IDW - Mars Attacks The Transformers

Written by: Shane McCarthy

Art by: Matt Frank

Coloured by: Josh Perez

Lettered by: Neil Uyetake

Edited by: Carlos Guzman

Plot

The Autobots defeat  the Decepticons in a big battle in a city and the Decepticons are strapped to some trucks and carted away. After the battle Spike appears and a general mocks him for his dress sense, but is cut short when he's vaporized (whilst doing a patriotic salute) by a Martian spaceship in the sky. The Autobots are still injured from their fight so they try to be diplomatic with the invaders, only to have Ironhide's arm blasted off instead.

The Autobots take cover, and the convoy transporting the defeated Decepticons are attacked as well, freeing the evil Transformers. They're encountered by the Martians, and ask to see their leader. Megatron forms an alliance with the Martians so they can conquer the Earth and the Autobots. 

Soon the Transformers are fighting once more, but after a very short time the Martians betray the Decepticons and trap all of the Transformers into an energy field, so the Martians can conquer the Earth without problems from either side. The Transformers begrudgingly join forces and use Soundwave and Blaster to shatter the energy field using their soundwaves.

Megatron approaches the Martian leader, and gets shrunk by his shrink ray, however, Megatron is all powerful and kills the leader, even in his tiny form, Optimus leads the rest of the Transformers against the Martian army and they work together to  defeat them.

Starscream tries to take command of the Decepticons by trying to crush Megatron, but the tiny megalomaniac attacks him until Soundwave appears and says he's worked out how to reverse the shrink ray.

The Martians are soon defeated, but the flying saucers prepare to launch a killing blow, until one is revealed to be Cosmos in disguise and he sneak attacks them.

Now that the battle is over Megatron and Optimus thank each other for their combined help, but Megatron confirms that now that it's over they're going back to trying to kill each other again.

THE END!

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Ironhide - Van

Bumblebee - VW Beetle

Cosmos - Flying Saucer

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Jazz - Porsche

Cliffjumper - Porsche

Prowl - Police Car

Blaster - Boom Box

Ratchet - Ambulance

Wheeljack - Race Car (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Gun

Starscream - F-15 Jet

Skywarp - F-15 Jet

Thundercracker - F-15 Jet

Astrotrain - Train/Space Shuttle

Soundwave - Cassette Player

Ravage - Cassette

Kickback - Locust

Bombshell - Boll Weevil

Shrapnel - Scarab Beetle

Other

Spike Witwicky

General Jerkface Killed by Martians

Martian Leader Killed by Megatron

Other Humans

Martians (and their tech, monsters etc) Defeated by Transformers

Notes

• This story is a one-off set in the 80's cartoon series (pre-Movie) as part of a 5-part Multiversal Mars Attacks crossover event. I have no idea if this is a multiversal invasion, or just separate invasions, but I do know its funny as hell! :)
• No Drift to be seen though :( (He's probably just offscreen somewhere)
• It seems that a major part of the Martian's plans are to do unspeakable things to people's faces and their pets...strange little critters ain't they?
• I wonder if the music frequency played by Blaster and Soundwave is the same one used in the movie?
• Spike's fashion sense is commented on a couple times in this issue, by the general for being stupid, by the Martians as being fashionable, and by Spike himself when his rubber boots protect him from electrocution.
• Likewise Cosmos' alt mode is vindicated here, as he blends in with the Martian ships for a sneak attack on them

IDW - Spotlight Thundercracker

Title: The Hunting Party

Story by: John Barber

Art by: Chee

Colours by: Ronda Pattison

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editorial Assistant: Thomas Boeing

Editor: Carlos Guzman 

Plot

Thundercracker leads a team looking for Metroplex on Megatron's orders (as he was present during the capture of Orion Pax and Alpha Trion, who discussed the Titan). Blitzwing gets annoyed with the mission, saying that this wasn't why he joined the Decepticons, afterwards Thundercracker finds a piece of metal he believes was part of Metroplex at some point and smuggles it back on Bludgeon's ship.

On the ship Thundercracker scans the metal chunk and detects a similar signature found on it on a planet not that far away. Thundercracker tells Bludgeon that he has a hunch about the system due to it being similar to the one they're in at the moment, but doesn't mention the metal chunk, but he's not sure why.

A group of Autobots (Bumblebee, Jetfire and Nightbeat) are following Bludgeon's ship when it quantum jumps, the Autobots follow. A few days later the Decepticons reach the planet and find a small organic colony in an area with strong Energon substitute readings in the area, Thundercracker suggests avoiding the organics, but Bludgeon wants to go through them and kill them all. The Autobots arrive as well and decided to take on the Decepticons to stop them from killing the organics below (as they detected them too).

The battle on the organics begins, but Thundercracker just tries to scare them off, rather than killing them unlike the others. Thundercracker decides to just go look for Metroplex instead. The Autobots attack, and launch their small shuttle into Bludgeon's shuttle, Bludgeon decides to abandon his shuttle, and leaves the non-fliers in his crew to die. Bumblebee follows Thundercracker down a tunnel, which is noticed by some of the organics, whilst the Autobots and Decepticons fight.

Down below Thundercracker finds Metroplex absorbing the Energon alternative in the caverns to recover energy and Bumblebee appears and the two start to fight. Bumblebee is defended by one of the organics during the fight, and then Bumblebee defends the organic from Thundercracker in turn, Thundercracker suddenly realizes why he didn't tell Bludgeon the whole truth, he doesn't want the Decepticons as they are right now to have the power of Metroplex, so he reports to Bludgeon that Metroplex isn't there and that they should leave.

Thundercracker leaves Bumblebee and the organic alive, and wonders about if all Autobots are the same, as he leaves he causes damage to the cavern causing a wave of the energon onto Metroplex, fully charging him. Metroplex wakes up and teleports away due to his secret mission. Bumblebee returns to the surface to find the Decepticons gone and the team settle down, as they are stranded for the meanwhile.

As the remaining Decepticons fly off Bludgeon says he's sending Thundercracker back to the front lines for his failure today, whilst the rest continue their search for Metroplex, and Thundercracker is happy...for now.

Characters

Autobot

Bumblebee - Car

Nightbeat - Car

Jetfire - Jet

Metroplex - City/Ship

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax (Flashback)

Alpha Trion (Flashback)

Decepticon

Bludgeon - Flying Tank/Tank

Thundercracker - Jet

Blitzwing - Jet/Tank

Waspinator - Wasp Killed or Disabled by Autobots

Barrage - Rhinoceros Beetle Killed or Disabled by Bumblebee

Chop Shop - Stag Beetle

Venom - Cicada

Guardminder Drones Killed in Ship destruction

3 more Jets

Megatron (Mentioned)

Seekers (Mentioned)

DJD (Mentioned)

Other

Urtuskians

Metrotitans - Cities/Ships (Flashback)

Primus (Mentioned)

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Nibarians (Mentioned)

Notes

• I hope that Nightbeat's appearances in 3 past stories in a row (Shadowplay, Orion Pax and here) is an indicator of him coming back in the present
• Hey look! Waspinator's an Insecticon here...then he looks a bit dead...though knowing Waspie I'd bet it's not permanent
• Waspinator seems to be in his Transmetal body but in his organic colours
• Thundercracker has an odd mix of his Cybertronian and F15 Earth modes in this story
• Metroplex disappeared shortly after becoming Autobot HQ in Autocracy...kinda seems like an empty gesture from him now huh?
• The DJD exist THIS early in the war?? It's been a couple of years!!!
• Bumblebee's basically in his Robots in Disguise body here, and Jetfire's in his Classics body (also how he appeared in early IDW comics as well)
• Thundercracker's future "betrayal" of the Decepticons is hinted at here
• Why does Thundercracker have a seat in his cockpit? I could understand if he scanned an alien jet for this mode, but it doesn't seem that way...so why?
• Apparently Bumblebee keeps making friends on missions, which seems to be annoying Nightbeat a bit
• Metroplex leaves for his mission, which is implied to have begun by this early point in the timeline
• I guess Bludgeon and the others don't continue their mission for very long or succeed, as Bludgeon is doing his own stuff by about 1985ish and Metroplex is still in hiding and on the run for his mission by 2007 (and present I guess)

IDW - More Than Meets The Eye #12

Title: Before & After

Written by: James Roberts

Pencils (Before) by: Alex Milne

Inks (Before) by: Atilio Rojo with Alex Milne

Pencils (After) by: Brendan Cahill

Inks (After) by: Brian Shearer

Colour by: Josh Burcham

Letters by: Tom B. Long

Editor: John Barber

Plot

A scout ship from the Lost Light (The Leading Light) heads to planet Temptoria, where Magnus has discovered the Decepticons have taken over the planet, the ship is full of soldiers ready to liberate the planet, on the way in Chromedome and Rewind have an argument about the respective habits and Whirl drags him off to record him and his awesomeness.

In Sensenica the Decepticons detect the Autobots arriving and get ready for battle. When they arrive, the battle is full blown, Swerve, Tailgate and some others sneak into the Decepticon base (The Battery). Once inside, Rewind and Tailgate find the prison inside not full of the Circle of Light like they thought, but full of Temptorians being converted into fuel. Tailgate starts defusing a bomb in the base by draining out the propex, outside the bomb's chamber Cyclonus, Whirl and Swerve are fighting off Decepticons, when Swerve borrow's Whirl's new gun, the Shoomer (made by Brainstorm of course) which blows up in his face.

Whirl compliments Cyclonus for his skills, but Cyclonus says he doesn't care and that he's still going to kill Whirl for what he did to him back on Cybertron, Rewind comes in and asks for help in getting Tailgate away from the bomb before it blows up, as he's set off a timer, and won't leave until all the Propex is gone, or it might kill the prisoners. Cyclonus launches him out of the room and Whirl locks the door with Tailgate and Cyclonus inside. The bomb goes off and Cyclonus shields Rewind from the blast.

After the battle, the Autobots take off with heavy casualties, including Rewind and Swerve (with his face blown off). Rewind is rushed to be fixed by First Aid whilst Ratchet deals with some more severe injuries, whilst Tailgate drags a badly injured Cyclonus by himself.

Rodimus congratulates the crew on the mission and the brig now full of Decepticon prisoners, and First Aid asks Chromedome for permission to perform the Spark Jumpstart like he did with Fort Max on Delphi, but he needs a compatible spark, like Chromedome's. Chromedome and Tailgate wait for their respective friends to be fixed, and Chromedome explains how Rewind once lost a dear friend and now he goes to wherever he can find warfare to try and find him, dead or alive, and he met him when he was rummaging through a morgue at the Relinquishment Clinic.

Chromedome is told that his spark is too weak, despite being a match, so he calls out for a new donor. Chromedome goes back to his room where he sulks, but someone tries to console him through the wall and tells him there's someone in the basement he should meet, and how there's a way to make it so the Decepticons cant hurt anyone any more. 

Chromedome is called back to the medibay where he learns Whirl is a match and is willing to jumpstart Rewind's spark. Tailgate tries leaving some innermost Energon for Cyclonus, but he wakes up and it smashes, Cyclonus berates him for being sentimental for him, despite their lack of a bond, but when he sees that he had no offerings, but Rewind had loads, he stops and helps Tailgate clean the mess he made with the phial up.

Characters

Autobot

Rodimus - Car

Ultra Magnus - Car Carrier

Drift - Car

Rewind - Giant Memory Stick

Chromedome - Car

Whirl - Osprey Helicopter

Swerve - Van Face Blown Off by Accident

Pipes - Truck Injured (Again)

First Aid - Ambulance

Skids - Van

Trailbreaker - Van

Hoist - Crane

Hound - Jeep

Powerflash

Sureshot

Dogfight

Atomizer

Brawn

Sunstreaker

Perceptor

Highbrow

Ambulon - Leg

Xaaron

Fizzle

Strafe

Rollout

Dipstick

Pincher

Crosshairs

Steeljaw

Dominus Ambus (Flashback Only) Missing

Optimus Prime (Mentioned)

Red Alert (Mentioned)

Rung (Mentioned)

Ratchet (Mentioned)

Brainstorm (Mentioned)

Fortress Maximus (Mentioned)

Zeta Prime (Mentioned)

Spoke (Mentioned) Injured

Lockstock (Mentioned) Injured

Other Injured Crew Members (Mentioned)

Other Autobots

Decepticon

Snap Trap Killed by Drift

Nautilator Killed by Whirl

Blip

Hun-Gar Killed by Ultra Magnus

Snapdragon

Rage

Bulletbike

Seawing

Slugfest Stomped on by Ultra Magnus

Turbo Master Beaten up by Ultra Magnus

Tailwind Slashed by Drift

Tentakil Slashed by Drift

Overkill

Megatron (Mentioned)

Overlord (Mentioned)

Blot (Mentioned)

Decepticons in Brig (Mentioned)

Other Decepticons

Other

Cyclonus - Space Jet

Tailgate - Car

Temptorians

Guy Talking to Chromedome

Flashback Guys (Flashback Only)

Rosanna (Flashback Only)

Flip Sides (Flashback Only)

Circle of Light (Mentioned) Missing

Primal Vanguard (Mentioned)

Knights of Cybertron (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Functionists (Mentioned)

Notes

• Due to the back and forth fashion of this story, I decided to just put everything in chronological order, since it doesn't affect the story telling of the present stuff to do so.
• Rodimus singles out the injuries and actions of Lockstock and Spoke here, showing us how out main characters are actually some of the lesser crew members, as is a theme in Roberts work it seems (with the new Wreckers being the main characters in LSOTW)
• Tailgate's "happy place" is the movie night from issue 6
• Trailbreaker's had guns added to his legs, like Fort Max has
• Nautilator sounds just like Megatron, this probably implies he has a Tarnian accent
• After the reveal of his blown off face, we don't see Swerve in the present again, whilst no deaths were mentioned, it's still worrying....
• Pipes is shown to be injured again, further adding to the recurring joke of him being hurt on every mission
• The recon mission Magnus was doing in issue 10
• It's shown here that Sparks have types, much like blood
• Tailgate and the Primal Vanguard (which was under Nova Prime) used to attack organic life, this isn't shocking!
• Innermost Energon is the fuel around your spark, it's the only thing in a Transformer that never changes, however some like Chromedome are born dry (ie don't have them)
• Tailgate's innermost energon is green for some reason, probably due to his age (or it's the wrong stuff)
• Chromedome has a weak spark
• Chromedome is Rewind's Conjunx Endura (significant other) N'awwwww
• The reason for Rewind's obsession with snuff films and recording the war etc to try and find Dominus Ambus, his first friend
• Flip Sides and Rosanna are seen in the flashback to Rewind's early years, even though female Transformers aren't supposed to exist (or something)
• The Relinquishment Clinics were repurposed as suicide chambers after the start of the war, and Chromedome once went there to commit suicide until he met Rewind.
• Cyclonus still plans to kill Whirl one day for what he did in issue 1
• Rewind's allergic to UV Light...hmmmm...that's also the only thing that can show Chromedome's puncture marks too....
• Rewind's still recording, even though he's on the medical table
• Tailgate works better at defusing a bomb when he's panicked

IDW - Robots in Disguise #13

Title: The Verge

Written by: John Barber

Art by: Andrew Griffith

Colours by: Josh Perez

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editor: Carlos Guzman

Plot

Starscream speaks with Megatron and tells him that he's finally almost in charge of Cybertron, and he didn't have to fire a single shot to do so, however Megatron smiles and Starscream freaks out and leaves the cell, however he can't leave the complex itself due to the riots right outside.

Elsewhere Prowl and Wheeljack arrest the Decepticons who attacked Wheeljack (last issue) and Prowl tells Wheeljack to follow him to the black room, ignoring the riots and people in danger all around, he admits to Wheeljack that he's been using Bumblebee as just a public face, and that he's been preparing for what's next and that after tonight, there'll only be one faction left, and asks Wheeljack to join him.

At Maccadam's the rioters are trying to break through, but the patrons inside are more concerned with Arcee, she reveals that she's on their side, and even lies to Prowl on his com line, she tells Blurr that Dirge and Swindle (who she has with her) can give evidence against Prowl, she'll help them out of the bar, if he gets them to Bumblebee.

At Kimia Bumblebee tries shouting at the rioters to get them to leave, since they've blocked off their com links, but they don't listen, Bumblebee admits to Metalhawk that he's right, and his way is wrong, he'll open up elections the next day with the intent that Metalhawk wins, the two watch a news feed from Circuit outside the now destroyed Maccadam's, Metalhawk speeds off to there to use Circuit's news feed to announce the elections and try to end the riots, and to announce that for tonight at least, he fully supports Bumblebee's forces.

The rioters break into the prison and quickly take out Jetfire, Bluestreak and Warpath, and free all the prisoners, including Megatron. Megatron tells everyone to follow him, and take Starscream to the Black Room, where Starscream is horrified to see all the thought-to-be dead Decepticons all alive and rebuilt stronger standing with Prowl, holding Wheeljack prisoner, and Megatron announces that thanks to Starscream's actions, Cybertron will finally be his.

Characters

Autobot

Bumblebee - Car

Prowl - Car

Wheeljack - Car Captured by Prowl

Arcee - Car

Blurr - Race Car

Jazz - Car

Bluestreak - Car Killed/Badly Injured by Decepticons

Warpath - Tank Killed/Badly Injured by Decepticons

Jetfire - Jet Killed/Badly Injured by Decepticons

Circuit

Longtooth

Broadside

Ironhide (?)

Omega Supreme Still Injured or Dead

Decepticon

Megatron Badly Injured Still

Starscream - Jet Captured by Decepticons

Dirge - Jet

Swindle - Van

Squawkbox

Octane/Tankor

Turmoil - Tank

Skywarp - Jet

Laserbeak - Data Disk

Astrotrain

Blitzwing

Soundwave - Van

Rumble - Tank

Frenzy - Tank

Ravage - Cassette

Bombshell - Boll Weevil

Shockwave

Scavenger - Excavator

Hook - Crane

Long Haul - Dump Truck

Mixmaster - Mixing Truck

Bonecrusher - Bulldozer

Buzzsaw - Cassette

Motormaster - Truck

Acid Storm - Jet

Shrapnel - Scarab Beetle

Needlenose - Jet

Apeface - Ape

Brawl - Tank

Slugslinger - Twin Nosed Jet

Dead End - Car

Battletrap

Cutthroat

Cindersaur

Staxx Dead

Other Rioters

Turmoil's Crew

NAIL

Metalhawk - Fighter Jet

Sky-Byte - Flying Shark

Tappet - Car

Hipotank - Tank

Zetca

NAIL's

Other

Metrotitan (Mentioned) Dead

Notes

• I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU PROWL WAS BEHIND IT ALL!!!
• I'm sure it'll be all be revealed as some elaborate scheme by Prowl, but honestly I'd rather he was just shot between the eyes for all the crap he's done lately
• Starscream knows Megatron very well, he knows that when his former leader smiles, you run
• It seems like no one knew that Arcee was still alive following Chaos, except Prowl and the others who she's briefly interacted with
• Is it bad when the serial killer sociopath Arcee seems to be more rational than Prowl?
• NO YOU FOOLS!!! DON'T BURN DOWN THE BAR!!!!
• Not all the dead guys from this series are amongst the "revived" characters, Ratbat and Sunstorm for instance are missing (they could just be behind some other characters though)
• Metalhawk's message reaches someone in the wilderness with a data pad (most likely Ironhide)
• Omega Supreme's body is still lying around (not sure if he's dead yet or not)
• Rumble and Frenzy's new bodies are based on their toys from the United line, which were never released by Hasbro, rather than using their new Fall of Cybertron Generations toys (like what Laserbeak has) Maybe this is a hint that those toys will be appearing somewhere soon??
• On a similar note, Ravage seems to be using his Universe toy mold (the one who comes with Hound) rather than his new FOC toy as well...odd

IDW - Regeneration One #87

Title: Natural Selection Part Two

Writer: Simon Furman

Penciler: Andrew Wildman

Inker: Stephen Baskerville

Colorist: John-Paul Bove

Letterer: Chris Mowry

Editor: John Barber

Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Plot

Grimlock, now in a new transforming body watches as Scorponok revives Hardhead, Highbrow and Brainstorm as amoral killers. Scorponok then orders Grimlock to return to Cybertron.

On Cybertron Hot Rod learns from a team under the surface that they believe they've found the tunnels that lead to Primus' chamber. Crosshairs reports that Grimlock's shuttle is in Cybertron space. Soon, Grimlock returns to the planet and wants to see Slag and the others, but Hot Rod won't let him as he's to be arrested for his actions (stealing the ship, going off on his own etc). After a short battle, Grimlock is placed in a holding cell.

On Earth Starscream shambles into the Ark, where Galvatron ambushes him and asks him why he's there, but Screamer's unable to talk still, so Galvatron has him lead him to wherever he was going instead. Elsewhere on the plant, Optimus has decided to remain on Earth to help with the rebuilding, despite the Human's not wanting their help. The other Autobots leave on a ship heading back home.

On Cybertron Hot Rod gives orders to the Autobots to oversee Grimlock whilst he goes to check on something elsewhere. Brainstorm and the others return to Cybertron on their own ship and head onto the planet on Scorponok's orders.

Perceptor is taken to see Grimlock in his jail, where he quickly deduces that his new body is from Nebulos, meanwhile outside the Civil Defense Hub the Headmasters arrive and kill the guard, Slapdash to gain entrance to the building.

In the cell Perceptor continues examining Grimlock, in the hopes of using his new body's design to fix the other Nucleon infused victims, when Grimlock implants one of the Warrior Gene Keys given to him by Scorponok onto the scientist. Shortly afterwards, the now evil Perceptor  contacts Kick-Off asking him to come see him. 

The evil Headmasters go through the hub and kill the stationed Autobots, then contact Scorponok to tell him they're ready.

Hot Rod reaches the dig site for the Primus tunnels and proceeds down below, where unknown to him some Demons are wandering around and have killed some of the workers.

On the Ark on Earth Galvatron is lead to Auntie's chamber where he blasts a hole in the wall on Starscream's gesturing and unveils Shockwave hooked up into the computers. 

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Hot Rod - Sports Car

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex (On Scorponok's Side)

Highbrow - Helicopter (On Scorponok's Side)

Hardhead - Tank (On Scorponok's Side)

Brainstorm - Jet (On Scorponok's Side)

Perceptor  (On Scorponok's Side)

Ultra Magnus - Car Carrier

Kick-Off

Slapdash - F1 Race Car Killed by Highbrow

Crosshairs - Off Road Vehicle

Sureshot - Buggy

Lightspeed - Sports Car

Nosecone - Drill Tank

Dogfight - Fighter Jet

Override - Motorcycle

Backstreet - Race Car

Hosehead - Fire Engine

Siren - Emergency Sports Car

Grapple - Crane

Slag (Mentioned)

Autobots in Nursery (Mentioned)

The Last Autobot (Mentioned)

Jazz (Mentioned)

Bumblebee (Mentioned)

Other Autobots

Decepticon

Scorponok - Scorpion

Starscream - Fighter Jet

Galvatron - Laser Cannon

Shockwave Hooked up to Ark

Thunderwing (Mentioned) Dead

Other

Primus Inert in Chamber

Demons

Auntie (Mentioned) Destroyed

Notes

• Yeah...so they have a magic key that turns you evil....just go with it guys
• Grimlock doesn't seem to be under the warrior gene effect, maybe because he's always been a bit violent and Decepticon-esque
• The Autobots have been looking for Primus' chamber, who's tunnels have been a mystery since Bumblebee and the others were bridged there about 20 years ago (of course Galvie and Xaaron found them again...)
• Starscream still has his speech messed up, despite Megatron's death
• Why does the former Headmaster's ship need parachutes? surely an advanced alien robotic lifeform can create a mechanical substitute??
• What is Kick-Off playing with when Perceptor calls him? Is it a movement based game or something?
• Looks like Hot Rod's prophecy about fighting the Demons from an earlier issue is coming true soon
• Why didn't Scorponok put the brainwashed Headmasters on Grimlock's ship and have them return like him? Why send them on a second ship!?
• Shockwave's fate of being hooked up to the Ark after it's crash is very close to what happened to him in the Classics Universe
• Weird....wasn't Hosehead amongst the dead after the Unicron battle?

IDW - Rage of the Dinobots #2

Written by: Mike Johnson & Mairghread Scott

Art by: Agustin Padilla

Colours by: Thomas Deer with Joanna Lafuente

Letters by: Shawn Lee

Editorial Assistance by: Jean-Carlo Tirado

Editor: John Barber

Plot

The DInobots are sifting through the rubble of Magnus' ship and the bodies of the Decepticons left behind, when they notice that the Decepticons seem to have been rebuilt again, like they had been by Shockwave before. Snarl locates Swoop's location at one of Shockwave's old bases, which has been reported to be a prison now for a previously thought to be fictional group called "The Forged".

At the Forged Prison Swoop wakes up and is greeted by Ser-Ket, and is taken away by some of her troops. The Dinobots cross the Rust Sea to reach the mountain around the prison and they break in.

Now inside, the Dinobots break out the prisoners who all head up to the roof, the Dinobots rescue Magnus from his cell and leave too.

On the roof the Autobots are stopped by a group of The Forged in the air, Ser-Ket arrives behind them and introduces herself to them, and reveals that Swoop (now with a lobotomy-eye patch) has joined her side.

Characters

Autobot

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Slug - Triceratops

Snarl - Stegosaurus

Sludge - Apatosaurus

Swoop - Pteranodon Brainwashed by Ser-Ket

Ultra Magnus - Truck

Winged Eared Prisoner Pushed off Prison by Ser-Ket

Waspinator Prisoner

Other Prisoners

Optimus Prime (Mentioned)

Decepticon/Predacon

Ser-Ket - Tri-Pronged Tail Dragon

The Forged

Megatron (Mentioned)

Shockwave (Mentioned)

Backbite - Dragon (Mentioned)

Other

Circuit Wraiths (Mentioned)

Notes

• So yeah...Ser-Ket is a girl...who knew? (It is good that female characters are just being put into fiction without it being a big deal or talked about too much)
• Since the previous issue a toy for Ripclaw has been revealed, who seems to share the same body/mold as Ser-Ket, which gives us her beast mode as well.
• Grimlock throws his sword, and THEN calls for his team to attack...so like Grimmy
• I'm sure one or more of those prisoners are going to end up being a main character in the next issue or something, you just wait!
• Most of Ser-Ket's troops (including Swoop in the end) have an eye-patch, perhaps implying a lobotomy of sorts as having taken place for their loyalty
• So yeah, Ser-Ket seems to be like Shockwave's very own little Flamewar :)

Classified - Battle Mountain

Plot

Ironhide takes on Dr. Porter's tank drones to test if they are capable of taking on Transformers, and easily defeats them, he damages the tanks and is told to stop by Optimus and the humans however.

Ironhide is moaned at for damaging the tanks by Dr. Porter who needs their data to improve them for the next test. Ironhide is introduced to Dr. Porter's son Douglas, who also happened to be the remote control operator for the tank.

Douglas talks with the Autobots, who are somewhat impressed with the young human's abilities, and reveal their own friendship with Kevin to him. Dr. Porter chastises his son for not doing good enough with the tank to defeat Ironhide and tells him to do better next time.

Later Douglas signs on as his alter-ego Stealth Leader, and receives some secret footage of the battle at the army depot a month ago from Simon Clay, where he watches the battle and sees a small human, Kevin Bowman, his girlfriend's brother's friend with the Autobots. Douglas has Clay start to enhance the footage of the cylinder used by Reverb in the battle, and to get ready for a new mission at his father's labs (Clay doesn't know it's Douglas' father's lab though)

Kevin has been escorted back to his house to pick up some of his clothes to return to his new home at the NEST base when he gets emotional, he leaves, along with Gears and the NEST team to get back to his new home.

Kevin and Gears return to the base where they, along with the Autobots are debriefed about the discovery of an energy signal similar to the one at the army depot from a month ago being detected in the mountain ranges around the town of Battle Mountain, and Kevin believes that there's another cylinder there, and his brother was transported there! However before anything can happen, NEST recieves a call from Hyperdynamix Labs about a Decepticon attack.

NEST and the Autobots decide to go to Hyperdynamix and leave the Battle Mountain mission til later. General Marcus asks Kevin and Gears to go see Chief Lindsay in his lab to see if they can give him some more insight into what the cylinder does (since the two of them saw it before and after it was turned on.

The two of them enter the lab, and Kevin learns that Reverb is being held prisoner in the base as well, however neither of them can remember if there were any of the strange marks that are on the cylinder now before it was turned on or not. Kevin learns about Jetfire being able to use his teleportation powers to get to Egypt before, which makes Kevin more hopeful that his brother was just transported somewhere instead of disintegrating.

Kevin gets a phone call from Douglas Porter, who is outside and asks to meet with him, Outside, Kevin and Douglas chat away, and Douglas says that he's detected a Cybertronian message about coordinates, which Gears translates as Battle Mountain. Kevin says he thinks his brother was transported to Battle Mountain by the cylinder, the two humans, Gears and Bumblebee decide to head to Battle Mountain themselves, rather than wait for Optimus and the others to come back so they can save Kevin's brother.

After they leave however, an MP3 player that Douglas forgot in the area is left alone....

At Hyperdynamix, Dr Porter finds out that all his prototype tanks are missing, but the R & D section hasn't been breached yet, and the attack is still taking place. Clay reports to Douglas that the mission is a success, but Optimus has arrived and they need to leave, but Douglas orders that they stay, for the next part of the plan to succeed. The Autobots and NEST take on the Decepticons and help defend the lab, whilst Dr Porter reports about the tanks going missing, which confuses everyone as to what the Decepticon's objectives could be.

Outside the NEST base Douglas convinces Gears to take on a new alternate mode that isn't rusty and they head off. On the way to Battle Mountain, Gears and Kevin start a game of 20 questions again, and Douglas helps Kevin with some tricks to help him get the answers easier.

At the NEST base, the MP3 player transforms into a drone piloted by a human elsewhere, it infiltrates Reverb's jail and frees the Decepicon, Reverb escapes and takes on a new Jeep mode and sets off for Battle Mountain as well, so he can get at Gears, which the MP3 controller revealed to him.

Still on the way to Battle Mountain, the humans get hungry, so Bumblebee picks up some food through a drive in for them (he uses NEST credit card numbers, and uses his radio to tell the kiosk operator to leave the food through his window, and then passes it into Gears' window for the kids to eat) rather than Gears taking a small detour and having the kids get it themselves.

At Hyperdynamix the Autobots are looking for the Decepticons in the lab, when Optimus learns of Reverb's escape fromt the NEST base, and that Gears and the others have left, he assumes they've headed to Battle Mountain. Optimus orders Ironhide to get there himself as well, ASAP.

Gears and the others arrive at Battle Mountain, where they encounter Blowback, and engage him. Kevin and Douglas however run off towards the mountain range, to look for the storehouse themselves. The Autobots battle Blowback, and try to keep the fight out of the town itself. The two Humans find the entrance and manage to open it the way Gears opened the one from Hawthorne a month ago, and they enter it, with Kevin screaming for his brother.

Blowback reveals that he has reinforcements in the form of Sawtooth, Burnrate and Roadrash in the area, and the four Decepticons gang up on the two Autobots. During the fierce battle Blowback accidentally kills Roadrash.

Inside the storehouse Kevin doesn't find his brother, but all the weapons inside are decayed and rusted, due to a leak somewhere at some time entering the store and ruining everything. They find a second corridor, but the door is sealed shut, they find a monitor on the wall, which analyses their speach to be able to talk in English and communicates with them (though it's systems are dying due to the damage inside). It asks for the code to access the door, but they don't have it, but are told that if they can say what is inside the store then they will be allowed access, but they only have 12 attempts, including questions about the item before the esystem locks down, meaning they have to play a dangerous game of "20 questions" here to try and save Duane.

Outside the battle continues, Bumblebee kills Sawtooth and they prepare to battle remaining two Decepticons.

Inside the store Douglas starts asking questions, but the monitor is dying, Douglas takes out his phone and shows the monitor an image of the cylinder from Hawthorne from the footage he has and asks if that's the item  inside the store, and it confirms it, opening the door.

The last two Decepticons are killed, and the two Autobots start to head for the store as well.

Inside the store the humans find the cylinder intact, unlike the one in the base and douglas starts recording it. Kevin goes into the corridor again and asks the monitor how the cylinder works, and it says that it needs certain coordinates and transports all those in it's range to those coordinates in space, and then it dies out. Gears and Bumblebee arrive in the area.

Gears and the others prepare to move the cylinder when Gears sees Reverb heading into the town below, Ironhide arrives and Douglas asks if they're going to go after the Decepticon, as he can get a Hyperdynamix truck to transport the cylinder for them, but Ironhide refuses, saying that he's going to transport it. (Ironhide doesn't like/trust Douglas) and has them all load into a NEST transport with the cylinder to return to base.

The Decepticons at Hyperdynamix are found and killed, and the team from Battle Mountain return to base, with Optimus upset with their actions, but Douglas takes full blame as it was his idea. The Cylinder is taken to Lindsay's labto be examined, but they learn that the coordinates could be to anywhere, and there seems to only be one use in each cylinder, meaning they can't just keep testing it. At Hyperdynamix, Dr Porter asks his son why the Decepticons would keep attacking despite the tanks already being gone, but he doesn't know what to say.

Later, Reverb has been led to Simon Clay's home, where he'll be situated now with the human. Douglas contacts them to tell them that he'll be working on a new plan to defeat the Autobots soon, and allow Reverb to lead his own army (the tanks)

At home, Douglas laments his loss of the cylinder, but is glad about gaining the trust of everyone, bar Ironhide, and looks at another still from the footage from earlier, with a clear image of the coordinates on the cylinder, and considered how to use it, even the possibility of Kevin seeing it one day.

On a blue planet far away, Duane and his team are getting ready for another night on this starnge world with wolf-like monsters roaming around, and Duane promises his team to get them home....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Gears - Vintage British Car (Former Rusty SUV)

Bumblebee - Concept Camaro

Ironhide - Pick Up Truck

Ratchet - Emergency Humvee

Tailgate Hologram (In Footage)

Skids - Smart Car (Mentioned)

Mudflap - Smart Car (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Reverb - Black Jeep

Blowback Killed by Gears

Sawtooth Killed by Bumblebee

Burnrate Killed by Bumblebee

Roadrash Killed by Blowback

Trio at Hyperdynamix Killed by Autobots and NEST

Megatron (Mentioned)

Jetfire - Stealth Jet (Mentioned) Dead

Human

Kevin Bowman

Douglas Porter/Stealth Leader

Simon Clay/Stealth One

General Marcus

Dr. Alexander Porter

Science Lab Chief Lindsay

Gilbert Poole

Sergeant Cooke

Collier

Leitch

Duane Bowman Lost on Blue Planet

Duane's Four Man Team Lost on Blue Planet

Jimmy Lemmon

Jimmy's Friends (Mentioned)

NEST Personnel

Military Personnel

Hyperdynamix Labs Staff

Battle Mountain Civilians

Nevada Highway Patrolman

Charlene Poole (Mentioned)

Mr and Mrs Bowman (Mentioned) Dead

Mrs Porter (Mentioned)

Sam Witwicky (Mentioned)

Mikaela Banes (Mentioned)

Leo Spitz (Mentioned)

Seymour Simmons (Mentioned)

Other

Battle Mountain Storehouse Computer Out of Power

Hyperdynamix Tank 1 Destroyed by Ironhide

Hyperdynamix Tank 2-13 Stolen by Stealth Team

MP3 Drone - MP3 Player

Alien Wolf Things (Mentioned)

Dorsata Secundus (Mentioned)

The Fifth Baron-Warlord of Polyhex (Mentioned)

Seekers (Mentioned)

Notes

• This story is set about a month after the previous one (Switching Gears)
• This story establishes that there are other weapons stores on Earth, which survived the natural shifting of Earth (though the one here was flooded at some point and therefore ruined too)
• This story shows Gears changing his alternate mode from an SUV to a smaller car, and Reverb taking on a Jeep mode (despite his toy and cover appearances have him in his motorcycle body) meaning that characters in this continuity at least aren't limited to certain sized alternate forms
• The party Douglas threw for his girlfriend in the previous story was used to give him a cover-story for his whereabouts during the battles he set up.
• Gears and Kevin have taken a liking to playing "20 questions" with each other, however Gears keeps making his answers things that Kevin couldn't possibly know about from Cybertron or other planets.
• The next part of this story is out in September 2013, and is called Satellite of Doom.
• Sawtooth COULD be a reference to the Movie One toy Mudflap, who's original repaint name idea was also called Sawtooth. I'm not sure though, so I won't put his alternate mode as a crane here, just in case.
• Ironhide is only cast member here shown to mistrust Douglas, he's also the only one here to die in DOTM...coincidence?