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!

IDW - First Strike - G.I. Joe

Written by: Aubrey Sitterson

Art by: Ilias Kyriazis

Colours by: Mark Roberts

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

The members of VENOM have been absorbed into Cobra since Miles Mayhem is now on Cybertron for the mission to destroy the planet, and so the VENOM team are gifted with newly repaired vehicles to replace the ones that were recently destroyed.

Soon, Firefly, a member of Cobra, starts attacking and looting several museums around the world stealing some serpent-themed artefacts for the new Cobra Commander, Baroness.

At the Joe's base, the Lemuria, Rock 'n Roll wakes up from an apocalyptic dream, and Shipwreck, who is currently in charge of the team since Scarlett is off world, and learns of Firefly's attacks. Soon the team are deployed, but Cobra are able to escape easily using the VENOM vehicles.

Later, Shipwreck has changed up his strategy and gives all the Joes at his disposal appropriate jobs for whenever Cobra strikes again. Grand Slam gets in a huff when he is told that he is still not allowed on the field, likely due to his leg injuries.

VENOM and Cobra attack in New York, however the Joes are ready this time and actually manage to engage them, sending in all their heavy hitters. Quick Kick makes it inside the museum and confronts Firefly, along with a few dozen Red Shadow Ninjas on his own.

Outside again, the VENOM team use the new feature added to their vehicles, added by Scrap-Iron of Cobra and combines them into a giant snake robot, ready to take down the Joes....

Characters

GI Joe

Skywarp - Fighter Jet

Rock 'n Roll

Shipwreck

Polly

Dial Tone

Salvo

Lifeline

Doc

Quick Kick

Cover Girl

Gung-Ho

Spitfire

Grand Slam

Scarlett (Mentioned)

Roadblock (Mentioned)

Cobra/VENOM

Cobra Commander/Baroness

Scrap-Iron

Firefly

Vaness Warfield/Ice Queen

Sly Rax/Stiletto

Bruno Sheppard/Thunderflame

King Cobra - VENOM Vehicle Combiner

Red Shadow Ninjas

Cobranarchists

Miles Mayhem (Mentioned)

Other Human

New York Cops

Guys in Rock 'n Roll's Dream (Dream Only)

Notes

• This story is set following the finales of both GI Joe and MASK, leading into their upcoming crossover series "Scarlett's Strike Force", previously named "GI Joe: Unmasked" Neither of these series were actually completed before this comic was released, so their finales were spoiled for the readers. 
• This story is also set just after the deployment of Scarlett and her team to Cybertron for the First Strike main event.
• The Baroness is now the new Cobra Commander, during the terrible IDW GI Joe vs Transformers series she took on the "Serpentress" position in a similar manner.
• In case it isn't clear from his flirting around Shipwreck, his defence of his cooking being classed as "cute" and other gesture choices from the artwork, it's pretty clear that Gung-Ho is gay. I only note this because he is potentially the first homosexual human character in the Hasbroverse, or at least the first major, named character anyway.
• Grand Slam does have a point here, why haven't they developed some sort of device to allow him to join in on field-missions yet? Surely if they can make vehicles that can go from submarines to jets they can make either an exo-suit or leg braces for them?
• Despite being prominently on the cover of the comic, no one from MASK appears in this comic...hopefully they appear in the MASK issue of this story though...

IDW - Revolution: M.A.S.K.

Written by: Brandon Easton

Art by: Tony Vargas

Colours by: Jordi Escuin

Letters by: Chris Mowry

Edits by: David Hedgecock

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

One year ago, nine recruits are brought in to a secret training facility for a new project, to use their natural skills to fight the Cybertronians using high tech vehicles and other things.

The team are soon introduced to each other, and make their first impressions with each other. Miles Mayhem, leader of the facility, calls in Dr Mindbender from the collapsed Cobra group to help him identify which recruits would be perfect for his team.

Despite knowing him from before the training program, Manheim is disappointed by how Matt Trakker is performing, and thinks he has grown weak. On the other hand, he does find Vanessa Warfield's no-nonsense attitude and refusal to leave things to chance very refreshing and has her join his team.

Later, the team are taken outside to test out the vehicles and some prototype masks, and has Evans and Watkins take the wheels, however during the test, Manheim sabotages them, and causes the vehicles to malfunction and kill the two trainees. The rest of the trainees react to this in different ways, which Manheim examines to further sort his teams out.

Later again, the trainees are given a mask each, and are allowed to train with them, during it Sylvester accidentally shoots a physical spear from his hard-light generator helmet, impressing Manheim further, and getting him a place on the team.

Later still, the trainees are taken to the Canadian Rockies, where they are led to a train filled with innocent civilians, but which is also set to explode in a short amount of time. Matt wants to save them, but Bruno forces him to retreat, and detaches the detonating carriage from the rest of the train, killing the civilians, but protecting the team, giving Manheim is final team-member. Back at the base, the recruits are trying to cope with the mission, and Manheim reveals to Vanessa that the civilians were actually just holograms that he projected there...

In the Present, the newly formed MASK team, led by Matt Trakker arrives at a GI Joe base, where they are introduced as Manheim's new team, leaving out the truth that his REAL team is VENOM.

Characters

M.A.S.K.

Matt Trakker/Spectrum

Brad Turner/Eclipse

Julio Lopez/Gulliver

Gloria Baker

V.E.N.O.M.

Vanessa Warfield

Sylvester Rax/Stiletto

Bruno Sheppard

Project Spectrum Members

Miles "Mayhem" Manheim

William Evans Killed in MASK Vehicle Test

Marcia Watkins Killed in MASK Vehicle Test

GI Joe

Scarlett

Random Joes

Cobra

Dr Mindbender/Armand Singh

Other Human

Passengers on the Train (Holograms)

Judge Banks (Mentioned)

Matt's Parents (Mentioned)

Manheim's Past Allies (Mentioned) Dead

Notes

• This issue acts as a the "pilot" issue for the new MASK series. As such it doesn't really have much to do with the bigger Revolution storyline...I'm pretty sure the GI Joe cameo at the end was a last minute thing to make it fit...
• Throughout this issue we are made to believe that Manheim is choosing the best members of the team for the MASK program, but is actually recruiting for VENOM, a black ops counterpart to MASK.
• The purpose of the two different teams leads into Manheim's own ideals, where he likes to cover all his bases, and leave nothing to chance. Therefore, if MASK aren't able to legally deal with a mission, he'd logically send in VENOM to cover for them.
• Despite him being abducted and experimented on by Manheim for the MASK program, Blitzwing doesn't appear here...awww
• From the dialogue we can guess that Matt Trakker has been in trouble with the law, but wants to change his life for the better.
• Manheim is meeting with Dr Mindbender to assess his team and find his ideal team?! How can people NOT know he is evil?!?!
• The members of the program here were chosen because they have displayed some technopathic traits, explaining their abilities with the masks and vehicles.
• It's quite appropriate that the only other franchises from the Revolution to actually appear here are from GI Joe, which was an earlier attempt to bring MASK into Hasbro's fiction, with Matt Trakker being a Joe there.

IDW - Spotlight Thundercracker

Title: The Hunting Party

Story by: John Barber

Art by: Chee

Colours by: Ronda Pattison

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editorial Assistant: Thomas Boeing

Editor: Carlos Guzman 

Plot

Thundercracker leads a team looking for Metroplex on Megatron's orders (as he was present during the capture of Orion Pax and Alpha Trion, who discussed the Titan). Blitzwing gets annoyed with the mission, saying that this wasn't why he joined the Decepticons, afterwards Thundercracker finds a piece of metal he believes was part of Metroplex at some point and smuggles it back on Bludgeon's ship.

On the ship Thundercracker scans the metal chunk and detects a similar signature found on it on a planet not that far away. Thundercracker tells Bludgeon that he has a hunch about the system due to it being similar to the one they're in at the moment, but doesn't mention the metal chunk, but he's not sure why.

A group of Autobots (Bumblebee, Jetfire and Nightbeat) are following Bludgeon's ship when it quantum jumps, the Autobots follow. A few days later the Decepticons reach the planet and find a small organic colony in an area with strong Energon substitute readings in the area, Thundercracker suggests avoiding the organics, but Bludgeon wants to go through them and kill them all. The Autobots arrive as well and decided to take on the Decepticons to stop them from killing the organics below (as they detected them too).

The battle on the organics begins, but Thundercracker just tries to scare them off, rather than killing them unlike the others. Thundercracker decides to just go look for Metroplex instead. The Autobots attack, and launch their small shuttle into Bludgeon's shuttle, Bludgeon decides to abandon his shuttle, and leaves the non-fliers in his crew to die. Bumblebee follows Thundercracker down a tunnel, which is noticed by some of the organics, whilst the Autobots and Decepticons fight.

Down below Thundercracker finds Metroplex absorbing the Energon alternative in the caverns to recover energy and Bumblebee appears and the two start to fight. Bumblebee is defended by one of the organics during the fight, and then Bumblebee defends the organic from Thundercracker in turn, Thundercracker suddenly realizes why he didn't tell Bludgeon the whole truth, he doesn't want the Decepticons as they are right now to have the power of Metroplex, so he reports to Bludgeon that Metroplex isn't there and that they should leave.

Thundercracker leaves Bumblebee and the organic alive, and wonders about if all Autobots are the same, as he leaves he causes damage to the cavern causing a wave of the energon onto Metroplex, fully charging him. Metroplex wakes up and teleports away due to his secret mission. Bumblebee returns to the surface to find the Decepticons gone and the team settle down, as they are stranded for the meanwhile.

As the remaining Decepticons fly off Bludgeon says he's sending Thundercracker back to the front lines for his failure today, whilst the rest continue their search for Metroplex, and Thundercracker is happy...for now.

Characters

Autobot

Bumblebee - Car

Nightbeat - Car

Jetfire - Jet

Metroplex - City/Ship

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax (Flashback)

Alpha Trion (Flashback)

Decepticon

Bludgeon - Flying Tank/Tank

Thundercracker - Jet

Blitzwing - Jet/Tank

Waspinator - Wasp Killed or Disabled by Autobots

Barrage - Rhinoceros Beetle Killed or Disabled by Bumblebee

Chop Shop - Stag Beetle

Venom - Cicada

Guardminder Drones Killed in Ship destruction

3 more Jets

Megatron (Mentioned)

Seekers (Mentioned)

DJD (Mentioned)

Other

Urtuskians

Metrotitans - Cities/Ships (Flashback)

Primus (Mentioned)

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Nibarians (Mentioned)

Notes

• I hope that Nightbeat's appearances in 3 past stories in a row (Shadowplay, Orion Pax and here) is an indicator of him coming back in the present
• Hey look! Waspinator's an Insecticon here...then he looks a bit dead...though knowing Waspie I'd bet it's not permanent
• Waspinator seems to be in his Transmetal body but in his organic colours
• Thundercracker has an odd mix of his Cybertronian and F15 Earth modes in this story
• Metroplex disappeared shortly after becoming Autobot HQ in Autocracy...kinda seems like an empty gesture from him now huh?
• The DJD exist THIS early in the war?? It's been a couple of years!!!
• Bumblebee's basically in his Robots in Disguise body here, and Jetfire's in his Classics body (also how he appeared in early IDW comics as well)
• Thundercracker's future "betrayal" of the Decepticons is hinted at here
• Why does Thundercracker have a seat in his cockpit? I could understand if he scanned an alien jet for this mode, but it doesn't seem that way...so why?
• Apparently Bumblebee keeps making friends on missions, which seems to be annoying Nightbeat a bit
• Metroplex leaves for his mission, which is implied to have begun by this early point in the timeline
• I guess Bludgeon and the others don't continue their mission for very long or succeed, as Bludgeon is doing his own stuff by about 1985ish and Metroplex is still in hiding and on the run for his mission by 2007 (and present I guess)

IDW - Regeneration One #81

Staff

Title: "Loose Ends" Part 1

Writer: Simon Furman

Pencils: Andrew Wildman

Inker: Stephen Baskerville

Colorist: John-Paul Bove

Letterer: Chris Mowry

Editor: John Barber

Editor-In-Chief: Chris Ryall

Storyline

In the Wrecker's base, Debris, Kup is going through a battle simulation to train against tying up all the loose ends of the Decepticons, when Springer walks in and says there's a ransom situation in Kalis involving Decepticons and warheads , and they're going to see if Magnus will let the Wreckers deal with the Decepticons, Wrecker-style. Magnus says no, and Kup storms off. Elsewhere Soundwave releases the Deluxe Insecticons from his chest cavity and sends them to turn the Decepticons staging this issue into Martyrs to make things look bad for the Autobots.

Inside the depot the Skyscorchers are preparing to make a deal with Magnus, as they never really intended to cause major damage, but wanted attention and the ransom too, when they are attacked and disabled by the Insecticons, who plan to activate the warhead properly and cause massive damage. Suddenly the wall explodes and the Wreckers break in and detain the Insecticons inside a Detention Sphere, and disarm the warhead with Perceptor's help.

Later Magnus goes to visit Optimus at Nova Point to decide what to do with Kup disobeying orders, whilst Optimus is acting distant, but agreeing that Magnus is right to be angry, and he ends up having a vision of Unicron telling him he will kill him, which disturbs Prime somewhat. Outside, Kup is waiting with Optimus' protege Hot Rod, and explains that he hates all the waiting around whilst there's still loose ends out there and they should be doing things about it, like Grimlock is, so he leaves Nova Point just as Magnus exits the chambers to deal with him.

Kup returns to Debris and rounds up the Wreckers, who agree to follow him on his plan to visit the worlds who were affected by the Civil War and try and fix things. Elsewhere, Soundwave is unexpectedly contacted by Bludgeon, who needs him to collect something for him for a plan to wipe out the Autobots once and for all.

The Cosmic Carnival arrives in the Sol System and drops off the Wrecker's ship near Earth, with plans to return in 10 Cycles for them. The Wreckers enter orbit and power down, so they don't attract unneeded attention, and send down probes to see what's happening, but are startled to see the planet in ruins, rivers dried, other areas flooded or just destroyed. One of the probes is hacked and sent to DC (I think?) where the Wreckers are shocked to see Megatron alive and sitting in the ruins happy that someone finally came. Megatron sets off some nuclear warheads which destroys the Wrecker's ship in orbit before they can power their systems up again, all as Megatron laughs maniacally...

Characters

Autobot
Optimus Prime
Hot Rod
Ultra Magnus
Kup On Ship that blew up
Springer On Ship that blew up
Whirl On Ship that blew up
Roadbuster On Ship that blew up
Sandstorm On Ship that blew up
Broadside On Ship that blew up
Topspin On Ship that blew up
Rack 'N' Ruin On Ship that blew up
Leadfoot On Ship that blew up
Perceptor
Grimlock (Flashback)
The Last Autobot (Mentioned) Dead
Security Forces
CCD Cadets (Mentioned)
Those Affected by Nucleon (Mentioned)

Decepticon
Megatron
Soundwave
Bludgeon
Chop Shop - Stag Beetle Captured by Wreckers
Ransack - Locust Captured by Wreckers
Venom - Cicada Captured by Wreckers
Terradive Killed/Incapacitated by Venom
Afterburner Killed/Incapacitated by Chop Shop
Eagle Eye Killed/Incapacitated by Venom
Windrazor Killed/Incapacitated by Chop Shop
Thunderwing (Mold Only)
Galvatron - Laser Cannon (Hologram)

Human
Berko
Other
Unicron - Ringed Planet (Vision)
Cybertronian Civilians 

Notes

• Still not too fond of the artwork being in the old style....colours are nice though!
• The Wreckers and Deluxe Insecticons make their US Marvel continuity debut here
• The intro of a Wrecker killing some fake Decepticons is just like their intro in Marvel UK
• Twin Twist has been replaced in the visible Wrecker ranks by Leadfoot, making the roster resemble the DOTM Wreckers a bit more now
• Soundwave can hold Insecticons in his chest
• It's not clear if the Skyscorchers are killed in this issue or not...
• Grimlock is mentioned to be elsewhere right now
• Hot Rod being mentored by Optimus seems to have calmed him down somewhat....this I do not enjoy
• Bludgeon has a mold in the shape of Thunderwing's pretender shell, which implies that he's planning to rebuild him some how
• The Cosmic Carnival seems to go near Earth nowadays
• It seems like Earth has been conquered by Megatron in this continuity now, much like it was in All Hail Megatron, however as noted in the story this must have happened some time ago
• There's a random guy amongst the Wreckers on page 21, he looks like a Headmaster in design, but doesn't match up with any I can think of - After asking Andrew Wildman at Auto Assembly, he told me it's supposed to be Broadside with his face plate up!
• Megatron still has a black bucket head!
• Springer's chest changes like every panel in this comic