IDW - Transformers: King Grimlock #3

Title: Grimlock the Avenger

Written by: Steve Orlando

Art by: Agustin Padilla

Colours by: Jeremy Colwell

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

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

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

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

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

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

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

Characters

Autobot

Grimlock - Tyrannosaurus Rex

Optimus Prime - Truck (Mentioned)

Menonian

The Golden One

Arko

Arnak

Anglorian Villagers

Valedrift Villagers

Other

The Red Wizard Killed by Grimlock

Clatta

Red Clay Army Destroyed by Grimlock and Anglorians

Wood-bots Destroyed by Grimlock and Anglorians

Soltron (Mentioned)

The Anti-Sun (Mentioned)

Sharkticons - Sharks (Mentioned)

Notes

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

IDW - Transformers Shattered Glass #2

Written by: Danny Lore

Art by: Daniel Khanna

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Letters by: Neil Uyetake

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Design by: Jake Wood & Johanna Nattalie

Plot

Megatron's life of solitude past the Rust Sea is interrupted by the arrival of Starscream, who collapses after arriving from his injuries from both the Bodyscrappers and the Sea itself, forcing the reclusive Decepticon to help his loyal lieutenant.

Inside his hideout, Megatron patches up Starscream, and complains about his follower seeking him out, since he is no longer his leader, since losing the war, but Starscream counters that they haven't lost yet, and they still have a chance to save their planet from the Autobots.

Starscream reminisces over the first time he saw Megatron, he was at a protest, protecting Ratbat's right to protest from Prowl, and ended up getting arrested for attacking the officer.

Megatron was later released from prison by Orion Pax, due to their friendship, but the two get into an argument, after Orion threatens him with Empurata to try and fix his wild ways. The fight was soon broken up, but the two didn't speak again, until the war started...

Some time later, the war enndednup on Earth, with the final battle taking place in Hollywood, Megatron orders the other Decepticons to retreat, knowing they can't win, and takes on the Autobots alone, behind eventually beaten down by Megatron, but not before dealing some major damage to the Autobots, and saving multiple Decepticons from their enemies, allowing most of their forces to escape.

After Megatron awoke, following the battle, he escaped the remains of Earth on a shuttle, and returned to Cyberton, where he discovered the Autobots had conquered the planet in his absence, leading to his exile.

Back in the presence, Starscream continues to try and prove their potential to win the war still, when he reveals that he's continued to examine his unique spark, and believes he has found a way to use it to reawaken the sleeping Titans, and use them to take back the planet...

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime/Orion Pax - Truck (Flashback)

Prowl - Police Car (Flashback)

Jetfire - Jet (Flashback)

Bumblebee - Car (Flashback) Blasted by Megatron, Reformatted into Goldbug

Ironhide - Van (Flashback)

Ratchet - Ambulance (Flashback)

Blurr - Race Car (Flashback)

Jazz - Car (Flashback)

Blaster - Boom Box (Flashback)

Windcharger - Car (Flashback)

Brawn - SUV (Flashback)

Downshift - Car (Flashback) Possibly Dead

Sunstreaker - Car (Flashback)

Sideswipe - Car (Flashback) Injured

Hot Rod - Car (Flashback) Injured 

Other Autobots (Flashback)

Dinobots (Mentioned)

Bodyscrappers (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Megatron - Space Shuttle

Starscream - Jet

Shockwave - Flying Artillery (Flashback)

Thundercracker - Jet (Flashback)

Skywarp - Jet (Flashback)

Soundwave - Cassette Player (Flashback)

Rumble - Cassette (Flashback)

Frenzy - Cassette (Flashback)

Ravage - Cassette (Flashback)

Refraktor - Hovercraft (Flashback)

Scrapper - Front End Loader (Flashback)

Bonecrusher - Bulldozer (Flashback)

Kickback - Locust (Flashback)

Bombshell - Bill Weevil (Flashback)

Other Decepticons (Flashback)

Other Cybertronian

Ratbat - Cassette (Flashback)

Chromedome - Car (Flashback)

Miners (Flashback)

Empurata Protesters (Flashback)

A Titan (Hologram Only)

Whirl - Helicopter (Poster Only)

The Senate (Mentioned)

Drillers (Mentioned)

Other

Humans (Mentioned) Possibly killed by Autobots

Notes

• This issue, again, came with a free figure, this time of Shattered Glass Megatron! (The price was a lot higher, though there is a cheaper option without the toy if you'd prefer)
• Megatron's Cape in the present setting appears to be based on the one worn by Optimus and Megatron in their G2 Cybertronian Alliance design.
• Laste issue Prowl was shown in shadows, seemingly to hide his design, possibly for a future toy reveal...but we see him in all his glory this issue!
• Whirl is shown on a pro-Empurata poster in the background of this issue, the old IDW continuity had Whirl as a stern hater of Empurata, following his own punishment.
• Optimus Prime/Orion Pax's windscreen crack is revealed to be an injury caused from his first fight with Megatron, pre-war.
• It's unclear what happened after Megatron was defeated, but from the ground looking pretty torn up, we can assume the Autobots probably raized Hollywood, if not more of Earth.
• Among the injured Autobots seen laying around are Downshift, Sideswipe and Hot Rod, the latter two being important characters in the previous continuity, but who knows with this one.
• Bumblebee is seen this issue during th flashback, where he is coloured like Bug Bite. We also see here that his injuries, that led to him being rebuilt as Goldbug were caused by Megatron shooting him with his fusion cannon.
• Starscream having an unusual spark is a recurring theme in Transformers fiction, with him usually being shown as being unable to permanently die.
• Earth having "Rarified Energon" is likely in reference to the Classics Universe from Fun Publications, which was the "positive" counterpart to the original Shattered Glass continuity. In that version the Energon was because Earth was actually a giant Transformers called Gaia, but I doubt they're doing that here again...

IDW - Transformers Halloween

Written by: Dan Watters

Art by: Beth McGuire-Smith

Colours by: Nahuel Ruiz

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editors: David Mariotte & Tom Waltz

Plot

Word has been spread that the Autobots are roaming in the area outside of Iacon, plotting to retake it from the Decepticons, so Megatron is planning a hunting party.

Initially, he plans to have Starscream lead the team, but after Sixshot questions his loyalty, he relents and appoints Soundwave instead.

Starscream, having overheard this conversation storms outside, where he encounters the Battlechargers, who say they have heard a strange howl in the wastelands.

Determined to prove his skills, he decides to investigate himself, having explored the area when he was newly forged with his mentor, Cryak.

Eventually, Starscream finds the source of the sound, an enslaved-organic that has been separated from his Voin master, but is trapped by a cable. 

Starscream intends to put the creature out of its misery, but as soon as he stabs the cable with his blade, he is electrocuted, and knocked out.

Starscream wakes up inside the organic, trapped, but soon encounters another spark inside the organic, Cryak, who was trapped in there when her spark was accidentally caught in the organic's cable and trapped her inside it.

Cryak soon shows Starscream how to manifest a "physical" form inside the organic, to make it easier to communicate, but she reveals that her time inside the organic has warped her mind, and driven her to hate the concept of Cybertronians emulating organics in several ways, and intends to use Starscream's body to "liberate" every Cybertronian she can, and reduce them to their true spark forms.

Starscream draws a line at genocide however, and fights off his former mentor, resulting in him escaping the organic, and returning to his body.

As punishment for her actions, he leaves the organic alive, thus condemning Cryak to his body as a prison...

Characters

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Sixshot - Tank/Jet/Car/Fun/Winged Beast

Starscream - Jet

Runabout - Car

Runamuck - Car

Soundwave - Hovercraft (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Cryak - Buggy Spark Trapped Inside "Ook"

The Autobots (Mentioned)

The Unaligned (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

Other

"Ook" Ensnared by Control Wire

Voin

Other Enslaved-Organics

Notes

• This issue shows us that the organic aliens are still in Iacon...I wonder how long it'll take for the Decepticons to start using them for target practice.
• Starscream is revealed to have joined the Decepticons this issue, but it's not clear if he is truly loyal to Megatron yet. He is still mentioned as being the head of intelligence though, so I guess Megatron trusts him at least a little bit.
• This issue shows us at least part of the process of a character going Immersant, with Cryak laying down, allowing cables to enter Cybertron and pass her spark into the planet and her body to be recycled into it too.
• Cryak's beliefs that Cybertron is Primus' body are reminiscent of Reversionist beliefs, implying that she was probably one before she died.

IDW - Transformers #35

Title: Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust II

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz & Evan Gauntt

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

The Autobot team, led by Pyra Magna arrive to fight off the Insecticon Swarm, and manage to kill many of them, forcing the rest to retreat. Pyra and Wheeljack head inside "House" to meet with the reclusive scientist.

Skywarp arrives outside Shockwave's lab, and tries to reunite with his former teammate, but the former Exarchon follower simply arms up, prepared to fire on the teleporter. Skywarp asks what the deal with the clones swarming to the Sea of Rust is about, with Shockwave explaining it briefly as being due to the Enigma of Combination, leading to Skywarp to teleport away, saying he'll be back soon....

At Termagax's "House" she meets with Pyra, who simply wants to have permission to place sentries in the facility too, to prepare for the upcoming battle. Wheeljack tells Landmine and Geomotus that they should leave before the battle begins, as they aren't fighters.

Soon, the Autobots fortify the area around "House" whilst waiting for the rest of the attack force, led by Optimus Prime to arrive.

Optimus meets with Termagax too, with Termagax determined to make it clear that she will NOT choose a side in this war, and will not give him the Enigma either. Optimus however rebutes that Termagax, as both the founder of the Ascenticons and Megatron's mentor, is the one person who cannot be allowed to remain neutral, and she has to choose a side.

Sixshot leads a team of Decepticons to the Sea of Rust, and begins the attack on "House", sending the Rainmakers in first, however Pyra knew this would happen, and has the sentries ready. Arcee and Sureshot use their sniper skills to take down Ion Storm and Acid Storm, an Windcharger internally crushed Nova Storm too, after a bit of trouble with her impenetrable bodyframe.

A full-on battle begins between the Autobots and Decepticons. Inside "House", Termagax has made her choice, as she deploys an army of Spectrosynth Drones onto the battlefield....

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Pyra Magna - Fire Truck

Ironhide - Van

Novastar - Car

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Springer - Helicopter/Car

Blades - Helicopter

Rust Dust - Motorcycle

Groundbreaker - Car

Sunstreaker - Car

Smokescreen - Car

Arcee - Car

Sureshot - Buggy

Windcharger - Car

Wheeljack - Race Car

Flareup - Motorcycle

Groove - Motorcycle

Inferno - Fire Truck

Javelin - Car

Brawn - Van

Subsea - Submarine

Pipes - Truck

Grotesque - Winged Beast

Backstreet - Race Car

Pointblank - Van

Zetar - Drill Tank

Powertrain - Truck

Highjump - Van

Big Daddy - Car

Trip-up - Car

Other Autobots

Nominus Prime - Jet (Mentioned) Dead

Sentinel Prime - Space Shuttle (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Sixshot - Car/Jet/Tank/Gun/Winged Beast

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Shadow Striker - Car

Hyperdrive - Car

Flamewar - Motorcycle

Slipstream - Jet

Nova Storm - Jet Internals Crushed by Windcharger

Ion Storm - Jet Shot Out of Sky by Arcee

Acid Storm - Jet Shot Out of Sky by Sureshot

Roadtrap - Van

Battleslash - Helicopter

Runamuck - Car

Runabout - Car

Cindersaur - Lizard Monster

Flamefeather - Bird Monster

Skytread - Tank and Jet

Gutcruncher

Crasher - Race Car

Nautilator - Lobster

Twirl - Jet

Swift - Helicopter

Refraktor - Hovercraft

Direct-Hit - Truck

Power Punch - Truck

Weirdwolf - Wolf

Offroad - Van

Scatterspike - Van

Insecticon Swarm - Insects Some destroyed by Autobots

Other Decepticons

Megatron - Tank (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Termagax - Armoured Van

Geomotus - Buggy

Landmine - Buggy

Skywarp - Jet

Constructicons (Mentioned)

Other

"House"

Spectrosynth Drones

Rust Worms

Termagax's Specimens In Jars

Notes

• Wheeljack is the only major character from the Escape miniseries to join the defense of Termagax. Most likely the others (like Nautica, Hound etc) are busy fortifying Darkmount.
• Shockwave's extra weapons and armour is based on his Siege figure's extra accessories. I believe this is the first time we've seen the extra parts of a figure on panel in this series so far.
• Subsea mentions that the Senate Guard have renamed themselves as the "Prime Guard"
• Termagax reveals that she has possessed the Enigma of Combination since it was used on the Constructicons, with permission by both Nominus and Sentinel Primes. Most likely this was in effort to stop Cybertronian expansionism, like we saw with the population control in earlier issues.
• It's unclear if the Rainmakers survived their attacks in this issue, but after two getting shot through their jet modes, and plummeting to the ground, and Nova Storm getting internally crushed by Windcharger, before also plummeting, I'd expect them to at least have some bad injuries...
• The final panels make it pretty unclear if Termagax is sending her drones to attack the Autobots, Decepticons or both!
• Based on the title of this storyline referencing Skywarp, and him not really appearing much in the story itself in the past couple of issues, I'm going to guess that he will teleport in at the end of the fight, and either abduct Termagax or steal the Enigma (again, possibly both)

IDW - Beast Wars #8

Title: Pod, Part 2

Written by: Erik Burnham

Art by: Winston Chan

Colours by: Sidvenblu

Letters by: Jake M. Wood

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Editor: Jazmine Joyner

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Plot

The Maximals receive an abruptly cut off message from Cheetor, calling for help, so they hunt him down in the halls of the Axalon, where they find him hung up in an Energon web, having been left there by Blackarachnia. 

The crew split up to hunt down the new Predacon, who is in the control room, trying to download the Axalon's database. Realizing that the Maximals are going to find her soon though, she cancels the download, and starts uploading a copy of her Predacon shell program to the still orbiting stasis pods.

Rhinox soon finds her, so she disconnects and starts the process to force the pods to descend, forcing Rhinox to stay behind to try and salvage their stranded crew members. He reports what's happened to the rest of the crew, who are still split up across the ship.

Eventually, Blackarachnia breaks out of the ship and tries to head to the Darksyde, but is attacked by Cheetor, though she tricks him into believing that she has set multiple traps in the Axalon, causing him to run back inside to try and save his friends...

Later, Rhinox reports that more than half of the pods have been affected by this code, which implants the most aggressive Predacon traits into the recipient, changing their loyalties in the process, and there is no way to know who is infected until they emerge from their pods, which are still descending.

Optimus now decides that this is too far, and declares that they are going to go after the Predacons more aggressively now...

Blackarachnia soon sneaks into the Darksyde, where she finds Tarantulas, who attempts to make her bow to him as his servant, but she states that command didn't go through on the code. Tarantulas still considers this a victory however, and plans to connect to the rest of the pods as soon as he can,but Blackarachnia simply tells him that she has wonderful news then....

Characters

Maximal

Optimus Primal - Gorilla

Cheetor - Cheetah

Rhinox - Rhino

Dinobot - Velociraptor

Rattrap - Rat

Nyx - Bat

Orbiting Protoforms 51% affected by Predacon code, all pods Descending

Predacon

Blackarachnia - Black Widow Spider

Tarantulas - Tarantula

Waspinator - Wasp

Megatron - Tyrannosaurus Rex (Mentioned)

Notes

• Rhinox reports that just over half of the orbiting pods have been affected by the Shell Program code. This is somewhat ironic since the Kingdom toyline, which most of the character models this issue are based on, has much less Predacon characters than Maximals.
• Blackarachnia's plan to send the code to all the inactive pods and half being converted into Predacons is actually pretty similar to the plot of the Gathering, the previous IDW Beast Wars comic series, where Razorbeast corrupted Magmatron's code, which kept half of the pods as Maximals instead of Predacons.
• Blackarachnia's code was supposed to be cause her to be subservient to Tarantulas, but that part of it failed to upload, most likely due to Rattrap interrupting the programming last issue.
• Waspinator has a teddy bear that he sleeps with, and much like Megatron's rubber ducky, it has metallic details.

IDW - Transformers: Shattered Glass #1

Written by: Danny Lore

Art by: Guido Guidi

Inks by: John Wycough

Colours by: John-Paul Bove

Colour Assists by: Ed Pirrie

Letters by: Lettersquids

Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: David Mariotte

Design by: Jake Wood & Johanna Nattalie

Plot

The bodyscrapper Blurr brings in the remains of his recent bounty, Sixshot, to Gold City, where he delivers himnto his middlebot, Ratchet, who is currently experimenting on a new patient...

While there, Blurr is informed of a new bounty from Goldbug himself, he wants the Devepticon Starscream brought to him, alive, as he wants the information he holds.

Elsewhere, Starscream is struggling against two more Bodyscrappers, Chromedome and Hardhead, but managed to injure the latter, while the former is suddenly attacked by Blurr, who feigns switching sides.

Starscream and Blurr make it to the Static Zone, outside the city where Starscream confronts the Evil Autobot on why he would help him. Blurr tries to tell him that he only joined the Autobots out of necessity originally, and points out that if Goldbug is looking for him, then the other higher up Autobots like Optimus and Prowl must be after him too for his information...the location of Megatron.

Starscream agrees, and tells Blurr the direction to take to reach the Decepticon leader, and the duo head through the active volcanic fields...

Along the way, Blurr monologues to himself about how he's going to lead Starscream to Goldbug and will then bring in Megatron himself, when suddenly Starscream attacks the Autobot, revealing that he knew his plan all along, and just needed him to keep him safe while he gets through the Static Zone.

The two fight, with Blurr using his super speed to outpace the Decepticon, but his speed ends up being his outdoing, when Starscream tricks him into stepping in the path of a volcanic eruption, trapping him and encasing him in lava, as he screams revenge on the Seeker...

The next morning, Starscream thanks Blurr for his unintended help, explaining that he stayed with him in case he somehow survived, and heads out to meet with Megatron at his hiding place....

Characters

Autobot

Blurr - Race Car Smelted in Volcanic Eruption

Ratchet - Ambulance

Hardhead - Tank

Chromedome - Car

Gold City Denizens

Ratchet's "Patient"

Metroplex - Titan Ship/City Dead/Immersant

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab (Flashback Only)

Goldbug - Car (Flashback Only)

Prowl - Police Car (Flashback Only)

Fortress Maximus - Titan Ship/City (Flashback Only)

Brainstorm - Jet (Flashback Only)

Highbrow - Helicopter (Flashback Only)

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport (Flashback Only)

Springer - Helicopter/Car (Flashback Only)

Roadbuster - Jeep (Flashback Only)

Kup - Pick-up Truck (Flashback Only)

Optimus Prime's Enforcer (Flashback Only)

Flashback Autobots (Flashback Only)

Ratchet's Fallen Comrade (Mentioned) Dead

Decepticon

Starscream - Tetrajet 

Sixshot - Tank/Jet/Gun/Winged Wolf/Car Killed by Blurr

Refraktor - Hovercraft (Flashback Only) Captured by Headmasters

Flashback Decepticons (Flashback Only)

Megatron - Space Shuttle (Mentioned)

Notes

• Unusually for a comic, this issue came with a full sized Blurr figure. There is a mass release version that doesn't have the toy, but who would want that? :P 
• Beyond the cover and the adverts (which were likely made when the comic was produced in the Pulse version as theybare all of things from several months ago) there's no differences between the versions, unlike when we previously had pack-in comics, where they were censored in various ways. I guess in this case it's different due to this only being sent with the figure, and not placed in the packaging.
• This version of Shattered Glass is not connected to the previous Shattered Glass continuity made by Fun Publications, other than being in the same multiverse of course...
• This marks the first mainstream, successful reboot to the Shattered Glass concept, with the previous attempts either being concepts or just one-offs.
• It's likely, that just like how the original version was the mirror universe counterpart to the Classics universe, that this version is a counterpart to the current IDW continuity, due to the use of current toy moulds, whether as virtual retools or using the new Shattered Glass collection figures. Also the appearance of Metroplex, seemingly being Immersant, adds to the possibility.
• Unlike in the previous Shattered Glass universe, most of the secondary characters colourschemes in this story aren't based on another colourscheme, they just used what looked best.
• Ratchet holds up the Data fob for Blurr holding the information in his next target, but the speech bubble is covering it up, making the next few panels a little confusing.
• Hardhead refers to Chromedome as "Chromey", likely a corruption on his nickname from Rewind in IDW Version 1 of "Domey".
• The dialogue in this issue tells us that this is set after the Transformers have been to Earth, and even that a version of the Headmasters storyline has happened too.
• It's left unclear at the end if Blurr somehow survived being melted in place by the volcano (face it, we've seen Transformers survive literal atomisation in the past). But it would be weird to kill off a character that is sold with the comic he's killed in....

IDW - Transformers #34

Title: Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I

Written by: Brian Ruckley

Art by: Anna Malkova

Colours by: David Garcia Cruz & Evan Gauntt

Letters & Design by: Jake M. Wood

Editor: David Mariotte

Assistant Editor: Riley Farmer

Supervising Editor: Tom Waltz

Plot

Geomotus and Landmine investigate the crash site of the Titan Citadel in the Sea of Rust, and find the rust worms in a frenzy. Termagax appears behind them, still on the run from the Decepticons, and explains that the worms devoured Citadel's body, and are now hungry for more.

The two researchers are invited inside House, where she offers them her hospitality. Unfortunately, a team of Decepticon Seekers find them, and intend to take down Termagax for Megatron. Red Wing decides to head back so he can report this to Megatron, but the others intend to impress their leader by taking her out themselves. However, Termagax isn't helpless, and launches House's arsenal on them, forcing Wingstun to also flee and Space Case to crash into the Sea of Rust, to die.

At the Crystal City, Optimus has officially dubbed his resistance against the Decepticons as the Autobots, and begins plans to search for Termagax, as he has learned that she possesses the Enigma of Combination, thanks to Bumblebee's intel. Highbrow reports that he actually knows where she is, since Geomotus reported that he's met with her, before entering a suppression field.

In Iacon, Megatron meets with Skywarp, who tries to convince the Decepticon leader to allow him to join his side for himnto have fun, but Megatron is unconvinced.

Soundwave reports Termagax's location at the Sea of Rust, and decides to use the Shockwave's troops to attack her, since he's closer, which Shockwave outsources to the Insecticon Swarm, to simply overwhelm her. Shockwave intends to use this to seizebthr Enigma for himself, do he keeps the monopoly of Combiners, since Devastator is under his influence in space....

In the medical center, Jumpstream wakes up from her brief coma, to be good by Perceptor that her "dimension hop" was actually time travel, terrifying her, as she reveals that this means Exarchon is still out there, and that he will win another eat in the future!

Back at the Sea of Rust, the Insecticon Swarm approaches House, and it begins fighting them off. Inside, Termagax explains that the reason the Decepticons want her is because she holds the Enigma of Combination, and also reveals that even though she is sceptical of the existence of the Thirteen Primes, she has experienced two of their artefacts, so she has surmised that the others also exist somewhere, and she is determined to find them.

House's arsenal finally runs out, and Termagax apologizes to her friends for getting them killed, when House detects more arrivals, a team of Autobots have come to rescue them!

Characters

Autobot

Optimus Prime - Truck

Ultra Magnus - Vehicle Transport

Pyra Magna - Truck

Highbrow - Helicopter

Chromia - Car

Ratchet - Ambulance

Perceptor

Jumpstream - Car

Windblade - VTOL Jet

Springer - Helicopter/Car

Blades - Helicopter

Sky Lynx - Space Shuttle

Arcee - Car

Kup - Pick-up Truck

Ironhide - Van

Strongarm - Van

Huffer - Truck

Inferno - Fire Truck

Blaster

Vibes

Tap-Out - Car

Chromedome - Car

Pointblank - Car

Grapple - Crane

Decepticon

Megatron - Tank

Soundwave - Hovercraft

Sixshot - Jet/Car/Tank/Gun/Winged Tiger

Nova Storm - Jet

Red Wing - Jet

Wingstun - Jet

Space Case - Jet Eaten by Rust Worms

Shockwave - Flying Artillery

Soundblaster - Hovercraft

Bombshell - Bill Weevil

Kickback - Locust

Skrapnel - Stag Beetle

Insecticon Swarm Many Destroyed by House

Nacelle - Jet (Mentioned)

Shockwave's Insecticon Clones (Mentioned)

Other Cybertronian

Termagax - Armoured Van

Geomotus - Buggy

Landmine - Buggy

Skywarp - Jet

Devastator - Constructicon Gestalt (Flashback)

Abominus - Terrorcon Gestalt (Flashback)

Nexus Prime (Flashback)

Solus Prime (Flashback)

Vector Prime (Flashback)

Quintus Prime (Flashback)

Micronus Prime (Flashback)

Alchemist Prime (Flashback)

Liege Maximo (Flashback)

Exarchon (Mentioned)

Citadel - Titan Ship (Mentioned) Dead, Eaten by Rust Worms

Bumblebee - Winged Hovercraft (Mentioned)

Primus (Mentioned)

The Other Primes (Mentioned)

The Firstforged (Mentioned)

Other

"House"

Rust Worms

Termagax's "Samples" In jars

Notes

• This issue opens by revealing that the largest Titan, Citadel, was eaten by the rust worms when he crashed.. guess he has no chance of revival now then!
• Both Geomotus and Landmine are familiar with Termagax, implying that both are relatively older, since she's been in seclusion since shortly after the Nominus Editcbwas enforced.
• Red Wing previously ran away when he saw Windcharger was amongst the Autobot reinforcements, who ended up badly hurting Nacelle. This time he manages to escape being eaten alive by the rust worms! He's a smart fella!
• It's still unclear if House is a sentient being here. But we have learned that he's armed to the teeth.
• It's taken 34 issues, but the Autobots are now officially the faction of Optimus and his followers, instead of just the political party he was associated with.
• We get a brief cameo from Blaster in the Autobot groupshot, but I can't tell if he's a virtual retool of Siege Soundwave or a new design yet...there are rumours of a new Blaster toy in the pipeline though...
• Huffer's character model has been modified from being based on his Power of the Primes toy to one closer to (but not quite) his Kingdom toy.
• It's confirmed that Soundblaster is a clone here, but the circumstances of it, and whether Soundwave is aware of him is still unknown.
• The Insecticon Clone army we saw at the end of Galaxies is referenced here, as Shockwave explains that he doesn't want anyone to know if their existence yet.
• Shockwave mentions that there are fourteen artefacts of the Primes. We see in her fantasy that the Matrix and Star Saber are separate here, rather than the Matrix just being a part of the sword.
• Also, we see a mask among the artefacts, if we assume that is the Triptych mask then it's a little different to the one we've seen in the past, which had three faces, one for the past, future and present. It's possible it's the Lenses of Alchemist Prime, but, why is there a full face there?