IDW - Robots in Disguise #2

Comic Staff

Title: The World & Everything in it

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith

Colour by: Josh Perez

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Storyline

Skywarp monitors Horri-Bull and Needlenose and has Ratbat cover for the fact that the I/D chips aren't working now by having Soundwave kill him for them. Skywarp teleports back to the Decepticon's encampment, where Ratbat has everyone prepare for the assassination of Bumblebee to take place the next day. Starscream gets annoyed with Ratbat and thinks the plan is stupid so he walks out of the base, Ratbat has Long Haul follow him.

Starscream walks to the Autobot's Kimia base and Bumblebee meets him outside, but rather than talking to him he just attacks the Decepticon with his new cane's weapons, thinking it was an ambush. Starscream is taken into the base as a prisoner by Prowl.

Starscream wakes up in a cell and finds Prowl ready to interrogate him, but Starscream willingly reveals everything about Ratbat's plan to him. Elsewhere Needlenose and Skywarp atack Zetca (as he was responsible for Horri-Bull's death vicariously) and plan to frame him for assassinating Bumblebee (thus turning the Autobots against NAIL's and allowing the Decepticons to stage a coup) Skywarp teleports himself and Zetca to a tower near the stage where the memorial is being held.

Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Ironhide and Metalhawk stand on the stage and begin the service for their seemingly dead friends (with Starscream and Long Haul in the crowd) and Bumblebee takes the opportunity to try and sway the public opinion to liking Autobots. Skywarp gets ready to fire from the tower but Prowl attacks and disables the Decepticon, and then watches as Metalhawk and Bumblebee formalized a truce between themselves. Long Haul wonders why Bee isn't dead yet but Starscream asks him to tell Ratbat that the mission succeeded.

Ratbat receives word that Bumblebee is dead and has his Decepticons prepare for the next stage of the plan. Ratbat flies off to his quarters to prepare, but as soon as he's alone Arcee attacks him, clips his wings and murders him on Prowl's orders. She leaves through the air-vents as a Decepticon comes in wondering what the noise was.

Arcee meets up with Prowl on the tower and they agree that Ratbat was resisting arrest and was armed, which is why he was killed, and they watch as Starscream steps on stage and states that he should be a part of the new government that Bumblebee and Metalhawk are forming as a representative of the Decepticons.

Characters

Autobot


Bumblebee - Car
Prowl
Arcee
Sideswipe - Car
Ironhide - Van
Wheeljack
Autobots in Crowd

Decepticon


Senator Ratbat - Cassette Killed by Arcee
Starscream - Jet
Skywarp - Jet Injured by Prowl
Long Haul
Mixmaster
Hook
Horri-Bull Killed by Soundwave (via remote)
Needlenose - Jet
Shockwave
Soundwave
Rumble - Cassette
Ravage -Cassette
Bombshell
Megatron (Mentioned)
Other Decepticons

NAIL/Unaligned


Metalhawk - Jet
Zetca Injured by Skywarp and Needlenose
NAILs in Crowd

Comic Notes

• Arcee might be the silhouetted character seen in the previous issue...but some of the details seem to be different between the character models, so maybe Prowl has ANOTHER cohort?
• The damage caused to Soundwave's face in The Death of Optimus Prime has made him mute, like his Prime counterpart
• Ratbat now claims to be the reason why the Decepticons were formed due to his dodgy dealings in Megatron: Origin
• It seems weird that Ratbat sent out Long Haul to spy on Starscream rather than an actual tracker like Ravage
• Bumblebee's cane has been refitted into a cattle-prod-like weapon
• The Autobots have built a stage in the new capital city where they hold the memorial from in this issue, which includes a large screen behind them
• Prowl now has a pair of baton weapons to attack enemies with, which have also been upgraded with an electrical discharge like Bee's cane.
• Skywarp's teleportation can be stopped by jamming some objects (like Prowl's batons) into him as he's in the middle of it  
• Metalhawk has now publicly stated that he wants to work with Bumblebee to help rebuild Cybertron
• Arcee murders Ratbat on Prowl's ordersin secret.
• Arcee might be Spider-Man as she's seen leaping across the Cybertronian Skyline
• Skywarp still holds a grudge against Bumblebee after the events of the Bumblebee series
• Despite not acting as deputies now, the Decepticons seem to be free to roam around Cybertron as well (since Long Haul and Starscream have been freely travelling all issue)
• Starscream only tells Prowl that Skywarp's I/D chip is failing, it's unknown if he told him about the others (it's unlikely though)
• The last time the Autobots trusted Starscream was when Sunstreaker trusted him and set off the events of All Hail Megatron
• Zetca seems to be the whipping bot of this series, he's been beaten up twice in as many comics

IDW - Robots in Disguise #1

Comic Staff

Title: The Autonomy Lesson
Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith

Colour by: Josh Perez

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Storyline

More and more ships full of NAIL's are returning to Cyberton, but are finding that the planet is trying to keep them away, but nonetheless the shanty town built up around Kimia station where they're trying to work together, but not that well.

Bumblebee and Metalhawk both greet a ship full of new arrivals, when the new NAIL is hostile towards Bumblebee (partly thanks to Metalhawk implying that the Autobots destroyed Cybertron and that he'd had Rodimus killed as well). Metalhawk takes the new NAIL on a tour of the city.

Elsewhere Tappet starts to graffiti the wall of Kimia, but is caught by Horri-Bull and Needlenose, who proceed to abuse their power as deputies and beat up the poor NAIL, until Prowl, Sideswipe and Blurr arrive and stop them, arrest Tappet for his vandalism and escort the Decepticons back to their base.

Prowl and Sideswipe escort the two Decepticons to their base, where Ratbat tries to get Prowl to give them more freedoms and remove the I/D chips so they can transform and use their weapons and powers, but Prowl refuses, just calling them animals. When alone again, Ratbat tells Horri-Bull and Needlenose to stay out of trouble until the next night, when their plan will be put in place.

In Kimia Bumblebee asks what happened to Tappet and Prowl explains that some Decepticons went overboard. Bumblebee tells him to get better control over his deputies or they'll have to start kill them. Prowl states that Ratbat's going to be a problem for them. The two of them go in the elevator and enter the command room where Broadside informs them of a new ship arriving, and Prowl tries to get Bumblebee to cancel the memorial for Rodimus and his crew the next day, since most of the planet either hated or are indifferent to them. Bumblebee asks Broadside to get Metalhawk to come see him.

Elsewhere Ironhide, Wheeljack and Omega Supreme are trying to survey the land around the shanty town to get a better look at what's happened to their planet, but are unable to get too far out. Back at Kimia, Prowl is watching the sunset when his mysterious accomplice meets with him and asks him some questions about his worldview, and Prowl tells him to leave before someone sees him.

Bumblebee releases Tappet and Metalhawk arrives and asks why Tappet was beaten up during custody etc. Tappet leaves and the two others go for a ride with each other to talk, with Metalhawk commenting on how Bumblebee has a new alternate mode, which Bumblebee accredits to Wheeljack. Bumblebee asks Metalhawk to accompany him on stage at the ceremony for Rodimus to make the NAIL's try and accept it as well. Metalhawk asks Bumblebee to stop calling them NAIL's as it's offensive. Bee agrees, and then Metalhawk reveals that a lot of people think that Bumblebee had Rodimus' ship destroyed because of their disagreement. Bumblebee is shocked and angry, but before he can go too far the two of them hear a commotion nearby.

Horri-Bull and Needlenose have started a fight with Zetca in front of several NAIL's and seem to want to kill him. Bumblebee tries to get Horri-Bull to stop fighting by threatening him with the I/D chip, but he doesn't listen. Metalhawk tells Bumblebee to consider what he's about to do, but Bumblebee ignores him and detonates the chip, killing Horri-Bull.

From the top of a ship Skywarp reports that Horri-Bull is dead, and he's recalled to base, and he teleports away...leaving Needlenose in shock over his friend's death, and a crowd converging on the scene.

Characters

Autobot


Bumblebee - Car
Prowl - Car
Sideswipe - Car
Blurr
Ironhide - Van
Wheeljack
Omega Supreme - Rocket, Base and Tank
Broadside
Sizzle
Jazz - Car
Mirage
Silverstreak - Car
Sky Lynx
Rodimus (Mentioned) Believed to be dead
Ultra Magnus (Mentioned) Believed to be dead
Crew of the Lost Light (Mentioned) Believed to be dead
Optimus Prime (Mentioned)

Decepticon


Senator Ratbat
Horri-Bull Killed by Bumblebee
Needlenose - Jet
Skywarp - Jet
Soundwave - Van
Starscream - Jet
Acid Storm - Jet
Laserbeak
Buzzsaw
Ravage
Rumble
Shockwave - Ray Gun
Bombshell
Mindwipe
Triggerhappy
Rampage
Divebomb
Razorclaw - Drill Tank
Dead End - Car
Wildrider - Car
Spinister - Helicopter
Hook - Crane
Bonecrusher
Other Decepticons

NAIL


Metalhawk - Jet
Tappet - Car
Zetca Beaten up by Horri-Bull
"Tank NAIL" - Tank
"Boba-Fett NAIL"
NAIL Crowd

Other


Prowl's Mysterious Accomplice (In Shadows only)
Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Comic Notes

• Cybertron has started striking out at ships etc, but doesn't seem to be attacking the people in the Kimia-Shanty town
• Starting here, as well as having War For Cybertron character models (ie Cybertronian alternate modes) the characters also have glowing parts, such as on their insignias.
• As with MTMTE, I wont mention the alternate modes of characters unless it is clear
• In the background on page two there's a green building with a red top...possibly a reference to Cosmos
• It's explained why the Autobots have Cybertronian modes now, but there's no real reason (at the moment) why the Decepticons have new modes as well
• Ratbat is really taking on his old role as Senator to heart again
• Omega Supreme can regrow any of his walls that are damaged
• Ironhide and Wheeljack are trying to survey the planet again, but can't get too far out due to the geological issues
• The radio static gets worse on Cybertron after sundown now
• It's not clear who Prowl's accomplice is. All we know right now is that he didn't go to Earth (he thinks it's called "Eart")
• The doorway out to the balcony in Kimia where Prowl stands in this story looks like it was crudely carved out of the wall, as do some of the other walls etc on the former station.
• The collection of ships are starting to look more and more like a real city now
• It seems like Horri-Bull's death was planned by whomever Skywarp is working for (either Ratbat, Prowl or someone else)
• Due to him appearing in the background, we can finally see that Razorclaw survived his encounter with Starscream back in the Revenge of the Decepticons TPB's storyline.
• Sideswipe is back to his more normal colours, rather than his G2 version seen in Death of Optimus Prime
• Skywarp can teleport again....how ominous....