IDW - Optimus Prime #1

Title: New Cybertron Part 1: To walk among the chosen

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Kei Zama

Colours by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Publisher: Ted Adams

Plot

Just before the war really began, Orion Pax is given a complaint from Tappet about how one of his officers, Outback, killed his Conjunx Endura whilst he was in custody, just for being a Decepticon supporter. Orion promises to investigate the situation, but Outback just gloats about what happened.

Shortly afterwards, Zeta Prime appears to Orion and asks him to announce to the rioters outside that Hefter, the victim, was a violent Decepticon, and Outback simply did his job to protect people, pointing out that they both want to do the right thing, and Orion agrees, hoping that his friend was different to the past Primes...

Later, Orion finds Outback in a bar to confront him about his actions, and Outback justifies it as it being a pre-emptive strike to save himself, whilst Orion demonstrates how he could have disarmed the threat, instead of killing him. Orion is still angry though, as Outback points out that the world is dangerous, and there isn't always a third option, just like with Sentinel Prime and the Decepticon uprising.

Later still, Orion meets with Ratchet who examines Hefter's body, and discovers that he was shot from behind, leading both to be distrustful of Zeta Prime and his ulterior motives. Ratchet takes Orion to meet with his newest student, a flier-turned-scientist, Jetfire, who immediately attacks Orion, revealing himself to be a Decepticon, though not a strong one, since Orion easily knocks him down..

In the present day, the people of Mexico City on Earth are protesting the Cybertronian presence on their planet, when several new arrivals appear, to hunt down a dangerous cache of Cybertronian-derived weapons located in the city. The newly arrived colonists are very raw in their tactics, and are soon attacked by some individuals with Cybertronian guns, one shoots Midnight Express, knocking him down, prompting the other Colonists to go to attack the humans, but Aileron stops it, just as Metrotitan appears overhead, and Optimus arrives with Arcee and the rest of his command team.

They soon discover the weapons, and Arcee is worried about the Colonists all wearing face plates to emulate Optimus, but he just dismisses it as an affection of theirs.

Optimus is more concerned about the weapons on Earth, and how their misuse here is in clear disregard for the Tyrest Accord, so he decides to head to speak with the President along with Arcee and Soundwave.

The Colonists have returned to Autobot City, which is currently flying over Washington, where the Colonists all wax lyrical about how great Optimus Prime is, and Aileron is getting annoyed by all the talk, despite her being the same way not to long ago. Jetfire points out that Optimus wasn't always a revered figure, and has only started to embrace it recently, since Pyra Magna and others started to convince him that he was a true Prime, and a god himself.

As if on cue, Pyra Magna makes an appearance, and reports to Jetfire that they're detected a large space ship heading to Earth, but Jetfire decides to hold off from telling Prime about it, until after his meeting with the President.

Below them, Optimus and his team and talking to the President, with her armed GI Joe guard where he explains that the misuse of Cybertronian technology on Earth cannot continue, and pushes her to decide on a representative for Earth on the Council of Worlds, as he threatens to charge Earth's people with disregard of the Tyrest Accord, unless they join completely.

Before anything can be accomplished however, Soundwave detects the space ship as well, leading Optimus to send a team to intercept it.

Optimus, Arcee, Soundwave, Aileron and the Torchbearers arrive at the Matterhorn, where they wait for the space craft. Optimus becomes nostalgic and looks at his remaining half of the Matrix, which suddenly lights up, which is shouldn't be able to do now, bringing all the Camiens in the area to awe. Pyra however shows Optimus that the Matrix is reacting to the Ore-13 in the mountain, and cautions him to understand the Matrix better, so he doesn't become consumed with it's legends, like the Camiens are..

Then the space craft smashes into the Matterhorn and causes a massive crater in the already massive mountain....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck Cab (Formerly Cybertronian Truck)

Arcee - Sports Car

Jazz - Sports Car

Jetfire - Fighter Jet

Pyra Magna - Emergency Vehicle

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Stormclash - Helicopter

Skyburst - Helicopter

Dust Up - Sports Car

Jumpstream - Sports Car

Zeta Prime (Flashback)

Outback - Van (Flashback)

Police Force (Flashback)

Sentinel Prime - Truck (Mentioned) Believed to be Dead

Decepticon

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Hefter - Forklift Truck (Flashback) Killed by Police

Colonist

Aileron - Space Shuttle

Midnight Express - Bullet Train

Roulette - Muscle Car

Oiler - Front of Oil Tanker

Slide - Rear of Oil Tanker

Gimlet - Lobster

Bump - Armadillo

Other Cybertronian

Metrotitan - Autobot City Space Ship

D.O.C.

Ratchet - Ambulance (Flashback)

Tappet - Car (Flashback)

Bartender (Flashback)

Grotusque - Winged Monster (Flashback)

Repugnus - Insect Monster (Flashback)

Warpath - Tank (Flashback)

Blackout - Helicopter (Flashback)

Demolishor - Tank (Flashback)

Doublecross - Twin Headed Dragon (Flashback)

Hooligan - Jet (Flashback)

Sandstorm - Buggy/Helicopter (Flashback)

Dial (Flashback)

Ramhorn (Flashback)

Steeljaw (Flashback)

Rosanna (Flashback)

Flipsides (Flashback)

Other Protestors (Flashback)

The Old Senate (Mentioned) Destroyed by Decepticons

The Thirteen Primes (Mentioned)

Solus Prime (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Nominus Prime (Mentioned) Dead

Human

Madame President

GI Joe Troops

Mexican Protestors

United Nations (Mentioned)

EDC (Mentioned) Disbanded

Other

Newly Arrived Aliens (Mentioned)

Dire Wraiths (Mentioned) Defeated on Earth

Council of Worlds (Mentioned)

Notes

• This is the follow-up series to Robots in Disguise/Transformers Ongoing in the wake of the Revolution event, and the start of the IDW Hasbroverse
• Outback is shown to have been a bit of a trigger-happy jerk in the past...I don't feel so bad about his horrible skewering death in the future now...
• Zeta essentially tells Optimus that he wants him to act as a symbol for his new regimes, and for him to trust him and his decisions. This seems to lead into the events of Autocracy in this regard.
• Ahem...Flipsides and Rosanna are FEMALE Transformers, there aren't supposed to be any females on Cybertron at this point in history. Unless society didn't consider females of the disposable classes to be the same as "proper" Transformers.
• The Cybertronian Colonists are now starting to perform missions along with native Cybertronians. All of the new Colonists shown in this issue are from previous Transformers franchises.
• Slide is shown with an Autobot insignia already, I don't think this is official and may just be an homage to Optimus', like his face plate, since he's the only one in the group be have an insignia, and Aileron, who has been working with Optimus since before Earth was annexed, still doesn't seem to have an insignia yet!
• Following the events of Revolution, it appears that Metrotitan is staying in his shuttle mode instead of city mode.
• The Colonists are shown to be now wearing face plates to emulate Optimus
• Jetfire is revealed to have been a Decepticon before joining the Autobots. Also, he was only allowed to train as a scientist during the Functionist eras because Ratchet, as CMO, pulled some strings to allow for it (despite Jetfire being a flier)
• Pyra Magna reveals that the Matrix reacts with Ore-13 to make it glow on occasion, and suggests that something similar happened when he came to Caminus despite the Matrix having been spent by Optimus in Chaos.
• The alien vessel is a Quintesson Cruiser, as seen in the 86 Transformers movie, and throughout Season 3.

IDW - Spotlight Orion Pax

Title: Omega's Conundrum

Story by: James Roberts

Pencils by: Steve Kurth

Inks by: Juan Castro

Colors by: J.Aburtov and Graphikslava

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: John Barber

Editorial Assistant: Thomas Boeing

Plot

Four Million Years ago, Orion Pax has been refitted into a new body thanks to his connections and friendship with the newly elected Zeta Prime. Pax is debriefed on a mission by Zeta and Nightbeat to perform a hostage exchange for Ratchet in the Rust Spot, who was captured by the Decepticons.

Orion Pax (the copper), Nightbeat (the hostage negotiator) and Alpha Trion (the Rust Spot expert) head out with a trailer holding the Decepticon hostage for the exchange. On the way to the rendezvous point in the Rust Spot the team is attacked by Slicers and a quick battle takes place, with the Autobots easily winning.

During the battle, the trailer is opened, and the hostage is revealed to be no more than a pair of grunts, Rack and Ruin. Pax goes to talk to them, and asks why they follow Megatron, and other things, they beg them not to give them back to the Decepticons as they'll be killed.

Thundercracker, Acid Storm and Skywarp arrive on the scene to escort Pax and the others to Bludgeon's base, where they hand over the hostages, and Bludgeon releases Ratchet, fully intending to honor the deal, except that they also intend to take Alpha Trion too (which explains why they had the exchange take place in the Rust Spot, as Trion would have to be the choice of escort in that area) Bludgeon reveals that Megatron wants Alpha Trion, so they can get access to Metroplex, and use him to create a Space Bridge to spread their cause across the universe.

Orion Pax reveals his own trick, by having his trailer eject weapons for him and his team to fight back with, Trion breaks free of his binds and joins the fight. Rack and Ruin break free too, and lead the Autobots to safety, whilst Orion Pax causes a distraction, but ends up being captured.

Bludgeon has Pax strapped to a shuttle, which is set to auto pilot and crash into a random city, as an act of terrorism (which Thundercracker is horrified at. The shuttle is launched and Pax is doomed, but he's glad that the ship's trajectory is actually bad and will miss any city, until it rams into another shuttle, that was just happening to pass by and redirects the shuttle to Iacon itself!

Pax does something stupid, and performs and instant transformation (as mentioned by Rack and Ruin earlier to him) despite it being dangerous in his new body to push his transformation cog too much. He manages to snap his chains and smashes into the cockpit and redirects it again into the wilderness nearby.

Orion Pax's new body is damaged, but he's alive, and saved Iacon. Yay!

Characters

Autobot

Zeta Prime

Orion Pax - Truck

Alpha Trion - Tumbler

Nightbeat - Car

Ratchet

Wheeljack

Kaput

Rung

Decepticon

Bludgeon - Tank

Rack

Ruin

Thundercracker - Jet

Skywarp - Jet

Acid Storm - Jet

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Killmaster (Mentioned)

Decepticon Crowd

Other

Slicers

Metroplex - City/Ship (Flashback)

Rack and Ruin's Triplet (Mentioned) Long Dead

New Senate (Mentioned)

Functionist Council (Mentioned)

Turbofoxes (Mentioned)

Diaclona Tribe (Mentioned)

Dominus Ambus (Mentioned)

High Priest of K'th Kinsere (Mentioned)

Ignition Cults (Mentioned)

Circuit Sect (Mentioned)

Notes

• This story explains why Orion Pax was shown in a totally different body during Spotlight: Blurr, despite having the same body both before and after these events. His body change was because this new one is better suited for the environment in The Rust Spot.
• NIGHTBEAT!!!!
• Ahem...Nightbeat is a hostage negotiator in these times rather than a detective, it's unclear whether this was his original vocation, or if he was a detective before this and just took on a new role during the war.
• Alpha Trion is shown using his protective cloak thing again here, this is possible because he's afraid of the weather in The Rust Spot, but then again he was seen wearing it in Autocracy as well (then again, Trion is a bit of a nut)
• Alpha Trion mentions how he once explored Cybertron with Metroplex...me thinks this be a clue to Alpha Trion being a Knight of Cybertron!
• Rack and Ruin used to have a triplet, but no one remembers his name
• It's likely Starscream was going to be one of the seekers seen in this issue, but was changed to Acid Storm because Screamer is meant to be undercover still as shown in Autocracy
• Megatron is obsessed with Gestalts in this time period...wonder if anything will come of that?
• Rack and Ruin hate the idea of being a combiner (it's funny when you know what happens to them in the future)
• Megatron seems to have a soft spot of sorts for Orion Pax, as he tells Bludgeon to not harm Pax, and he talks about him. Plus in Autocracy he joins forces with Pax, rather than just killing him.

IDW - Autocracy

Plot

Orion Pax leads a team of his Autobot security force on a raid on an arms deal being made by Swindle in Nyon. The Autobots take on the Decepticon and the terrorists, and cause a lot of collateral damage in the process. Orion is about to kill Swindle when an explosion occurs from behind him, and the bomber (Hot Rod) runs off. The Autobots leave with their prisoner before the locals get angry and turn on them further. Laserbeak watches and records all of this from a hiding place.

At the Citadel in Iacon, Zeta Prime is showing off his new invention, created from plans by Jhiaxus, the Vamparc Ribbon, which is a weapon he plans to use against the Decepticons. The problem however is that it's very energy inefficient, and would require them to use the civilians as energy sources. The Senate are appalled by this, even more so when he tests a prototype using Swindle as a power-source. Starscream, under cover as an observer reveals that Soundwave is in the audience,a nd he escapes. Orion Pax is ordered to chase him before he can reveal the sensitive information he's recorded.

Orion and his team head out and chase Soundwave, who keeps releasing his Minions to fight off the Autobots. Soundwave makes it to the edge of Kaon (Decepticon territory), but Orion catches him and attacks him, but before he can finish him off the Decepticons appear around him and take him and his team prisoner.

Megatron meets with Orion in person at the Jump Joint (a bar) in Kaon where he tells Orion about how corrupt Zeta Prime is really, and how he is just a freedom fighter against the corrupt Autobots. Orion decides not to believe him, trusting the Prime, and frees himself and his team, ordering them to attack the Decepticons. The Autobots escape with the help of the newly arrived Sky Lynx, who transports them away from Decepticon territory. Back at Iacon, Zeta Prime chews out Orion and his team for failing to capture Soundwave, and instead sends them out to bring in one of the identified Nyon terrorists, Hot Rod.

The Autobots arrive in Nyon, and find out that the terrorists are staying inside the ruins of the Acroplex there where they find Hot Rod and start chasing him. Inside the Autobots walk through the Halls of Order, with the statues of the Knights of Cybertron inside it, where it is said the Matrix is held. Laserbeak follows Orion and spies on him for Megatron. Further inside the Acroplex the team finds some of the terrorist cell in a room filled with Energon tanks. Hot Rod shows Orion the truth, that Zeta has been draining the energy from the people of Nyon for his weapons, and Orion realizes that Megatron was right. Orion steps outside to figure out what to do now, when he sees several Omega Destructors, under Zeta's orders destroying Nyon.

Zeta leads the Destructors and continues to drain energy from the civilians. Orion decides to turn against Zeta and attack the Destructors. The Autobots start to leave after failing in their attack, since Hot Rod and his friends have escaped and Hot Rod detonates the phase chargers he set across the city, and blows up the entire city. Optimus attacks Zeta, but the Prime is able to easily overpower the disgraced officer

Orion Pax is rescued by Megatron and his Decepticons, and he manages to force several civilians to fall near Zeta, which causes his Vamparc Ribbon Cannon to overlord with too much energy. Zeta flies off in disgrace, and the Decepticons take Orion and his team back to Kolkular for repairs. Orion admits he was wrong about Zeta Prime and the two of them join forces

Back in Iacon, the Senate are berating Zeta for his recklessness in Nyon and how he just strengthened Megatron's position. Suddenly the Decepticons and Orion's team attack the Citadel on mass, with Astrotrain airdropping Orion and Megatron onto the roof of the building. The two of them team up against Zeta Prime, and during the battle Zeta manages to tear off Orion's arm. Elsewhere, the teams are attacking the Destructors, and Ultra Magnus and several other Autobots join the fight, realizing that Zeta's gone too far. On the roof again, Megatron rescues Orion again, and this time uses his Fusion Cannon to kill Zeta Prime. Outside, all the Destructors have been killed. With the Prime dead, Megatron turns against Orion and blasts him through the chest, sending him plummeting down a hole in the ground.

Megatron takes control of Cybertron with Zeta's death, and the Autobots have gone into hiding with the Decepticons having turned against them. Orion Pax wakes up in the depths of the planet, broken and almost dead, but he is drawn to something in the depths, the Matrix, he touches it and feels the pain of every Cybertronian. The Decepticons find Hot Rod and the hiding Autobots and are taken into custody. Hot Rod is told Megatron wants to see him personally. In the Undergrid, the Matrix repairs Orion Pax and reformats him as Optimus Prime, the new leader of the Autobots, and a true Matrix Bearer, unlike Zeta Prime, who was elected.

In the now Decepticon controlled Citadel in Iacon, Hot Rod is taken to see Megatron who offers him a place in his army, after seeing his actions in Nyon. Megatron orders for the other Autobots to be executed and scrapped for spare parts. Optimus Prime is drawn to Nyon, where he senses something underground, near the Acroplex. In the Citadel, Hot Rod makes his way to the Detention Cells and frees the Autobots, giving his answer to Megatron's proposal. The Decepticons try to stop the Autobots from escaping, but they evade them. The Autobots head to the ruins of Nyon to hide out, where they find Optimus Prime, who shows them the Matrix and reveals himself as the new, true Prime, and then awakens the sleeping giant of Metroplex, from under the Acroplex ruins

In the ruins of Nyon, Metroplex greets the Prime as if he was an old friend, which confuses Optimus a little. Metroplex agrees to join Optimus' army once he is called for, as he wishes to tend to the survivors of Nyon's destruction first. In Triax, Blaster is transmitting his pirate radio broadcast (Nexis) when the Decepticons try to stop him from spreading the truth about Megatron and his goals, when Optimus and his team save him. Optimus asks him to help him spread the truth to a larger audience. They head to the Iaconian Newsfeed Service HQ, where Blaster hacks into it, and allows Optimus to address the planet at large and rallies everyone to join the Autobots against Megatron, and to march against him. The Autobots engage the Decepticons in the first true battle of the war.

The Autobots fight the Decepticons on mass, with reinforcements from across the planet. Megatron unleashes a giant version of the Vamparc Ribbon and uses it against the army of Autobots. The tide of the battle turns against the Decepticons however when Metroplex flies in, immune to the Ribbon's effects. Metroplex destroys the Citadel building and the cannon, sending Megatron plummeting to the ground. Optimus and Megatron fight it out with Optimus winning. Megatron is rescued by Soundwave and Astrotrain and returned to Kaon, and the Autobots win the first battle.

In the aftermath, Metroplex takes the place of the Citadel as the new capitol building in his city-mode, and Optimus begins the rebuilding process with the Autobots. Optimus thanks Hot Rod for showing him the truth in Nyon, and suggests that maybe Hot Rod will be the next Matrix Bearer after Optimus.

Characters

Autobot

Orion Pax/Optimus Prime - Truck

Zeta Prime Killed by Megatron

Metroplex - City/Space Ship

Blaster - Recording Device

Bumblebee - Speeder

Prowl - Speeder

Hound - Jeep Speeder

Ironhide - Van

Hot Rod - Car

Ultra Magnus

Sky Lynx

Springer

Kup

Ratchet

Jetfire

Wheeljack

Omega Destructors Killed by Autobots and Decepticons

Silverbolt - Jet

Air Raid - Jet

Fireflight - Jet

Skydive - Jet

Slingshot - Jet

Barrel Roll - Jet

7th Aerialbot - Jet

Alpha Trion

Blurr - Race Car

Windcharger

Huffer

Brawn

Trailbreaker

Broadside

Grimlock

Slag

Snarl

Sludge

Swoop - Jet

Autobot Army

Sentinel Prime (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron

Shockwave - Ray Gun

Soundwave - Recording Device

Laserbeak - Cassette

Buzzsaw - Cassette

Ravage - Cassette

Rumble - Cassette

Frenzy - Cassette

Ratbat - Cassette

Starscream - Jet

Skywarp - Jet

Thundercracker - Jet

Ramjet - Jet

Dirge - Jet

Thrust - Jet

Astrotrain - Transport Jet

Blitzwing

Swindle - Off Road Vehicle Experimented on by Zeta Prime

Runamuck

Runabout

Roadblock

Heavy Load

Lugnut

Hailstorm

Breakdown

Wildrider

Long Haul

Scrapper

Hook

Scavenger

Mixmaster

Bonecrusher

Spyglass

Spectro

Viewfinder

Skullgrin

Brawl - Tank

Onslaught - Tank

Decepticon Army

Other

Cybertronian Civilians

Senators

Old Government (Mentioned) Destroyed by Decepticons

Jhiaxus (Mentioned)

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned/Statues)

Notes

• This is set after Megatron Origin and Chaos Theory
• Silverbolt seems to be in his Universe toy mold again (like in Chaos)
• Silverbolt seems to recognise, and is shocked by Ratbat's appearance, this is a reference to his former state as a Senator in Megatron Origin
• It seems that no one knows that Starscream was arrested as a Decepticon, or that he helped kill the former Senate
• Kolkular makes it's first (very Dreamwave looking) appearance in IDW in this story
• Orion Pax and Megatron forming an alliance against the corrupt people in control of Cybertron is very  similar to their early role in Exodus.
• Orion Pax's conversion to Optimus Prime via the Matrix is visually very similar to Megatron becoming Galvatron from the G1 Transformers Movie
• Megatron's main troops seems to contain several mostly unseen Decepticons from recent toylines, like the Movie-lines and Universe.
• Blaster has quit being a Broadcast Journalist since Chaos Theory and now runs a pirate radio station
• Alpha Trion is shown wearing his face mask when he's shown in a cameo in this story, this is odd since his mask was used to keep him safe on the dangerous Cybertron whilst he was stabilizing the atmosphere
• It seems that Blurr is still racing in underground races, since the tracks were closed down due to the terrorist activities of the Decepticons.
• There's a 7th Aerialbot shown in the aerial battles, it's unclear who it is, but he'll probably make a proper appearance one day
• Metroplex literally tears the Citadel in half.....YIKES!!!
• The entire sequence around Megatron, Optimus and Hot Rod near the end is also taken from the G1 Movie, including Megatron being rescued by Soundwave and escaping in Astrotrain
• The People of Nyon have become Chroniclers
• Prowl promises to get rid of a storehouse of illegal and dangerous weapons found after Zeta Prime's death...wonder if that actually happened? 
• Hot Rod does indeed bear the Matrix for a while and changes his name to Rodimus Prime briefly (now called Rodimus full-time). He also incidentally currently possesses half of the Matrix's inner crystal in the current timeline.