IDW - Transformers: King Grimlock #4

Written by: Steve Orlando

Art by: Agustin Padilla

Colours by: Jeremy Colwell & Heather Breckel

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Arko, having joined The Golden One's forces, is clad in golden armour, ready for combat with Grimlock and his followers.

Elsewhere, Grimlock confirms that the Red Wizard's blood is actually corrupted Energon, which he also believes is present across Menonia, including The Golden One, he begins plotting, with the village leaders in the group to defeat the powerful figure.

The next day, Grimlock approaches The Golden One's stronghold, where he is greeted by Clatta and the Golden Army, but Clatta is easily swatted away, and Grimlock tears through the army.

Nearby, the villager leaders use the last of their powers to create an eclipse, weakening The Golden One's power in the process.

The corrupted ruler turns into his dragonoid form and attacks the Dinobot, but Grimlock easily subdues him, and tries to force him to turn against Soltron, due to his corruptive Energon, however the ruler reveals that he is actually the host of Soltron, but is tired of all the suffering his is causing to himself and others.

Suddenly, Soltron tries to take full control of his body, but The Golden One does indeed rebel, and ejects him from his body, causing his own death in the process.

Needing a new host, Soltron offers his power to Arko, who has become disillusioned with how "weak" everyone is around her, and she agrees, gladding her in New armour, and granting her new powers, to Grimlock's horror... 

Characters

Autobot

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Soltron

Menonian Human

Arko Possessed by Soltron

Arnak

Berea

Anglorian and Valerift Survivors

Other

The Golden One Dies upon Soltron Leaving Body

Clatta

The Golden Army

The Red Wizard Dead

The Anti-Sun (Mentioned)

Notes

• The Menonian Energon making Grimlock more feral and unstable makes it seem more like Dark Energon than the normal variant.
• The Golden One acts like his connection to Soltron is weakened during an eclipse...but we learn later this issue that Soltron is inside The Golden One...which he also seems aware of....

IDW - Transformers: King Grimlock #3

Title: Grimlock the Avenger

Written by: Steve Orlando

Art by: Agustin Padilla

Colours by: Jeremy Colwell

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Grimlock has been training the Anglorian villagers to fight the Red Wizard's army, and leads them towards his base in the Rotlands.

Elsewhere, The Golden One attacks the village of Valedrift, Arko's family's home, seemingly unaware that he is being watched by Clatta from afar.

Grimlock's army arrive at the Rotlands, where they are attacked by the Red Army of Wood-bots and Clay Golems, given life by the Wizard.

Grimlock's forces take on the undead army, allowing Grimlock to break into the Wizard's castle, where he quickly realises he's a Quintesson in disguise, and fatally wounds tears him apart, with the Quintesson stating that only he can defeat The Golden One, as he dies. Grimlock realizes now that Menonia has a deeper connection to Cybertron than he originally believed, and wonders if The Golden One could be in some way Cybertronian, and should go after him next...

Grimlock shows off the corpse of the Wizard to his army, who have taken out the rest of his Army, when he is encountered by Arnak, Arko's father, who he left after he summoned him to Menonia, and the Autobot explains that he doesn't know where his daughter is, as they parted ways.

Elsewhere again, Arko arrives at The Golden One's castle, and is greeted by him, welcoming her inside...

Characters

Autobot

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Optimus Prime - Truck (Mentioned)

Menonian

The Golden One

Arko

Arnak

Anglorian Villagers

Valedrift Villagers

Other

The Red Wizard Killed by Grimlock

Clatta

Red Clay Army Destroyed by Grimlock and Anglorians

Wood-bots Destroyed by Grimlock and Anglorians

Soltron (Mentioned)

The Anti-Sun (Mentioned)

Sharkticons - Sharks (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue confirms that the Red Wizard/Quintesson connection from the G1 cartoon is still the same in this universe.
• The Quintesson in this issue isn't given a real name, and also looks different to most other Quintessons in the franchise.
• Clatta is shown to have a secret, he is watching over the Golden One when he does out in his dragon form...I'm starting to think that Clatta is a Titan Master and Soltron could be a Titan who ended up on Menonia.
• Arko's armour that she builds this issue is seemingly made from the remains of one of the Wood-bots...ewww...

IDW - Transformers: King Grimlock #2

Title: Grimlock the Defender

Written by: Steve Orlando

Art by: Augustin Padilla

Colours by: Jeremy Colwell

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Grimlock continues to fight his way through the fantasy setting of Menonia, until he becomes ensnared into a Ridge Worm. Arko appears and helps him get free, and leads him out of the giant creature.

Arko tries to persuade Grimlock to help her defeat the Golden One, but he doesn't see the fight as his. Arko attempts to fight Grimlock to force him to help her, or just to take him out as a new threat, but the Dinobot just ignores her attacks.

Grimlock simply says that she is weak, but agrees to teach her how to be stronger, so long as she doesn't question him, which she agrees to.

Soon the duo come across a fishing village called Angloria, which is under attack by Wood-bots sent by the Red Wizard. Arko initially doesn't want to help them, seeing the villagers as weak, but Grimlock intervenes, after seeing the attacking creatures.

After a quick fight, Grimlock looks over one of the dead Wood-bots, and recognises it as similar to a Cybertronian, so he decides to go after the Red Wizard to get revenge for him creating these spark-less monstrosities.

Arko thinks this is suicide, since the Red Wizard is so powerful, even the Golden One avoids him, but Grimlock intends to head off regardless, leaving Arko to now consider Grimlock weak himself...

Elsewhere, at his castle, the Golden One comments to his assistant Clatta, that everything is going to plan, he knew that given Grimlocks personality he would want to go after the Red Wizard, and could potentially remove the one real threat to his reign...

Characters

Autobot

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Other Dinobots (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

The Necrobot (Mentioned)

Menonian

The Golden One

Clatta

Arko

Anglorian Villagers

Ridge Worm

Cyclops Leader Killed by The Golden One

Cyclopes Some Killed by Grimlock

Wood-bots Destroyed by Grimlock

The Red Wizard (Mentioned)

Arnak (Mentioned)

Other

Soltron (Mentioned)

Notes

• This issue reveals that "Soltron" is a figure who represents the "First Face", aka the Autobot insignia, which is why it appears on the weapons on the cyclopes. So it's very likely that Soltron is actually a Cybertronian that somehow influenced Menonia in the past.
• The Wood-bots are shown to be primitive versions of Cybertonians, created by the "Red Wizard", who in the cartoon counterpart to this story was an exiled Quintesson, who in turn were (in the cartoon anyway) created the Transformers, likely meaning this wizard will be a Quintesson too.
• Grimlock mentions that Dinobots worship the Necrobot, who chronicles the dead,and keep fighting to try to force the god to run out of data storage.