IDW - Transformers vs Visionaries #5

Title: The Curtain

Written by: Magdelene Visaggio

Art by: Fico Ossio

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Lettered by: Shawn Lee

Edited by: Sarah Gaydos & David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Leoric makes it to the outskirts of New Prysmos, where he is met by Cryotek, and is snuck into the city, when inside, they make it to Witterquick and Mortdred's torture chamber, where they free the former, and leave the latter to die (I guess?). Leoric soon amasses the other Spectral Knights and brings them under his command again, leading them against the Darkling Lords.

Leoric quickly reaches Virulina's throne room, and the two fight it out, but it ends when Virulina uses a corruption spell on Leoric to try and kill him. However it turns out that Merklynn has betrayed her, and the spell she uses also affects her too. The two leaders slowly die as Merklynn announces his plans to use Arzon as his proxy and take over the planet.

Outside, Arzon slashes the Counter-wave bomb, but only damages the case, allowing the Autobots to still use it, assuming they can get to Vector Sigma in time to unleash it.

The group fights, with Ironhide taking the bomb into his chest to act as the casing. Galadria rushes to him and uses a healing spell on the Autobot, which spreads into the bomb, and further into the Talisman. The city is covered in a green light which soon spreads to the planet's surface.

One week later, Leoric and Virulina are recovering in a hospital, when Galadria comes to them, and explains that her spell reacted well with the bomb and Talisman, sending New Prysmos to the planet's surface, creating new plants and animal life, and even healing the corruption of Cybertron's Energon.

At Wheeljack's lab, Waspinator has been healed from his magic-induced wounds, along with Ironhide, and everything is starting to go back to normal. Tankor informs Ironhide about the patch of land taken over by the Prysmosians, which Ironhide says is fine, they can live together after all they've been through. Tankor suggests that he should learn how to do magic, which drives Ironhide to laughter.

In New Prysmos, Leoric finds Arzon and forgives him for his betrayal, and they begins planning to rebuild hey society anew.

In the dungeons of the city, Cindarr delivers some food for Merklynn in his jail cell, and promises to get him released. However Merklynn has seen the future and knows there is no point in trying to rebuild again...the end of the world is coming....

Characters

Autobot

Ironhide - Van

Wheeljack - Car

Kup - Pick Up Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Fat Tankor - Tank

Waspinator - Wasp Cured of Magic Poisoning

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Breakdown - Armoured Van

Vector Sigma (Mentioned)

Spectral Knight

Leoric

Galadria

Ectar

Witterquick

Cryotek

Arzon 

Craggor

Ramak

Hydron

Other Spectral Knights

Feryl (Mentioned)

Darkling Lord

Virulina

Mortdred

Lexor

Cravex

Cindarr

Darkstorm (Mentioned)

Other Prysmosian

Merklynn Imprisoned by Prysmosians

Valorak Warlocks (Mentioned)

Other

Unicron - Ringed Planet (In Scrying Pool)

Notes

• Um....why are people acting like Mortdred did actually betray the Spectral Knights? He was captured and tortured along with Witterquick...
• This is really stupidly hypocritical when you remember that Leoric instantly forgives both Cryotek and Arzon, who DID literally betray him!
• Turns out the Visionary armour is able to change colour by tapping on the armour's shield...maybe it requires a spell from the faction's leader (we only see them being tapped) but wouldn't this make treachery an easy task for them?
• It isn't shown on screen, but due to the colour of his trousers, I'd guess that Arzon rejoined the Spectral Knights after his betrayal failed
• Just a small nit-pick, but the Leoric background on page 7 is really awkwardly stretched out..if you removed the panels his face would be way too long.
• Apparently Virulina and Galadria's spells are actually based on the ones featured in the Marvel comic series.
• Oh, turns out Merklynn was planning to betray Virulina all along...in order to put Arzon in charge? Did he plan this all along? That seems like a dumb plan.
• We don't know it yet (technically) but in Unicron #0 we learn that the pulse of energy that transported New Prysmos to Cybertron's surface sent out another message into space, saying "Unicron"
• Okay, my question remains. Why does New Prysmos have an atmosphere that they can breath, and seemingly has a nice breeze (based on Leoric's flowing hair). They only terraformed a couple hundred square miles of Cybertron....
• So...I wonder if Leoric decided to punish any of the Prysmosians who overthrew him and his team earlier in the series?
• Oh cool, Waspinator is okay after being turned into a chariot for Virulina...I bet he'll survive the events of the Unicron series.....
• Oh there's Fat Tankor! Last time we saw him he was guarding New Prysmos, and then we were told all the Cybertronians in the city were killed....I guess he ran away?
• Ahh what a happy ending. I bet nothing horrible will happen to New Prysmos or Cybertron in the Unicron series!
• So yep! My worry that the day would be saved by a deus ex machine turned out to be right! Galadria used a never established before spell to send healing energy into the counter wave bomb, so as to heal Cybertron and make everything okay again.
• I am actually shocked that they didn't bring back Kup with the power of love or something in this story!
• So...what was the point of Ectar exactly? I think he only said one line in this entire series!

IDW - Transformers vs Visionaries #4

Title: Good Men

Written by: Magdalene Visaggio 

Art by: Fico Ossio

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Lettered by: Shawn Lee

Edited by: Sarah Gaydos & David Mariotte

Published by: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Quickswitch is recruited by Ironhide's team due to his drill alternate mode, and is outfitted with the counter-wave bomb to be taken down to Vector Sigma and detonated to stop the Talisman's effects. Leoric and Ironhide are worried about how they haven't heard from Arzon's team yet, and believe they may have been killed.

In New Prysmos, Witterquick and Mortdred are being held in a torture chamber and are hurt by Reekon, until Cryotek arrives and takes over the torture. He tries to explain himself to Witterquick, when Virulina comes in and wants to talk to her ew Darkling Lord.

Elesewhere, in his chamber, Merklynn is talking with Arzon, and explains that he wants their people to go back to their magical ways and sees the Cybertronians are blasphemous. He tells Arzon that he wants him to overthrow Virulina and rule Prysmos the proper way, even showing him a vision of the future from his scrying pool, showing Virulina broken and beaten on a floor.

Virulina takes Cryotek to her throne room, where she attacks him to goad him into fighting back, making him prove that he will fight for his people, she is able to defeat him, and explains that she has used a spell on the torture chamber that will send their life-force to the Talisman to speed up it's activation, meaning that it'll be ready today, so long as Witterquick and Mortdred are killed by Cryotek.

Back in the lab, Quickswitch is having some last minute work done before the mission, when Leoric receives a message from Cryotek, telling him about what is happening with Witterquick and the Talisman, apologizing for his betrayal . Leoric heads off alone to confront Virulina himself, leaving Galadria in charge of the bomb team.

The team, heads out, but soon encounter Talsiman energy whilst drilling. Quickswitch manages to go through the energy, shielding the others, but is killed in the process. The group wind up in a chamber near Vector Sigma and Wheeljack prepares to set off the bomb. Unfortunately the group are not alone, Arzon, now wearing Darkling Lord armour, confronts the group. The Spectral Knights are captured by the Darkling Lords, whilst Arzon tries to convince Galadria to join him, but she cannot do so, as committing genocide is wrong. Arzon slaps her away, and slashes the counterwave bomb in half....

Characters

Autobot

Ironhide - Van

Wheeljack - Race Car

Quickswitch - Drill  Killed by Talisman Energy

Windblade - VTOL Jet (Image)

Spectral Knight

Leoric 

Galadria

Ectar

Witterquick Being Drained of Life Force

Arzon Joins Darkling Lords

Darkling Lord

Virulina

Cryotek

Reekon

Cravex

Lexor

Mortdred Being Drained of Life Force

Darkstorm (Flashback)

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Breakdown - Arnoured Van

Vector Sigma (Mentioned)

Other

Merklynn

Heskedor (Mentioned) Heart Became Arcana Vast

Notes

• Hey look it's Quickswitch! Let's hope he doesn't die within an iss-oh....he did... Funny story, I actually called this, I read the three page preview and called that he would die a "shock-death" Here's my tweet!
• Speaking of shock deaths...has anything been said of what happened with Fat Tankor? Last time we saw him he was guarding the alien city.
• Quickswitch's transformation capabilities seem a bit confused in this issue. He bemoans his drill mode, but doesn't he have 4 other alternate modes? (I would assume this was due to a change in his alternate modes for the series, except the roll call page says he's a multi-former)
• Virulina has big scary holographic versions of her head emitting from her base tower...how can the people of New Prysmos NOT see she is evil?!
• We learn a bit of the Visionaries creation story here, basically there was once a being who acted as the living universe, and over time she split apart with her heart forming the Arcana vast at the core of Prysmos, giving life to their planet and giving them their magical powers.
• So...from the dialogue here it sounds like Merklynn did intend to betray Virulina eventually, but not in the way I thought originally, he just wants someone else to take control of the city.
• Still waiting for all the air to escape New Prysmos here...it's a been a couple days at least now
• Apparently the totem shields can be used to contact other Visionaries, which emits the caller's face via magic...why didn't any of the left behind Spectral Knights use this to ask Leoric and the others what was happening rather than betraying him to Virulina?
• Oh, Arzon joined the Darkling Lords too, cool...seems like all the most loyal Spectral Knights aren't too loyal huh? I mean I guess it could just be a ruse for his ultimate plan to take down Virulina, but it seems a bit extreme to slap Galadria if that was the case.
• Also, remember how Mortdred was standing along with Virulina on top of the Thrustinator chariot last issue, implying that he was either betraying the Knights, or just getting close to her to assassinate her? Well I think Mags forgot! He's a prisoner here now!
• And yes, this issue ends with the Darkling Lords still with all the power and nothing good for the Spectral Knights, so if they have any chance of winning in the finale next issue it will be a Deus Ex Machina...yay....

IDW - Transformers vs Visionaries #3

Title: Desperate Measures

Written by: Magdalene Visaggio

Art by: Fico Ossio

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Lettered by: Shawn Lee

Edited by: Sarah Gaydos & David Mariotte

Published by: Greg Goldstein

Plot

In New Prysmos, Virulina declares to the Spectral Knights who were left behind in the city when Leoric and his crew left, that they should join her side, because Leoric and the others are wrong. Cryotek agrees to, which leads the others to defect to the Darkling Lords too. One of the Darkling Lords, Mortdred, leaves quietly as he knows that Virulina hates him and will likely kill him before long.

Soon, Mortdred reaches Leoric and his team, telling them what is happening in the city, and asks to join them, since he knows how Virulina thinks about him. Ironhide later questions Leoric on how he trusts the Darkling Lord, which he admits that he doesn't, but knows he has a survival instinct that is stronger than his corrupted personality, and he thinks they can use his skills.

In Wheeljack's lab, he attaches a new arm to Breakdown to replace his decayed one, before performing an experiment on the old rusted arm, which he manages to reverse the effects of the magic, for about a second before his crumbles again. This gives the Autobot an idea on how to save Cybertron from the effects of the Talisman.

Soon, the Spectral Knights are called to a meeting with the Autobots, who discuss the newly theorized "counter-wave" that can be used to negate the Talisman's effects on Cybertron's core, and inoculating it, and all Cybertronians from the future effects too, however they still need to work on it.

In the meanwhile, Witterquick, Arzon, and Mortdred are sent back to New Prysmos to assassinate Virulina, and force them back into the dominate role, with Leoric confident that Merklynn will simply back whoever has the best likelihood of winning this war.

The team arrive in the tunnels under New Prysmos, where Mortred is forced to take on his tiny beetle totem form to enter the city undetected. he makes it to Virulina's throneroom in the Darkling Lord Monastery where he witnesses Virulina experimenting with her magic, attempting to recreate an old technique from Prysmos where they powered old machinery with magic, and she attempts to trun Waspinator into a chariot for her to use.

Mortdred leaves and reports that the monastery is lightly guarded, with most Visionaries likely being on patrol in the city, and the team head into the city, via the sewers of the city itself.

Inside the monastery Witterquick speeds around to see if anyone is around, but finds no-one, soon however they notice a Darkling Lord and he knocks her out, not realizing that it's one of his fellow former Spectral Knights, Feryl.

Soon, the trio split up, with them all knowing their roles in the mission. Before too long, Arzon comes across the treacherous Cryotek and the two fight over who's side is right or not, that is until Virulina, now riding her monstrous Waspinator-chariot , with Mortdred by her side, and Witterquick trapped in Waspinator's mandibles....

Characters

Autobot

Ironhide - Van

Wheeljack - Race Car

Kup - Pick Up Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Waspinator - Tank Turned into Chariot by Virulina

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Breakdown - Armoured Van

Spectral Knight

Leoric

Arzon

Witterquick Captured by Virulina

Ectar

Galladria

Cryotek (Joins Darkling Lords)

Feryl (Joins Darkling Lords) Knocked Out Cold by Witterquick

Craggor (Joins Darkling Lords)

Other Spectral Knights (Joins Darkling Lords)

Darkling Lord

Virulina

Mortdred

Cravex

Darkstorm (Mentioned) Dead

Other Prysmosian

Merklynn (Flashback)

Notes

• So....there were actually LOADS of Spectral Knights left behind in New Prysmos...why did Leoric not call on any of them to help defend the shield from the Darkling Lords?!
• We finally see this universe's version of Cryotek here, and he's kind of an idiot...he immediately decides that Leoric is wrong and joins forces with Virulina, even taking on Darkling Lord armour, and convincing the other Knights to do the same...even though in issue one he refused to join the meeting about the invasion of Cybertron situation because he found it "shameful"
• Also...was she just adding to her lies after he switched sides, since during the fight with Arzon he claimed that the Cybertronians were isolating and destroying them....THEY INVADED CYBERTRON AND THEN KILLED A BUNCH OF GUYS TRYING TO BROKER PEACE/PROTECT THEM FROM THE UNKNOWN DANGERS OF THE MECHANICAL PLANET THEY INVADED!!!!
• Seriously, is Cryotek just a moron or something?!
• So we see here that Wheeljack's new counter-wave can reverse the effects of the Visionary magic causing Cybertronians to rust to death, sure it doesn't last long right now, but it'll likely be ready by the end of issue 5....I really hope they don't bring Kup back just like that...that would really make his emotional death truly pointless...
• Leoric's plan is to send a team into New Prysmos to assassinate Virulina...why bother? without the shield the atmosphere will be gone soon, leading her to just suffocate to death...no I am not letting that bit of illogicality to pass...
• Okay, it is implied here that the Talisman is also going to transform Cybertron into an organic planet, with animal and vegetation....WHERE THE FUCK DID VIRULINA GET THAT FROM?!?! You cannot just add a huge plot point like that three issues into a series, and imply that that was stated from the start. The Talisman has only ever been shown to kill Cybertronians, disrupt technology, and turn people into Dire Wraith hybrids before. Nothing about it creating new life!
• Waspinator is mentioned to be the last remaining Cybertronian guard left in New Prysmos....does this mean that Tankor is dead? Did he run away with Ironhide?
• Why did Feryl have a face mask on? Was it just so that Witterquick wouldn't recognise her despite her distinctive hairstyle and animal totem?
• So, my guess is that the "twist" at the end of this issue that Mortdred has betrayed the Spectral Knights to Virulina is actually going to be revealed to be a double twist next issue, where it's revealed that Arzon's unmentioned plan was for him to pretend to betray them, just so they can attack her from behind or something.
• Waspinator's "chariot" form is actually based on the Fun Publications toy for Thrustinator, a fairly forgettable figure from the Subscription Service. I am impressed!
• We all know that Waspinator will survive this incident, that's his whole shtick, the universe hates him, so it won't let him just die, despite all the pain he goes through.
• As I said last issue, this issue still leaves the Transformers at a massive disadvantage to the Darkling Lords. The only real "advantage" they have at the moment is that they have a potential counter to the Talisman's effect, but it's far from being completed. My prediction is that this will continue next issue, with something being pulled out of Leoric's ass in issue 5 to save the day.

IDW - First Strike #6

Main Story

Written by: Mairghread Scott & David A. Rodriguez

Art by: Max Dunbar

Colours: Ander Zarate

Coda Story

Title: The Signal

Written by: Mairghread Scott & David A. Rodriguez

Art by: James Raiz

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Assistant Editor: David Mariotte

Editor: David Hedgecock

Publisher: Ted Adams

Main Story Plot

Scarlett and her allies face off against Colton and his "Iron Ring", the battle seems pretty even between the two factions, but it is disrupted when Starscream, Elita One and Obsidian arrive, with the latter two intent on killing the invading humans.

Matt Trakker uses his compound made from Astrotrain's remains to attack Elita, allowing her to be controlled by Gloria, making her attack the others on her small team. The battles continue, and Colton accidentally stabs Scarett in her abdomen, and immediately feels bad, even revealing that he never intended for his team to return to Cybertron, as he always assumed that the activation of the Talisman would kill them all too. Scarlett manages to overpower Colton, but he reveals that it is too late...

Kreiger has set up the Talisman, and begins a strange chant that activates it. The heroes charge at him to try and stop it, but all their technology is disabled around him, and he reveals himself to be in fact an alien from the planet Prysmos named Merklynn. He announces that the Age of Magic is about to begin anew, as the Talisman activates and sends a surge of power throughout the planet tainting the Energon within the planet and the Transformers alike.

Merklynn reveals to everyone that this was always his plan, to use the Energon on Cybertron to activate the Talisman and recreate his long lost homeworld. Merklynn admits that not as much of his world has returned as he wanted, but this "city" in the planet's core will be a good start. He erects a barrier that prevents technology from entering his new "city" within the planet's core and teleports everyone away from him, promising that his "Visionaries" will soon arrive and they will end the Age of Technology across the galaxy...

On the planet's surface, Colton, feeling utterly defeated, surrenders to Starscream and the others, and his cohorts are forced to do the same

In the aftermath of the Iron Ring's invasion, the Ring are all placed into cells, whilst the Cybertronians try to figure out what exactly is happening in "New Prysmos" and how they can fix their now tainted Energon supplies. The heroic humans return to Earth through the Space Bridge, where Matt and Scarlett promise to work together in the future and hope that Colton one day sees the real error of his ways and can be redeemed one day...

Coda Plot

During Merklynn's energon surge, Windblade was inside Metroplex's brain chamber monitoring the situation on the planet. Suddenly the planet shoots almost half of it's energon supplies into space, destroying everything it passes. Eventually it reaches a dead planet, seemingly caught in the gravitational pull of a black hole, reactivating a monster within....Unicron....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Arcee - Sports Car

Ironhide - Van

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet (Coda Only)

Metroplex - Iacon City (Coda Only)

Wheelie - Car (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Astrotrain - Space Shuttle/Train (Mentioned) Dead

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Elita One 

Obsidian - Stealth Osprey Helicopter

Badgeless Officer

Cybertronian Civilians

GI Joe/MASK

Scarlett

Roadblock

Lady Jaye

Matt Trakker

Gloria Baker

Shipwreck (Mentioned)

The Iron Ring

Garrison Kreiger/Merklynn

Joe Colton Arrested and Detained on Cybertron

Miles Mayhem Arrested and Detained on Cybertron

Destro Arrested and Detained on Cybertron

Storm Shadow Arrested and Detained on Cybertron

Shazraella Arrested and Detained on Cybertron

Vanessa Warfield/Ice Queen (Mentioned)

Other Human

Marissa Faireborn

Other

Unicron - Planet Reawoken by Cybertron's Energy (Coda Only)

The Visionaries (Mentioned)

Notes

• Despite last issue saying he wanted the humans a "traitors" under Optimus' command arrested, Starscream seems quick to attack Optimus and do nothing to stop Elita from attacking the humans herself.
• The compound made from Astrotrain's remains is revealed to be able to allow a human to control a Cybertronian body remotely
• Kreiger's true identity was actually hinted at in his FIRST appearance! The hieroglyphs that appears next to him in the flashback to Egypt showed what a lot of fans pointed out seemed to be a panel of a Visionary's armour...my god! Also his escape from the Revolutionaries in issue 8 of their series can be explained as him using magic to escape his cuffs.
• If you look at his Hasbro Sourcebook profile you'll also notice that it never technically mentions where his homeland is, just that he is new to America at the time.
• Everyone knew that the Visionaries were coming to the IDW Hasbroverse, but I'm pretty sure that no-one saw Kreiger being the one to cause it ever!
• The spell that Kreiger/Merklynn uses to activate the Talisman is the one used by Leoric in the original toyline to activate his owl staff's power. The symbols that appear after it's activation are also the animal spirit symbols that appeared on the Visionaries chest plates.
• You can just see at the end that Shazraella is de-Enerchanged from her host. In Optimus Prime 13 it is implied that Antagony died, both confirming her host's name, and her fate...aww....
• Rather than follow this story with another issue of "The Origins of Evil" we get a short teaser comic for the upcoming and previously announced Unicron series...ooo-er
• Unicron in this universe is shown to have been encased in an unidentified planet, much like he is in both the Aligned and Live Action Movie universes, however in those universes he forms the core of Earth itself. It is likely that the planet that he was sealed inside was the original planet Prysmos, explaining why their "Age of Magic" died out. With Cybertron's core being replaced by a "New Prysmos" it would seem fitting that whatever was keeping Unicron dormant would be reactivated due to this (especially since the core of Cybertron is usually where Primus, Unicron's brother, resides too)
• Isn't it kind of amusing? Both characters in this continuity that have the name Garrison (Blackrock and Kreiger) have been revealed to be an alien in disguise!