IDW - Optimus Prime #23

Title: Time Will Rust

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Priscilla Tramontano

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: David Mariotte

Publisher: Greg Goldstein

Plot

Six Months ago, some of the original denizens of Devisiun were sitting around a fire, listening to an elder tell them the story of when the colonists arrived, and how once they did, they turned their vibrant and lush world into a metallic one...

In the present day, Jazz is in GI Joe's custody after his surrender, but Marissa arrives with her Dinobot allies to try and negotiate his release, when all of a sudden Sky Lynx arrives, with the colonist recruits in tow, who attack the Joes and Dinobots intending to free Jazz from his cell, as he doesn't deserve to be entrapped there. Flint gives the order for the Joes to use lethal weaponry on them, but they decide against it, sue to them knowing and caring about Cybertronians now.

At the Junkion City, Wreck-Gar and Rum-Maj are listening in on the altercation and decide that if this continues then their new world may be destroyed like their old one, especially with Unicron's threat looming on them, so they decide to head out too...

Jazz laments his coming to Earth in the first place, having been sent to scout it out, and then slowly bringing in Optimus, and eventually the invasion, even killing a Human in a very public setting. He breaks out of his chains and leaves his cell, deciding to try and calm the situation, since he's responsible for all of this now.

Gimlet recalls how he wanted to come to Earth, feeling more comfortable with a world that wasn't mechanical, and wanted to help another organic colony belong with the Cybertronians. However in the battle, he smashes into a Joe vehicle, mortally wounding Mainframe in the process. He immediately regrets what he did and apologises, only for Slug to slash him in half, killing the Eukarian.

As Mainframe is dying, he remembers how he used to hate the Cybertronians for being near indestructible and for bringing their war to Earth, but after working with some of them, he grew to like them and even see them as friends. He asks Hi-Tech to not allow all their hard work go to nothing as he tries to heal him.

Sky Lynx attacks Slug for killing Gimlet, as Bump mourns over his corpse. Jazz holds back Slide, who is seeing red now for another colonist being killed on Earth, but she escapes and attacks Slug, accusing him of being no better than Optimus.

Slug takes this hard, as he dislikes Optimus and how he has double standards, and how he used the Dinobots to do things he wouldn't do himself, but eventually they saw a new life when they witnessed the new Cybertronian lives being born within Trypticon and vowed to protect them.

Slug soon realises his mistake, and is distressed over killing Gimlet. Hi-Tech tries to get help for Mainframe, only for Marissa to declare him as already having died, to which Flint points out that this is what Cybertronians do.

Strafe pins down Slide to calm her down, only for the Junkions to arrive with a fleet of Sharkticons, planning to end the battle. Jazz quickly jumps to action and calms down the Junkions, reminding them that they're friends, but Slide is still furious at them for a Junkion killing Oiler, her bonded partner, and also at Optimus for both allying with the Junkions and allowing their worlds to be devoured by Unicron...

As if on cue however, Unicron appears in the skies above Earth, ready to finish off his ultimate goal of destroying the Cybertronian race....

Characters

Autobot

Slug - Triceratops

Swoop - Pteranodon

Jazz - Sports Car

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Slide - Part of Oil Tanker

Gimlet - Lobster Killed by Slug

Bump - Armadillo

Midnight Express - Bullet Train

Roulette - Muscle Car

Optimus Prime - Truck (Flashback Only)

Aileron - Space Shuttle (Flashback Only)

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Flashback Only)

Sludge - Apatosaurus (Flashback Only)

Snarl - Stegosaurus (Flashback Only)

Oiler - Part of Oil Tanker (Flashback Only) Dead

Metrotitan - Autobot City (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Soundwave - Cassette Player (Flashback Only)

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Flashback Only)

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Flashback Only)

Unnamed Decepticon Team (Flashback Only) Killed by Dinobots

Shockwave/Onyx Prime (Mentioned)

Junkion

Wreck-Gar

Rum-Maj

Vajra - Shark

Sharkticons

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Trypticon - Earth Embassy

Strafe - Two Headed Dragon

Black Arachnia - Spider (Flashback Only)

Snarl - Tasmanian Devil (Flashback Only)

Long Rack - Giraffe (Flashback Only)

Other Eukarians (Flashback Only)

New Protoforms (Flashback Only)

"The World Breaker" - City/Space Ship (Flashback Only)

Early Devisen Colonists (Flashback Only)

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

GI Joe

Flint

Spike

Talon

Mainframe Killed by Gimlet

Hi-Tech

Scarlett (Flashback Only)

Doc Sr. (Mentioned)

Doc Jr. (Mentioned)

Other Human

Marissa Faireborn

John Powell (Flashback Only) Killed by Jazz

New Yorkers (Flashback Only) One Killed during Invasion

Madame President (Mentioned)

Other

Unicron

Serpentine Aliens (Flashback Only) Killed in Battle between Dinobots and Decepticons

Native Devisens (Flashback Only)

Notes

• This issue taps into an abandoned storyline from Till All Are One, where it would have looked into the culture and daily life of the colony worlds. Here showing the early days and daily life of Devisiun and a glimpse into the life of Eukaris (both worlds now of course destroyed by Unicron)
• It's fully explained here that the sparks that were cultivated on Devisiun were remade to be paired with another one due to exposure from the planet's binary star system.
• Devisiun is revealed to be a world that still have some natural plantlife on it, rather than being fully cyberformed or an otherwise barren world (like Caminus, Velocitron etc)
• The native Devisen people are shown to have evolved from being quadrupedal bunny rabbits to bipedal bunnies since the Cybertronian colony was formed.
• Awww the GI Joe member Mainframe dies here, having been a fairly major character since he was brought into this continuity...I guess he can join his Autobot name counterpart now...
• The alien race seen during Slug's flashback to a battle with some Decepticons look kind of like Orphion's race from the Rom series...huh....
• One of the Sharkticons gets named in this issue, and it is "Vajra" (named after the weapon of Indra) ...I was kinda expecting Gnaw...
• Unicron's arrival at the end of this issue places it slightly ahead of the concurrently released Unicron #4, where Unicron has only just arrived at Jupiter by that story's end and is still on the way to Earth at that point.
• In both this issue, and the concurrently released Unicron #4 there are instances of a character calling Unicron a "unicorn"...we really need new jokes about Unicron's name guys!
• The Dinobots are shown in their flashback battling some Decepticons in their dinosaur alternate modes...there's a problem there though, they were never an active team in those modes. After taking on the forms they were trapped under rubble for several millennia, then after waking up Grimlock was taken away to Garrus-9 and they've been separated ever since.

IDW - Optimus Prime #9

Title: The Life of Sideswipe

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Kei Zama

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

The President meets with Marissa at Little Cybertron, where she wants to talk to the island's supervisor about a new role where she'll have to "travel abroad", and appears to be impressed with her ways with the Transformers.

In Autobot City, Sideswipe finally wakes up following his long standing injuries, thanks to a repaired Positron Core curtesy of Wreck-Gar. The Autobots are happy with their returned friend, but Sideswipe notices that Arcee has skulked away, so he follows her. She explains that Sunstreaker promised that he was going to be there, and even spoke to her from Cybertron earlier that day. At first Sideswipe declares that he doesn't care, but Arcee brings up how she let her brother die, and feels bad about that every day, and Sideswipe agrees to look for his brother.

Soon, Arcee and Sideswipe have arrived on Cybertron, where Sideswipe is unimpressed with how the planet looks, and claims that he never would have fought if he knew things would turn out like this. They arrive at Sunstreaker's apartment, where they are ambushed by Bob, who is acting as a guard dog there. Sideswipe is about to shoot him, before Arcee stops him and they tend to the pet, who has been left unattended for a while now... Sideswipe gets concerned when he finds scuff marks on the floor, and knows that Sunstreaker wouldn't allow his home to be messy.

Sideswipe leashes Bob to him, and uses the Insecticon to hunt down his owner, and locates him at a warehouse in the Decepticon Ghetto. Sideswipe quickly breaks into the warehouse and starts firing on a group of Decepticons, led by Soundwave, who appear to be smuggling energon. Before he can finish off the Decepticons, he is stopped by Sunstreaker himself. At first Sideswipe is confused and thinks that Sunstreaker is teamed with the Decepticons, but he and Arcee reiterate that there are no sides any more, and Sunstreaker is on Cybertron to help with the relief in the Decepticon Ghetto, which Sideswipe takes as a challenge and decides to help MORE than him...

Later, Sideswipe has helped with the relief effort and now sees Cybertron as a good place again, and soon realises why everything seems to be a bit off around here, he thanks his brother and friend for all they did for him, and takes one last look at the Cybertron he loves, before allowing himself to die...

In the real world, Sideswipe's spark and mind have finally gone out, and the assembled Autobots and Wreck-Gar mourn his death, with Wreck-Gar apologizing for not being able to really fix the Positron Core as he hoped to, but the wo Autobots, who were hooked to Sideswipe's mind to help him go happily, thank him for this, since it was the right thing to do.

Arcee leaves the room, and stands outside, where Aileron joins her and tells her that her religion says that no one really dies, and they get reincarnation, Arcee laughs at this. Aileron at first thinks she is mocking her beliefs, but Arcee just comments that if that was true, then she'd be in trouble with all the returning victims. She asks Aileron to stay with her for a while, and says her last goodbyes to Sideswipe, and hopes that he's watching over her....

Characters

Autobot

Arcee - Sports Car

Sideswipe - Sports Car Dies from Injuries

Sunstreaker - Sports Car

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Metrotitan - Autobot City

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Dream Only)

Ironhide - Van (Dream Only)

Windblade - VTOL Fighter Jet (Dream Only)

Blurr - Race Car (Dream Only)

Jazz - Sports Car (Image Only) On the Run

Alpha Trion - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck (Mentioned)

Prowl - Police Vehicle (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier (Dream Only)

Steamhammer (Dream Only)

Onyx Primal (Dream Only)

Killer Punch (Dream Only)

Sizzle (Dream Only)

Switchblade (Dream Only)

Jolt (Dream Only)

Rook (Dream Only)

Megadeath (Dream Only)

Backfire (Dream Only)

Tall Tankor - Oil Tanker/Cargo Plane (Dream Only)

Megatron - Tank (Flashback Only)

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Flashback Only)

Galvatron - Tank (Mentioned) Dead

Other Cybertronian/Colonist

Bob

D.O.C.

Wreck-Gar (Head Only)

Wreck-Gar's "Chauffeur"

Little Cybertron Denizens

A Sharkticon - Shark

Iacon Denizens (Dream Only)

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

The Badgeless (Mentioned)

The Senate (Mentioned) Defunct

Human

Madam President

Marissa Faireborn

Chameleon

Brad Emory (On Television)

Jake "The Jackhammer" Jackson (Mentioned)

Notes

• The twist that most of this issue is set in a dream are present throughout. Optimus is seen on Earth, despite it being mentioned that he is still on Cybertron. Wreck-Gar is seen in a full body, despite being still a head.
• This issue's dream begins dark and moody, but ends bright and happy, representing Sideswipe's change in mood.
• Due to this being mostly a dream, we should probably not take any of the cameos seen on Cybertron as canon.
• This is the first issue of Optimus Prime to not feature a flashback to the early days of the war.
• Jazz is still on the run following the ambush by GI Joe last issue. It is also confirmed that the President tried to get Optimus to cancel the interview because of this plan.
• By her dialogue, it seems likely that the President is about to name Marissa as the representative for Earth for the Council of Worlds, which we know the Earth's entry into is the plot back-drop for the upcoming First Strike crossover event.
• Arcee implies that her brother was killed in front of her. This, accompanied by the preview for the next issue would likely mean that she considered Galvatron her brother, who was killed in front of her by Optimus Prime.
• Amongst the cameos in Sideswipe's dream are the Movie Twins, RID Fixit and someone with the same character model as Prime Ripclaw, but as I mentioned before, due to the dream nature they are probably just made up.
• Cybertron is a lot more developed and populated in Sideswipe's dream than it is in reality. Guess that made Sideswipe happy in the end.
• So...who wants to bet that Pyra is going to try and manipulate Arcee into joining her coup against Optimus by using either the deaths of Galvatron or Sideswipe as reasoning?

IDW - Optimus Prime #6

Title: New Cybertron End: Feel Safe Without Regrets

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Kei Zama

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Four Million Years ago, Orion Pax and Prowl bust into the arms deal, leading to the Decepticons assuming that Jetfire betrayed them (correctly though). Orion kills one of the goons, and chases after Needlenose and Horri-Bull, but one of the other goons are about to kill them, until Jetfire shoots him, killing him, essentially switching sides to the Autobots. The Autobots plan to take the weapons into custody for evidence, but they explode, destroying the evidence.

Nearby, Starscream witnesses the explosion, and Soundwave bemoans him for going against the Decepticon way, however Starscream counters that Megatron agrees with him that the ends justify the means, and this incident will help them out in the long run, giving Soundwave something to think about.

Later, the Autobots are clearing up after the battle, and Jetfire officially asks to join Orion's team, and leaves Orion certain that the Decepticons are just villains, and not freedom fighters, who are even willing to destroy their own troops. Nearby, Horri-Bull and Needlenose emerge from a tunnel, where they immediately confront Soundwave over the detonation, which Soundwave attributes to the Autobots, to try and cause problems within the Decepticons, taking Starscream's words to heart.

Today, Rumble and Frenzy are about to give up and die against the Sharkticons, but are shocked when they suddenly leave without eating them. The duo start to leave the ship when they come across Arcee still facing down Wreck-Gar, not trusting the Junkion's patriarch still.

Outside, Aileron and the others are evacuating the human delegates, and they rendezvous with GI Joe down below, all whilst the Junkions and Autobots continue their battle. With the Sharkticons leaving their battles across the planet, the fighting forces of Earth start heading towards the Matterhorn to join the battle against the Junkions. Thundercracker asks Marissa why she isn't joining the battle too, and she responds that she doesn't see the point, since fighting the Transformers is needless since they just destroy everything they touch.

Arcee tries killing Wreck-Gar to get ahold of the Positron Core without any strings attached, but soon realises her folly when the Sharkticons bust in, soon followed by the Autobots, risking the safety of the core. The Autobots want Optimus to kill the Junkion leaders like he did with Galvatron, which seems to make Optimus realise how he is being seen by his troops. Unfortunately someone fires a shot, and hits the Positron Core detonates, causing Wreck-Gar to be reduced to a (still living) head, and the core is gone, leaving everyone devastated.

Seeing the damage, and how the Autobots now see him, Optimus calls for a cease-fire, and opens his chest to reveal a shining Matrix, he speaks as the Prime, and offers a truce between the Cybertronians, Junkions and Sharkticons, so they can all help eachother, rather than needlessly fight. Rum-Maj agrees, and the fighting ends, with the Sharkticons no longer slaves to the Junkions. Jetfire is glad to see his old friend finally making a good decision again

Marissa arrives with Thuderwing, and says that she has an idea for how to solve all the Transformer's problems...

In Mexico City, Jazz is told by his new human "friend" that she works for a TV station, and her bosses want him to come onto a show for them to explain what being a Cybertronian truly means, which he is happy to do.

One week later, the Cybertronains, Junkions and Sharkticons are working together to convert Bikini Atoll, the former EDC HQ, into a colony island for them to use, and everything seems to be going good for once...except for Arcee, she sits weeping in the medi-bay, having lost the only thing that could have saved Sideswipe's life.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck Cab

Arcee - Sports Car

Jazz - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Pyra Magna - Emergency Vehicle

Victorion - Torchebearer Gestalt

Metrotitan - Autobot City

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Bump - Armadillo

Gimlet - Lobster

Roulette - Muscle Car

Midnight Express - Bullet Train

Slide - Rear of Oil Tanker

Oiler - Front of Oil Tanker Dead

Sideswipe - Sports Car Dying in Stasis Pod

Prowl - Police Vehicle (Flashback)

Outback - Van (Flashback)

Cosmos - Orbiter (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Rumble - Motorcycle

Frenzy - Motorcycle

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Flashback)

Horri-Bull (Flashback)

Needlenose - Fighter Jet (Flashback)

Needlenose'sGoons (Flashback) Killed by Orion Pax and Jetfire

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Galvatron - Tank (Mentioned) Dead

Hefter - Forklift Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Junkion

Wreck-Gar

Rum-Maj

Sharkticons - Sharks

Junkion Troops

Other Cybertronian

D.O.C.

Primus (Mentioned)

GI Joe

Talon

Flint

Chameleon

Scarlett (Mentioned)

Human

Marissa Faireborn

Madam President

Mr President

Other World Leaders

Jazz's "Friend"

Jazz's "Friend's" Boss (Mentioned)

Other

Buster the Dog

Notes

• Turns out Rumble and Frenzy have been fighting off the Sharkticons since the last time we saw them, and all they lost was one of Rumble's arm...BADASS!
• You know Arcee, funny thing is, if you'd have trusted Wreck-Gar and let him give you the Positron Core, then it wouldn't likely have been destroyed and Sideswipe would be fine right now.
• Uh oh. Marissa is doing the whole "They're all bad, including my friends" thing. This'll cause a rift between her and Thudnercracker down the line!
• We now learn why we've been seeing the story of Hefter's murder case alongside this event, it's conclusion parallels the end of the battle with the Junkions, with Optimus taking the more peaceful and trusting route this time, rather than him simply killing the Decepticons in the past, showing his progress as a person, and even showing that he feels remorse for his recent violent ways, such as annexing Earth and executing Galvatron.
• LOOK! Metrotitan has an Autobot insignia on his chest when he is putting down the Junkion's ship. So I guess he is an Autobot after all?
• The mystery of the job of Jazz's new human "friend" is revealed...she works for a TV company...THRILLING!
• Bikini Atoll was left abandoned following it's liberation from the Dire Wraiths during the GI Joe Revolution one shot, and now it's being renovated as a refugee camp/colony city for the Transformers to use. This seems like a very obvious solution that I'm shocked that no-one other than Marissa had even considered...ie, let the Autobots stay on an island somewhere and become a sovereign nation of sorts.

IDW - Optimus Prime #5

Title: New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Kei Zama

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Four million years ago, Orion Pax and Prowl set up Jetfire to meet with some Decepticons, to get more information on the gun-running, and are shocked to discover that Soundwave is in fact the one organizing the guns himself!

Orion is livid over Soundwave lying to him about the gun-running, and decides that all Decepticons are just trouble, and vows to take them all down...

Jazz continues to follow and annoy the Mexican woman, trying to explain about his species to her, but before they can talk, the Sharkticons start raining from the sky, having been ordered to attack by the Junkions.

At the Matterhorn, the Junkions are at full war against the Transformers and Humans, the Autobots evacuate the Human delegates who were called to Autobot City for their safety. The Autobots are able to hold their own against their enemies, and Arcee sneaks off by herself to try and save Sideswipe from his coma...

On the surface, Cosmos is being treated for his injuries by Soundwave and GI Joe, and Soundwave is surprised to learn from Cosmos that the Sharkticons are kept in essentially a cage on the ship. He realizes that the Sharkticons are slaves to the Junkions, and so he works with his speciality, manipulating a class war... He flies towards the Sharkticons and starts quoting the works of Megatron to them.

The battle continues, and Oiler is killed by one of the Junkions, who is in turn killed by his partner Slide, who then starts to grieve. Metrotitan transforms, and attack sthe Junkion ship himself, along with the combiner Victorion.

Wreck-Gar sneaks inside Metrotitan, and is soon encountered by Arcee, who orders him to give her the positron core, so she can heal Sideswipe, which Wreck-Gar quickly reveals that he has it on him, as he fully intended to give it to them, despite Rum-Maj's wishes, but Arcee still holds him at sword-point, clearly uncertain as to his true motives still.

Outside, all the of Sharkticons suddenly stop attacking the Humans and Transformers, having listened to, and accepted Soundwave's lessons, and are soon set upon their cruel masters, the Junkions....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck Cab

Arcee - Sports Car

Jazz - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Pyra Magna - Fire Engine

Dust Up - Sports Car

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Skyburst - Helicopter

Stormclash - Helicopter

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Midnight Express - Bullet Train

Roulette - Muscle Car

Bump - Armadillo

Gimlet - Lobster

Slide - Part of Oil Tanker

Oiler - Part of Oil Tanker Killed by a Junkion

Metrotitan - Autobot City

Cosmos - Orbiter Injured, being fixed by GI Joe

Sideswipe - Sports Car Comatose

Prowl - Police Vehicle (Flashback)

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Zeta Prime - Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Hardhead - Battle Tank (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Starscream - Jet (Flashback)

Needlenose - Jet (Flashback)

Horri-Bull (Flashback)

Decepticon Goons (Flashback)

Hefter - Forklift (Mentioned) Dead

Galvatron - Tank (Mentioned) Dead

Junkion

Rum-Maj

Wreck-Gar

Sharkticon Swarm - Sharks

Random Junkions

Other Cybertronian

D.0.C.

Primus (Mentioned)

GI Joe

Talon

Spike

Hi-Tech

Mainframe

Random Joe Soldiers

Other Human

Madame President

Other World Leaders

Jazz's "Friend"

Mexican Townsfolk

Daniel Witwicky (Mentioned) Dead

Jazz's "Friend's" Co-workers (Mentioned)

Notes

• It's mentioned in the credits that the Megatron quotes were written by James Roberts, as we have previously seen in his pre-war scenes in More Than Meets The Eye.
• In the Hasbroverse, Facebook appears to be replaced by "Onyx Blackbook". Blackrock needs to cut down on his global technology monopoly...
• Considering the close ups on some insignias, and the mention of inter-Autobot communications from Aileron, it seems that her and the colonists may be Autobots now after all. I wish we'd get some actual clarification on this!
• Amongst the Decepticons in the flashbacks we see some guys with clearly mining-based alternate modes, this is a nice note that most Decepticons were from the "lower" castes of Cybertron, like miners and manual workers.
• Optimus' ability to rise Titans is shown again here, where he is able to command Metrotitan to transform into robot mode.
• Arcee's narration in this issue appears to imply that she was willing for Jhiaxus to change her gender in the past. Then why did she spent centuries trying to hunt down the mad scientist to get revenge on him?
• Arcee is also mentioned as being from "The Darklands" the same place where Galvatron came from, likely meaning that she also came from the tribe of Megatronus.
• There's no mention of what happened to Rumble and Frenzy still...did the Sharkticons actually eat them?
• Orion Pax's sudden disdain for Decepticons at the end of the flashbacks bring him pretty much to the point we saw him at the start of Autocracy, where he saw Decepticons as just problems to be dealt with, rather than a different ideological view.
• So Oiler dies here....I wonder what that means for Slide since they were partner Divisens?
• Rum-Maj swears by the "Sacred Voice of Weirrall" this is likely a reference to Weird Al Yankovich who voiced Wreck-Gar in Transformers Animated, and also sang the song "Dare to be Stupid" from the Junkion battle scene from the 1986 Movie.
• Soundwave manages to turn the Sharkticons against the Junkions just like Grimlock did against the Quintessons in the 1986 Movie.

IDW - Optimus Prime #4

Title: New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among the Shadows

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Alex Milne

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Four Million years ago, Zeta Prime gives a speech to the people of Cybertron, announcing that Orion Pax and his team have revealed the truth about Hefter being a Decepticon gun-runner, and announces the inquiry closed. Orion is annoyed by this and questions Zeta about this, but Zeta doesn't believe that Hefter is worthy of real investigation, since he was a traitor to the people, and even starts quoting old propaganda pieces to prove his point to Orion. Zeta then shows off the Matrix in his chest, which he uses to point out that despite it being a fake, it still holds power across Cybertron, and even suggests that this could all be his one day, if he just tows the line.

Jetfire is released from custody by Prowl, and immediately punches the officer. Jetfire walks off, but is noticed by Horri-Bull and Needlenose, who think that he needs a way to "protect" himself in the future....

Later, Orion Pax and Prowl meet up at the abandoned Cosmic Carnival, where they also meet with Jetfire, who reveals that the Decepticons gave him a gun, and agrees to tell them when the next shipment is arriving on Cybertron, revealing that his release and fight with Prowl was all staged.

Today, Rumble, Frenzy and Cosmos fight off the swarm of Sharkticons in the Junkion shuttle, but are soon captured. Rum-Maj uses this to prove that the Autobots were trying to betray them, but Wreck-Gar points out that she never really intended to help them out, be he still does, she however ignores this, and deems that they need to be destroyed...

Optimus and Aileron return to Earth from their meeting on Cybertron, where Aileron is irritated by the Colonists all kneeling before their Prime, when they are called to the control room. Once there, Optimus contacts Soundwave to have him call all the Earth's leaders to Autobot City for an emergency meeting to solve the situation between the Junkions and them. Aileron is worried about this and asks Optimus to speak to her alone...

At the foot of the Matterhorn, below Autobot City, Soundwave has received Optimus' request and sets off to send out the invites, but is worried about Cosmos and the others not being back in contact yet.

In Cairo, Thundercracker walks through a market town with Marissa, and manages to convince her to talk to her father again, pointing out that he probably didn't JUST come to see her to ask her to join the team, but also wanted to see her.

Aileron speaks with Optimus on the hull of Autobot City, and questions his actions, and wonders why he seems to be trying to invoke the Tyrest Accord and risk war between the Earth and Cybertron. He reveals that he is confident that this will force the Earth into the Council of Worlds, despite Starscream's reluctance on the matter, and admits that he doesn't believe in the magical properties of the Matrix, but does think he can use it to control those who do believe in it! Pyra Magna overhears this, and calls him out on abusing his position and toying with the loyalty of others.

Chameleon and Flint are flying off following their meet-up with Marissa, but, along the way, they are stopped by Thundercracker, who has Marissa on board, who wants to talk to them again.

The two aircraft land in Cattedrale Di Palermo, where Marissa explains to her father that she didn't refuse the position in GI Joe because of him, but simply because she doesn't believe they can win against the Cybertronians and other threats.

At Autobot City, Pyra strikes down Optimus, cracking a hole in his faceplate, but he refuses to fight back, claiming that violence is not the way to take command. Pyra however retorts that everything Optimus has ever done has been in violence, which is even why the Junkion's planet was destroyed. Pyra reneges on her promise to teach Optimus to use the Matrix properly, and even accuses him of not being a believer in his own Prime-hood in front of the Colonists. Optimus however doesn't acknowledge her claims, and orders the troops to prepare for the Human delegates.

The next morning, the Autobots and Human leaders meet at Autobot City to discuss the potential alliance between Earth, Cybertron and the Junkions. The Junkion's shuttle arrives above the city, but Rum-Maj simply discards an injured Cosmos out of the door, and announces that the infiltration is being seen as an act of war against them. The Junkion ship lifts off, and a hatch opens, releasing a massive swarm of Sharkticons upon the city, to attack everyone.

The Autobots and Humans prepare to fight back against their new shared enemy, and Pyra wonders who will win Optimus' game this time...

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck Cab

Arcee - Sports Car

Pyra Magna - Fire Engine

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Skyburst - Helicopter

Stormclash - Helicopter

Dust Up - Sports Car

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Cosmos - Orbiter Beaten by Sharkticons and Junkions

Sideswipe - Sports Car Near Death in Repair Tube

Zeta Prime (Flashback Only)

Prowl - Police Vehicle (Flashback Only)

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Tracks - Muscle Car (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Rumble - Motorcycle Probably Beaten by Sharkticons

Frenzy - Motorcycle Probably Beaten by Sharkticons

Horri-Bull (Flashback Only)

Needlenose - Fighter Jet (Flashback Only)

Hefter - Forklift Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Colonist Allies

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Midnight Express - Train

Roulette - Muscle Car

Oiler - Part of Oil Tanker

Slide - Part of Oil Tanker

Gimlet - Lobster

Bump - Armadillo

Mistress of Flame (Mentioned)

Junkion

Wreck-Gar

Rum-Maj

Sharkticon Swarm

Other Cybertronian

Metrotitan - Autobot City Ship

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

D.O.C.

Cybertronian Population (Flashback Only)

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Council of Worlds (Mentioned)

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Mentioned)

GI Joe

Flint

Chameleon

Talon

Spike

Mainframe

Hi-Tech

Mayday (Mentioned)

Human

Marissa Faireborn

Madam President

World Leaders

Earth Nations Observation Forces

Random Civilians

Marissa's Mother (Mentioned)

Earth Defense Command (Mentioned) Defunct

Other

Buster the Dog

Notes

• Though not shown on panel, it's likely that Rumble and Frenzy were also captured and/or eaten by the Sharkticons
• It's revealed that, unsurprisingly, Rum-Maj was planning to betray the Autobots all along, however Wreck-Gar appears to still be willing to help them save Sideswipe's life.
• Zeta Prime shows off his fake Matrix in the flashbacks for this issue, seems a bit unusual here, but maybe this has something to do with the Matrix appearing in Lost Light, which is also likely the fake one.
• Optimus' admittance that he's using the Colonist's reverence of the Matrix to control them REALLY adds to the theory that Prowl's mind has influenced Optimus following their combination during Combiner Wars
• Marissa reveals here that the real reason she is travelling Earth with Thundercracker and Buster is because she believes that the Cybertronians are going to destroy the Earth in the end, and she just wants to see it all before it's gone. To be fair, it was almost destroyed because of Ore-13 a few weeks earlier...
• Though not mentioned in dialogue, the place Prowl and Orion Pax meet up in is the Cosmic Carnival, as seen in the Marvel comics.
• It's not mentioned, but it seems likely that Marissa's mother isn't Lady Jaye in this continuity, since she isn't mentioned as being part of GI Joe, and is mentioned as a drunk.

IDW - Optimus Prime #2

Title: New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Kei Zama

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Four million years ago, Orion Pax escorts his prisoner, the Decepticon Jetfire, to see Prowl at his office, where he manages to convince the former cop to help him interrogate Jetfire, to help solve the mystery of Hefter's murder in police custody.

Later, Prowl holds his investigation, and manages to learn that Jetfire isn't a "real" Decepticon, but rather just an idealist, and asks him to take him to the person who told him about Orion Pax so they can talk...

In the present, the Autobots prepare for the newly arrived aliens by having the Torchbearers combine and all of them prepare for battle, however when the ship's doors open, it's revealed that the passengers are actually relatively friendly Junkions, who just want to trade their technology with the Cybertronians and Humans in exchange for some of Earth's Ore-13.

Optimus isn't sure about this, since this could be further violations to the Tyrest Accord, but Talon of GI Joe interrupts him by pointing out that the Cybertronians have no say in what happens on Earth, and interrupts their meeting, going so far as to open fire on the Junkions.

Despite the firing however, the Junkions quickly repair themselves, and the two groups decide to meet again later.

Optimus and the team return to Metrotitan, where Soundwave reveals that he knows who the Junkions are, and explains to everyone how early in the war, Prowl and Shockwave both led teams to Junkion and waged war there, but due to both being stubborn and incredibly logical, one of them caused the planet to explode, leaving the Junkion's homeless. This leads Optimus and the others to feel that they owe the Junkions some help due to their war destroying their home.

Outside the Junkion's craft, the Joes have set up a base camp, where they try to resolve the situation without Cybertronian help, especially due to Talon's hatred of them (since they DID invade Earth remember!)

Elsewhere in the city, Arcee is visiting Sideswipe again, trying to get a response from him due to his coma, but Jetfire isn't hopeful about his chances now, and his spark is heavily corroded already.

The Autobots and Colonists form a welcoming committee for Wreck-Gar and Rum-Maj of the Junkions, and they start a tour of the city, with Aileron noticing that the two Junkions aren't getting along.

During the tour, Wreck-Gar finds himself in the medi-bay, where he correctly diagnoses Sideswipe as having spark corrosion, and tells them that the Junkions have a Positron Core, the only theoretical device that can save a corroding spark, something that hasn't been seen since the days of Prima himself. Optimus begins to consider this, since he wants his team-member back, as well as any future victims of the illness.

Back at the Joe camp, Talon bemoans to Chameleon about how, despite it being a worldwide organization now, he still feels that GI Joe are too focused on the US, and not the world at large.

Inside the command tent, the Joes have realized that the Junkion ship is protected by some sort of energy field that messes with non-biological devices, meaning the Autobots are being lied to about something.

The team are stumped on how to figure out what secrets they have without Cybertronian help though, since they would have some idea on what the ship should be like, but Talon is refusing any Cybertronian help.

Despite his orders, someone contacts Thundercracker in Egypt, on his holiday with Buster and Marissa, he claims that it's a wrong number, but agrees to help, on one condition.....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck Cab

Arcee - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Pyra Magna - Emergency Response Truck

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Dustup - Sports Car

Skyburst - Helicopter

Stormclash - Helicopter

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Victorion - Torchbearer Gestalt

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Sideswipe - Sports Car Dying of Spark Corrosion

Prowl - Cybertronian Emergency Response Vehicle (Flashback)

Hardhead - Tank (Flashback)

Delta Seeker - Jet (Flashback)

Hot Spot - Fire Suppression Truck (Flashback)

Manta Ray - Race Car (Flashback)

Greatshot (Flashback)

Silverbolt - Jet (Flashback)

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Zeta Prime (Mentioned)

Sentinel Prime - Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

X-Gunner - Jet (Flashback)

Octopunch (Flashback)

Fangry (Flashback)

Weirdwolf - Wolf (Flashback)

Shockwave - Flying Artillery (Flashback)

Hefter - Fork Lift Truck (Mentioned) Dead

Senator Momus (Mentioned) Dead

Colonist

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Midnight Express - Bullet Train

Roulette - Muscle Car

Bump - Armadillo

Gimlet - Lobster

Slide - Part of Oil Tanker

Oiler - Part of Oil Tanker

Junkion

Wreck-Gar

Rum-Maj

Various Junkions

Other Cybertronian

Metrotitan - Autobot City Ship

D.O.C.

Flashback Cybertronians (Flashback)

Blackrock/Sovereign - Head (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Prima (Mentioned)

Old Senate (Mentioned) Killed by Decepticons

GI Joe

Talon/Zilong Qian

Flint/Dashiell Faireborn

Chameleon/Erika Le Tene

Mainframe/Blaine Parker

Hi-Tech/Sanjay Bharwaney

Spike/Steven Witwicky

Human

Marissa Faireborn

Skywatch (Mentioned) Defunct

Earth Defense Command (Mentioned) Defunct

People's Liberation Army Mecha Force (Mentioned) Defunct

Other

Buster the Dog

Notes

• So, turns out the mysterious aliens in the Quintesson shuttle are actually Junkions. Last time we saw a Quintession in IDW was on the Planet of Junk...hmmm...
• Sanjay Bharwaney is shown to have joined GI Joe, like most of the previous human cast of Transformers. I wonder if Jimmy Pink will make an appearance there some time soon?
• The previous holder of Sanjay's codename was one of the Dire Wraiths killed by Rom during Revolution...they don't take long to replace Joes do they?
• It's revealed that following Megatron leaving the Planet of Junk in Monstrosity, the war returned there to recruit the Junkions to their respective armies. It didn't go well!
• Sideswipe's condition is revealed to be spark corrosion, and it is very close to killing him now. I wonder if they found a cure for that on Luna-1?
• Thundercracker's "road trip" mentioned during Revolution is revealed to have been to Egypt. He also brought Buster and Marissa with him.
• It's not mentioned here, but Marissa s Flint's illegitimate daughter. Wonder if they'll have an awkward meet-up at some point?
• Optimus recognizes the Junkion ship as being the same type as what Megatron used early in the war, after his exile to the Planet of Junk. He also saw it when he was on Lv-117, but he may have forgotten due to the weird time-field on that planet.
• Arcee mentions how she is older than most of the others on Autobot City. This isn't often mentioned, but is true since she was involved in Jhiaxus' experiments during Nova Prime's reign.
• Wreck-Gar was shown on the Planet of Junk when Megatron was there in Monstrosity, but was somewhat more feral back then, He's apparently been cured of that madness since then.