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Maximum Dinobots issue 5

2009-04-19T09:19:58Z

202.156.10.247: Aw, come on, if it is not an excuse for Mcarthy to retronise nim, I don't know what it is(Note:I don't blame Furman, I blame the editors, so don't accuse me of stuff)

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Maximum Dinobots|''The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots'']] #5
|prev=Maximum Dinobots issue 4
|next=All Hail Megatron issue 1
|image=Maximum Dinobots 5b.jpg
|caption=Old Klingon proverb: Revenge is a dish that is best served cold.
|publisher=IDW Publishing
|date=[[April 15]], [[2009]]
|coverdate=April 2009
|written by=[[Simon Furman]]
|art by=[[Nick Roche]] and [[James Raiz]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|edits by=[[Denton J. Tipton]] and [[Andy Schmidt]]
|continuity=[[IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline#Maximum Dinobots|Maximum Dinobots]]
}}
'''Is this the Dynobots' last stand?'''

==Synopsis==
In [[Dallas]], [[Texas]], Grimlock stares down at Sludge's dead body, brooding about how it's his fault Sludge is dead... while there's still a battle raging on around him, as Snarl points out while tackling Grimlock out of the way of a stray blast. The battle in question is between Scorponok and Shockwave, unable to agree on who has the greater claim to killing Hot Rod and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobot]]s. The mechs being fought over, meanwhile, are watching the spectacle with bemusement. Eventually Snarl, Slag, and Swoop decide to get to the [[Monsterbot]]s' ship while the getting's good, but both Grimlock and Hot Rod choose to stay in the fight for their own personal reasons.

Elsewhere, Agent Red gets word from one of his field units that they have reacquired [[Laserbeak (G1)|Seekers One]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Two]] from the coordinates Shockwave provided them with. He also learns that Shockwave is currently battling an "unidentified mecha" in another location, and one of the techs asks if she should transmit the disarm code for the bomb in Shockwave's head. Red tells her to hold off as long as possible, as he wants all of their stray robots recovered first. If Shockwave recovers them all before the time is up, she should let the bomb detonate instead.

Back in Dallas, Grimlock tries infusing some of his [[spark]] energy into Sludge to revive him, but it seems to have no effect. Meanwhile, Shockwave notes that, while the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]] has increased Scorponok's abilities greatly, the fear from his [[Abraham Dante|organic component]] has decreased his overall functioning just enough for Shockwave to get the upper hand. He pins Scorponok down and further notes that, though he could kill Scorponok easily, he has no real reason to do so, and is willing to let Scorponok escape. Scorponok takes him up on the offer, and uses his "exit strategy" as soon as Shockwave lets him up. Grimlock turns from Sludge's body and tries to attack Scorponok in vengeance, but he's too late to stop Scorponok's escape. As he yells in frustration, Shockwave tells Grimlock how many years he's cost him. That goads Grimlock into attacking Shockwave, as the timer on the bomb in Shockwave's head counts down to being 12 minutes from going off.

Flashback briefly to sometime earlier, where Shockwave and Soundwave have struck a deal—Soundwave will clone the [[Skywatch]] disarm code, if Shockwave will tell him how to break the altmode lock he's been placed under. Then back to the action again, where Grimlock is busy chowing down on Shockwave's arm.

Somewhere east of the battle, Slag, Snarl, and Swoop have all arrived at the Monsterbots' ship. Repugnus notices that there's only three of them but doesn't seem to care, telling them to hurry up and board the ship. He says they should just accept the fact that they and the Monsterbots are the same type of mech—rebels who only care about themselves. The Dynobots don't seem at all happy at this revelation.

While all this was going on, Hot Rod had struck out on his own to re-enter [[Machination]] Central, and he finally locates Scorponok's original head. Hunter arrives soon after and explains that the head is what's keeping Scorponok alive, and how Hot Rod can disconnect him for good. Before Hot Rod can do so, however, he gets yanked into the air by the rest of Scorponok.

Grimlock and Shockwave are too busy fighting to notice the return of Slag, Snarl, and Swoop, who reasoned that, while helping Grimlock might not be much of a cause, it still beats being no better than the Monsterbots. They ''are'' noticed by Sludge, however, who seems to have recovered due to Grimlock's treatment after all. The four of them dive into the fray proper, but Grimlock orders them to go after Scorponok instead, then tackles Shockwave through the wall of a nearby building.

Agent Red boards a helicopter, wanting to see the battle first-hand, and tells the tech she can transmit the disarm code. As she does so, Soundwave intercepts the code and clones it for Shockwave, who in turn tells Soundwave how to free himself. As Soundwave does, he wakes up Ravage and Laserbeak, who easily escape their own re-confinement. Shockwave then tells Grimlock that their battle this day has all been a charade, and that he never cared one bit about vengeance. He tries walking away with a statement that he's willing to forget the matter entirely as long as Grimlock doesn't interfere with him further. Grimlock will have none of that, and activates a grenade that blows the building they're in sky-high, the blast narrowly missing Agent Red's helicopter.

Underneath, in the middle of Machination Central, Hot Rod is about to get squished by Scorponok, until the remaining Dynobots show up in just the nick of time. At Hot Rod's urgings, Swoop severs the connections keeping Scorponok's head conscious. But before they can kill the rest of Scorponok, Ultra Magnus shows up (having been sent a message earlier by Hot Rod) and tells them that Scorponok will be revived and made to answer to a tribunal instead. He then says they should purge the entire Machination facility, gather up all related Machination technology, and get as far away from [[Earth]] as possible as soon as possible—a plan that the Dynobots, Hot Rod, and Hunter are all perfectly OK with.

Three days later, on the ''[[Ark-32]]'', Hunter is told by Ratchet that Sunstreaker will need time in the [[CR chamber]], but should recover, as his spark kept him going after Hunter disconnected him. Furthermore, Ratchet was able to make so that Hunter will no longer be able to hear Sunstreaker's thoughts, though he doesn't know how to remove Hunter's implants completely. Hunter then receives a happy surprise in the form of an apparently perfectly healthy Jimmy and Verity, who run over to give him greetings and hugs.

Ultra Magnus tells Optimus Prime that, while he purged as much of the Machination as he could, Skywatch still knows all about them. Optimus says it can't be helped and that he hopes Skywatch believes everything Cybertronian was destroyed, as we see an unhappy looking Agent Red walking away from the debris left behind by the day's carnage.

Finally, down in the brig, Ultra Magnus tells Grimlock that having Scorponok and Shockwave in custody should help offset Grimlock's own sentence. Grimlock says he doesn't care, so long as it's clear that it was his decision alone to go after Shockwave. Ultra Magnus assures him that the other Dynobots' warrants have been canceled, and Grimlock is content with that and the fact that Sludge is alive again thanks to him. The Dynobots meanwhile happily repair the ''[[Skyfire (ship)|Skyfire]]''.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (1)
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (2)
* [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (3)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] (6)
* [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (7)
* [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (8)
* [[Repugnus (G1)|Repugnus]] (13)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (15)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (16)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (17)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (18)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (19)
|c2=
* [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] (4)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (5)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (10)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (11)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (12)
|c3=
* [[Joshua Red]] (9)
* [[Hunter O'Nion]] (14)
* [[Jimmy Pink]] (20)
* [[Verity Carlo]] (21)
}}

==Quotes==
"The humans have a saying, payback's a '''bitch'''!"
:—'''Grimlock''' picks up the local lingo.

==Errors==
* In one panel, Shockwave's gun arm has a normal hand instead of the gun.
* There are some text bubble mix ups in a few areas.
* The "Before" box describing Shockwave's conversation with Soundwave is a panel too soon.

==Items of note==
* At the end of the story, Hot Rod reverts back to his Cybertronian form, thus <s>excusing</s> explaining (almost) his appearance in ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' in that state.
* Likewise, in the CR Chamber, Sunstreaker is in a kind of transition from his IDW body to his ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' body. The transition looks almost complete - only bit left from the IDW body is his head.
* Ultra Magnus is clearly taller than Prime, which makes sense really.
* Verity's hair has grown somewhat - her hair now spills out onto her shoulders, instead of just touching her neck.

===Covers (2)===
* '''Cover A:''' Scorponok, the Dynobots, Grimlock in dinosaur mode, and Hot Rod all look on over Sunstreaker driving away from an explosion: art by [[Nick Roche]] and colours by [[Priscilla Tramontano]].
* '''Cover B:''' Grimlock battles Shockwave as the Dynobots look on, with art by [[Marcelo Matere]] and colours by Priscilla Tramontano.
<gallery>
Image:Maximum_Dinobots_5a.jpg|Thank you, Simon!
Image:Maximum_Dinobots_5b.jpg|Gimme that gun, you one-eyed freak!
</gallery>

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* ''G.I. Joe: The Best of Larry Hama''
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* CGC Mint
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* ''Terminator Salvation'' movie adaptation
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[[Category:IDW Generation 1 issues]]

Maximum Dinobots issue 5

2009-04-19T03:29:20Z

202.156.10.247: /* Items of note */ Adding some well deserved snark

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Maximum Dinobots|''The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots'']] #5
|prev=Maximum Dinobots issue 4
|next=All Hail Megatron issue 1
|image=Maximum Dinobots 5b.jpg
|caption=Old Klingon proverb: Revenge is a dish that is best served cold.
|publisher=IDW Publishing
|date=[[April 15]], [[2009]]
|coverdate=April 2009
|written by=[[Simon Furman]]
|art by=[[Nick Roche]] and [[James Raiz]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|edits by=[[Denton J. Tipton]] and [[Andy Schmidt]]
|continuity=[[IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline#Maximum Dinobots|Maximum Dinobots]]
}}
'''Is this the Dynobots' last stand?'''

==Synopsis==
In [[Dallas]], [[Texas]], Grimlock stares down at Sludge's dead body, brooding about how it's his fault Sludge is dead... while there's still a battle raging on around him, as Snarl points out while tackling Grimlock out of the way of a stray blast. The battle in question is between Scorponok and Shockwave, unable to agree on who has the greater claim to killing Hot Rod and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobot]]s. The mechs being fought over, meanwhile, are watching the spectacle with bemusement. Eventually Snarl, Slag, and Swoop decide to get to the [[Monsterbot]]s' ship while the getting's good, but both Grimlock and Hot Rod choose to stay in the fight for their own personal reasons.

Elsewhere, Agent Red gets word from one of his field units that they have reacquired [[Laserbeak (G1)|Seekers One]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Two]] from the coordinates Shockwave provided them with. He also learns that Shockwave is currently battling an "unidentified mecha" in another location, and one of the techs asks if she should transmit the disarm code for the bomb in Shockwave's head. Red tells her to hold off as long as possible, as he wants all of their stray robots recovered first. If Shockwave recovers them all before the time is up, she should let the bomb detonate instead.

Back in Dallas, Grimlock tries infusing some of his [[spark]] energy into Sludge to revive him, but it seems to have no effect. Meanwhile, Shockwave notes that, while the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]] has increased Scorponok's abilities greatly, the fear from his [[Abraham Dante|organic component]] has decreased his overall functioning just enough for Shockwave to get the upper hand. He pins Scorponok down and further notes that, though he could kill Scorponok easily, he has no real reason to do so, and is willing to let Scorponok escape. Scorponok takes him up on the offer, and uses his "exit strategy" as soon as Shockwave lets him up. Grimlock turns from Sludge's body and tries to attack Scorponok in vengeance, but he's too late to stop Scorponok's escape. As he yells in frustration, Shockwave tells Grimlock how many years he's cost him. That goads Grimlock into attacking Shockwave, as the timer on the bomb in Shockwave's head counts down to being 12 minutes from going off.

Flashback briefly to sometime earlier, where Shockwave and Soundwave have struck a deal—Soundwave will clone the [[Skywatch]] disarm code, if Shockwave will tell him how to break the altmode lock he's been placed under. Then back to the action again, where Grimlock is busy chowing down on Shockwave's arm.

Somewhere east of the battle, Slag, Snarl, and Swoop have all arrived at the Monsterbots' ship. Repugnus notices that there's only three of them but doesn't seem to care, telling them to hurry up and board the ship. He says they should just accept the fact that they and the Monsterbots are the same type of mech—rebels who only care about themselves. The Dynobots don't seem at all happy at this revelation.

While all this was going on, Hot Rod had struck out on his own to re-enter [[Machination]] Central, and he finally locates Scorponok's original head. Hunter arrives soon after and explains that the head is what's keeping Scorponok alive, and how Hot Rod can disconnect him for good. Before Hot Rod can do so, however, he gets yanked into the air by the rest of Scorponok.

Grimlock and Shockwave are too busy fighting to notice the return of Slag, Snarl, and Swoop, who reasoned that, while helping Grimlock might not be much of a cause, it still beats being no better than the Monsterbots. They ''are'' noticed by Sludge, however, who seems to have recovered due to Grimlock's treatment after all. The four of them dive into the fray proper, but Grimlock orders them to go after Scorponok instead, then tackles Shockwave through the wall of a nearby building.

Agent Red boards a helicopter, wanting to see the battle first-hand, and tells the tech she can transmit the disarm code. As she does so, Soundwave intercepts the code and clones it for Shockwave, who in turn tells Soundwave how to free himself. As Soundwave does, he wakes up Ravage and Laserbeak, who easily escape their own re-confinement. Shockwave then tells Grimlock that their battle this day has all been a charade, and that he never cared one bit about vengeance. He tries walking away with a statement that he's willing to forget the matter entirely as long as Grimlock doesn't interfere with him further. Grimlock will have none of that, and activates a grenade that blows the building they're in sky-high, the blast narrowly missing Agent Red's helicopter.

Underneath, in the middle of Machination Central, Hot Rod is about to get squished by Scorponok, until the remaining Dynobots show up in just the nick of time. At Hot Rod's urgings, Swoop severs the connections keeping Scorponok's head conscious. But before they can kill the rest of Scorponok, Ultra Magnus shows up (having been sent a message earlier by Hot Rod) and tells them that Scorponok will be revived and made to answer to a tribunal instead. He then says they should purge the entire Machination facility, gather up all related Machination technology, and get as far away from [[Earth]] as possible as soon as possible—a plan that the Dynobots, Hot Rod, and Hunter are all perfectly OK with.

Three days later, on the ''[[Ark-32]]'', Hunter is told by Ratchet that Sunstreaker will need time in the [[CR chamber]], but should recover, as his spark kept him going after Hunter disconnected him. Furthermore, Ratchet was able to make so that Hunter will no longer be able to hear Sunstreaker's thoughts, though he doesn't know how to remove Hunter's implants completely. Hunter then receives a happy surprise in the form of an apparently perfectly healthy Jimmy and Verity, who run over to give him greetings and hugs.

Ultra Magnus tells Optimus Prime that, while he purged as much of the Machination as he could, Skywatch still knows all about them. Optimus says it can't be helped and that he hopes Skywatch believes everything Cybertronian was destroyed, as we see an unhappy looking Agent Red walking away from the debris left behind by the day's carnage.

Finally, down in the brig, Ultra Magnus tells Grimlock that having Scorponok and Shockwave in custody should help offset Grimlock's own sentence. Grimlock says he doesn't care, so long as it's clear that it was his decision alone to go after Shockwave. Ultra Magnus assures him that the other Dynobots' warrants have been canceled, and Grimlock is content with that and the fact that Sludge is alive again thanks to him. The Dynobots meanwhile happily repair the ''[[Skyfire (ship)|Skyfire]]''.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (1)
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (2)
* [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (3)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] (6)
* [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (7)
* [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (8)
* [[Repugnus (G1)|Repugnus]] (13)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (15)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (16)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (17)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (18)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (19)
|c2=
* [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] (4)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (5)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (10)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (11)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (12)
|c3=
* [[Joshua Red]] (9)
* [[Hunter O'Nion]] (14)
* [[Jimmy Pink]] (20)
* [[Verity Carlo]] (21)
}}

==Quotes==
"The humans have a saying, payback's a '''bitch'''!"
:—'''Grimlock''' picks uo the local lingo.

==Errors==
* In one panel, Shockwave's gun arm has a normal hand instead of the gun.
* There are some text bubble mix ups in a few areas.
* The "Before" box describing Shockwave's conversation with Soundwave is a panel too soon.

==Items of note==
* At the end of the story, Hot Rod reverts back to his Cybertronian form, thus <s>excusing</s> explaining (almost) his appearance in ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' in that state.
* Likewise, in the CR Chamber, Sunstreaker is in his ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' body.
* Ultra Magnus is clearly taller than Prime, which makes sense really.

===Covers (2)===
* '''Cover A:''' Scorponok, the Dynobots, Grimlock in dinosaur mode, and Hot Rod all look on over Sunstreaker driving away from an explosion, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Priscilla Tramontano]].
* '''Cover B:''' Grimlock battles Shockwave as the Dynobots look on, by [[Marcelo Matere]] and Priscilla Tramontano.
<gallery>
Image:Maximum_Dinobots_5a.jpg|Thank you, Simon!
Image:Maximum_Dinobots_5b.jpg|Gimme that gun, you one-eyed freak!
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [[Revenge of the Fallen Movie Adaptation|''Revenge of the Fallen'' Movie Adaptation]]
* ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' Volume 1 TPB
* ''[[The Arrival|Transformers Animated: The Arrival]]'' TPB
* ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' comics
* ''G.I. Joe: The Best of Larry Hama''
* ''The Complete Dick Tracy''
* ''Star Trek: Countdown''
* ''Classic [[G.I. Joe]]'' Volume 1
* CGC Mint
* ''IDW: The First Decade''
* ''Terminator Salvation'' movie adaptation
* Star Trek: Countdown TPB (back cover)

[[Category:IDW Generation 1 issues]]

2005 IDW continuity

2009-04-14T09:51:52Z

202.156.10.247: /* New alternate modes */ Didn't see anyone with the 2006 classics bodies.Also, added more snarking (Since its blatantly obvious considering almost everything in AHM)

{{nav-G1}}

The '''IDW continuity''' is a rebooted ''[[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]'' universe, and began in 2005 by [[IDW Publishing]]. It re-imagines the [[Autobot]]-[[Decepticon]] war as a galaxy-spanning conflict, with [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] abandoned as a dead husk, and teams from both sides covertly operating on various alien worlds to defend or destroy the native populations — including [[Earth]].

==Overview==
[[Image:Escalation 1 a.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Remember that time when this didn't happen?]]
The IDW universe brings [[Transformer]]s into the modern day, dispensing with some of the more problematic elements that have dogged previous versions of ''Generation 1''. The Transformers here are recently arrived on Earth; the traditional "crashed on Earth 4 million years ago" approach is not used. Alternate forms are largely updated to modern day vehicles, with robot modes reworked accordingly.

The series is notable as a much more "cloak-and-dagger" world than many previous iterations of ''Generation 1''. Earth is initially portrayed as simply one of many battlegrounds in a galaxy-spanning war of subversion and conquest. Also of note is that there is a reason Cybertron is not the site of conflict: the planet is a deserted wasteland, a result of the devastation it suffered in the war. The [[Decepticon]]s follow a [[Infiltration protocol|strict protocol]] of infiltration as they attempt to take over alien worlds. [[Alternate mode]]s serve a very real and important purpose of disguise, as discovery by natives is strictly forbidden by both factions. Open conflict is rare, and battles are often fought entirely in vehicle forms.

The story opens on Earth, as the Decepticons there have discovered a wildly powerful source of energy, and break protocol to secure it. This soon brings both [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] to the planet, escalating the conflict. The humans are deeply involved as well, both innocent bystanders and active covert organizations such as the [[Machination]] and [[Skywatch]]. Various plot threads, many of them outlined in the ''Spotlight'' series, continually thread into the main story , and echoes of the Transformers' dark and distant past are beginning to gather strength as well.

===Cast===
The series is not constrained by the needs of portraying a current toyline, allowing great freedom in cast selection.

The story opened with an assortment of the more familiar 1984 [[Autobot]]s operating on Earth, with some of their standard 1984/85 Decepticon foes also present. But the free format allows fan favorites such as [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] and the [[Battlecharger]]s to be thrown into the mix, and even almost random additions as [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] and [[Dogfight]] have played roles as the setting expands and more Transformers head to Earth. Many of the latter-day ''Generation 1'' cast have been shown fighting the war on worlds other than Earth, and even a few ''[[Generation 2]]'' Autobots have made appearances.

=== New alternate modes ===
Most of the Transformers seen in this continuity feature [[alternate mode]]s updated to the modern day. Here are some examples:

* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]: Dodge Sprinter ambulance
* [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] and [[Runabout]]: Chevrolet Camaro SS
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]: F-22 "Raptor", but later they take the form of the older F-15 "Eagle" in ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' for apparently no reason.
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]: Nissan 350Z police car
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]: Lamborghini Diablo
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]: Dodge Sprinter van
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]: Current-model Porsche 911 (aka 997)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]: Started in Cybertronian mode, then reformatted as a Walther P99 (with silencer and sight, but no stock) for Earth
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]: has an all-new transformation scheme with a robot mode similar to ''Armada'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]. Initially his ground vehicle mode was an American M1 Abrams battle tank, but later assumed the form of a Russian battle tank (possibly a [[wikipedia:T-90|T-90]]) when the Decepticons were in [[Brasnya]].
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]: has a new modern diesel engine train mode.
* [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]: Sony personal media player; however, he later reverted to his classic cassette mode in ''All Hail Megatron''.
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] started as a cybertronic hot rod but was reformatted into a Dodge Viper upon settling down on Earth.
* [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] started in his familiar cybertronic self-propelled artillery mode before being reformatted into a wheeled Earth armoured vehicle (possibly a [[wikipedia:Pandur 8X8 APC|Pandur 8X8 APC]]).
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]: Initially a cybertronic hovercar, but later took the form of a Lamborghini Murcialago.

{{note|In possibly an art error, one of the covers for [[Infiltration issue 0|Infiltration #0]] features Jazz with his original Porsche 935 hood/chest, though it's possible that at the time IDW and artist [[E.J. Su]] hadn't finalised the designs yet.}}

====Exceptions====
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (although he possesses a new transformation scheme, making for a different looking robot mode to his most familiar appearances)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], though he started in his Cybertronian form, similar to his look in [[Dreamwave]]'s ''[[The War Within]]''. Note, however, that even in his "classic" mode Prime is given a sun visor on his cab roof/chest and an overall more streamlined and modern truck mode.
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] have their familiar modes, due to their travel to Earth in 1984.
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] also maintain their original forms, having been buried on Earth since the distant past. However, Shockwave's body has been slightly streamlined, and both the Dinobots' robot and beast modes have undergone some heavy reworking to better reflect current science. The Dinobots started out in their ''War Within'' forms however, and Grimlock still sports the teethed face, rather than the traditional [[mouthplate]].
* [[Sixshot]]
* [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]

{{note|The ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' series appears to have more of the cast returned to their more familiar ''Generation 1'' alt modes, possibly to draw more fans who were familiar with the [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|original cartoon]] to the comic series, or because Shane Mcarthy [[GEEWUN | does not like change]]. Also, the Decepticon cast by this point is nearly identical to that of the late Season 1 cartoon. Other characters have assumed bodies based upon their toys from the 2008 ''[[Universe (2008)|Universe]]'' toylines.}}

===Technology===
Several aspects of Transformer technology have been re-evaluated for the series.

Most prominently, the "facsimile circuitry" dummy drivers shown in the ''Generation 1'' [[Marvel Comics continuity]] have been replaced by sophisticated solid-light projections composed of "[[holomatter]]". Holomatter generators are built into each member of the Autobot contingent on Earth; they can function as an avatar for their respective Autobot, even quite some distance away, allowing the Autobots to covertly interact with a planet's natives.

The Decepticons, in a similar vein, make use of [[facsimile construct]]s — synthetic humans grown in special pods from the bodies and minds of kidnapped "template" humans. These replicas are used to destabilize the societies of planets the Decepticons wish to conquer.

Both sides also possess a variant of teleportation technology, seen for example when Megatron travels to Starscream's [[Oregon]] command bunker. This "[[orbital bounce]]" can apparently be coordinated from an [[Ark (disambiguation)|Ark]] spacecraft or the Decepticons' bunker headquarters. Nightbeat describes it as "not the most pleasant way to travel".

[[Size changing]] is a rarity, generally abandoned in these energy-short times. Megatron, originally possessing a tank mode, is encouraged by the energy-rich [[Ore-13]] and takes on a size-changing alternate form when he arrives on Earth. His transformation sequence and its attendant mass-displacement process consumes a great deal of energy, and is thus surprising to the Autobots who observe it. Why Soundwave and his cassettes utilized it remains unknown, though perhaps it was a necessity to further his role as a spy.

Conversely, certain technologies do not yet exist as of the series' starting point. Gestalt ([[combiner]]) technology has only appeared as a long-ago experiment, which yielded only the barbaric [[Monstructor]]. [[Pretender]] technology has likewise appeared only as a failed experiment, and [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] and similar binary-bonding tech is just now making its debut after years of covert and illegal development. All of these technologies appear to bestow greatly-enhanced power on the users, to the point that [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] devastated the entire planet of Cybertron with his Pretender shell, and Monstructor easily defeated [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]].

==Media==
The continuity includes the following mini-series, listed in approximate ''chronological'' order:

* ''[[Megatron Origin]]'' — Four-issue miniseries. Megatron rises from a laboring miner to founder and leader of the [[Decepticon]] faction.
* ''[[Infiltration]]'' — Seven-issue miniseries (issues #0 to #6). On Earth, the Decepticons have discovered a potent new power source, and risk everything to exploit it.
* ''[[Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer]]'' — Four-issue miniseries (issues #7 to #10). On the burnt-out husk of Cybertron, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] works to revive the ultra-powerful but crazed Thunderwing.
* ''[[New Avengers/Transformers]]'' — Four-issue miniseries. The Earth Autobots team up with the superhero squad the [[Avengers|New Avengers]] to confront the Decepticons in the country of [[Latveria]].
* ''[[Escalation]]'' — Sequel to ''Infiltration''. Six-issue miniseries (issues #11 to #16). The war on Earth breaks out into open conflict as the Decepticons attempt to make use of the newly-discovered Ore-13.
* ''[[Devastation]]'' — Sequel to ''Escalation''. Six-issue miniseries (issues #17 to #22). Megatron throws caution and protocol to the wind, unleashing his ultimate warrior, Sixshot, on the Earth-based Autobots.
* ''[[Revelation (IDW)|Revelation]]'' — Sequel to ''Devastation'', presented as a special series of four ''[[Spotlight (comics)|Spotlight]]''s.
* ''[[Maximum Dinobots]]'' — Sequel to ''Revelation''. Five-issue miniseries that features [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]].
* ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' — A 12-issue maxi-series dealing with the fate of Earth at the hands of the Decepticons one year after the withdrawal of the Autobots at the end of ''Devastation''.

* ''[[Spotlight (comics)|Spotlight]]'' — A series of one-shot stories focusing on a single Transformer per issue. The stories generally fit in to various points in the Transformers' history.

* Also in the plans is a series named ''[[The 13]]'' or ''[[The Thirteen]]'', which hearkens back to the original 13 Transformers, an idea Furman came up with in his ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]''.

==Timeline==
''See main article: [[IDW timeline]].''

==Production==
The IDWverse has been penned almost entirely by veteran Transformers scribe [[Simon Furman]], with the primary exceptions being:

* ''Megatron Origin'' ([[Eric Holmes]])
* ''[[Spotlight: Kup]]'' ([[Nick Roche]])
* ''[[Spotlight: Mirage]]'' ([[George Strayton]])
* the ''New Avengers'' crossover and ''[[Spotlight: Ramjet]]'' ([[Stuart Moore]]).

Pencils on the main -ation series were done by [[E. J. Su]] (with [[Nick Roche]] and [[Robby Musso]] filling in while Su was on paternity leave); a variety of artists have penciled the other series in the continuity.

However...

IDW decided to shake things up in an attempt to gain new fans. Furman's planned 6-issue ''Revelation'' was shortened to 4 ''Spotlight'' issues and its follow-up, ''Expansion'' was canceled in favor of a new series, ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'', which is written by new writer, [[Shane McCarthy]]. Though it is claimed to be in continuity, McCarthy is under no obligation to use the bulk of Furman's material. [[Guido Guidi]] is illustrating the new series.

Furman isn't through at IDW though. He's writing the upcoming ''[[Maximum Dinobots]]'', which will follow-up from the -ation series, and has planned ''[[The Thirteen]]'' in 2009.

== Note ==
*The IDW continuity is equivalent to the [http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Earth-616 Earth-616] from [[Marvel Comics]] in [[New Avengers / Transformers|some way]].

[[Category:Comics]]
[[Category:Continuities]]