IDW - Unicron #3

Main Story

Title: Our Finest

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Alex Milne

Colours by: Sebastian Cheng & David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Side Story

Title: Reunion

Written by: Brandon Easton

Art by: Juan Samu

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Lettered by: Curtis Fandango

Edited by: David Mariotte

Main Story Plot

Cybertron begins to counterattack against Unicron, with all available fliers and all shuttles going into orbit to fight. Elita recruits the Torchbearers to join her on Carcer to directly attack Unicron. Chromia returns to Cybertron in her shuttle, but is also joined by the Decepticon fleet, having been corrupted by Unicron.

Inside Metroplex's brain chamber Windblade and the others are discussing what to do about Unicron, with Starscream advocating for evacuation to Earth, but due to the colonists being outside of the city, they wont be teleported away with the city.

Chromia contacts Carcer to see why they are going directly to Unicron, with Elita explaining that Victorion is going to infiltrate Unicron's body and kill him from inside, and Carcer will give her backup.

Bumblebee arrives at the brain chamber with Aileron, and declares that Unicron was a doomsday device created by an alien race that also created the Dire Wraiths with Visionary magic, which Rom is disbelieving of. Aileron herself doesn't believe this, until Arcee arrives and explains what happened, as she was there...

When Cybertronians led by Onyx Prime invaded the planet Antilla, Onyx manipulated things to make the Antillans to attack them first, making Alpha Trion believe them to be the aggressors. A scientist used a device to kill everyone on the planet, and also turn it into Unicron, in order for him to get revenge against their attackers, and gets stronger with every world it devours.

The battle in orbit is going badly for the Cybertronians, and Victorion is fed up of watching people die. She attacks the lead Worldsweeper and slashed through the corrupted Decepticons inside, however, when she confronts Bludgeon he summons Monstructor to fight the powerful combiner. The two fight, but Monstructor defeats her by tearing off one of her legs and knocking her down.

Shockwave confirms Arcee's story about Antilla, but also explains that after he left Cybertron following the wars between the Primes, he and his loyalists wound up on Antilla, where Shockwave learned about Unicron and finds the Talisman, the device used to create it. He has the Talisman shipped away towards Earth, for it to be used to later poison Cybertron.

Optimus relays this story to Windblade, who isn't shocked now by all this nonsense. Starscream starts again about letting most of Cybertron and the colonists die, if it means Unicron will be deathly wounded, which drives Windblade to screaming that this is all Cybertron's fault and not the colonists, yet it is them who are being hurt.

Arcee points out that despite it being a terrible thing to happen, without Antilla, NONE of the other colonies would have been created, and none of the colonists would have been born in the first place. Windblade heads off, with Arcee grabbing hold of her, not allowing her to run away. However Windblade isn't trying to escape, but rather has a plan, and just needs some time to enact it.

In orbit, Carcer is under heavy fire, so Elita, in a last ditch attempt to protect Cybertron orders for the ship to ram into Unicron, only for the Chaos Bringer to shoot the ship with his eye beams and obliterates the dead Titan and everyone aboard along with him.

Back at Metroplex, Soundwave returns with the Enigma of Combination, intending to use to combine the entire population of the planet into a giant force to stop Unicron, however Jetfire reveals that even if they did that, they would only be at about a third of the size of Unicron. Soundwave realizes that the others are starting to consider using the space bridge and leave the people outside of the city to die, so he alerts the Decepticons outside, and they begin to riot, and storm the city, as Soundwave has given them a chance now.

Arcee returns and says that Windblade has a plan to save them, but she needs time, which Starscream agrees they have to allow her, as she has allowed them all to try before now.

All across Cybertron, the displaced colonists and Cybertronians watch and Unicron starts digging his claws into Unicron's surface...

Side Story Plot

On Earth, the MASK team have reunited and save some people from the natural disasters and destruction in the city. The team eventually arrive at one of their team, Julio Lopez's emergency medical centre where they learn that they have inspired the normal people of the city and the world to help each other and fight back, so they'll continue to do so, up to the end...

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Arcee - Sports Car

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Bumblebee - Hatchback

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Chromia - Speedbike

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Skyburst - Helicopter

Stormclash - Helicopter Seemingly Killed by Monstructor

Dust Up - Sports Car

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Tracks - Muscle Car

Sizzle - Car

Silverbolt - Concorde Jet

Skydive - Fighter Jet

Fireflight - Fighter Jet

Not-Slingshot - Fighter Jet

Scattershot - Jet Killed by a Worldsweeper

Cloudraker - Jet Killed by a Worldsweeper

Fastlane - Car Killed by a Worldsweeper

Firestar

Metroplex - Iacon City (Voice and Interior Only)

Prowl - Police Vehicle (Mentioned)

Kup - Pic k Up Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Shockwave/Onyx Prime - Flying Artillery

Bludgeon - Tank

Monstructor - Monster Gestalt

Wideload - Dump Truck Killed by Victorion

Sledge - Backhoe-Payloader Killed by Victorion

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Fat Tankor - Tank

Tall Tankor - Oil Tanker/Cargo Plane

Decepticon Ghetto Denizens

Decepticon Vengeance Division Mutated into Unicron's Minions

Maximal

Domitius Major - Sauropod (Flashback Only)

Centurion - Beetle (Flashback Only)

"HOS Prowl" (Flashback Only)

Maximal Troops (Flashback Only)

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Elita One - Car Sent Adrift in orbit by Unicron's Attack

Obsidian - Osprey Helicopter Crushed by debris in ship

Vigilem - Carcer Ship Destroyed by Unicron

Swift - Helicopter

Zetca

Greenlight

Lancer

D.O.C.

Cybertronian Fleet

Colony Survivors

Carcerian Warriors Most Killed in Unicron's Attack

Alpha Trion - Tumbler (Flashback Only)

Galvatron - Tank (Flashback Only)

Omega Supreme - Rocket Base (Flashback Only)

Omega Sentinels - Rocket Bases (Flashback Only)

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Human

Matt Trakker/Spectrum (Side Story Only)

Gloria Baker/Aura (Side Story Only)

Brad Turner/Eclipse (Side Story Only)

Julio Lopez/Gulliver (Side Story Only)

Human Survivors (Side Story Only)

Med Centre Staff (Side Story Only)

MASK Fanboy (Side Story Only)

Miles Mayhem (Mentioned)

Solstar Order

Rom

Imperator Carax

Elonian Survivors

Other

Unicron - Ringed Planet

Antillans (Flashback Only) Dead

Unicron's Creator (Mentioned)

Dire Wraiths (Mentioned)

Visionaries (Mentioned)

Notes

• Slingshot is amongst the Aerialbots going into battle (albeit slightly miscoloured) he's supposed to be dead...but then again everyone else will be dead soon, so no long term harm!
• Swift appears to be amongst the Decepticons again...please make up your mind on your faction Decepticons!!
• Just like we saw a mass of Decepticon ships in the last issue, we get an Autobot fleet here with several existing ship types, like the different Arks, shuttles and a few generics.
• This issue reveals that the world we saw Onyx Prime and his group attack in a flashback was Antilla, which was also the world we saw turn into Unicron last issue, confirming that the planet orbiting the dark star was Antilla/Unicron, and is thirteenth colony world (implying that Unicron may have his own natural Ore too)
• Considering some Omega Sentinels were on Antilla when the Unicron device activated, it's likely that the one we saw inside Unicron in issue 1 was one of the attackers, rather than one that just found Unicron.
• Along with their ships, the Decepticon crew inside them are turned into Maximal-esque monsters. This is likely a reference to an old Unicron concept where he could corrupt individuals and turn them into his servants.
• Bludgeon is shown with an aura around him and what looks like his Void Spectre again, this is likely why he seems to have his mind intact rather than being mindless like the other Decepticons.
• Bludgeon reveals that Victorion's gravity powers are caused by her exposure to Ore-4 on Caminus.
• Shockwave's flashback reveals that the Talisman IS the device that created Unicron, which he found on Antilla after arriving there and sending it away to Earth with some of his followers (the guys who would later become the Hearts of Steel Transformers)
• It keeps getting mentioned how Metroplex can only spacebridge the people within his city mode away
• I still think there's another world out there with an Ore on it, since Liege Maximo's "world" is just a Titan ship, and not a planet, also Unicron just blows up Carcer, and doesn't devour it.
• Elita appears to survive her ship's destruction, as she is seen floating in space (why would they bother giving us a close-up if she was just dead?)
• The back-up strip is a MASK one of all things! It doesn't give us any real future spoilers, and just shows that Earth is under attack in the near future and that the MASK team are performing rescue missions to save the day.
• Since we last saw them, it looks like Brad Turner has been recovered, after being captured and replaced by Zartan.
• Also Matt Trakker is not a part of GI Joe anymore it seems...good for him!

IDW - Optimus Prime #21

Title: The Falling Part 6: Unforgivable

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Kei Zama, Sara Pitre-Durocher, & Livio Ramondelli

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Devastator and Victorion continue their fight, with Victorion concerned about how Devastator is able to withstand her gravitational powers.

Elsewhere, Aileron and Jetfire have been brought to the Crystal City Singularity, which is now shrouded in Matrix energies and Shockwave declares that he needs their help with something, and explains that Optimus has been deduced to data inside the Singularity, with his physical body, including the Matrix being destroyed.

Arcee, having been captured by Liege Maximo and his Maximals is being taken into the Nemesis, thanks to the use of Ore-4, which creates a gravitational field. Arcee manages to break free and grabs her sword from Maximo, in turn throwing it at the Ore, shattering it, and causing the field to vanish. The Maximals, Maximo and Arcee all fall down, with Maximo being impaled on Devastator's crane and the other Maximals falling to their deaths too. Arcee is rescued by Aileron before she meets a similar fate.

Vicorion now realizes why her powers weren't affecting Devastator, the Ore was causing a second gravitational field, disrupting her own one. Now that she is unhindered, she shreds Devastator apart, killing him. In the aftermath, Arcee grabs Aileron for a kiss, to say thanks for the rescue.

Following their victory, the Torchbearers decombine and rush to Jetfire's aid, where Shockwave is revealed to Pyra to be Onyx Prime's true form. She attacks him, but he waves off the attacks, explaining that he needs HER, and was just using Jetfire as bait to draw her in. He wants to have her combiner-receptive mind to store Optimus' digital consciousness into her head to rescue him from Infraspace.

Shockwave used some of the tainted energon from Cybertron and places it into the Singularity, drawing Optimus and Bumblebee into Pyra's mind. Following this, Pyra attacks Shockwave and rips off his arm cannon, preparing to kill him for all he's done, without any contesting voices from Optimus or Bee...

Elsewhere, Soundwave prepares to assassinate Starscream, who is gaining followers for a new Decepticon movement, but Needlenose stops him, saying that this is all he knows to do. Kill people who get in his way...

Starscream notices the Nemesis, with the remaining Maximals aboard leaving, leading him to believe that Shockwave has been defeated. He then agrees to lead the new Decepticons and takes them with him to plan..

Left behind, Swift is disillusioned by all this, and questions her allegiance, whist the nearby Needlenose finds his brother Tracks, and decides to go with him, deciding to stick with people who care for him. Soundwave, now left alone is approached by Windblade, who invites him to join them at the council to start planning their next moves. Soundwave however is worried if he made a mistake by allowing Starscream to live.

The Nemesis leaves orbit, without any attacks from Carcer, on orders of Windblade. On the surface, Elita demands to know why they couldn't destroy them, and also why Shockwave is still alive, Mistress of Flame agrees since she still hates him for killing her friends in the past.

Pyra explains that they will have Shockwave brought before the council for judgement, so he can be punished properly, and so they truth about the Primes being just mortal beings be broadcasted to the people.

Upon hearing this, Shockwave declares that she is ready and implants some of the tainted energon into her head, giving her, Optimus and Bumblebee a shared vision of the upcoming threat....Unicron, and to deal with him, they had to accept that their religion was false and would hurt them in the long run...

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab Mind Displaced into Pyra Magna's Head

Bumblebee - Muscle Car Mind Displaced into Pyra Magna's Head

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Arcee - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Tracks - Muscle Car

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Skyburst - Helicopter

Stormclash - Helicopter

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Dust Up - Sports Car

Superion - Aerialbot Gestalt (Flashback)

Optimus Maximus - Autobot Gestalt (Mentioned)

Chromia - Speed Bike (Mentioned)

Alpha Trion - Shuttle (Mentioned) Dead

Metrotitan - Autobot City (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Shockwave/Onyx Prime - Flying Artillery Captured by Pyra Magna

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Devastator - Construction Gestalt Killed by Victorion

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Swift - Helicopter

Fat Tankor - Tank

Tall Tankor - Oil Tanker/Cargo Plane

Acid Storm - Fighter Jet

Squeezeplay - Crab Monster

Flip Sides - Cassette

"Armada Thrust" - Fighter Jet

Menasor - Stunticon Gestalt (Mentioned)

Maximal

Optimus Primal - Gorilla

Beast Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Skywarp - Eagle Killed by Arcee

Bigmos - Mosquito Killed by Arcee

Insecticon - Beetle Killed on Impact with Devastator

Rartorata - Lionfish-Hornet Killed on Impact with Devastator

Nightglider - Flying Squirrel Killed on Impact with Devastator

Razorclaw - Fiddler Crab Killed on Impact with Devastator

Rhino - Rhino Killed on Impact with Devastator

Scorponok - Scorpion Killed on Impact with Devastator

Randy - Wild Boar Killed on Impact with Devastator

Retrax - Pill Bug Killed on Impact with Devastator

Scarem - Scarab Beetle Killed on Impact with Devastator

CatSCAN - Big Cat Killed on Impact with Devastator

Apelinq - Gorilla Killed on Impact with Devastator

Scissor Boy - Earwig Killed on Impact with Devastator

Rav - Raven Killed on Impact with Devastator

Mol - Mole Killed on Impact with Devastator

Dillo - Armadillo Killed on Impact with Devastator

Other Maximals Several Killed on Impact with Devastator

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Mistress of Flame

Elita One - Car

Liege Maximo Killed on Impact with Devastator

Vigilem - Carcer Ship Dead, Corpse used as ship

Civilians

The Fallen/Megatronus (Mentioned) Dead

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Scoop - Front End Loader (Mentioned) Died with Devastator

Praesidia Magna (Mentioned) Dead

Fastbreak (Mentioned) Dead

Magrada (Mentioned) Dead

Human

Marissa Faireborn

The Iron Ring (Mentioned)

Other

Unicron - Ringed Planet (Vision)

Primus (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue fully explains that the Torchbearers left their position on Caminus due to the Mistress of Flame trusting a Prime (Optimus) despite her, and the Torchbearers knowing that a Prime (Onyx) was evil and killed their friends.
• It's revealed here what Shockwave was looking for when he was on Caminus, and killed Magrada and the earlier version of the Torchbearers, one of his Regensis Ores. In this case, it is Ore-4, Gravity.
• Even though some of the Maximals could have survived their fall from the Nemesis, it's likely that Victorion's gravity crushing attack would have killed them regardless
• This issue marks the first on-panel, on the lips kiss between two Transformers...the question is though...why was is Arcee and Aileron? Why not an established couple like the Torchbearer cars or Anode and Lug? This feels like it's just been shoe-horned in for some reason.
• We learn here that the area inside the mind of a combiner where the component parts can communicate is called Antespace.
• Optimus' brief stint as the torso of a combiner in Combiner Wars gets lip-service here. I thought IDW had forgotten about that!
• Windblade says "he found someone named Bumblebee?" as if she doesn't know who he is...she has mentioned him various times, and even screamed at Starscream for him being crazy for talking to his "ghost"
• Fat Tankor is mentioned as a Decepticon again in this issue, despite just last issue being identified as "unaligned"...MAKE UP YOUR MIND!!!
• Likewise, Devastator is also shown in multiple views (even his components) with Decepticon insignias, so I guess he has re-joined them too?!
• So, Shockwave's ultimate plot has been to create the Primes, just so in the future he could reveal that they were a fiction and were not gods, giving the Cybertronian people the strength to deal with the upcoming Unicron, since they cannot rely on gods to save them, only themselves. This is a good idea, except one small thing....how did Shockwave know when Unicron was going to return?
• Shockwave mentions that the Maximals are going to join Unicron now, whilst we know this is true from Unicron #1, this doesn't explain how he knows this. Was he allied with Unicron in some way before his "defeat"?

IDW - Optimus Prime #19

Title: The Falling Part 4: The Hallowing

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Sara Pitre-Durocher

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Starscream mused to himself, via his memoirs about his rise to power, but that Optimus Prime kept getting in his way, so now that he is witnessing Onyx Prime throwing Optimus from his ship, and into the Crystal City singularity, seemingly killing him, he is glad.

Starscream has Devastator carry him towards the downed Metrotitan, so he can try and talk to him again, and along the way, Devastator puts forth his theory that Starscream is the reincarnation of Megatronus, the Fallen Prime. Starscream doesn't believe it, but thinks he can spin it in his favour.

At Shockwave's ship, the Nemesis, he orders Liege Maximo and his Maximals to head to Metrotitan to finish off the survivors, since he knows the crew have survived, as well as the Titan. Shockwave proceeds to remove his Onyx Prime disguise and prepares the next stages of his grand scheme...

At Metrotitan, Arcee, Aileron, Jetfire and the Torchbearers emerge from the crashed Titan, uncertain of what to do now, having also witnessed Optimus' apparent death. Devastator reaches Metrotitan as Maximo and his beast troops also arrive. Bumblebee's "ghost" starts talking to someone unseen to Starscream, confusing him, as Bumblebee simply vanishes before him. Starscream heads off to Metrotitan's head alone, and sends Devastator off to deal with the Autobots, and possibly the beasts.

Maximo and his troops start hunting the Auotbots, who are hiding. Arcee plans to take down the beasts and Maximo alone, knowing she's strong enough to handle them. Aileron is ordered to get the injured Jetfire to safety, whilst the Torchbearers are forced to combine into Victorion to fight the newly arrived Devastator. Victorion uses her gravitational powers to try and stall Devastator, but he is stronger than she expects and still continues towards her...

In Iacon, Windblade and the Mistress of Flame watch in shock at the battle going on at Metrotitan. Marissa Faireborn tries to get Trypticon and the Dinobots to join in on the fight, but Trypticon refuses to risk the lives of the new generation of Protoforms he holds within him, so he opens up a Spacebridge and sends himself and the Dinobots to Earth to both keep them safe, and replace Metrotitan as the Cybertronian city-link on Earth.

Starscream reaches Metrotitan's head, where Metrotitan confirms Starscream's claim to be the reincarnation of Megatronus. Starscream is elated to be so important, but is quickly put in his place by Shockwave, who appears behind him. Shockwave reveals that he used his Ores to alter the mind of Metrotitan to make him name Starscream as the Chosen One, having also created the Dark Cybertron prophecy as well, then used more Ores to send the Titan through space and time to place him in Crystal City and under Earth at the perfect times to manipulate Cybertron into electing Starscream it's leader. He reveals that he did this to weaken the planet by having a weak leader instead of someone like Optimus, Megatron or even Arcee.

Shockwave shoots Metrotitan in the face, finally killing him, his purpose being fulfilled, leaving Starscream distraught...and he asks for Bumblebee to come back to help him again...

Optimus wakes up in a dark, destroyed city, he first thinks it's the Afterspark, but soon realizes that he is in Infraspace, and notices some markings from others who have been there in the past, including himself and Blackrock. Soon he is greeted by an old friend...Bumblebee, who has been wondering where he was for some time now!

Characters

Autobot

Arcee - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck

Stormclash - Helicopter

Skyburst - Helicopter

Dust Up - Sports Car

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Metrotitan - Autobot City Killed by Shockwave

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Slug - Triceratops

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck Cab Sent to Infraspace

Bumblebee - Car Stuck in Infraspace

Ironhide - Van (Flashback Only)

Prowl - Police Car (Flashback Only)

Garrison Blackrock/Sovereign - Head (Mentioned)

Metroplex - Iacon City (Mentioned)

The Dinobots (Mentioned)

Zeta Prime - Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank (Flashback Only)

Soundwave - Acoustic Tank (Flashback Only) 

Maximal

Striker - Stegosaurus

Triceradon - Triceratops

Longhorn - Bull

Snarl - Lion

Quickstrike - Wolf

Night Viper - Viper

Iguanus - Iguana

Geckobot - Gecko

Rav - Raven

Dillo - Armadillo

Mol - Mole

Rest of Beast Hoard 

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Devastator - Construction Gestalt

Onyx Prime/Shockwave

Liege Maximo

Trypticon - Earth Embassy City

Mistress of Flame

Strafe - Two Headed Dragon/Car

Turbofoxes

Tux - Car (Flashback Only)

Grid - F1 Race Car (Flashback Only)

Past Cybertronians (Flashback Only)

Scoop - Front End Loader (Mentioned)

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Megatronus/The Fallen (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

New Generation Cybertronians (Mentioned)

Human

Marissa Faireborn

Rashid Nasir

Notes

• The Cybertronian whom Starscream tries to sell a badge to in the past is based on the Go-Bot character Tux...since there's nothing that would contradict that, I'll say it is him! (Yay!)
• Starscream's senator-era partner is based on Armada Swindle, his Mini-Con partner. Due to there already being a Swindle in this continuity, I'll just name him Grid here, after his Japanese name.
• I'm guessing that Shockwave exposed his true identity to his beasts and Liege Maximo at some point in the past, since none of them appear to question taking orders from this one-eyed guy wearing their master's skin as a suit...
• So turns out, except for a few scratches, the only Autobot to be injured during Metrotitan's fall was Jetfire, who looks kind of mangled
• I love how Aileron and Starscream both point out how Optimus is likely to come back to life, despite his apparent death. They must read a lot of comics :)
• Liege Maximo mentions how Arcee, being an ancient Cybertronian knows more than the rest of her team about Onyx and the other Primes. This is true, since she (in her original form) was present when the Primes were united.
• Maximo also mentions how he can sense the spawn of Solus Prime amongst the Autobots, referring to the Torchbearers and Aileron, who all come from Caminus, Solus' colony. How he knows they are amongst them is another question though...does he have some sort of mind-reading power like Soundwave?
• Devastator mentions how he has been a combiner much longer than Victorion has, and how he once helped to conquer Earth... except that was two Devastator's ago, the one with Scrapper as a member.
• I ADORE how Shockwave is so condescending towards Starscream when he points out how he used the Ores to manipulate things to make him the leader of Cybertron, rather than a competent leader.
• We learn this issue that the Crystal City we saw Bumblebee in, in the past was actually Infraspace, the Cybertronian limbo.
• OH MY GOSH I NEVER THOUGHT BUMBLEBEE WOULD BE BACK IN THIS CONTINUITY! ESPECIALLY NOT AFTER READING THE EARLIER RELEASED UNICRON #0 WHICH HEAVILY FEATURED HIM!
• Just a real-world anecdote here, the same day I received this comic the same day I bought Power of the Primes Starscream, and the bio card was of "Megatronus Starscream". Seems kind of perfect considering Starscream's sub-plot this issue being that he might be the reincarnation of the Fallen :)

IDW - Transformers #57

Title: White Heat

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Livio Ramondelli

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Following the forced spacebridge journey, Optimus wakes up to find Soundwave standing next to him, opposite Sentinel Prime and Sovereign, who is now using Alpha Trion's decapitated body as his own. Sentinel informs them that they are in the shadow of the now dead Titan, Prion, who was abandoned by Micronus Prime, and offers Optimus to join him and prepare for his master, Onyx Prime's return.

On Earth. the newly reformed GI Joe attack the Cybertronians in the Indian Ocean, and go under water to try and secure the downed ship. Sky Lynx and the others fight them off and begin collecting up the injured, before the humans can capture any of them.

Back on Prion, Sentinel explains that the population of the planet were descendants of Micronus Prime that the Black Block Consortia razed, and the one survivor (Nickle) was corrupted by the Decepticons and joined them. Sentinel explains that he wants Optimus to use his power as a Prime to conquer Earth, to "protect" it from a similar fate to what happened here.

Sentinel asks Soundwave why he is now allied with Optimus, and the Decepticon explains that when he witnessed him raising the Titan on Earth, he realized that he was a true Prime. Sentinel is happy with this, and have Sovereign slash Soundwave with his energy blade, glad that he can die a believer now.

Back on Earth, Blitzwing has escaped the Autobots and plans to go off on his own, however Zilong Qian, now going by Talon, skewers him on mecha and plans to fly him back to Governor's Island (their new HQ) much to Spike's disgust,

The Torchbearers form into Victorion and use her gravitational powers to mess up the GI Joe jet's targeting systems, and Jetfire worries that this will all cause more problems.

On Prion again, Optimus flat out refuses Sentinel's offer and knocks him down. Soundwave removes the blade from his body and smacks Sovereign off of Alpha Trion's body. Soundwave then confronts the Titan Master and reactivates the "Blackrock" program within him, reverting him to his human personality.

Before the freed Titan Master can do anything, Sentinel grabs him and sends both of them through the spacebridge towards their next target. Soundwave cannot find the target location on the spacebridge's records, but Optimus doesn't care, he has Soundwave set the bridge to Cybertron so they cab get Alpha Trion medical attention.

On Earth, the Autobots retreat, with Vitcorion levitating the injured with her gravitation powers. The Joes leave as well, glad that they have a Decepticon prisoner and the remains of the ship as well.

Shortly later, Alpha Trion has had his head reattached on Cybertron, and Fixit is confident that he'll recover. Optimus and Soundwave head back to the spacebrodge to return to Earth, and Soundwave confirms his belief that Optimus is right in his actions on Earth now, and now feels confident in the belief that all life is equal, not just Cybertronian life. He believes that they need to work together to deal with the upcoming dangers of Onyx Prime and his followers, as warned by Galvatron and Sentinel alike....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Sentinel Prime/Infinitus - Truck/Jet (and Head)

Alpha Trion - Space Shuttle Under Repairs by Fixit

Arcee - Sports Car

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Tracks - Sports Car

Jazz - Sports Car

Sunstreaker - Sports Car

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Pyra Magna - Emergency Truck

Stormclash - Helicopter

Dust Up - Sports Car

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Skyburst - Helicopter (Part of Victorion Only)

Jumpstream - Sports Car (Part of Victorion Only)

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Ironhide - Van

Wheeljack - Race Car

Fixit - Ambulance

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet Captured by GI Joe

Rumble - Motorcycle

Frenzy - Motorcycle

Swift - Helicopter

Needlenose - Fighter Jet

Dreadwing - Stealth Bomber

Mindwipe - Bat

Slugslinger - Twin Nosed Jet

Decepticon Ghetto Victims Dead

Galvatron - Tank (Footage) Dead

Nickel (Mentioned)

Ravage - Cassette (Mentioned) Dead

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Sovereign/Garrison Blackrock - Head Reverted to Blackrock Persona by Soundwave

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Lightbright

Bob the Insecticon

D.O.C.

Prion - City/Space Ship Dead

Mini-Cons Dead

Nexus Prime (Footage) Killed by Galvatron

Metrotitan - Autobot City (Mentioned)

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Liege Maximo (Mentioned)

Micronus Prime (Mentioned)

Onyx Prime (Mentioned)

GI Joe/EDC

Spike Witwicky

Zilong Qian/Talon

Deep Six

Wild Bill

GI Joe/EDC Troops

Joe Colton (Mentioned)

Other

Buster the Dog

Black Block Consortia (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue marks the end of the Transformers Ongoing, which will be rebranded as "Optimus Prime" at the end of the year, except for one issue of Transformers Ongoing to tie in with Revolution.
• Hey look! we get to see Prion...but he's dead...and a load of Mini-Cons! They're dead too...I don't like this planet....
• Sovereign taking on Alpha Trion's head is a clear reference to his toy counterpart forming the ancient Autobot's head.
• This issue shows us that the EDC members have started taking on GI Joe codenames (this was shown in Revolution #1 with Ayana Jones now being Mayday, but that is set after this event).
• Sentinel/Infinitus talks about what happened to Prion, the Mini-cons and Micronus Prime leaving their planet as if he was present for it, if I'm remembering correctly, he has only just finished recovering from his assassination attempt...where is he getting his information from?
• Micronus' location is revealed in Revolution: Micronauts, where it is shown that he has formed the core of the Miroverse
• Blitzwing is captured here, allowing for him to be experimented on by GI Joe and Mile Manheim
• Soundwave grabs an energy sword by the blade and uses that to knock Sovereign off of Trion's head....badass...
• Sovereign is revealed to use Perception Filters to make him resemble a human
• Sentinel and Sovereign end up on Luna-1 following their departure on the spacebridge, leading to the events of the More Than Meets The Eye portion of this event.
• It looks like Fixit's medical bay is located on the top of a spindly tower....HOW IS THAT REASONABLE!??!
• Optimus' plan to send his troops to Cybertron to aid in the relief following Sentinel's attack on the Decepticon Ghetto is to explain why only a few Transformers are on Earth during Revolution. Optimus' comments that he hopes to see Windblade again soon also connects to her role on Earth during the crossover too.
• Soundwave reveals that Ravage died to Optimus, which we saw him feeling in MTTME #55

IDW - Revolution #1

Title: Concord Hymn

Written by: John Barber & Cullen Bunn

Art by: Fico Ossio

Colours by: Sebastian Cheng

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Edited by: David Hedgecock

Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Action Man, following a distress signal winds up at Mount Olympus (totally a real place!) and finds a cavern filled with Ore-13, and several dead bodies. One of the "bodies" is still alive, and introduces himself as Big Ben, a former member of GI Joe, he warns Action Man that some shady covert agents did this to them, and they were after the Ore-13 crystals, he gives Action Man a set of nametags he took from one of them, which are GI Joe-issue, implying their involvement.

The crystals start to react and Action Man is yanked out of the cave by his helicopter partner. Big Ben stays behind, too badly injured to leave and apologizes to a picture of his daughter.

The Ore explodes and takes most of Mount Olympus with it.

In Washington, the President and Joe Colton are discussing the situation in Greece, and aren't sure what to make of it. They think that the Cybertronians planted the Ore on their planet, but are somehow detonating it as part of their "invasion" plans. Scarlett, nearby, decides to put GI Joe on the case.

At Auotbot City, Optimus wonders what happened to Mount Olympus too, and worries that the humans may blame them, but also worries about the cache of Ore-13 under the city as well. Optimus decides to recall all his troops from around Earth, in case of retaliation for this possible perceived attack on them. Kup posits to him that the humans may have detonated the Ore-13 themselves just to give a reason for the humans to go against the Cybertronians in force.

In Portland, Arcee and Jazz are helping to deal with a flood, when GI Joe arrive and start watching them. Scarlett begins to questions why they would be helping with flood efforts just after blowing up a mountain, but Colton reminds her that the Cybertronians must have ulterior motives. Scarlett has Mainframe fire a missile at the Autobots, and injures Jazz. Arcee heads towards the Joes to confront them, Jazz follows her, knowing she'll do something stupid otherwise.

Arcee approaches the Joes, and starts attacking their vehicles with her swords. Optimus soon arrives with Soundwave, Windblade and Victorion, and tries to enact a ceasefire to talk through their issues, but Scarlett takes it as an order to surrender, which makes her more angry. Luckily though, the Joe weapons aren't effective against the Cybertronians, and they just shrug them off.

Nearby, Mainframe prepares to use his adapted version of the EDC Mindbomb on Soundwave, intending to kill him, despite Mayday/Ayana Jones' protests that Soundwave and Optimus' alliance is important to Cybertron.

Soundwave however uses his own skills to knock out the human vehicles and weapons in the area, stopping the Mindbomb and the other vehicles in general.

Optimus attempts to talk to the humans again, to try and make peace, but no-one is listening, and still see them as the enemies.

Rom, the Space Knight appears in Portland, and the Joes assume he's another Cybertronian due to his armour. Colton orders the Joes to kill Rom immediately, but isn't quick enough, as the Space Knight blasts him with his Neutralizer, killing him, much to everyone's shock.

In the immediate aftermath, the Joes are stunned and Rom kills three more, but doesn't attack anyone else. Jazz tries to restrain Rom so they can easily clear up that he's not a Cybertronian, but he's attacked by the Joes, knocking  him down, allowing Rom to escape.

The Cybertronians are lifted away with Victorion's gravitational field and they give chase to Rom. The Joes now believe that a Cybertronian just killed several of their team, including their leader, and now Scarlett wants revenge...

Transcript

Before the battle in Portland, Action Man contacts Mainframe to inform him about the dog tags found by Big Ben, and identifies the owner as Countdown of GI Joe, Mainframe believes that the Cybertronians planted them for some reason, and considers that one of the Cybertronians was disguised as a human to frame the Joes.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Arcee - Sports Car

Jazz - Sports Car

Ironhide - Van (Image)

Prowl - Police Car (Image)

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Metrotitan - Autobot City

Aileron - Space Shuttle (Image)

Council of Worlds (Mentioned)

Solstar Order

Rom the Space Knight

GI Joe

Scarlett/Shana O'Hara

Mainframe/Blaine Parker

Mayday/Ayana Jones

Roadblock/Marvin Hinton

Grunt/Robert Graves

Rock 'N Roll/Craig McConel

Agent Helix

Slip Stream/Gregory Boyajian

Beach Head/Wayne Sneeden

Short-Fuze/Eric Freistadt

Breaker

Big Ben Killed in Ore-13 Explosion

Random Unnamed Joes

Duke (Mentioned)

Other Human

Action Man/Ian Noble

Terrence Salmons

Madame President

Big Ben's Team Killed by Dire Wraiths

Betsy (Image, Big Ben's daughter)

Mercy Gale (Mentioned)

Dire Wraith

Joe Colton Killed by Rom

Red Zone/Luke Ellison Killed by Rom

Hi-Tech/David Lewinsky Killed by Rom

Wreckage/Dillon Moreno Killed by Rom

Countdown/Dave Dubosky (Mentioned)

Notes

• Turns out Mount Olympus is actually a real mountain!
• So...Ore-13 IS actually very explosive after all! It blew up a mountain!
• I like how they gave name tags for every character in this comic, but the President is still unnamed...
• Optimus learned that Autobot City is sitting on top of an Ore-13 deposit during the Titans Return event.
• Windblade is on Earth! The reason will be explained when the Till All Are One tie in is released (all we know so far is that it involves the Titan and the Micronauts)
• It's mentioned that the rest of the Earth team is currently on Cybertron doing relief effort (wonder if that's a spoiler for the upcoming Till All Are One Titans Return tie-in, with the army of Titans approaching the planet?)
• GI Joe and the EDC are now fully integrated it seems, with EDC agent Ayana Jones now going by the "Mayday" code name.
• The Joes seem shocked that Arcee uses swords...makes sense, you wouldn't think an advanced alien robot would use swords would you?
• Mainframe reveals that some of his friends were killed during the Decepticon Occupation of Earth, and remembers Soundwave's major role in the event.
• Mainframe has revamped the mindbomb used by the EDC to make it fatal rather than just painful
• Rom's appearance here follows directly from his own Revolution tie-in, where he learns that Joe Colton is a Dire Wraith. Evidentally he must have scanned the other Joes here and identified the other three as Wraiths too
• Rom does not talk in this issue...it could be because there's a few different languages being used in the area and would get confusing, but more likely it's to cause some future drama.
• In the transcript at the end, Action Man alludes to the fact that Countdown is now a Dire Wraith as well, which is known to Rom readers, but not to the Joes or general in-universe characters so far
• Mainframe alludes to some Transformers who can look Human, this is most likely a reference to Blackrock, who was revealed to be a Cybertronian named Sovereign during the Titans Return storyline.