IDW - Robots in Disguise #7

Comic Staff

Title: Interference Patterns

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Brendan Cahill

Colours by: Joana Lafuente

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Storyline

A Decepticon ship appears out of nowhere above Cybertron and wants to land on the now rebooted planet. Bumblebee calls Wheeljack to help them figure out how they appeared from nowhere, and whether it's a cloaking device of some sort. The ship lands and Prowl's team surrounds it, ready to take down the occupants on Bumblebee's orders, but Metalhawk advises them caution, however when he sees that it's Turmoil on the ship he changes his mind and tells them to just kill him on sight.

Bumblebee and the others meet with Turmoil later and he claims the device he used isn't a cloaking device, but something more beneficial to everyone. Metalhawk tells everyone to not trust him, and it's revealed to him that Turmoil wasn't involved in the Dabola campaign, which caused Metalhawk to leave the war, but Drift was.

Later Starscream takes Metalhawk to Maccadam's to see Blurr, one of the surviving members of the team that supposedly killed Turmoil before, and he agrees that Turmoil is too dangerous to keep around. Elsewhere, the Autobots decide to investigate what Turmoil used to get this close to Cybertron unnoticed, and Wheeljack infiltrates the ship (which is shown throughout this issue in pieces). Wheeljack learns that the device is actually a time machine, not a cloaking device, and that it was created by a race of aliens that Turmoil imprisoned, who were then ejected into space when they heard the call to return to Cybertron when Vector Sigma was rebooted.

Wheeljack is caught hacking into the ship's systems by Turmoil, who summarily blasts a hole through the Autobot's chest, just as he goes to finish him off though, Wheeljack places his new invention around Turmoil's leg and traps him in a bubble. Turmoil tries to break free with his cannon, but it just explodes inside the containment field.

The rest of Turmoils men appear and start beating on Wheeljack, who is then suddenly saved by Metalhawk, who had infiltrated the ship like Wheeljack had. Wheeljack recovers the belt from Turmoil's injured body and Wheeljack and Metalhawk roll out in the bubble it generated, eventually smashing out of the ship. Metalhawk called for Prowl and his team to raid the ship and arrest every Decepticon, all whilst Wheeljack decides to keep the Time Machine, just in case.

Character List

Autobot
Bumblebee - Car
Wheeljack - Car Injured by Turmoil
Prowl - Car
Broadside
Blurr - Race Car
Jazz - Car
Streetwise - Car
Drift - Car (Mentioned Thought to be Dead
Kup's Team (Mentioned)
Lost Light Crew (Mentioned) Thought to be dead

Decepticon
Starscream - Jet
Turmoil - Tank Injured by Wheeljack, Imprisoned
Turmoil's Crew Imprisoned

NAIL
Metalhawk - Jet
Sky Byte - Flying Shark
Tappet - Car
Hipotank - Tank

Other
Crystal City (Mentioned)
Cybertronian Crowds
Varta's People (On Monitors) Killed by Turmoil's crew

Notes

• Turmoil somehow survived the explosion of his ship from Spotlight: Drift
• It's revealed here that the planet from the start of the Drift mini-series is called Dabola, and that Metalhawk wasn't aware that Drift led that attack.
• Metalhawk didn't run from the war out of fear after Dabola, he left because he was afraid of the anger that he felt growing after the battle
• Jazz and Sky Byte seem to have bonded, with them forming a music-poetry duet
• This story seems to imply that Sandstorm was either killed in the Chaos story, or left on the Lost Light (as it's claimed that Roadbuster and Blurr are the only ones left from the team in Spotlight: Drift left). Roadbuster's also been forgotten about, as he's on Debris looking after Springer right now!
• The alien species who build the Time Machine for Turmoil are the same species as Varta from Spotlight: Wheelie
• Metalhawk's wings act like swords
• This story ends with Wheeljack seeming to keep hold of the Time Machines...could this have any bearing on the message from the future from MTMTE#1?
• Unusually the front cover of this comic (well the one I have anyway) looks like an extended view of a scene that actually happened in the comic itself!
• Wheeljack's new "toy" is a belt that can generate a bubble around him that allows him to defy gravity and is protected from attacks...he likes to mess with science!

IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #6

Comic Staff

Title: Interiors

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Nick Roche

Colour by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: John Barber

Storyline

Fortress Maximus has been ordered into therapy with Rung in response to his over-the-top battle style on Delphi, and Max remembers his experience with Overlord on Garrus-9, and how Overlord tried to get him to reveal what was under Aequitas. Rung tries to reassure Max that he's safe now since Overlord was destroyed, but he doesn't seem too reassured.

At Swerve's bar Chromedome and some other Autobots are playing a game where Chromedome has to guess who just transformed when tailgate arrives, exhausted from his lesson with Magnus, when his teacher walks in and arrests Swerve for opening an illegal bar without permission. Afterwards Trailbreaker starts talking smack about Fort Max, when he walks in and just opens fire on Pipes, unprovoked, he then leaves and starts "randomly" attacking several other crew members before locking himself in Rung's office, during a session with Whirl.

Rung is restrained to his chair by a bent pole, whilst Whirl is impaled to the floor with another pole. WHirl keeps taunting Max into killing him, but he refuses, as he needs the hostages. Blaster hacks into a camera in Rung's office so they can watch what's going on, Rung notices the camera activate and turns on his microphone too, so they can hear as well. Max makes a call to Rodimus to turn the ship around and send them back to Cybertron so he can make Prowl explain why it took so long to send anyone to G9, and then to kill him. He annoys Rodimus though by calling him Hot Rod, basically making it certain that he wont turn around. Fort Max notices Rung's microphone on his thumb and tears it off.

In the Medibay, Ratchet and First Aid have just finished stabilizing the five victims of Max's rampage when Ratchet notices that all of them have similar colour schemes to Overlord. Back in Rung's office, Max demands to know why Whirl even bothers with therapy since everyone knows he just insane, he reveals his past and that he used to be a watchmaker and then worked for the senate for a while (As shown in Chaos Theory). During the story Rung picks up his toy Ark and starts pointing at the windows, which tells Rodimus to get at Max from the windows. Rodimus calls Rewind and Swerve who are outside changing the rivets as punishments to go to the window.

Whirl reveals at the end of his story that he was kicked out of the Wreckers by Roadbuster after he tried to end Springer's life using  a weapon Roadbuster invented called a Sparkeater (based on the "mythological" one). Max realizes that the star field outside the window hasn't changed, meaning that they haven't turned around yet, so he decides to start killing hostages. Whirl volunteers, but Rung stalls him by saying that he knows this isn't about Prowl and justice, but about Overlord, and how he'll never get revenge. Ratchet tells Rodimus this at the same time.

Rewind and Swerve are in position outside the window, but Max moves behind a pillar and Rewind can't get a clear shot with his gun. Rodimus has Swerve take the gun, whilst Rewind streams in images from G9 and his torture into the room via his camera, which paralyzes Max in pain, Whirl pulls himself off the pole in the distraction, whilst Rung is able to hug Max into trying to calm down. Swerve tries to convince Rodimus not to make him take the shot since Max has stopped now and Rung might get hurt, but Rodimus has him take the shot regardless, resulting in Rung's head being struck and explodes, killing him, resulting in Fort Max screaming, before Whirl can use his pole to impale Max, knocking him out.

Later Rodimus gives a heartfelt speech about Rung's death which impresses Drift, who them tells Rodimus that Red Alert is acting strange and sneaking around, all whilst Red Alert goes into the Sparkeater's old room using Ore's drill weapon, and digs a hole, revealing a chamber that shouldn't exist, containing the supposedly destroyed, albeit disarmed, Overlord repeatedly moaning "kill me"

Character List

Autobot
Rodimus - Speedy Car
Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport
Drift - Car
Fortress Maximus - Tank Injured by Whirl and Incarcerated in Brig
Rung - Communications Maintenance Buggy Killed by Swerve (Accident)
Whirl - Osprey Helicopter
Swerve - Van
Rewind - Memory Stick
Ratchet - Ambulance
First Aid - Ambulance
Boss - Car Injured by Fortress Maximus
Pipes - Truck Injured by Fortress Maximus
Dogfight - Jet Injured by Fortress Maximus
Turbine Injured by Fortress Maximus
Doubletap Injured by Fortress Maximus
Chromdome - Car
Hound - Car
Trailbreaker - Van
Skids - Van
Sunstreaker - Car
Brainstorm - Jet
Blaster
Red Alert
Deftwing - Jet
Powerflash
Aquafend
Ore - Drill Tank Dead
Siren (On Radio)
Springer (Flashback) On Life Support
Inferno (Mentioned)
Orion Pax/Optimus Prime (Mentioned)
Prowl (Mentioned)
Roadbuster (Mentioned)
The Wreckers (Mentioned)
Garrus-9 Staff (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Overlord - Tank and Jet Neutered and Restrained

Genericons (Mentioned) Dead

Megatron (Mentioned)

Other

Tailgate - Car

Cyclonus - Jet

The Heavies (Flashback)

The Heavies Boos (Flashback)

Senate (Mentioned)

Senator Empurata (Mentioned)

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Notes

• Though not clearly identified here, it seems most likely that Turbine is the one with turbines and wings, and Doubletap is the one with two cannons on his arms.
• It's implied in this story that Whirl was ordered to try and kill Megatron by the Senate, as shown in Chaos Theory, most likely due to his message of revolution
• Ironically Swerve is probably going to need therapy after killing the therapist!
• Brainstorm again seems to try and use his briefcase as a shield
• Whirl says he wont be Max's helicopter in his ransom demands...this is funny :D
• This issue clearly shows that Fort Max's design has been slightly updated since the Wreckers storyline on page 2
• Chromedome and Rewind can tell who someone is from just the sound of their transformation. Rewind is better though
• There is something under the Aequitas Chamber on G9.
• Swerve gets punished for opening a bar on the ship, but he's sure Rodimus will let him keep it open
• Rung's office is (was?) on Level 7
• The security team includes Deftwing, Ironfist's wave-mate from the toy line, wonder if he knew ol' Fisitron in this continuity too?
• Fort Max calls Rodimus by his old name Hot Rod, which Rodimus hates (especially since Optimus officially renamed him at the end of Space Opera)
• Seriously? WHY is Siren doing announcements?
• Whirl was once a watchmaker who went a bit crazy....sort of like Sylar from Heroes no?
• The golden disks Rewind bought off Swindle were revealed to be snuff films here, which even disgusted Rodimus, meaning that Rewind is on rivet duty outside for the forseeable future (unless his actions in helping with the hostage situation changed that ruling somewhat)
• Whirl really doesn't care about having his face smashed in or having a pole stabbed through his middle does he?!
• The pole stabs right through Fort Max's Autobot insignia...that has to be symbolic!
• The distorted voice from the previous issue is revealed to have been Overlord! He's restrained in a room that shouldn't exist underneath the Lost Light
• What will happen to Rung's toys now!?! (I can has?) - though as pointed out to me by a certain Drift stalker that probably doesn't need an introduction, Drift is holding a mis-coloured Ark in his hands after Rung's memorial...that thief....
• Chromedome still hates Cyclonus for his actions in Chaos
• It's implied here that Whirl is Jetstream from Bullets, the guy who bullied Rotorstorm
• Despite not knowing his name, Whirl seemed to think of Rung as a friend
• Fort Max, the ultimate prison warden is now in the brig...so ironic.

TFCC - A Flash Forward #3

Release Date: June/July 2012

Issue Number: 45

Continuity: Post Generation Two Redux

Writers: Jesse Wittenrich & Pete Sinclair

Pencils & Inks: Matt Frank

Colours: Thomas Deer

Letters: Jesse Wittenrich

Managing Editor: Pete Sinclair

Story

On Cybertron the Battlechargers roll up to Jhiaxus with an amnesiac Side Burn in tow and is brought into the fold for Jhiaxus' plans. In space Pyro and his team (minus Sizzle who wanted to stay on Earth for some reasons) when they have a distress signal from Nebulos. They go to investigate.

Spike, Carly and Chip greet the Autobots on Nebulos and they learn that a top scientist, Hi-Q has gone missing. Hubcap learns from Hi-Test that Hi-Q had his room under surveillance. The film shows the Battlechargers responsible for the kidnapping, the Autobots wonder why two thugs are kidnapping a scientist, but Pyro's glad, since they're too stupid to have covered their tracks well enough, so they may be able to find him easily.

Elsewhere, Jhiaxus has used Hi-Q's mind to create his own "Second Generation" to compete against the "Generation 2" created on Earth.

Characters

Autobot

Pyro - Fire Truck

Streetwise - Police Car

Blaze - Car

Hubcap - Car

Sideswipe - Sports Car

Windbreaker - Serene Shifter

Side Burn - Blue Flame Speedster Amnesiac 

Highbrow - Helicopter

Brainstorm - Jet

Chromedome - Car

Crosshairs - Van Buggy

Sizzle - Green Machine (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Jhiaxus - Fiery Flier

Runamuck - White Tasty Tuner

Runabout - Black Tasty Tuner

Second Generation

Go-Bot Mirage - F1 Race Car

Go-Bot Bumblebee - Sports Car

Go-Bot Ironhide - Pick Up Truck

Go-Bot Soundwave - Sports Car

Go-Bot Frenzy - Sports Car

Go-Bot Nightracer - Sports Car

Go-Bot "Detectas" - Race Car In Pod

Go-Bot "Side Burn" - Muscle Car In Pod

Go-Bot "Side Swipe" - Hot Rod Car In Pod

Go-Bot "Prowl 2" - Police Car In Pod

Human

Spike Witwicky

Carly Witwicky

Chip Chase

Nebulon

Hi-Q

Hi-Test

Other Nebulons

Notes

• Side Burn has lost his memories, most likely due to being left in his stasis pod for so long
• Fizzle seems to have recently changed his name to Blaze for some reason
• The Witwickys and Chip seem to live on Nebulos now
• Nebulos sure has changed from being a forest-based world to a technological one hasn't it?
• Hubcap's power seems to be to force others to tell the truth
• The Second Generation is made up of the 3rd wave of Go-Bots from G2's toy line (minus Sideswipe), Nightracer (an exclusive toy) and four currently in-stasis robots that used the four unreleased Go-bOt molds that would later be used in RID instead.
• Jhiaxus being the leader of a Second Generation of Cybertronians seems very familiar....
• Images of Soundwave and Frenzy were seen in the last issue on screens...coincidentally what seems to be clones of them are seem here now. Also Nightbird is seen, which could be the basis for Nightracer too. The other 3 are Autobots traditionally, and in the toy line...very confusing....
• Hi-Q's project was the Powermaster Process, which wasn't seen in the cartoon
• In the Allspark Addendum, Strika's missiles are shown coming from her chest....this conjures up some inappropriate thoughts....
• The Back Cover also shows an image of Erector fighting the Constructicons which I don't recognize from anywhere else.

The Allspark Addendum

Sky-Byte by Strika

Mindwipe by Megatron

Blot by Starscream

Decepticon Weaponry by Ironfist

Other Features

Botcon 2012 Re-Cap!

Windbreaker Profile

Flamefeather Profile

Transformers I.Q.

Recordicons Mini-Comic

Titan - Prime Volume 4 #10

Basic Information

Cover Characters: Ratchet

Cover Date: July 2012

Price: £2.75

Poster: Arcee/Bumblebee

Comic Title: Mad Dogs & Autobots

Script: Chris Cooper

Art: Dario Brizuela

Lettering: Comicraft

Plot

Mad Dog has just had his unit closed down by the government and he's quite obviously upset as his is the only group even capable of dealing with the likes of MECH. When his underling, Leech shows him some images of the Autobots, but both assume that they are just people in robotic battle suits, like what they were developing, and learn they are operating near Jasper, Nevada. Mad Dog decides to prove that his group is better by setting a trap for them.

At Omega One, Jack is showing the Autobots how to bob for apples (which Bulkhead mimics using an engine block) when Fowler calls in and reports some eco-terrorists having attacked a deep driller and that the President wants them to look into it. The team, bar Ratchet head out there via the Ground Bridge. The Autobots arrive at the rig, but find it deserted, except for some humans in battle suits, who intend to defeat the Autobots to show them up.

The Humans are winning the fight, against the "stolen designs battle suits" as they think they are. Optimus orders the Autobots to try and find non-lethal ways to defeat them, as they are still humans. Ratchet gives advice from Omega One saying that the battle suits are slow, which they can use to help defeat them (like getting them to shoot each other by accident or causing things to fall on them etc). Leech and Mad Dog refuse to give up though, so Jack suggests the Autobots surrender instead, and then tells them the whole plan.

The Autobots surrender and Optimus asks Mad Dog to help him out of his battle suit, but when he tries he finds out that there is no human operator, and that Optimus is really a robot, which sort of unnerves him, to the extent where he's being taken away on a stretcher, shaking a little later on.

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Arcee - Motorcycle

Bulkhead - Off Road Vehicle

Bumblebee - Sports Car

Ratchet - Ambulance

Human

General Rufus "Mad Dog" Madison

Colonel Leech

Agent Fowler

Miko

Jack

Mad Dog's Troops

Capitol Building Guard

MECH (Mentioned)

President of US (Mentioned)

Notes

• The President is revealed to actually know what happened during Starscream's attack on her in a previous issue
• Mad Dog really is quite arrogant, believing that only his team could have designed robot bodies like what the Autobots have, and even thinking that the Autobots were inferior to him
• Why is Jack teaching the Autobots Apple Bobbing? It's not Halloween for months!
• Mad Dog mocks Bumblebee for being painted in a bumblebee style.
• It's not clear who Optimus is talking to in the last panel, I'd assume that it was Fowler, but it looks more like Leech, but that wouldn't make sense unless Leech was a double agent or something.

Other Features

Adverts

Competitions

The Trans Files - Information on the Energon Harvester

Deus Ex Machina - Episode Guide

Mega-Mouth - Arcee and Megatron read the mail

Starscream's Stumpers! - Starscream does puzzles and stuff

Greek Adventure! - Greece-based puzzles 

IDW - Robots in Disguise #6

Comic Staff

Title: Syndromica [1]

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Livio Ramondelli

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Storyline

Shockwave arrives at Arduria to investigate why the gas giant planet has suddenly frozen over, and he learns that it's due to one of his Regenesis Missiles. Whilst there he encounters some of the residents, the Ardurian Rocs who are dying and freezing, so Shockwave puts them out of their misery and kills the remaining members.

500,000 Years later, in the present day the travelling Orion Pax (formerly Optimus Prime) meets with Hardhead, Wheelie and Garnak who are travelling as well to keep a dangerous cargo away from Cybertron. They tell Orion that they've picked up a signal from Ardurian space, despite the residents there being gone for a long time now. Orion agrees to help them investigate it.

On their ship Orion meets with Hardhead's cargo, Jhiaxus, who seems to have gone mad from the reformatting of Cybertron after the Chaos event, and he sarts rambling about Shockwave's 13 missiles.

The ship later lands on one of the Ardurian Aeries, where the signal was detected and they discover the bodies of the Rocs left by Shockwave years earlier and also discover the frozen form of Monstructor as well, reaching for a missile. 

Whilst asking Wheelie to look up Monstructor's files from the ship when Monstructor breaks free from the ice and goes in to attack Orion and Hardhead, and Orion suddenly remembers that last time he was seen it was with Bludgeon, whom is now on the ship and has attacked Garnak and Wheelie.

Orion and Hardhead fight Monstructor and learns that someone has removed Monstructor's weakness, which Orion learned when he first fought him years earlier from Omega Supreme. Monstructor willingly separates and barges past the two Autobots and return to their own ship which is leaving the Aerie.

Orion returns to the ship and finds Jhiaxus gone and Wheelie and Garnak left for dead. Later on, after the Autobots are healed up (albeit with Garnak losing an eye) the group are hunting down Bludgeon's ship and they figure out that they're heading to the Lenocinium Velnero system, the system where Wheelie was stranded for centuries. Optimus says they have to go there, which visibly disturbs Wheelie to the extent that he doesn't even rhyme. Optimus says that they still need to go there to stop Bludgeon from doing whatever he's doing, especially since it seems to be involving the Regenesis Missiles.

Characters

Autobot
Orion Pax - Truck Cab
Hardhead - Personnel Carrier
Wheelie - Car
Bumblebee - Car (Mentioned)
Dynobots (Mentioned)
Rodimus - Speedy Car (Mentioned)
Crew of Light Light (Mentioned)

Decepticon
Bludgeon - Tank
Wildfly - Monster
Slog - Monster
Scowl - Monster
Icepick - Monster
Birdbrain - Monster
Bristleback - Monster
Monstructor - Gestalt
Shockwave - Ray Gun (Flashback)

Cybertronian
Jhiaxus - Jet Driven mad by Reformatting 
Galvatron (Mentioned) Destroyed during Reformatting

Other
Garnak
Ardurian Rocs Killed by Regenesis Missile/Shockwave
Station Bar Patrons
Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Comic Notes

• The Regenesis Missiles are what created the Ore-13 on Earth, and Froze Arduria, it's also been implied that one of them created the energon crystal laden world where Kup was trapped in his Spotlight as well.
• Orion learns from Hardhead that Rodimus is dead, but Orion doesn't believe it and is sure that he survived his ship's destruction (As the reader knows is the truth too). This also shows that Rodimus hasn't bothered to get in touch with Cybertron since their apparent deaths...I mean the Lost Light has basically EVERY scientist from Cybertron onboard! Seriously!! Why no radios?!
• Shockwave is mentioned as being on Cybertron right now
• In a nice touch, Orion and the others in this series are in their bodies from Chaos.
• The Ardurians are distant cousins to Transformers, much like how they are related to Battle Beasts in the 80's lines
• Jhiaxus is revealed to have survived his apparent death in Chaos, however he went mad from the reformatting.
• All the characters who were in some serious danger during Chaos are now accounted for
• It looks like we'll be getting some answers about what happened to Wheelie in the years between his Spotlight and Space Opera
• Oh look! The Monstructor Components have Alternate modes! Still no real name for their group yet though...

IDW - Robots in Disguise #5

Comic Staff

Title: A Better Tomorrow

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith with Casey Coller

Colour by: Josh Perez

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Storyline

Ironhide watches as another NAIL ship returns to Cybertron, and the Autobots are getting noticeably more agitated due to them being very out-numbered now, but Ironhide assures him that everything will be alright in the end. At the landing site, Starscream and Metalhawk greet the newly returned Sky-Byte, a former Decepticon and now a poet, who doesn't seem to like Starscream due to his reputation. Prowl and Arcee watch this from high up, and Arcee taunts Prowl about knowing one of his secrets. Arcee tells Prowl that she's not his assassin, and that she got out most of her pent up anger suring her 6 year "therapy" session with Jhiaxus on Gorlam Prime and leaves, with Prowl wondering what Arcee thinks she is now then.

Later, Metalhawk is showing Sky-Byte around the city and introduces him to some more NAIL's and he learns about the Autobot's having the Decepticons tagged to explode if they go out of line, which shocks him. Later still, Ironhide is on a patrol outside the city when he encounters Sky-Byte composing a poem whilst looking at some of the dead Sweeps, who still litter the wastelands. Ironhide tells Sky-Byte that he'd love to hear his poem some time, but he should return to the city before sundown, due to the planet going crazy at night. Ironhide suggests that Sky-Byte goes to talk to some of his old Decepticon friends to get the whole picture of the planet, as he's already spoken to the NAIL's and himself about it.

Back in the city, Ironhide and Blurr are out for a drive and Blurr is slowly recovering from his injuries from the last issue and comments on how he'd love to open a bar one day (like Swerve said in MTMTE). Ironhide says it's a good idea. Elsewhere, Metalhawk and Starscream meet with Bumblebee and try to convince him to remove the Decepticon's I/D Chips, but he refuses.

Sky-Byte meets with Swindle and Needlenose, who are helping Dirge hide from Prowl when they hear some Autobots entering their hideout, as they followed Sky-Byte. The Autobots open fire, and Swindle takes Dirge down an escape route. Sky-Byte and Needlenose get arrested by Prowl whilst Arcee goes off after Swindle and Dirge. Outside the Decepticons are taken out, and some of the NAIL's think Needlenose is Skywarp and want to hurt him for hurting Zetca before, and also mistake Sky-Byte for a Decepticon too, which erupts into a riot between the NAIL's, the Autobot guards and the two prisoners.

Ironhide, Bumblebee, Metalhawk and Starscream rush to the scene and Ironhide beats down the crowd to bring some calm to it. Ironhide defends Sky-Byte from Prowl and Prowl turns against his old friend. Ironhide begs Bumblebee to turn off the chips and allow the Decepticons to try and prove themselves, as well as ending all this madness.

The next day, Blurr has reopened Maccadam's Old Oil House as a neutral area to celebrate the turning off of the chips. Ironhide, Prowl and Sky-Byte share a booth, but Prowl's still angry. Ironhide reveals that when Cybertron went White after Vector Sigma was revived he saw the future, and that it was bright and beautiful because all the fighting and all the old Transformers, bar himself and Alpha Trion were dead and gone.

Characters

Autobot
Bumblebee - Car
Ironhide - Van
Prowl - Car
Arcee - Car
Blurr - Race Car
Sideswipe - Car
Streetwise - Car
Jazz - Car
Wheeljack - Car
Broadside
Sky Lynx
Cliffjumper
Bluestreak
Wheelie (Mentioned)
Alpha Trion (Mentioned)
Future Gorlam Prime Autobots (Mentioned)

Decepticon
Starscream - Tetrajet
Dirge - Tetrajet
Ratbat - Cassette (Mentioned) Dead
Swindle - Van
Needlenose - Jet
The Constructicons (Mentioned) Dead
Horri-Bull (Mentioned) Dead
Skywarp - Tetrajet (Mentioned)

NAIL
Metalhawk - Jet
Tappet - Car
Zetca
Hipotank - Tank
Sky-Byte - Flying Shark
2 Junkions - Motorcycles
"Cruellock"
"Skyblast"
NAIL Crowds
Other
Sweeps - Space Shuttles Dead
Galvatron (Mentioned)
Jhiaxus (Mentioned)
Primus (Mentioned)

Comic Notes

• Sky-Byte is clearly based on the character from Robots in Disguise (the TV series), however this one is a Neutral Transformer, who used to be a Decepticon, rather than a Predacon.
• Hipotank (the green tank NAIL) is finally named in this issue, after being unnamed all series
• Sky-Byte thinking the Sweep reminding him of someone he used to know is a possible reference to there being a Scourge (whom the Sweeps are modeled after) in Robots in Disguise as well. Or it could mean that Sky-Byte used to know Scourge before he went missing some time ago?
• Galvatron's army going from being a collection of many body types and characters to being a group of identical Sweeps is explained sort of here, as they just all slowly became the Sweeps via Galvatron's influence (which was actually shown in All Hail Megatron when Galvatron created the first Sweeps using the Heart of Darkness)
• Both Blurr and Swerve have now opened up a bar like they originally planned to, albeit separately to one-another
• Dirge is still on the run from Prowl after he saw him killing Bombshell in cold blood
• Sideswipe actually seems to push Streetwise into Needlenose's flamethrower
• Arcee stalking Swindle and Dirge is likely to be a plot-line in an upcoming issue
• One of the NAIL's near the end looks like the Raptor Terrorcon, Cruellock (even his colours) from Energon, and another even resembles Skyblast from the same series!
• To keep up the pretense that the I/D chips are still fully active Starscream flies by hanging onto Metalhawk in his jet mode
• Sky Lynx once again randomly appears in a background...this time inside Maccadam's....how did he fit inside there?
• I guess Blurr just loved Maccadam's when it used to be open as he named his bar after it (and since this couldn't be the old building either, since all the old structures were erased during the reformatting)...I guess one of the NAIL ships just happened to be the perfect shape to recreate the bar?
• The events of the flash forward at the end of the previous ongoing are revealed to have been a vision of Ironhide's

IDW - More Than Meets the Eye #5

Comic Staff

Title: How Ratchet got his hands back

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Alex Milne

Colour by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Chris Mowry

Editor: John Barber

Storyline

On Delphi, the newly revived Fortress Maximus kills the Genericons in...well frankly nightmare inducing ways, but then calms down once both are dead. First Aid tries to tend to Pharma's wounds, but is struck away from him. Ratchet tries to work on Drift, but he's afraid he'll die, when Ambulon goes to recover a part of one of the Genericons from Fort Max's chest Pharma draws a gun on him and claims that Ambulon, as a former Decepticon is a traitor and released the Decepticons from their cell. However the other Autobots quickly realize through several clues that Pharma is in fact the one who released the Decepticons, and also caused the virus to be released, with it being caused when the infected Transforms. Pharma escapes from the group by blasting a power relay that threatens to kill most of the lifers at the facility.

The Medics all try to save the now fading patients, and Ratchet transforms to allow Backstreet to survive by using his medical supplies in his vehicle mode, after which he runs off after the traitor.

On the Lost Light Tailgate asks Ultra Magnus to help him get ready for the Rite of Autobrand, and so Magnus starts to teach him the very extensive Autobot Code, elsewhere in his Ofiice, Rung is having a session with Red Alert, who has started hearing voices from under the Sparkeater's cage, despite there being just empty space under there. Red Alert reveals a recording he made that features something saying "Me...Kill..." repeatedly. During his lesson Tailgate gets interested in a clause that Magnus says is redundant, Clause 19-80-4, which reminds Tailgate of the robots who attacked Skids when they first met him. Magnus tells him that it regards Thought Warfare.

Back on Delphi, Ratchet catches up with Pharma and manages to get him to monologue about what he's done, he reveals that the only reason why the DJD has been leaving Delphi alone is because Pharma's been supplying their leader with Transformation Cogs, but the orders kept increasing, so in order to leave without any odd questions being raised, he arranged with Sonic and Boom to enter the facility and to help him deploy the virus and knock out communications etc, which infected everyone who heard it, and then spread via touch. Pharma planned to survive by hiding in the quarantine lab, but then Ratchet arrived and ruined everything. Ratchet tells Pharma that all of this is pointless, as he's just infected him with his rusting parts (as he transformed and infected himself earlier). The two medics fight briefly, with Pharma revealing he has a cure for himself and then blasts Ratchet, knocking him out.

Pharma escapes to the roof where he encounters Ratchet's Human holo-avatar, who distracts him long enough for the real Ratchet to tackle Pharma from behind and sends the cure falling over the edge. Ratchet and Pharma fight on the roof and Pharma ends up hanging over the edge begging for help, Ratchet turns his back on him, and Pharma activates his back mounted cannons and prepares to kill him, when Drift suddenly appears and slashes off Pharma's hands, sending him falling or flying to his doom.

Later First Aid administers the cure to everyone remaining at the facility (Ratchet had his holo-avatar catch the cure before it fell) and on the ride back to the Lost Light Ratchet suggests that First Aid takes over from him as Chief Medical Officer due to his actions at Delphi. The Delphi Survivors join the Lost Light crew and Ratchet has had Pharma's old hands replace his own faulty ones.

Character List

Autobot
Ratchet - Ambulance
First Aid
Ambulon - Leg
Pharma - Jet Presumed Dead from Fall/Virus
Drift - Car
Pipes - Truck
Fortress Maximus - Tank
Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport
Rung - Maintenance Buggy
Red Alert
Backstreet On Life Support
Tracer (Mentioned) On Life Support
Omega Supreme (Mentioned)
Skids - Van (Mentioned)
Brainstorm - Jet (Mentioned)
Rewind - Giant Memory Stick (Mentioned)
Chromedome - Car (Mentioned)
Whirl - Osprey Helicopter (Mentioned)
Ironfist/Fisitron (Mentioned) Dead
About 20 Patients at Delphi (Mentioned)
Delphi Staff (Flashback) Dead
Pharma's Victims (Flashback) Killed/Mutilated by Pharma

Decepticon
Sonic - Part of Light/Sound Cannon Killed by Fortress Maximus
Boom - Part of Light/Sound Cannon Killed by Fortress Maximus
DJD Leader (Flashback - Heavily Shadowed)
Megatron (Mentioned)
Starscream (Mentioned)
Killmaster (Mentioned)
Decepticon Justice Division (Mentioned)

Other
Tailgate - Car
"The Voice under the Ship"
Nineteen Eighty-Four Bot (Flashback)
Nova Prime - Truck (Flashback)
Sparkeater (Mentioned) Dead

Comic Notes

• The panels on Fort Max's chest can be used to slice off heads!
• The Decepticons tried to create a Gestalt 10 years ago
• First Aid has a damaged Transformation Cog
• Red Alert's character model from the past uses his more commonly known model from the G1 toys, cartoon etc rather than his new different character model (which sort of brings up the question of what's up with this new body)
• "Me...Kill..." could be a reference to Grimlock in some way, or could be really meant to be "Kill Me"
• Ultra Magnus hates dirt
• Holo-Avatar's were taken out of common use due to them not looking right and being energy intensive and requires constant concentration
• I wonder how long it'll take for Ratchet to paint his new hands red again?
• It's not stated, but it's likely that the lifers from Delphi (like Backstreet and Tracer) would have been taken to the Lost Light too
• First Aid and Ratchet both think they could have saved Ironfist