IDW - Transformers #37

Title: Onyx Interface Part 3: ONOFFON

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith

Colours by: Josh Perez & Thomas Deer

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Thundercracker is flying over Bikini Atoll, waiting for something. Sanjay reports this to Faireborn, who just tells him to watch the situation, and to make sure he doesn't find the clone army underneath the base.

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Arcee begins her stand-off with Galvatron, the Decepticons and the Constructicons, but quickly decides she can't be bothered, and flies off with Jimmy. Galvatron gives her chase, and Jimmy is abducted by Buzzsaw.

Galvatron flies Arcee into space, where they smash into a satellite, then Arcee rockets both of them down again, this time landing in the Australian outback (we know it is there because of the kangaroos!) where Galvatron says he wants to talk with her.

Prowl and Spike talk in the forest and Spike is glad that Prowl forgives him, as he assumes that he's finally seeing things his way, but Prowl tells him that he just simply sees now that the Cybertronian race is dangerous, and keeps repeating it's own dark history of wars and violence, so he wants the Enigma of Combination to stop it once and for all. He reveals to Spike that he thinks Galvatron killed his father to try and get him on his side.

Blackrock, Faireborn and Jones arrive in Wanmu where Blackrock shows them his Cybertronian artefacts, which does indeed include the Enigma of Combination, which he attributes humanity's technological advancements to.

Back in Australia Galvatron tells Arcee that Prowl killed Witwicky, shocking her, but she can't 100% deny it, Galvatron explains it as a side-effect of the Gestalt process, where it robs the components of individuality and reasoning, and proposes to her that they should team up to destroy the Enigma so that NO ONE can use it.

The two of them return to Mount Fuji, where the Decepticon's shuttle is now, and Jimmy is being held safe.

Behind the moon, Kup learns about Prowl and Arcee's separate trips to Earth from Sky Lynx and Sideswipe, despite Prime's orders, but the latter two don't see what harm could come from this little excursion....

Spike leads Prowl and the Constructicons to the Wanmu facility, where Prowl puts some of the stealth paint onto his clothing to help hide him more, when inside Spike quickly locates the trophy room, and identifies the Enigma, he reports this to Prowl, when sudddenly Prowl learns that a Decepticon shuttle is heading to the facility too from Cosmos, and that the EDC are inside the facility.

Prowl thanks Spike for his help, then forms Devastator with the others and attacks the facility. Blackrock reacts by setting off a program that launches all the Thrust and Ramjet clones from the Bikini Atoll base and sends them towards the Wanmu facility to fight the giant Cybertronian

Characters

Autobot

Prowl - Police SUV

Arcee - Sports Car

Cosmos - Orbiter

Kup - Pick Up Truck

Sideswipe - Sports Car

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Mentioned)

Alpha Trion (Mentioned)

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Galvatron - Tank

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Rumble - Motorcycle

Frenzy - Motorcycle

Buzzsaw - Cassette

Laserbeak - Cassette

Ramjet Dead (Head Only)

Thrust - Jet Dead

Mini-Constructicon Dead

Scrapper - Front End Loader (Mentioned) Dead

Cybertronian

Devastator - Constructicon and Prowl Gestalt

Hook - Crane

Scavenger - Excavator

Mixmaster - Mixing Truck

Long Haul - Dump Truck

Bonecrusher - Bulldozer

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Scoop - Front End Loader

Starscream - Jet (Mentioned)

Jhiaxus - Jet (Mentioned)

Human

Spike Witwicky

Jimmy Pink

Marissa Faireborn

Garrison Blackrock

Agent Jones

Sanjay Bharwanay

EDC Personnel

Wanmu Facility Staff

General Daniel Witwicky (Mentioned) Dead

Gilgamesh (Mentioned)

Other

Ramjet Drones - Jets

Thrust Drones - Jets

Notes

• Galvatron is shown to be able to fly using his arm cannon, and thrusters in his feet, much like he did in the 80's movie.
• Prowl most likely knows about Galvatron killing Spike's father because he was in the computer at that time.
• Amongst the things in Blackrock's collection are a Spacebridge (most likely how the story will shift to Combiner Wars on Cybertron) and a trio of cars that look like Slicer (it could be him!) a Machination Sunstreaker clone, and a Ford Model-T that looks like the Mutation from the Sector-7 comics.
• It's implied here that the Enigma of Combination united minds, making them work better and has been used by humans to develop their technology over the years.
• Galvatron is STILL trying to blame Prowl for General Witwicky's death...could it have been just edited footage that we were shown?
• Galvatron implies here that female Cybertronians were around back in the earliest days, but were rendered extinct somehow, and Jhiaxus was just re-introducing them with his experiments on Arcee. This is backed up by the natural creation of Windblade and her friends, the female Cybertronians seen from time to time in flashbacks, and of course Solus Prime herself being namedropped.
• Jimmy is trying to explain the game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" to the Decepticons, but Rumble doesn't seem to know what a movie is (which is odd since the Lost Lighters had Movie Nights in season one of MTMTE)

IDW - Punishment

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Livio Ramondelli

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Treadshot, Brisko and Wilder are plotting a heist on Starscream's quarters to take some of his "hoarded treasures" to sell on to help them survive on this new Cybertron, unfortunately during their plotting, there are attacked by a mysterious Cybertronian, who slaughters all three of them. They are later found by Barricade and the others, who investigate their murder, but only briefly as Starscream needs to greet Optimus at the spaceport.

Optimus returns to Cybertron for a personal errand and is quickly brought into the murder investigation, and learns that some Decepticons are living outside of Metroplex in a ghetto made from the ruins of the old city. Optimus goes to visit the ghetto, but is soon ambushed by a bunch of Decepticons, led by the Firecons. Luckily however Starscream rescues him by pulling him from the crowd and into the air.

During their escape, Optimus notices one of the Decepticons acting suspicious, so he lets go of Starscream and gives him chase. The Decepticon, Heavy Barrel, runs inside his hideout to find his two bootlegging cohorts dead. He starts to panic, and flies off when Optimus arrives too, but the Autobot manages to disable him and causes him to crash. Starscream arrives a few minutes later, having broken up the mob outside, and both are shocked to find Heavy Barrel murdered as well.

Later, Windblade finds out that one of the dead Decepticons was Stratotronic, and was friends with Gutcruncher who was now running a bar in the Ghetto. She determines that there is a link between the bar, and the bootlegging, so she heads there with Optimus.

At the bar, they find Sandstorm, who has started frequenting there, as he's fell out of the Autobot way. Gutcruncher takes the news of Stratotronic's death badly, and tells Optimus and the others to leave the revenge to him.

Sandstorm decides to help Optimus with the investigation, and goes to investigate the first murder site with him, there he finds something unusual in a shell casing, but before he can explain what, Windblade calls in and reports that Gutccruncher's bar is on fire!

By the time Optimus and Sandstorm return to the bar, the whole place has burned down, with no survivors left. Sandstorm at first blames Optimus as he was helping him, but quickly calms down, and reveals that the bullet casing he found was from an Infernus Bullet. These weapons were locked down by the Autobots due to them being a very painful and horrible way to die, and Sandstorm reminds them that the Decepticons made them from reverse-engineering them from the Firecon's abilities, which could also explain who started the fire here.

The security team inside Metroplex locate the Firecons and attack their home brutally disabling them all in the process. Sandstorm is about to execute Sparkstalker, when Optimus turns up and forces him to stop.

Windblade and Starscream break into the building as well, and tell everyone to drop their weapons, and get medics for the Firecons.

By the next morning, the Firecons are in a holding cell, and Sandstorm still can't believe he almost executed someone. Windblade is feeling a bit disenchanted as well, as all she's seen so far is war on this planet that she was hoping to find help on.

Optimus determines that the Firecons are being framed, as they'd have no use for Infernus Bullets, and the fire at the bar was far too controlled for their abilities. He believes he knows who the killer is now though, and heads to the Dinobot's park, where he confronts Slug as the killer due to his hated of Decepticons and flame abilities. After a short fight between the two, Starscream calls in to report another set of murders, this time of Autobots.

At the crime scene, Optimus continues to accuse the Dinobots for the murders, and gets them angry leading to Optimus declaring that he should have had Slug and the others killed after the war, just to stop them from causing trouble during their peace, he then leaves with Windblade.

Slug returns to the park, to find the other Dinobots, and angrily says that he'll kill Optimus for what he said to him, when suddenly the park starts to blow up. Thankfully due to a series of fail safes set in place by Optimus the Dinobots are saved, and Optimus confronts the REAL killer, Sandstorm.

Sandstorm admits to everything, and reveals that he's punishing all the Cybertronians who have committed horrible crimes during the war, but were never dealt with before now. He tries to escape again, but Optimus catches him, and knocks him out, putting him under arrest.

In the aftermath, Optimus and Windblade return to the scene of the first crime, where Optimus was planning to go all along, and Optimus explains that this is the place where he because Prime (during Autocracy), but admits to her that he is truly worried about their people with loose cannons like the Dinobots still around, eager for battle, but he still needs to hold out hope for a better tomorrow...

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Slug - Triceratops

Swoop - Pteranodon

Snarl - Stegosaurus

Sludge - Apatosaurus

Chromia - Speedbike

Warpath - Tank

"Hot Spot" - Fire Truck

"Streetwise" - Police Car

Metroplex - City/Space Ship

Skram - Car Killed by Sandstorm

Fireball - Dragster Killed by Sandstorm

Diver - Submarine Killed by Sandstorm

Lander - ATV Killed by Sandstorm

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Blurr - Race Car (Mentioned)

Wreckers (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Barricade - Car

Sparkstalker - Mandibled Dragon

Cindersaur - Horned Dragon

Flamefeather - Beaked Dragon

Sinnertwin - Two Headed Dragon

Acid Storm - Jet

Treadshot - Car Killed by Sandstorm

Brisko Killed by Sandstorm

Wilder - Wolf Monster Killed by Sandstorm

Heavy Barrel - Jet Killed by Sandstorm

Ransack - Jet Killed by Sandstorm

Stratotronic - Jet Killed by Sandstorm

Gutcruncher - Tank Killed by Sandstorm

Morsa Killed by Sandstorm

Blood - VTOL Jet Killed by Sandstorm

Skidmark - Motorcycle Killed by Sandstorm

Ghetto Dwellers

United Cybertron

Starscream - Jet

Sandstorm - Helicopter/Buggy Jailed by Optimus Prime

Metroplex Civilians

Other

Primus (Mentioned)

Traujorans (Flashback) Killed by Treadshot's Group

Notes

• This story explains where Optimus went to following him recent exit from Robots in Disguise (or rather the series formerly named that)
• Several of the victims in this story are made from lesser known repaint characters, or characters repurposed from other toy lines.
• Slug has been shown to have taken Grimlock's place as Dinobot leader in his absence.
• Barricade's role as a cop in this series may be a reference to his later incarnations rather than his G1 persona (such as Prime or the Movies)
• Windblade notes the irony on Warpath's (one of the "good guys") name
• There's been a statue of Optimus and a park built within Metroplex. This is clearly a recent addition since if it was there the last time Metroplex acted as the Autobot's city, then it would be in his pre-Earth body.
• Barricade explains why he still wears his Decepticon sigil. despite officially being of the United Cybertron. This could also explain why other characters, like Blurr still do the same.
• Optimus doesn't confirm or deny Sandstorm's theory that High Command knew about some of the Autobot faction's war crimes. Honestly I can believe that Prowl would know and sanction some of the exterminations taken place, and shown here.
• It's quite handy that all of Sadstorm's victims were all still hanging out in their same groups huh?
• Hot Spot and Streetwise are both seen on Cybertron here, despite being on the Lost Light, either these are just similar looking guys, or a mistake.

IDW - Drift: Empire of Stone #3

Written by: Shane McCarthy

Breakdowns by: Guido Guidi

Finishes by: Stephen Baskerville

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Hellbat gives a monologue on how he found the Army of Stone almost as soon as their group arrived on the planet, and then reveals how he's been using other Autobots and Decepticons to use their power sources to power the Army, which is otherwise inert thanks to Drift and Turmoil killing their Monks on their first visit. Hellbat reveals that he finds their long lives somewhat pointless, and wants to end it all, by using the Stone Army to wipe out both the Autobots and Decepticons.

They are about to use Ratchet and Drift for more power supplies, when Grit returns and kills one of his cohorts. A battle ensues with Drift taking on Vanquish, Grit going after Hellbat, and Ratchet dealing with the last one.

The battles wage on, but Vanquish abandons Drift, so he can save Hellbat. In the process he sends Grit flying into a wall, and leaves him plummeting down a long way. Drift and Ratchet rescue him, and the trio narrowly escape their own deaths.

Hellbat turns on a machine that activates a large number of the Stone Army, who go after the trio. Drift and the others agree that there's no way to stop them alone, so they head to Gigatron's throne room where they expose Hellbat's plans, just as the Stone Army smash in as well. Gigatron gets angry at Hellbat's betrayal and destroys the Stone Army.

In the aftermath, Drift tells Gigatron that they need to join forces to take down Hellbat, before he can unleash more of the Army on the universe.

Characters

Cybertronian
Drift - Car

Autobot

Ratchet - Ambulance

Decepticon

Gigatron - Two Headed Dragon

Hellbat - Jet

Vanquish - Jet

Grit - Truck

Grapple Guy Killed by Grit

Green Guy Killed by Ratchet

Other Decepticons

Turmoil - Tank (Mentioned)

Other

Army of Stone

Stone Monks (Mentioned) Killed by Deadlock and Turmoil in past

Notes

• Drift claims to have taken a vow to never kill again....maybe he hadn't made that pact before he went to Delphi and as willing to kill Dent etc?
• Mention is made of Hellbat's helmet-eyes, implying they are actually eyes, and aren't decoration.
• Despite all his talking, Hellbat seems kind of incompetent in battle this issue
• Vanquish is shown to have retractable swords from his wrists
• We're shown that Gigatron has his twin headed dragon mode, wonder if he has the others too?

TFCC - Hoist the Flag

Art by: Hayato Sakamoto and Josh Burcham

Story by: Marty Isenberg

Written by: Jesse Wittenrich

Editor in Chief: Brian Savage

Creative Director: Lanny Lathem

Letters by: Jesse Wittenrich

Cover Art by: Marcelo Matere and Thomas Deer

Managing Editor: Pete Sinclair

Plot

The Star Seeker's ship, the Tidal Wave, travels through a time-space portal, and their engines begin to overheat. Cannonball wonders where they are, because they're slightly off--course, but still continues on his mission to conquer Cybertron during a time of peace, which he believes is now, and they attack the Galadria space bridge outpost, in the Delta Prysmos sector, where they join forces with Flamewar to help them in their mission.

On Cyberion, the Knights of Cybertron (a new group not the mythical ones) are contacted about the attack, and set off to deal with the Star Seekers under the guidance of Alpha Trizer.

The Star Seekers use the space bridge to reach Outpost Galadria, which turns out to be Unicron's long dead head, but Cannonball plans to use the head to attack Cybertron, and steal all it's Energon, allowing them to conquer it easily. Devcon, who has stowed away contacts his fellow Knights to warn them about the attack, when he is discovered and attacked by Hunter and Scorponok, however Hunter wanders away before he can do anything else, having heard something.

Before Scorponok can hurt Devcon however, the Knights space bridge in as well, and attack the Star Seekers. During the battle, Alpha Trizer reveals himself to not be just an old man like he pretends to, but in fact is Cheetor, having merged with Alpha Trion, giving him power and knowledge.

During the battle, Unicron's head has been moved to Cybertron's orbit, and has begun draining the planet, but it in fact doesn't take in anything, as unknown to the Star Seekers, the planet has been turned Techno-organic in the past, and therefore no longer uses Energon. The Star Seekers and arrested and taken away.

Elsewhere, Hunter is on a planet where he hears a voice telling him to take the Matrix of Conquest, and it turns him into Shokaract, and he awaits Omega Point....

Characters

Autobots/Maximals

Alpha Trizer/Cheetor - Lion

Ginrai - Truck Cab

Apelinq - Flying Monkey

Flareup - Motorcycle

Devcon - Stealth Bomber

Volt - Car

Electro - Pick Up Truck

Other Knights

Rook - Sports Car

Battle Unicorn - Unicorn

Bonaparte Tulcas - Tank

Sky Garry - Spaceship

Autoceptor - Car

Ironhide - Humvee

Roulette - Muscle Car

Meanstreak - Dragster

Under-3 - Lion Head

Big Rescue Force - Gestalt

Motorvator Gestalt - Gestalt

Windmill - Helicopter

Red Guy Killed by Flamewar

Tread Bolt - Jet Killed by Flamewar

Strafe - Jet Killed by Flamewar

Autotrooper - Police Car Killed by Flamewar

Rodimus - Car (Imagination)

Optimus Prime - Truck (Imagination)

Primal Prime - Flying Monkey (Picture)

Blackarachnia - Spider (Picture)

Optimus Primal - Gorilla (Flashback)

Alpha Trion (Flashback)

Star Seekers

Cannonball - Van

Scorponok - Scorpion/Jet

Olin Zarak - Head

Brimstone - Flying Gun

Flamewar - Motorcycle

Hunter - Spaceship Turned into Shokaract

Ferak - Space Jet

Tornado - Gun

Chairman - Captain's Chair

Axer - Muscle Car

Eclipse - Rabbit

Rockhopper - Penguin

Navigator

Squirm

Dread Pirate Crew - Cars and Flying Cars

Others

Shokaract - Crab

Unicron's Head

Notes

• The cover for this version is of course an homage to the poster for the 1986 Transformers movie
• This whole story acts as a celebration of Botcon, and Transformers in general including references to older stories, and showcasing VERY obscure characters and toys.
• The Tidal Wave ship is based on the Tidal Wave toy from Armada
• The Ultimate Universe book the Navigator uses is a pop-up book, much like the real world "Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe" book
• Cannonball apparently likes Flamewar's flaming paint job on her breasts....that perv!
• Amongst the currency used for Flamewar's services, Cannonball pays up with Cyber Keys. Presumably they're just jewels in this universe and not "magic mushrooms"
• Ginrai's colours and occasional burning hands are probably both a reference to his "burning justice" mode, common to Japanese characters, and also to distinguish him from Optimus Prime (as the two would be identical otherwise)
• Primal Prime and Apelinq being separate by this point in time implies that a different set of events happened to those of Wreckers: Finale, as they should have fused into Sentinel Maximus and then sent to the Aurex universe by now.
• How did no-one notice that one of the Dread Pirate crew members was just Devcon in a mask?
• The date is given as 2984 (1000 years from when the Ark was woken up on Earth) this is the latest date given for the Beast Era so far (with most estimates putting the Beast Era at about 2300 or so)
• When Hunter touches the Matrix of Conquest he turns into the original Shokaract toy, rather than a new version (and also leads into the Omega Point storyline once again).

IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #36

Title: Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays

Written by: James Roberts

Art by: Alex Milne

Colours by: Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Four Million years ago, in the Alyon Region of Cybertron, Orion Pax and his team of Outliers and Roller are on the run from the Senate following the raid they took part in at the Primal Basilica. They have stopped to protect a new Hot Spot that has opened up from the Senate, whom they believe wants to destroy it (due to it seemingly being in the shape of a hand print). During the fight, the Senate's Elite Guard tries to run away when suddenly a group of strange robots teleport in, unknowingly to Orion and the others, from the distant fuure.

In the future, on the Lost Light Rodimus has finished explaining what Brainstorm is up to in the past, and has gathered a team of Lost Lighters with similar spark types to travel back to stop him. They equip themselves with several new weapons from the weapons store, and a "Time Phone" to keep in contact with the present, and work out where Orion Pax will be in this time period from Rewind's database.

Back in the past, Rodimus introduces himself and the others to Orion Pax, and after a small confrontation they join forces. Orion explains what they're doing there, and admits that he doesn't know what the strange platform hovering above the Hot Spot is either. During the introductions, the Trailbreaker of the past appears, causing a major shock to Rodimus, who has just seen Trailcutter's corpse back on the Lost Light.

The two groups start to interact with eachother where Rodimus takes Trailbreaker to one side to talk with him, and Rung learns that Roller spikes his drinks with circuit speeders to increase his power to keep up with the Outliers.

Orion Pax finds the Time Phone, and answers it when it rings, where Megatron speaks to him, and tells him in veiled terms about the future (under the disguise of his present self) but ends the call by saying that he's sure he'll join Orion's side eventually.

Rodimus finishes telling Trailbreaker to avoid going to Ofsted XVII, and is glad that he's saved his friend when Orion comes in and hands over the phone to Rodimus to talk to Megatron. Whilst talking, Rodimus finds out that the time machine is starting to fail due to too many uses, and also that some radiation is leaking into the present from the past, revealing to Rodimus that the platform is irradiating the Hot Spot.

Rodimus tells the group about this, and Rewind "theorizes" (actually accessing his modified database) that the Senate are trying to irradiate the new sparks so they can create Outliers artificially.

The group head outside, and set up Trailbreaker's forcefield around the Hot Spot, and they start harvesting the sparks, and teleport them to Nyon for maturation, whilst the platform has grown guns and starts attacking the forcefield.

During the battle, Roller is injured in an explosion, and goes missing, whilst Orion uses himself as a bullet whilst combined with Windcharger and Trailbreaker's powers to destroy the platform. Rodimus also receives a call from the future saying that Brainstorm has time jumped again.

Afterwards, Rodimus tells a lie that they have to leave for another mission, and has all of Orion Pax's team shake Chromedome's hand (which has been rigged to erase their recent memories to protect the timeline some more) but has ordered him not to touch Trailbreaker (so his memories of their conversation will be spared). It all goes to plan, until Trailbreaker insists on shaking Chromedome's hand, causing him to forget as well, just as the team are transported to another point in time.

In the aftermath, Orion's team are a bit confused as to what happened, and also appear to have forgotten about Roller as well, and decide to leave the area for a drink without him....

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Megatron - Tank

Perceptor

Riptide - Boat

Rung

Chromedome/Tumbler - Car

Rewind - Data Slug

Tailgate - Car

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter 

Elite Guardsmen (Past Only)

Nightbeat - Car (Mentioned)

Sentinel Prime - Truck (Mentioned)

Prowl - Emergency Car (Mentioned)

Wreckers (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Brainstorm - Jet (Mentioned)

Orion's Outlaws

Orion Pax - Truck (Past Only)

Roller - Police Lock Up Truck (Past Only) Caught in explosion, gone missing

Trailbreaker - Truck (Past Only)

Skids - Van (Past Only)

Windcharger - Car (Past Only)

Glitch/Damus (Past Only)

Zeta of Sistex (Mentioned)

Cybertronian

Cyclonus - Jet

Senator Shockwave (Mentioned)

Senator Decimus (Mentioned)

Nova Prime (Mentioned)

Functionist Council (Mentioned)

Senate (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Notes

• The stuff set in the past is set just after Shadowplay, and seems to be just before the start of Megatron: Origin.
• Amongst the characters able to use Brainstorm's time machine are those with 2 spark types Vitreus Positive and Ferrum Negative. This implies that Brainstorm may have 2 spark types somehow.
• We learn that the reason why Prowl and Chromedome broke up was because of him joining Sentinel Prime's forces.
• Trailbreaker was hinted as being amongst the Outliers in Shadowplay, here it is confirmed
• Several of Roller's characteristics and features are shown to hint that he is Tarn in the present day (which has been a popular theory since his introduction). Some of these similar traits are his addictive personality, interest in reading Megatron's work, desire to be more powerful to keep up with the others and his injuries at the end of the issue (having a facial injury).
• It' heavily implied here that Rodimus' spark is amongst the ones protected in this issue, meaning that all of this was MEANT to happen, otherwise he wouldn't have existed.
• It seems a bit weird that none of the present-day characters would accidentally call Trailbreaker by his modern day name "Trailcutter"

IDW - Drift: Empire of Stone #2

Written by: Shane McCarthy

Breakdowns by: Guido Guidi

Finishes by: Stephen Baskerville

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Plot

Centuries ago, Deadlock and Turmoil crash land onto a rocky planet, where they find a large stone palace with an army of stone creatures inside. When they report this back to Megatron he is uninterested.

In the present day, Gigatron tells Drift to help him locate the Stone Army, so he can add them to his forces to aid the Decepticon's military efforts, ignoring Ratchet's claims that the war is over now. Drift manages to arrange for himself and his friends to go free, but it all goes to hell when Hellbat calls Grit a traitor, for being able to get himself captured by the Autobots, resulting in a fight that leads to the trio being put into a cell after a quick battle with Gigatron and his forces.

In their cell, Ratchet begins a plan by having Drift pretend to be dead, and has a fake argument with Grit for killing him, however the Decepticon guard doesn't believe the story, but frees them regardless due to his friendship with Grit, giving them back their confiscated weapons as well.

Grit tells his friend, Knockout to get off the planet as soon as he can, and Grit goes to hunt down Hellbat, to kill him for insulting him earlier.

Drift and Ratchet head off to find the Stone Army before Gigatron and his troops can, but they find that the Army has already been found, and has been hooked up to machinery. Suddenly Hellbat appears with some of his troops saying that he'll explain everything, especially since he's about to kill them both for uncovering his secret.

Characters

Autobot

Ratchet - Ambulance

Decepticon

Gigatron

Hellbat - Jet

Vanquish - Jet

Grit - Truck

Knockout - Excavator Truck

Decepticon Troops

Turmoil - Tank(Flashback)

Megatron (Mentioned)

Cybertronian

Drift/Deadlock - Car

Other

Stone Army

Notes

• It appears that in the past both Turmoil and Deadlock (future Drift) worked for Gigatron
• If Hellbat has already located the Stone Army, then why did he convince Gigatron to keep Drift and the others alive?
• Grit and Knockout's friendship is a reference to their toyline's past as Micromaster combiner partners

IDW - Transformers #36

Title: Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith & Brendan Cahill

Colours by: Josh Perez & Joana LaFuente

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor:Carlos Guzman

Plot

Thundercracker, having left his EDC funded home is hiding out in the forest with Buster, is resting and reading his beloved pet some excerpts from his new screenplay when Soundwave arrives. The two discuss things, and Soundwave offers Thudnercracker a place on their future Jupiter colony, but only if he doesn't ally himself with a Prime before then. Thudnercrackers says he'll think about it, and gives Soundwave a copy of his screenplay to read.

Meanwhile, Spike and Jimmy are in Tokyo meeting with Spike's contact Maki, who has agreed to give them access to Onyx Interface's Wanmu facility, where something important is being kept. On the way out of the cafe they met in, Spike notices the Constructicons and Prowl hiding out nearby, and forces them out of hiding, before rushing away himself.

It's revealed to the audience that Spike has been being sent messages from his father for some time, which is how he managed to track him down.

Spike and Jimmy outrun the Constructicons and Prowl, but are saved when Arcee flies in, having "borrowed" Sideswipe's jet pack, and berates him for going after humans. The two humans run into an alley and find a pair of idling motorcycles waiting for them, which they steal. Prowl manages to escape from Arcee and chases after them, with Arcee chasing Prowl in turn as well.

Before long, Jimmy and Spike realize that there's something wrong with their motorcycles when they start driving by themselves, and take them through a parking structure to Galvatron and his Decepticons, revealing themselves to be Rumble and Frenzy in disguise.

Galvatron starts interrogating Spike, and tells the others to kill Jimmy, however Arcee, having teamed up with Prowl and his team briefly save the humans by damaging the building, and Prowl takes off with Spike, leaving Arcee and Jimmy in between the Constructicons and Decepticons, with her vowing to get revenge on Prowl for leaving her in this state.

Elsewhere, Marissa and her team are leaving Tokyo with Blackrock, who reveals to them that the thing in Wanmu is the Enigma of Combination, and they should retrieve it before the Cybertronians can themselves.

Prowl stops running in a forest with Spike, Prowl gets ready to do what he's about to do with Spike, but before he does he decides to tell Spike that he forgives him......

Characters

Autobot

Prowl - Police SUV

Arcee - Sports Car

Sideswipe - Sports Car

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Megatron (Mentioned)

Dynobots (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Galvatron - Tank

Soundwave - Personnel Carrier

Rumble - Motorcycle

Frenzy - Motorcycle

Blitzwing - Tank/Jet

Laserbeak - Cassette

Buzzsaw - Cassette

Shockwave (Mentioned)

Scrapper (Mentioned) Dead

Cybertronian

Thundercracker - Fighter Jet

Hook - Crane

Long Haul - Dump Truck

Mixmaster - Mixing Truck

Scavenger - Excavator

Bonecrusher - Bulldozer

Scoop - Front End Loader

Ancient Headmasters (Mentioned) Killed by Galvatron

Human

Spike Witwicky

Jimmy Pink

Garisson Blackrock

Marissa Faireborn

Jones

Maki

Verity Carlo (Picture)

Hunter O'Nion (Picture)

General Daniel Witwicky (Mentioned) Dead

Japanese President Jinping (Mentioned)

EDC (Mentioned)

Skywatch (Mentioned) Defunct

Other

Buster

Notes

• That opening panel with Thundercracker by the waterfall is just pure love isn't it?
• Thundercracker realizes here that Soundwave and the others don't know about the EDC's seret Transformer army. Immediately afterwards he gives Soundwave a copy of his script, which we know has included some veiled references to that discovery...SNEAKY!
• Maki was seen in the previous issue as Blackrock's assistant, explaining her clearance here.
• Jimmy still has some photos of his time with the Autobots...odd that those wouldn't have been found and confiscated by now huh?
• Spike identifies the Constructicons and Prowl on sight here, most likely due to the Constructicons being bright green, and Prowl being a heavily armed American police car in Japan...
• Sideswipe thinks that Arcee is still mad at him after their VERY quick fight back on Cybertron (where she knocks him out with her sword to guard Bumblebee)
• Rumble being hurt by the humans in the past is mentioned here, what ISN'T mentioned is that Spike was the one to hurt him with his weapon.
• Arcee reveals that she no longer trusts or follows Prowl any more, most likely due to his recent attitudes etc
• Blackrock is revealed to have the Enigma of Combination in his possession. It's unclear still why Galvatron thought Spike would have it.
• Soundwave says that anyone who has ever allied themselves with a Prime will not be welcome on their new colony...wonder if that includes Galvatron?