is starting to twitch from his hiding location.

Back at Mengel's place, Nautica is prepared for the procedure to remove her grief over Skids, and her friendship with Skids, the two Autobots talk this over, and they realize that Nautica blames Velocity for Skids' death, since it was her idea to use a spark spasm to supercharge the group for the battle with the DJD, leading to their friend's death. Velocity isn't happy, but agrees to allow Nautica to do this, since it's her choice and her life.

Nautica is soon strapped to the machine and Mengel starts the process of syphoning off her grief, but is called away by another visitor, leaving the Autobots alone.

Inside another room, Mengel meets with her new visitor, Flame, whom she assumes is there to congratulate her, or even pay her extra for successfully creating an Infinite, but Flame instead explains that they are there to recover the Resus Cradle from her, since they have reason to believe that she used it to falsify her method of creating the Infinite. Mengel denies that she has the device, but Flame doesn't believe her, and orders his troops to search the facility for it, and to destroy anything else they find, unaware that Velocity has been watching this through a security feed all along.

Anode lands at the site where the coffin-bot was murdered by the Black Block Consortia, where she locates some of his remains and gives it to Wipe-Out to examine, the other Blacksmith is shocked when he discovers that the fragment has information within it for an infinite number of alternate modes. Anode receives a call from Velocity, who has locked herself and Nautica inside the emotion syphon machine's room, and gives her their coordinates for help.

The Architect's troops break into the room and prepare to kill the two Autobots, but are soon stopped when Nautica breaks free from the machine, shoots them, then escapes with Velocity.

Outside, Anode and the others are looking for a way into the facility to help the Autobots, but soon don't need to bother when Nautica, in her mass-displaced alternate mode, smashes through the doors and they are told to run.

Later, having evaded their chasers, the group prepare to leave the planet, but Wipe-Out decides to remain behind, since he works better alone, but is willing to team up with them again in the future. Velocity is shocked when Nautica expresses no interest in recovering Skids' brain from Mengel's workshop, and seems to finally accept his death as his own choice. Wipe-Out explains the situation though, Mengel's machine removes all feelings or connections with the target of the grief, so Nautica no longer feels anything strongly about her former best friend Skids....

Later, Flame returns to The Grand Architect's Worldsweeper on a M.A.R.B. which he soon reveals is the Infinite, which has demonstrated the ability to restore itself from the dead by itself, which greatly impresses his employer. Flame then hands over the recovered Resus Cradle, which he has acquired from Mengel, which had a hand in creating the Inifite. The Architect, revealing himself as Scorponok, is impressed, but also finds the name stupid, and much prefers the name he remembers for it...the Magnificence....

Characters

Autobot

Nautica - Submarine Feelings for Skids removed

Velocity - Race Car

Skids - Van (Mentioned) Dead, Brain Module abandoned on Troja Major

Kaput (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Anode - Bi-Plane

Lug - Backpack Equipment

Wipe-Out - Car

Grand Architect's Forces

Scorponok/The Grand Architect - Scorpion Tank

Flame

The Infinite - Any Alternate Mode

Grand Architect's Troops

Other

Mengel Probably Killed by Flame and his Troops

Black Block Consortia Troops Probably Killed by Flame and his Troops

Notes

• It's mentioned here that none of the Grand Architect's troops are recognized by Anode and the others (except Flame). This likely means that they are either colonists (as hypothesized in this issue) or they were created by Blacksmiths in secret
• Though unmentioned here, it is likely that Flame was released from Garrus-9 by Scorponok when he left, and presumably also took Grimlock, whom we know was tortured by someone using the group's symbol since he vanished from Garrus-9 himself.
• It's revealed that Blacksmiths, and likely others, have the ability to perform "Close Readings" which allows them to identify an alternate mode by analysing a body part. Chromedome showed a similar ability in the past, where he could identify a person by how their transformation sounded.
• Nautica is shown to be capable of Mass-Shifting, at least a little bit, as she allows Velocity to ride inside her in vehicle mode.
• Wipe-Out decides to stay behind rather than join Anode and the others...why? Wouldn't it be safer for him to be with a ship full of other Transformers, given that he knows The Grand Architect is going after Blacksmiths now? I may be being prejudiced due to him usually being a Decepticon, but I think he's up to something....
• The Grand Architect is revealed to be Scorponok, having escaped from Garrus-9, presumably during Last Stand of the Wreckers
• The Resus Cradle is also revealed to be in fact the Magnificence, a McGuffin from the Furman days of the IDW continuity, which hasn't been seen since before All Hail Megatron. Not sure why Scorponok knows about it though, I'm pretty sure he was apart from the main plot involving the device when it was active.
• So presumably Hot Rod hid the Magnificence again after he used it during Revelations, and eventually it wound up in Mengel's hands...why didn't  Hot Rod either hide it in a more secure location or on his person to keep it safer? The latter would even make sense story-wise since it was his mission to locate the Magnificence in the first place that killed his original team, and this would be his self-imposed punishment for that mistake.
• Seriously? We have Flame, and a dead Skids, AND  a dead Transformer reviving machine, and yet NO ZOMBIE STORY?!?! You had better fix that in the future Roberts!!

IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #54

Title: The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Alex Milne

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long & Christa Miesner

Editor: John Barber

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

The abandoned Lost Lighters are fighting with the DJD, but are surprisingly doing well despite the impossible odds, with even Chromedome punching Overlord away after being angered by him. Tarn dismisses this as just a "final flail" but Deathsaurus disagrees, thinking they've been tricked somehow.

A little earlier, during the group hug, Ratchet comments that Tailgate's grip feels like a car compactor, which gives Velocity an idea, using her new knowledge about Tailgate affecting the security team who were near him with his spark detonating, so thinks that if they can replicate the effects then the Lost Lighters can have a fighting shot however to do this the person who's spark detonates will be put to death's door. Nautica and Ratchet think that it's amoral to do this to someone, but Skids volunteers.

Skids tells Chromedome to reveal his hidden memories to him, as he knoes that they will be an extreme trauma and will give the crew a power boost. Chromedome agrees due to the circumstances, and triggers his memories by mentioning Quark's name. This causes his spark to detonate, combined with the residual temporal energies in his system to give an added power boost to the rest of the team.

Back in the present, the Lost Lighters are taking down the DJD, and Rodimus even uses his old "flame out" trick to incinerate a few of them, but then suddenly starts losing power.

Back at the Fortress, Skids is hooked up to a life support machine, with his spark being just a pinprick now. Megatron comes in when Ratchet asks him to help look after Skids whilst Ratchet joins the fight. Megatron admits that he's not afraid of the DJD, but he's afraid of what will happen when he fights again, and worries he'll turn evil once more if he has any violence exposed to him.

Ratchet reveals that Megatron's "Fool's Energon" is just a placebo, as any real inhibitors wouldn't work due to what Shockwave did to Megatron's internal organs, and that Megatron has been purposely supressing his power to not harm anyone, like Whirl, Perceptor and Tailgate over the past year or two. On the monitor behind Ratchet, Megatron sees Tarn tearing Ravage into two pieces.

Skidsfalls out of his bed and tries to find Brainstorm to tell him what happened to Quark in Grindcore prison, as that was the whole purpose to him creating his time machine for hundreds of years. Ratchet tries to get Megatron to help him put Skids back on life-support, but the former Decepticon has gone missing....

On the battlefield, Brainstorm attacks Lugnut, but finds that his power boost, as well as everyone else's has been depleted, he bumps into Skids' memorial statue, but notices that his holographic statue has just vanished, as Skids has just passed away as Ratchet watched.

The Lost Lighters are surrounded by the DJD, and all seems lost, until a sudden fusion cannon blast takes out several members of the DJD. Megatron has taken the new fusion cannon built by Brainstorm and has joined the battle

Megatron slaughters the DJD, nearby Tarn has Vos recall the rest of the main DJD to safety, whilst having Deathsaurus's troops sacrifice themselves to weaken Megatron for them.

Megatron collects up Ravage's front half and gives him to Rodimus to return to the Fortress with so Ratchet can save him. The Lost Lighters leave Megatron to take down the DJD alone.

Megatron's fusion cannon is shot by Nickel and Vos, rendering it useless, and Megatron appears to give up, falling to his knees.

Inside the Fortress, the crew have learned about Skids' death, which visibly hits Nautica the worst, and the crew watch the footage of the battle on the monitors whilst Velocity starts working on Ravage's injuries.

Tarn and Overlord approach the defeated Megatron, aim their cannons at him and decide to execute him together.

Three gun shots ring through the air.....

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Megatron - Tank

Maximus Ambus - Vehicle Transport

Skids - Van Died by Spark Detonation

Drift - Car

Swerve - Van

Rewind - Data Slug

Chromedome - Car

Ratchet - Ambulance

Velocity - Race Car

Nautica - Submarine

Tailgate - Car

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Brainstorm - Jet

Quark - Electron Microscope (Flashback) Dead

Ironhide - Van (Statue Only)

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Perceptor - Tank (Mentioned)

Powerflash - Jet (Mentioned)

Strafe - Jet (Mentioned)

Rewind Mk I - Data Slug (Mentioned) Dead

Dominus Ambus - Turbofox (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Ravage - Cassette Torn in half by Tarn

Overlord - Tank and Jet

Deathsaurus - Dragon

Tarn - Tank

Nickel

Vos - Rifle

Helex - Mobile Smelting Chamber

Tesarus - Mobile Metal Shredder (Mentioned)

Lugnut - Jet

Blue Bacchus - Helicopter

Doryu

Deathsaurus' Troops Most Slaughtered by Lost Lighters and Megatron

Leozack - Jet (Mentioned)

Shockwave - Mobile Artillery (Mentioned)

Warriors Elite (Mentioned)

Other

Cyclonus - Jet

Ten

Notes

• Maximus Ambus' armour is large enough for at least two Mini-bots to sit in the shoulder sections. This makes it somewhat similar to the Optimus Maximus toy from Transformers Prime who had a similar feature.
• Rewind has still not told Ambus about what happened to his brother.
• Ambus comments that he can't "deal with that now" in this issue. This is a reference to the 80's movie.
• Velocity appears to have some super-speed abilities here. This could be partly due to the effects of Skids' spark detonating, or a skill we simply haven't seen before.
• Overlord claims that he slowly killed the original Rewind to Chromedome in this issue, but due to the physics of the Slow Cell, it seems unlikely that he had the time to do anything to the poor little guy.
• We get to see Deathsaurus' alternate mode this issue. It is both adorable and fearsome :)
• Skids' memories of Grindcore and what happened to Quark are fully revealed to him in this issue...it doesn't go too well!
• Rodimus uses his "flame out" ability that we last saw in Maximum Dinobots. It appears to have a side-effect of him using up a lot of energy in the process however.
• Megatron's "Fool's Energon" is revealed to just be a placebo, and is simply just unfiltered and untreated Energon to make it taste different. Megatron's apparent changes since his trial are therefore purely psychosomatic.
• Tarn tears Ravage in half just like how Overlord did to Guzzle back in Last Stand of the Wreckers.
• Brainstorm uses his vehicle mode jet boosters to propel himself during his fight with Lugnut
• Megatron's fusion cannon blasts are now Autobot-orange instead of Decepticon-purple.
• Several of the Lost Lighters who were part of the battle with the DJD are unnacounted for at the end of this issue, including Swerve, Rewind, Ambus, Cyclonus and Tailgate. Nightbeat and Rung are still investigating the hollow planet under the fortress. Lets hope the former guys are all okay.
• Nautica hugging her dear friend Skids' corpse and crying into his chest is an image that will haunt me for the rest of my days....I JUST GOT THE SKIDS TOY AS WELL!!!! BLOODY ROBERTS!!!

IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #50

Main Story Title: The Dying of the Light Part 1: How Bright their Frail Deeds

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Alex Milne

Additional Inks by: Brian Shearer

Colours by: Joana LaFuente, Priscilla Tramontano,& John-Paul Bove

Side Story Title: No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases

Art by: Brendan Cahill

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Publisher: Ted Adams

Main Story Plot

Optimus and Jetfire on Earth pick up a communication from the Lost Lighters, which displays the last wills and words of several crew members. Optimus is disturbed and asks Jetfire who else knows about it.

Like that, all across the galaxy Cybertronians are picking up the messages too, and all reacting to them in their natural manners, entertainment, fear, worry. When Jetfire tells Optimus that he can't get in contact with the Lost Light, Optimus is determined to save his friends, and orders for the space bridge to link up to the Lost Light, and use their quantum engines for a power source, but Jetfire bursts that bubble when he reveals that the messages were sent three weeks earlier...

Three weeks earlier, the Lost Lighters liberate the planet Miliarium from the Rust Giants, and are gathering a good reputation from the local galactic media. The crew returns to the ship, where Megatron hosts one of his classes on the Knights of Cybertron, where he discovers that the crew have encountered a strange gear symbol in the past, and as a group they determine that it must belong to one of the Knights, as a coat of arms, however during the class, Megatron falls ill and briefly attacks Minimus Ambus. He promptly leaves and heads to the Medibay.

At the Medibay, Megatron receives his "fools Energon" from Velocity, and she warns him about his usage of the substance as it may have unknown side-effects, beyond it weakening him, but Megatron claims that he's fine, and has never been happier.

velocity examines Megatron's head when she notices some dents on his helmet, and he explains that it was just a headache when he heard screaming. Suddenly she receives a message from Swerve, claiming that he and several other crew members also suffered the same weird phenomenon.

Later, all the affected crew members are gathered by Rodimus, who, along with Rung and Brainstorm explains that they were all attacked by a cerebral weapon of some sort from an unidentified location. So they're going to investigate it as a team.

Soon, the affected crew members, along with Rodimus, Velocity and Whirl for added muscle, take the Rodpod out towards the location, and use the new "teleport drive" on the ship to reach the destination instantly, but find themselves inside a large dark sphere. They use the drive again to reach the surface of the sphere, which they discover to be the Necrobot's planet.

The crew take in the sight, but not for long. Suddenly the team are attacked by several attack craft, forcing them back to the Rodpod. Rodimus discovers that the engines of the ship have been drained, despite there beiug enough to power two long distance teleports. The crew instead decides to head to the Necrobot's "fortress" where they plan to hold their ground.

The Rodpod is destroyed by the attack craft, but the crew manage to escape to the fortress, inside Nightbeat quickly finds the body of Censerre, the Necrobot dead, and stuffed with several of his flowers. Velocity can't determine whether he was killed by the gun shots or being overloaded by the energon flowers.

Ravage leaves the fortress to investigate one of the crashed attack crafts to determine who attacked them, whilst the rest of the crew work on the Necrobot's communications array. They manage to get it working and contact the Lost Light, however the call is answered by Getaway, who reveals that he was released by the crew, as they've decided to perform a mutiny on their captains, due to Megatron being a monster and not deserving redemption like High Command wants, and Getaway thinks Rodimus is a terrible commander.

Getaway explains that he and Atomizer have been trying to take down Rodimus and Megatron since they returned to Cybertron for Dark Cybertron, and have been using Getaway's Nudge Gun to ask people how they would react to a mutiny, and if they didn't like the answers, then they would have their memories wiped of the conversation.

Getaway ends the call, just as he coyly hints that they will be visited by the DJD soon. Ravage returns to the fortress, having been attacked by Tarn, and reports that there's hundreds of other Decepticons with Tarn this time.

The crew await their deaths....

Side Story Plot

Shock and Ore make their way into the empty bar of the Lost Light before it's launch and Shock is sure it's the same ship they were meant to serve on a long time ago, and even finds a tag he left under the bar's counter. The Duobots are ordered by Prowl to attach Overlord's cell onto the ship's hull, as a spectral version of Skids watches them...

A little later on, Skids opens up the bar as "Swerve's" and hosts a secret grand opening party, whilst there, Pipes and Drift sit together and Pipes tells Drift about his desire to find a lover, and Drift suggests Tailgate to him, which Pipes seems interested in, as a shocked, and invisible Tailgate watches them...

Later, following the Messatine visit, Ambulon asks First Aid to keep his embarrassing leg-alternate mode a secret, but First Aid points out that Swerve has an obsession with alternate modes, just as he throws a ball at his head, and forces him into leg mode, causing Swerve to make fun of him. Velocity and a diagnostic drone watch on from another time and place....

A little later on, Rewind has Rung set up in the bar, ready for another story-telling session that he's hoping will wake up the comatose psychiatrist, so he can ask him about the still missing Dominus Ambus. Out of his view, a grieving Chromedome is watching him tearfully, whilst Rung tells him that his time is up....

During Overlord's rampage, Perceptor rushes into the bar, which is being used as a triage station, since the Medibay is blocked, and he brings Tripodeca to Hoist for repairs, Perceptor leaves to rejoin the fight, ut is immediately grabbed by Overlord. Nearby, another Perceptor silently watches as Tripodeca dies on the bar....

Following the Legislator's attack on the ship, Swerve is trying to repair the damaged bar, but is joined by several crew members who bargain with him to keep the place open, if they all help him to fix the place, which he agrees to. Swerve then asks for them to keep an eye out for a salvageable Legislator for him to use as a bouncer, which is soon found by Jackpot. Ten watches as he is dug out of the rubble, looking happy....

Before the ship takes off following Dark Cybertron, the new crew members are taken on a tour of the ship, including the bar, where they meet their new friends, unaware that they're all being watched by the crew in secret from another time..

Perceptor brings the crew back from their trips, and explains to Minimus Ambus that Brainstorm's time cases had a side-effect, creating some holes in time that the crew can use to look back at the past in certain areas, one being in the bar. They can only observe, so their presence cannot affect the past, so this is just for interest, and to pay final tributes to their fallen friends.

Rodimus suggests to Ambus that he should use the time hole himself before it closes, but Perceptor corrects him that it's not closing, just fluctuating. Even after it is gone, it will return one day. Rodimus looks forward to that, and raises a toast to their fallen friends...

Unknown to them, Getaway is using the time hole in the future, saying farewell to the soon-to-be dead crew members himself.....

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Megatron - Tank

Ultra Magnus/Minimus Ambus - Vehicle Transport/Minesweeper

Nautica - Submarine

Swerve - Van

Skids - Van

Chromedome - Car

Rewind - Data Slug

Rung

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Nightbeat - Car

Brainstorm - Jet

Velocity - Race Car

Tailgate - Car

Getaway - Car

Atomizer - Buggy

Mainframe

Thunderclash - Truck

Perceptor - Tank

Blaster - Acoustic Tank

Crossblades - Helicopter

Slamdance - Cassettes

Riptide - Boat

Hound - Jeep

Xaaron

Grapple - Crane

Crosscut - Van

Jackpot - Car

Bluestreak - Car

Hoist - Crane

Siren - Car

Brawn - Van

Inferno - Fire Truck

Fervor

Grotusque - Cat Monster

Highbrow - Helicopter

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Metroplex - City/Space Ship

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Fortress Maximus - Tank

Red Alert - Car

Wheeljack - Race Car

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Other Lost Lighters

Original Rewind - Data Slug (Only in Time Holes)

First Aid - Ambulance (Only in Time Holes)

Ambulon - Leg (Only in Time Holes)

Ratchet - Ambulance (Only in Time Holes)

Powerglide - Jet (Only in Time Holes)

Mirage - F1 Race Car (Only in Time Holes)

Sunstreaker - Sports Car (Only in Time Holes)

Blades - Helicopter (Only in Time Holes)

Ore - Treaded Vehicle (Only in Time Holes)

Shock - Treaded Vehicle (Only in Time Holes)

Gears - Van (Only in Time Holes)

Smokescreen - Car (Only in Time Holes)

Trailcutter - Van (Only in Time Holes)

Pipes - Truck (Only in Time Holes)

Drift - Race Car (Only in Time Holes)

Sandstorm - Buggy/Helicopter (Only in Time Holes)

Toaster - Toaster (Only in Time Holes)

Tripodeca - Tripod (Only in Time Holes)

Dipstick - Car (Only in Time Holes)

Waverider - Submarine (Only in Time Holes)

Rad - Car (Only in Time Holes)

Crosshairs - Van (Only in Time Holes)

Aquafend - Buggy (Only in Time Holes)

Joyride - Buggy (Only in Time Holes)

Landmine - ATV (Only in Time Holes)

Sprocket (Only in Time Holes)

Skater (Only in Time Holes)

Flex (Only in Time Holes)

Borer (Only in Time Holes)

Doubletap (Only in Time Holes)

Prowl - Police Vehicle (Statue)

Huffer - Truck (Footage)

Boss - Car (Footage)

Firestar (Communications Screen)

Autobot High Command (Mentioned)

Dominus Ambus (Mentioned)

Hubcap - Car (Mentioned)

Quark - Electron Microscope (Mentioned)

Slapdash - F1 Race Car (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Ravage - Cassette

Misfire - Jet

Krok

Crankcase - Van

Fulcrum - Bomb

Spinister - Helicopter

Tarn - Tank

Tesarus - Grinding Device

Helex - Smelting Pod

Vos - Rifle

Kaon - Variable Volt Harness

The Pet

Deathsaurus

Blue Bacchus - Helicopter

Killbison - Tank

Drillhorn - Drill Tank

Leozack - Jet

Guyhawk - Jet

Other members of Deathsaurus' crew

Overlord - Jet and Tank (Only in Time Holes)

Kicker - Leg (Mentioned)

Swing - Arm (Mentioned)

Arm-Or - Arm (Mentioned)

Abdominus - Torso (Mentioned)

United Cybertron

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Scoop - Front End Loader

Other Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Ten

Censerre Killed by the DJD

Legislators (Only in Time Holes) Dead

Bob the Insecticon (Only in Time Holes)

Diagnostic Drone

Chief Justice Tyrest (Mentioned)

Circle of Light (Mentioned)

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Scraplets (Mentioned)

Other

Rust Giants Defeated by Lost Lighters

Miliarians

Galactic Council (Mentioned)

Notes

• Presumably, the beginning section of the comic takes place about the same time as the end of Transformers #50, but Wheeljack should be on Earth, not on Cybertron. Unless he got the space bridge working properly in that time?
• Rung appears to be more afraid of his alternate mode than before, maybe something happens in the time between the main part of the story and making the message to the future again.
• Both Optimus and Megatron give the same responses when another character says no one is answering from the Lost Light.
• Riptide's disliking of tests was previously mentioned during their time travelling adventures
• The Mystery Gear symbol is bought up again here, where Nautica explains that a curator told her it was a coat of arms of some sort, much like the Autobot and Decepticon insignias are.
• The Galactic Council apparently like to experiment with cerebral weaponry, much like the Mind Bomb created by Blackrock in Transformers...hmm.....
• The Necrobot uses technology that is based on the Aequitas device from Garrus-9, so he can determine who was responsible for which death for his flower hobby...how did he get that?
• I'll be very shocked if ALL of the Lost Lighters not in the Rodpod team were willing to go through with a mutiny against Rodimus and the others, and leave them to be killed by the DJD. More than likely some of them, like Perceptor, Thunderclash and others, are just pretending and plan to betray Getaway.
• I mean seriously! If this is true then about 200 Autobots are going to be court-marshalled by Optimus or something when they eventually turn up after locating the Knights!
• If you remember, one of the effects of the Nudge Gun is to push someone into thinking something differently...maybe that's what happened to some of the crew?
• Deathsaurus' sword appears to be based on the Star Saber sword from the Prime cartoon.
• Ten found the time to collect an armful of the Necrobot's flowers...n'awwww!
• The side story acts as a celebration of the series so far, and gives us some bittersweet moments with some of the deceased characters from the series.
• Shock and Ore were supposed to be on the U-1/Unitrex-1/Lost Light when it was first launched, but it went missing, thanks to the Lost Lighters, before it's first launch, we also see the other side of the conversation that Prowl had on his communicator all the way back in issue 1
• It's revealed that Pipes was so eager to make new friends because he was looking for a lover, and he was actually interested in Tailgate thanks to a recommendation from Drift.
• Pipes confirms that the Hubcap that he knew and was good friends with is the same one who is currently starring in Sins of the Wreckers.
• Pipes comments that he could have had a big crush on Drift.....he would later be HORRIBLY MURDERED BY BEING CRUSHED!!!
• The combiner team that Ambulon was a part of is revealed to be called the "Combicons", but we don't know what the gestalt's name was yet :(
• Ambulon's leg mode is seen for the first time, and it even has a peg like the ones seen in the Combiner Wars toys, however it remains the same size as Ambulon, meaning he wasn't fitted with a mass-shifting device like the main ones appear to.
• Swerve's alt mode curiosity has been shown several times in the series, where he begged Tailgate to transform for him, and his quest to identify Rung's alternate mode before Dark Cybertron too.
• It's revealed that Rewind wanted Rung to have his brain fixed early in the series because he wanted to ask him about Dominus Ambus....did they know each other?
• Also, from Chromedome's reactions to him, it seems to be from before they found the other Rewind, meaning the time-hole was there in "Season One", but the hole was created by Brainstorm's time cases....maybe it's a timey wimey thing!?
• Tripodeca is revealed to turn into a tripod...poor fella....a BMX, like the robot he's based on (Armada High Wire) might have been better....JUST!
• Swerve's decision to reopen the bar, even after he was determined to close it before the "Remain in Light" storyline is explained here.
• Perceptor finding Quark's head funny is interesting, since it was based on his Transformers: Animated counterpart's design.
• Also, Brainstorm has his faceplate off and the briefcase attached to his arm....first off, that's where his Decepticon insignia is hidden. Silly double agent! And the briefcase should have been confiscated at the door due to the bar's rules.
• Sandstorm is shown amongst the bar patrons in the last time jump, meaning the events take place just before the ship takes off following Dark Cybertron.
• The "present" scene is set during the Holiday Special, as evident by the "Christmas lights" that are still hung up.
• The "present" also dates the Holiday Special as being set between issue 49 and 50, since Thunderclash and Tailgate are both up and about, wow that's cutting it close!
• Mirage comments that Swerve's bar is a dump, foreshadowing his decision to open his own bar.
• HOLY FUCK THIS ONE TOOK ME AGES TO DO!!!

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: