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Showing posts with label Storm Shadow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Storm Shadow. Show all posts

Tuesday, 13 March 2018

IDW - Scarlett's Strike Force #3

Written by: Aubrey Sitterson
Art by: Nelson Daniel
Colours by: Ryan Hill
Letters by: Taylor Esposito
Editors: Tom Waltz & Chase Marotz
Publisher: Greg Goldstein
Plot
The Joes in the jungle-overgrown Arctic ride around, following a smaller team led by Spirit, trying to find the Cobra Temple, ultimately locating it, and finding a massive army of Vipers surrounding it.
The Joes attack the Vipers, but Quick Kick remains behind, with "Friday", when the former discovers Storm Shadow following him, and the two start to fight.
Quick kick appears to be winning the fight, until another ninja joins in, the female, former Storm Shadow, who has joined up with Storm Shadow as his sidekick, Tempest. The two escape with a ninja smoke ball, allowing them to escape, promising to fight him again later.
In the temple, Crystal Ball is putting the final touches on his master-plan, all whilst the Joes outside and tearing through the Vipers outside. Salvo and Spitfire defy orders and enter the temple, gunning down a bunch of Vipers performing some sort of ritual. Unfortunately this was part of their plan, as they bleed out, powering up an engraved mural of Golobulus, which lights up.
The temple starts to shake, as the Joes just manage to escape, the members of Cobra rise up on a meteor and plan to resurrect Golobulus from the stars, hoping for it to devour the planet below....

Back on the Lemuria, Helix and Snake Eyes are still in the brig, beginning a plan to start a game of D&D when the power goes out, forcing their energy-bar powered cells to go out, allowing the prisoners to escape.
Scarlett soon screams at Shipwreck for his new power source failing, and has him and Gung-Ho work on repairing it now.
The escapees soon come across Skywarp, who explains that he is the one who disabled the power grid, as a way to allow them to escape and join forces with Duke. The two are sent off to grab a vehicle to escape with...
Characters
GI Joe
Scarlett
Roadblock
Skywarp - Fighter Jet
Quick Kick
Salvo
Spitfire
Spirit
Cover Girl
Dial Tone
Shipwreck
Polly the Parrot
Gung-Ho
Snake-Eyes
Helix
Rock 'n Roll (Mentioned)

Cobra
Cobra Commander
Storm Shadow
Lady Storm Shadow/Tempest
Destro
Crystal Ball
Dr. Mindbender
Vipers Most Killed by GI Joe
Golobulus (Mural Only)

Other
"Friday"
Notes
  • YAY! It's the last issue! And without failing to disappoint, it ends on a cliffhanger. Oddly this issue doesn't include any "The end" or "letter from the writer" section, as you would normally find in a final issue of a series. I guess IDW didn't want Sitterson to write something stupid again, like he did about 9/11 last year....
  • Um....how did the Joes not notice the giant temple surrounded with snake monsters with a giant red sky around it? Did they really need to bring Spirit with them to find it?
  • In case it wasn't clear, Helix is getting Snake Eyes to play Dungeons and Dragons (another Hasbro product) whilst in the brig.
  • So...my only guess for why the hydrothermal generator scene was added last issue was so they had a reasonable method for Skywarp to disable it in this issue
  • Quick Kick brings up how Storm Shadow owes him some teeth....then shows that his mouth has no missing teeth (certainly not the ones he was missing before anyway!)
  • So...Lady Storm Shadow, a powerful warrior, who was upgraded with Dire Wraith technology, and was strong enough to disable a Eukarian, Antagony, all by herself, was apparently defeated by the Male Storm Shadow, and forced to be his sidekick....yeah I don't accept that!
  • My guess last issue turns out to be wrong, Skywarp's assets to be given over to Duke were Helix and Snake Eyes, not the captive Dire Wraiths.
  • Last issue, Crystal Ball appeared to be talking about using Rock 'n Roll's blood to power up the resurrection of Golobulu, but here they just use some of the Vipers instead....is this bad writing, or did Sitterson just change his mind?
  • Cobra Commander screaming "Cobra-lalalalalala!" is a reference to the 80's GI Joe Movie.
  • So....I know everyone has already brought this up, but why are Lady Storm Shadow, Destro and Dr Mindbender on Earth? They were all major parts of the Iron Ring's attack on Cybertron, and are all being held in cells on Cybertron. We know this issue is relatively contemporary to Optimus Prime, as both SSF#2 and Optimus Prime #15 mentioned/showed the newly opened Ore-13 mine in Kentucky, and we know from the latter that Colton, and his cohorts are still imprisoned at that time...so why are they here?!?!
  • And in a scene that was cut from this issue, following the final page, the Solstar Order send a team to Earth to kill all the Dire Wraiths impersonating the Joes and Cobra members, freeing their captive real counterparts, allowing for this series to just be forgotten about in a later reboot :)

Thursday, 14 December 2017

IDW - First Strike: MASK

Written by: Aubrey Sitterson
Art by: Ilias Kyriazis
Colours by: Mark Roberts
Letters by: Gilberto Lazcano
Editor: Carlos Guzman
Publisher: Ted Adams
The King Cobra mech runs rampage over New York, forcing the Joes to concentrate on attacking it, rather than helping Quick Kick inside the Museum, stopping Firefly from stealing some artefacts for Cobra. The Joes manage to work together to break through the mech's armour  and destroy it's power core, causing it to fall apart.
The Joes are congratulated by the cops, and VENOM are arrested, but are sure that Cobra Commander will free them.
Quick Kick is able to smash through all the Red Shadow Ninjas and goes head-to-head with Firefly, even managing to avoid a point-blank shot from a gun. However before he can finish Firefly, he is smacked by an iron ball thrown by a male Storm Shadow! He has Firefly finish the mission, but leaves Quick Kick alive, so he can fight him fairly in the future...

Later, the Joes are congratulating themselves on saving the day, but with Shipwreck still feeling bad for Quick Kick being in the infirmary and them losing the artefacts. He is soon brought out of his funk when Gung-Ho brings him a disgusting green veggie-burger with a veggie-bun...what a nice boyfriend!

At the Cobra HQ, Crystal Ball is happy with the artefacts. Cobra Commander, the former Baroness, speaks with Cesspool, who reports that their shell companies have increased carbon emissions, leading to "melting" which is part of their next plan, whilst Destro (who is somehow on Earth, see below!) asks what will happen with VENOM, but the Commander is uninterested in freeing them, and plans to leave them in jail until they are needed again, besides, she has new minions to deal with...Croc Master and Raptor...

Back at the Lemuria Base, Rock 'n Roll is asleep and is given another strange dream...this time of an army chanting to their leader...Golobulus....
Plot
Characters
GI Joe
Shipwreck
Polly Parrot
Quick Kick Put in Infirmary by Male Storm Shadow
Gung-Ho
Salvo
Doc
Spitfire
Rock 'n Roll
Skywarp - Fighter Jet
Dial Tone
Tunnel Rat
Spirit
Cover Girl
Lifeline
Snake Eyes (Mentioned)

Cobra/VENOM
Cobra Commander/Baroness
Firefly
Male Storm Shadow
Bruno Sheppard/Thunderflame Arrested by Cops
Sly Rax/Stiletto Arrested by Cops
Vanessa Warfield/Ice Queen Arrested by Cops
Crystal Ball
Croc Master
Raptor
Cesspool
Destro
Other Cobra Businessmen
King Cobra Mech Destroyed by Joes
Red Shadow Ninjas
Golobulus (Dream Only)
Golobukus' Army (Dream Only)

Other Human
New York Cops
Notes
  • So...you know how this comic is under the "MASK" line? Well...none of the MASK characters appear, with just three members of VENOM making a couple of short appearances....they may as well have just named this "First Strike: GI Joe #2"
  • Vanessa Warfield seems to be acting a bit out of character in this issue. Isn't her whole "thing" being cold and an "Ice Queen"...hence her codename....here she is screaming like a banshee at Bruno Sheppard.
  • Wow Quick Kick is being kind of a dick in this issue isn't he? He keeps just bragging about beating Snake Eyes in a sparring match, so much for a good teammate and honourable warrior!
  • Oh wow! There's now a male Storm Shadow again! It's unclear if he's the original guy or another successor (like the female one currently on Cybertron) but this is gunna get confusing, especially if both of them end up in one issue together!
  • Whilst unidentified here, the Cobra artefacts that Cobra steals for Crystal Ball appears to be for a ritual sacrifice, being a bowl and a dagger...maybe these things will be used to summon Golobulus? Probably not now of course...since the comic is getting canned...
  • WHAT IS DESTRO DOING HERE?!?! He is very expressly on Cybertron for the First Strike event, and even got captured and held on Cybertron afterwards. Can't you guys even keep your own characters in line here?!
  • Golobulus, seen in shadows at the end of the issue originated in the 80's GI Joe Movie, where he was a behind the scenes leader for Cobra of sorts.
  • Anyway, I'll start this point by saying sorry for doing this so late, but as I'm sure you're fed up of hearing now, I had to deal with a bad comic supplier, but I am done with them now, and all my future buys will be straight off Ebay or whatever. Secondly as I'm sure everyone already knows, this comic leads into the upcoming "Scarlett's Strike Force" series, which has already been cancelled due to reportedly low sales. Though it has been said that it is also due to some controversial tweets from Aubrey Sitterson (the writer) about people mourning 9/11 the wrong way or something. As such, the comic will conclude after 3 issues and will end on a cliffhanger...nice job there!
  • After I get the second volume of the GI Joe trades, I'll do a special blog that goes through the series, and what I feel went wrong with it, and why a big product like GI Joe is being out-lived by relatively minor titles like Rom and Micronauts!

Tuesday, 5 September 2017

IDW - First Strike #2

First Strike
Written by: Mairghread Scott & David A Rodriguez 
Art by: Max Dunbar
Colours by: Ander Zarate
Letters by: Tom B Long
Assistant Editor: David Mariotte
Editor: David Hedgecock
Publisher: Ted Adams

The Origins of Evil
Written by: John Barber
Pencils by: Netho Diaz
Inks by: Walden Wong
Colours by: David Garcia Cruz
Plot
First Strike
At Ironblood's hidden base in the Swiss Alps, Scarlett finishes reading Colton's letter to her when the room is filled with Red Shadows, the Joes fight them off, but Doc notices a beeping noise, alerting the team to the whole facility being rigged with explosives. They manage to escape just as the base detonates, and they start trying to work out what happened to Colton to make him go bad.
On Cybertron, Ironblood's alliance are holding their own against the Transformers and Joes, and even take a few down, taking them apart for resources. The teams split up to take on their own missions, with Mayhem and Kreiger delivering the Talisman to a rendezvous point, and Destro and Storm Shadow escorting Shazraella to find her a body to Enerchange with.

Back on Earth, the Joes have teamed up with Matt Trakker and Gloria Baker of MASK and are travelling to Autobot City via a submarine. Inside the sub, the MASK members confirm that the false Cybertronians seen on Cybertron are based on MASK technology, meaning that Mayhem is involved in the attack too. They're planning to use the spacebridge in Autobot City to reach Cybertron and help out with the fight, and plan to take every weapon they have at their disposal with them, including a virus that MASK has been working on from Astrotrain's body.
On Cybertron, Storm Shadow disables a purple female Transformer, Antagony, allowing Shazraella to Enerchange with her, meanwhile Flint's team of Joes are being pinned down by Red Shadows until they are run down by Ironhide who drives the humans to safety.

At the villain's rendezvous point, Shazraella, in her new Cybertronian sized body retrieves the Talisman from the back of Mayhem's new Outlaw truck and carries it on her back, whilst guiding the villains through some tunnels, planning to poison the planet's Energon with the Talisman's dangerous energy.
Optimus and Windblade arrive at the Spire where they assist Starscream, Elita One and Marissa in trying to figure out what to do now. Elita proposes to kill all Humans on Earth to stop the attack, but Marissa counters that if she has to resort to indiscriminate murder then maybe she isn't a good leader. Elita respons to this by contacting her ship back in orbit to request reinforcements, however the ship cannot help.
Diavod of the Solstar Order contacts Cybertron through Carcer and informs them that the planet has been quarantined due to the massive amount of Dire Wraith readings on the planet, leaving the Cybertronians alone...

On Earth, the Joes and MASK arrive at Autobot City, where they are escorted in by Skyburst and Stormclash, however once inside they learn that the spacebridge was disabled from Cybertron's side and cannot be opened from Earth right now. The teams wonder how Ironblood's troops managed to get to Cybertron themselves, and they realize that they must have used the MASS device in Destro's possession to piggyback on the spacebridge portal and headed there that way. The Helicopter Twins create a device that will allow them to copy that same process, but they need to use the MASS device to activate it as well, so, along with Soundwave and the Twins, the team storm towards Castle Destro in Scotland.
The Origins of Evil
Part Two: A Game of Chess
Months ago, Destro is contacted by Doctor X about Baron Ironblood coming to visit him, which Destro is not happy with, as he only leant his MASS device to them and doesn't want to be part of their team. He shows a momentary sign of emotion when Joe Colton comes out of the MASS device, but simply orders the BATS in his employ to kill him. Colton explains that he IS Ironblood, but Destro doesn't care.
Colton tries to appeal to Destro's interest in new technology by saying he can give him Cybertronian technology, which Destro is no longer interested in, since he has studied all he can from Earth's Cybertronians, however Colton points out that the best stuff is likely still on Cybertron, and by working together they can use the MASS device to hack into the spacebridge signal and ravel there to get more tech.
Destro is interested now and deactivates his BATS, stating that his only condition is to go to Cybertron as well, which Colton is very happy with, securing his places in the alliance....
Characters
Autobot
Optimus Prime - Truck Cab
Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet
Ironhide - Van
Skyburst - Helicopter
Stormclash - Helicopter
Metrotitan - Autobot City

Decepticon
Soundwave - Cassette Player
Astrotrain - Train/Space Shuttle (Flashback) Dead

Other Cybertronian/Colonist
Starscream - Fighter Jet
Elita One
Antagony - Ant Enerchanged with Shazraella
Green Guy Killed and Dismantled by Ironblood's Alliance
Random Cybertronian Crowdfillers
Carcer Crew Member (Voice Only)

GI Joe
Scarlett
Roadblock
Lady Jaye
Quick Kick
Doc
Talon
Flint
Spike
Dial Tone (Mentioned)

MASK
Matt Trakker
Gloria Baker

Ironblood's Alliance
Baron Ironblood/Joe Colton
Destro
Storm Shadow
Miles Mayhem
Garrison Kreiger
"Mystery Villain"
Lady Shazraella Enerchanged with Antagony, main personality
Major Bludd
Buzzer
Ripper
Red Shadow Ninjas
Iron Grenadiers
Doctor X (Hologram, Origins Only)
Iron Klaw (Mentioned)

Other Human
Marissa Faireborn

Solstar Order
Diavod
Prim
Butin
Guar
Nikomi

Other
BAT's (Origins Only)
Dire Wraiths (Mentioned)
Notes
  • Just a quick note, it turns out that issue 0 of this series was originally meant to be printed in Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook #3, but due to delays it was released beforehand online and the prequel was replaced with a preview of issue 1 in the actual issue. So that explains where that whole thing came from!
  • The Cybertronian killed by and then ripped apart by Ironblood's troops  looks an awful lot like Kup, specifically his Prime toy counterpart, based on the shoulders and chest design.
  • The heavily shadowed member of Ironblood's team is most likely someone from Visionaries, an upcoming IDW comic series set in the Hasbroverse.
  • Due to delays for Revolutionaries, this issue spoils that both Kreiger and the Talisman will be recovered from the team by Ironblood's crew. Luckily nothing else appears to have been spoiled yet...YET...
  • OH WAIT! Gloria is spoiled as having left the MASK team here, but the issue where that happens hasn't been released yet...good thing I only get the trades for MASK huh?!
  • Shazraella is seemingly in her Karza-themed armour that she donned towards the end of Wrath of Karza.
  • The "MASK tech" that Mayhem uses to imitate Cybertronians is likely due to him using Blitzwing's body for experiments and developing robots based somewhat on him.
  • The part with the virus developed from Astrotrain's body may seem out of the blue here, but it's actually a plot line from the MASK Annual from last year...something I don't follow here!
  • Shazraella's new host body isn't named still, but she is most likely Antagony, however this character appears to have knowledge of Cybertron and the tunnels etc under the city, so I'd guess she isn't Eukarian like most people believe...she could just be an explorer though I guess?
  • The Shazraella-Antagony fusion form looks somewhat like a darker-coloured, less-kibbley version of Windblade. If it is then this is appropriate since she made contact with the Cityspeaker during the Revolution event.
  • Diavod is shown to still be alive in the modern day, having last been seen during Rom's training days for the Solstar Order. This either means that Elonians have extended lifespans, or he does indeed have Solstar armour on, but it either doesn't cover his face, or it's able to take on a fluid facial form, much like how Stardrive's does in Shining Armor.
  • The detection of Dire Wraith activity on Cybertron is due to the Red Shadows being fused with their technology, and the Talisman itself being partially of Dire Wraith origin.
  • Based on Soundwave's design here, and how he can seemingly fit inside either the Twins or the MASK vehicles, I'm guessing he has reverted to a cassette player alternate mode, having been a personnel carrier for the past couple of years.
  • OH MY PRIMUS!! They finally gave some personality to a Torchbearer other than Pyra Magna!! I'm very serious here, I love the Torchbearer designs, but I've always hated how they were pretty much just treated as "Pyra Magna plus the others". This is a good next step for the team.
  • From the background of the scene in Autobot City, it looks like cameras and lights have been set up, as well as plates etc on the tables...I guess there was meant to be a party or something following the signing at the city?
  • Destro plays with a Hasbro Heroes and Villains themed chess board in the Origins story....HASBRO!!! STOP PUTTING COOL PRODUCT IDEAS IN YOUR COMICS AND NOT MAKING THEM IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS!!!
  • Doctor X and Iron Klaw are mentioned as still being on Earth...I guess we'll be catching up with them going against the Earth-based heroes during the tie-in issues.

Tuesday, 27 June 2017

IDW - Aw Yeah Revolution! #2

Written and Drawn by: Art Baltazar
Edited by: David Hedgecock
Publisher: Ted Adams
Plot
Baron Karza uses the Orbsah Gem on Optimus, Rom and Snake Eyes so he can use their special talents for himself. The Micronauts smash into the area and attack Karza, who easily takes them down, utilizing the powers of his prisoners, however he doesn't notice that Microtron rushes towards a control panel, and frees the prisoners from their binds.
Unfortunately, now that the three giant beings (especially Optimus) are free and interacting with Microspace, the stability of Microspace begins to break down and starts to fall apart. Karza decides to leave Microspace for Earth, and is soon followed by Optimus.

On Earth, Optimus tumbles through the portal and almost lands on a Cobra Fortress, leading to the Cobra troops to attack...
In Microspace Acroyear uses his sword to hold open the portal, allowing himself and the other giants to leave and chase Karza. Upon arriving, they are et by Storm Shadow who announces that Optimus was defeated by Cobra, with help from Baron Karza, and also reveals that Karza has explained Microspace to them fully in the time that has past, since along period of time has passed on Earth compared to the seconds for Microspace.
Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes begin their usual fight on top of Storm Shadow's favourite mountain, which gives him the advantage, allowing him to push Snake Eyes down the mountain. Rom and Acroyear team up and knock Storm Shadow down the mountain as well, leading to both ninjas fighting at the bottom.
Before they can continue their fight however, a hidden trap door opens up and Optimus, now under Cobra control, is lifted out of the hidden Cobra facility, announcing that he'll destroy his old friends for Cobra!

Meanwhile, an asteroid infested with Dire Wraiths is rushing towards Earth, looking for Rom....
Characters
Autobot
Optimus Prime - Truck Brainwashed by Cobra

Human
Snake Eyes
Storm Shadow
Cobra Troopers

Micronaut
Baron Karza
Andromeda
Acroyear
Space Glider
Microtron
Biotron

Other
Rom, the Space Knight
Dire Wraiths
Notes
  • The Orbsah gem is able to give Karza the abilities of the larger Hasbro property characters...like someone's telekinesis...and Optimus' ability to grow sizes.....I dunno if that really happens.....I guess his hand transformation power comes from Rom's Neutralizer though!
  • When Optimus pops out of Microspace and into the Cobra base's area he seems to be the size of a Titan...that seems a bit off...
  • Does Rom have a forcefield in the Hasbroverse? If so that would be helpful in his fights there!
  • Hey look! Optimus has been given a Cobra make-over! I'm pretty sure we haven't seen that since the DDP crossover days! You know....the GOOD GI Joe vs Transformers crossover!
  • It's mentioned that time moves differently in Microspace compared to the regular universe, this appears to be the case in the normal Microspace too.
  • Since we saw that a few seconds in Microspace will result in a fair bit of time in the normal universe passing here (long enough for a battle between Cobra and Optimus, brainwashing the Autobot, and repainting him at least) then how long has passed whilst the heroes were in their bonds in Microspace?

Thursday, 2 March 2017

IDW - Revolutionaries #2

Title: Enter the Shadow
Written by: John Barber
Art by: Fico Ossio
Colours by: Sebastian Cheng
Letters by: Tom B. Long
Edited by: David Hedgecock
Assistant Edits by: David Mariotte
Publisher: Ted Adams
Plot
Action Man struggles to free himself from the metal flag pole he is chained to, but through brute force, he manages to free himself. Action Man follows the tracks left from the tractor that wrote the "Help Us" sign to Earth, and locates the long-abandoned Cobra base "Section Sabine" and manages to get inside, soon discovering that the base still has oxygen and power, so he starts to explore it, and finds piles of dead Cobra Troopers, and someone else...
On Earth, the Revolutionaries have located the Micronauts in the Pacific Science Center, where they are looking for one of the portals home. The Micronauts assume the Revolutionaries are trying to capture them, so they fight back, until they realize that they aren't actually trying to hurt them, and they soon make peace. Blackrock shows them a holographic image of the Talisman, assuming they might know something about it, due to both them and the device seeming to have Cybertronian origins.
The team soon reconvene at a locale Onyx building, where they discover that the Talisman seems to be designed for Micronauts to interact with, but they aren't sure where the actual device is at the present. Oz however, reasons that since the Revolutionaries were able to track down the Micronauts due to their technology, couldn't they track down the Talisman the same way...

Back on the Moon, Action Man is taken to see Doctor X, who is leading the operations in the abandoned base, and it told that whilst Doctor X doesn't want to kill him, she isn't going to let him go either, in case he ruins their plans.
Knowing that something is happened, Action Man runs to escape, reasoning that the MASS Device that Cobra used to use must be working again, since there's no way an Earth-built spacecraft could take him to the Moon this fast. He soon locates the transporter room, and finds it filled with Ore-13, but before he can use it, he is skewered by Storm Shadow, angry that he killed one of her troops.
Kup, now fitted with thrusters and wings, along with the Micronaut's ship, the Heliopolis, head to the Moon, where they smash through the walls, and raid the facility. The Revolutionaries go after the Talisman, whilst the Micronauts go to find and rescue Action Man.

During the battle, Larissa makes it to the Talisman, and manages to Enerchange with it, revealing that it basically acts like a small space shuttle, however upon activating it, the Ore-13 that was surrounding it starts to react to the energy, and prepares to detonate. Baron Ironbood orders an evacuation, much to the annoyance of Doctor X, who doesn't want to abandon Action Man to die.
Soon, Kup and Mayday locate Action Man, and remove the sword in his hand.
Outside the facility, Blackrock, Acroyear and Larissa, inside the Talisman watch as the base explodes from the Ore-13 reaction, and fear the worst for the rest of the team, however Kup emerges from the flames, along with the Heliopolis, and the humans in his chest cavity.
The two groups head back towards Earth, but are still confused as to the actual nature of the Talisman, and have no idea how to use it to cure their friends and the innocents that were turned into Dire Wraiths from it. Action Man however reveals that British Intelligence has files on the device when it was found...Mayday welcomes him to the team....
Characters
Autobot
Kup - Pick Up Truck
Sovereign/Garrison Blackrock - Head
Impactor (Mentioned)
Wreckers (Mentioned)

GI Joe
Mayday/Ayana Jones
Roadblock (Mentioned)
Snake Eyes (Mentioned)

Cobra/Doctor X
Doctor X/Mercy Gale
Storm Shadow
Baron Ironblood
Red Shadows
Section Sabine Cobra Troopers Dead
Section Sabine Astronauts Dead
Oktober Guard (Mentioned)

Micronaut
Oziron Rael
Phenolo-Phi
Larissa
Acroyear
Biotron
Microtron
Time Casket (Mentioned) Dead

Other Human
Action Man/Ian Noble
Pacific Science Center Patrons
Adventure Team (Mentioned)
Matt Damon (Mentioned)
British Intelligence (Mentioned)
Arashikage Ninja Clan (Mentioned) Mostly Dead
Notes
  • As mentioned last time, Action Man is stranded at the Cobra base "Section Sabine" at the start of the issue, one of the dangling threads of the GI Joe comics from before Revolution.
  • Action Man's reference to Matt Damon is likely a reference to the film "The Martian" where Damon's character needs to survive on Mars.
  • It's revealed that the Cobra base does still have life support systems in place on there, so it's most likely that the Cobra troops killed themselves due to them running out of food, rather than other more obvious Moon-related deaths.
  • This issue spoils that the Micronauts are going to learn English in the upcoming issues of their own series. Also, the Time Mask is not present amongst them...I guess they ditched it somewhere.
  • Kup recites the Universal Greeting from the animated Transformers Movie. The Micronauts are not impressed, seeing it as cringey, but do understand it. This is likely due to the relationship between the Micronauts and Cybertronians.
  • As I theorized in my review of Micronauts #9, the obelisk/Talisman was one of the portals that the Time Casket showed the team.
  • If neither Doctor X or Baron Ironblood actually wanted Action Man to die...then WHY DID THEY STRAND HIM OUTSIDE THE STATION!??!
  • Oz mentions that the Talisman has ports on it that'll allow them to Enerchange with it....I did not realize they needed ports to do that...they haven't seemed to so far....remember when Karza used himself with all those Dire Wraiths?
  • It's revealed that the Oktober Guard and Doctor X's team are working together, and have a working MASS Device at their base on Earth
  • Why did Blackrock just happen to have a space-shuttle attachment fitted to Kup's specifics?
  • Also, Blackrock appears to still have control of the Onyx company. Surely as an alien sleeper agent, he'd be disallowed from having that!
  • Mayday mentions how neither GI Joe or Cobra could justify a rescue mission for the staff on the Moon due to budgetary concerns, Blackrock then mentions that he could have funded it. Two things: the Joes clearly didn't care enough to save them, and was Blackrock even on Earth at the time, or is this just another of his planted memories?
  • How did the Ore-13 get to the Moon? Every time we've seen it in transporters it tended to explode, and X's troops don't appear to have a shuttle. Maybe some of the Ore ended up on the Moon when Shockwave sent it to Earth?
  • So, the Talisman has a cockpit for Micronauts inside it? Cool! That would imply that it originated from Microspace, or another universe with tiny denizens.
  • The Red Shadows were seen in the new GI Joe series (which alas, I am not reviewing here) and had their strange enhancements shown off there too, though they look a bit Dire Wraith-like here...

Sunday, 7 October 2012

IDW - Infestation 2 Volume 2

Transformers
Plot
In 1887, some fish people from a hidden underwater city find the inert bodies of some Decepticons, resting for their reactivation signal and activate them under their own control, taking them to the hidden city for their grand scheme, due to the awakening of the Elder Gods.
In 1888, the USS Mistkatonic is attacked by a tentacled monster underwater. The Autobot Ironhide transformes from his hiding place on the ship and jumps into the water, sending out a call for help to the other Autobots.
A week later in San Franscisco Kitty and Tobias Muldoon are out walking with their children when Bumblebee aproaches them about needed Tobias' help once more, as an ancient evil has woken up on Earth and they need electricity to wake up their leader, Opitmus Prime.
A week later (again) Tobias has travelled to New York and meets with Thomas Edison to ask him for his help in creating a (massive) load of electricity. Edison send shim packing, but Nikola Tesla appraoches Tobias, offering his help instead. At the same time, the fish people invade Port Cenotaph in Nova Scotia as part of their plan. Ironhide has followed them, but is attacked by a possessed Bonecrusher.
Nikola and Tobias are travelling on a train made up of several Autobots up north and three days later arrive near their destination (at the end of the line) where Nikola is shown the true identities of the trains as robots, and Wheeljack paves a path using his snow-plough mode for the restof the journey. A small ship approaches  Port Cenotaph but is unable to dock due to the possessed civilians and giant robots in the city, before they can escape though, their ship is dragged underwater by the tentacled monster.
The Autobots and Humans arrive at their destination, the location of Optimus Prime's currently inert body.

In the North Atlantic the HMS Indomitable comes across a lifeboat with the remaining, dead crew of the USS Mistkatonic with fear on their faces (and glowing eyes). In Port Cenotaph, the possessed humans and Transformers chant and allow the Elder God in this universe to rise up from the water surrounding the city to rule the world once more.
Elsewhere, Tesla uses the basis of his Tesla Tower to use a balloon to collect electromagnetic power from the ionosphere to transfer it to Optimus and wake him up. The Autobots use their own power to ground out the balloon and collect the power for Optimus, which knocks them out. At first it looks like it fails, but then Optimus wakes up.
The Indomitable approaches Port Cenotaph after learning that contact was lost with the town several weeks ago, so they're going to check it out.
Optimus asks Nikola and Tobias what year it is and why he was awoken, and they explain the situation to him. Optimus revives his fallen Autobots using his energy stores.
The Indomitable arrives at Port Cenotaph and is caught up in battle with the Decepticons, the now Possessed Ironhide, the Elder God and Fish People. Optimus and the Autobots arrive at the town and all subdue the Decepticons and pin down Ironhide, whilst Ratchet starts removing the parasite from him. Optimus attacks the Elder God with his buzzsaw weapons. Optimus manages to tear apart the God and sends him falling down into the ocean once more, followed by the Fish People.
The Autobots (including the now free Ironhide) leave the town now the threat's gone, and leave Nikola and Tobias to deny any knowledge of what happened when the Indomitable docks (despite the dead body of Blitzwing being next to them)
Characters
Autobot
Optimus Prime - Steam Locomotive
Wheeljack - Steam Powered Snow Plough
Trailblazer - Steam Engine
Hound - Caboose Trolley Cab
Ratchet - Caboose Trolley Cab
Ironhide - Battleship Turret
Bumblebee - Streetcar Trolley
Decepticon
Shockwave Defeated by Autobots
Blitzwing Defeated by Autobots
Dirge Defeated by Autobots
Bonecrusher Defeated by Autobots
Skalor
Snaptrap
Nautilator
Overbite
Tentakil
Megatron (Mentioned)
Human
Tobias Muldoon
Nikola Tesla
Kitty Muldoon
Toby Muldoon
Katherine Muldoon
Port Cenotaph Civilians
USS Mitzkatonic Crew Killed by Elder God
HMS Indomitable Crew
Carruthers 
Thomas Edison
Edison's Muckers
Skipper Killed by Elder God
Kid Killed by Elder God
Other
Elder God Defeated by Optimus Prime
Fish People
Dog on Ship Killed by Elder God
Notes
  • This story is a continuation of the previously stand-alone Hearts of Steel mini-series
  • It's likely that this series wasn't in continuity with the main IDW Transformers series because the series isn't set on Earth right now.
  • Bumblebee has changed his alternate mode completely since Hearts of Steel, being a streetcar now (and also only being in about 2 pages)
  • Tobias and Kitty have married and had 2 kids since Hearts of Steel
  • Weirdly Optimus has been reconfigured into a locomotive mode instead of still being in his beast mode from the Ice Age, maybe he woke up some time since the last story and went back to sleep again?
  • Why did the Autobots need so much energy to resurrect Optimus? All the others just woke up on their own, or by gentle prompting...this is more annoying when he mentions his energy reserves that he then uses to revive the other Autobots
  • Wheeljack uses swords in this, likely as a reference to the Prime series Wheeljack
  • The Seacons only appear in the opening scenes, replaced later with other Decepticons

G.I. Joe
Plot
DR Llund and her teammate Dr Smith find a chamber inside a cave in the Antarctic, Llund is possessed and kills Smith, using his blood to power up a seal on the floor and digs up a strange artifact.
A week later, at the Snake Pit (a Cobra Insane Asylum and training center) Interrogator is giving psychological examinations to some of the inmates to determine if any of them are fit to rejoin the main forces, Raptor, Gristle and Razor Claw are deemed unfit mentally, however Cesspool is just pretending to be mad to stay safe from Tomax and Xamot, Interrogator takes advantage of this by bribing Cesspool to send him money from his off-shore accounts for him to be deemed insane too.
Interrogator gives his findings to Baroness, who asks him to join her in seeing Dr Llund's finding. Llund's find is in fact a doorway used by the Elder Gods to enter this world, Baroness just wants the thing sold off and thinks this is a waste of time, she however tells Llund to try and open it, in case it can be used by Cobra for it's grand scheme. Outside the office though she tells Crystal Ball to watch over her whilst she leaves for safety this time (after the zombie thing last time)
A day later Llund calls a meeting for all the new recruits training there, which Interrogator watches (as Baroness asked him to stay behind as well) and Llund, now possessed by an Elder God sacrifices one of the recruits on the stage, which activates a strange song, which possesses the other recruits who are suceptible (everyone in the room by Interrogator) and turns them into hideous monsters who chase the non-believer, Interrogator.
He's chased into the corridors, where he runs into Storm Shadow (called in by Crystal Ball as he owes him something, and is immune to the effects due to mental training).Interrogator goes to the elevator where he finds Crystal Ball, and Storm Shadow joins them, so they can group up and find others who are unnafected. The unaffected keep setting explosives and setting them off in the Snake Pit, killing the following infected and collapsing the exit, stopping them from leaving.
GI Joe have detected strange activities in that area, and call in a clean-up squad led by Snake-Eyes and Scarlett in to investigate.

Interrogator learns that the insane seem to be immune to the effects, so they start freeing the inmates from the Pit, however upon trying to free Cesspool, Interrogator reveals that he's just faking, too late however as the infected Cesspool attacks Crystal Ball, who is protected by Razor Claw, who slices off the infected guy's arms. Crystal Ball tells everyone that fire should be able to kill the monsters.
The Joes arrive up top and Dee Jay picks up the music over his microphones, which affects the Joes up top except for Snake-Eyes, who tries to stop them non-violently and escapes into the semi-collapsed structure above the Snake Pit.
The mad Cobras and the others fight the possessed guys, Gristle uses fire, but ends up being burned up with them as well, whilst Crystal Ball and Storm Shadow go off to deal with Llund personally. Storm Shadow is easily defeated by Llund, but Crystal Ball talks to her about his true nature, saying he is able to hear the song as well, showing that he's a believer too. Llund agrees to listen.
Snake-Eyes has been taking out his teammates, but when Scarlettapproaches him wiht her gun pointed up to her own head, Snake-Eyes loses it and drops his weapon, she then turns the gun on him, elsewhere the Llund-God agrees with whatever Crystal Ball just told it and ends it's attack on this world, awaiting Crystal Ball's call for them in the future.
All the affected are knocked out as they are freed, and Snake-Eyes carried away a waking up Scarlett whilst the other Joes start waking up too.
A day and a half later Interrogator and the other survivors, minus Llund and Crystal Ball are rescue by Baroness in her jet and Interrogator says that Llund wa sunable to open the doorway properly.
Elsewhere, Llund wakes up in Crystal Ball's basement, where she finds more doorways there, she gets excited about working with him to summon the gods back properly (as you need several doors to allow them to come through properly, however Crystal Ball just says he doesn't need her help and proceeds to start poking her with his claw fingers in the face.
Characters
Cobra
Baroness
Interrogator
Crystal Ball
Storm Shadow
Dr. Llund Killed by Crystal Ball
Raptor/Dr Jacob Mitchell
Razor Claw
Gristle Killed by own Fire Weapon
Cesspool Mutated into Monster, Killed by Razor Claw
Dr Smith Killed by Dr Llund
Viper Recruits Turned into Lovecraftian Monsters, Killed by Unaffected
Cobra Troopers
Snake Pit Staff
Cobra Commander (Mentioned)
Tomax (Mentioned)
Xamot (Mentioned)
G.I. Joe
Snake-Eyes
Scarlett
Dee Jay
Airtight
Joe Clean-Up Squad
Other
Elder Gods
Lovecraft (Mentioned)
Raptor Bird (Flashback) Eaten by Raptor
Notes

  • This is the only Infestation story (outside the CVO originating universe) to be involved in this crossover and the previous one
  • It's revealed that Interrogator, Baroness and Mitchell survived the previous Infestation, but Mitchell (now called Raptor) has gone mad
  • Baroness has learned her lesson, she gets out of the base BEFORE the crazy stuff begins
  • It's said here that Cobra are keeping their insane members alive so they can deposit them in cities as part of Cobra's grand scheme, causing havok in the process
  • In this universe the insane seem immune to the Elder God's control, but in the Dungeons and Dragons story it's shown that the insane are the first to be infected
  • It's unclear why the Cobra agents mutate into monsters when they are affected, but the Joes just go red-eyed
  • Again, this Infestation story is mostly Cobra based, despite the comic being titled "G.I. Joe"