Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc

2012-10-20T11:10:39Z

86.152.224.185: /* Synopsis */

{{Comicstory|
|series=mtmte|issueno=9
|prev=Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?
|next=
|caption=
|image=MTMTE9_cvrA.jpg
|title="Shadowplay (A Totally Epic Story Based On Real Events That Definitely Happened) Part 1: Post Hoc"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 26]], [[2012]]
|coverdate=September 2012
|story by=[[James Roberts]]
|art by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Chris Mowry]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2012)]]
}}

'''A group of Autobots are gathered by Rewind to tell a story of corruption, conspiracy and murder from long ago on Cybertron.'''

==Synopsis==

''On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], before the war, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] and [[Quark]] meet outside [[Maccadam's Old Oil House|Maccadam's New Oil House]] to discuss the increase of violence in the face of the [[Clampdown]] and the rise of the [[Decepticon]] movement. Nightbeat is sympathetic to the worker class cause, while the science-class Quark fears for the future... but their argument ends when a drop of [[energon]] lands in Quark's drink, and the pair look up to discover the dead body of [[Sherma|Senator Sherma]], suspended from the Interstate Bridge!''

In the present day, aboard the ''[[Lost Light]]'', [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] arrives late to a meeting called by [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] in [[Swerve's bar]]: the archivist has called him, [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] together (with [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] and [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] as an audience) to help him tell a story that will aid in [[Rung]]'s mental recuperation. The true-life tale is set shortly after the instigation of the Clampdown, beginning with the assassination of Senator Sherma, and reveals how, thanks to one Autobot, all those present played a role in a greater story than they ever realized...

Chromedome begins the story by recalling how he and his partner in [[Mechaforensics]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], were called in to investigate Sherma's murder, easily deducing the Decepticons as the culprits from the presence of their [[insignia]], graffitied on Sherma's back. Skids interrupts to ask for some clarification on Prowl, who he doesn't remember; Swerve has a few choice words to describe him, and Rewind tries to emulate his fondness for flipping tables over, but can't quite manage it. Drift, receiving some messages from [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]], tries to hurry the story along, so Rewind turns narration over to him, asking about his time as a homeless [[circuit booster]] addict in the [[Dead End (place)|Dead End]]. Drift recounts how he was attacked by [[Sonic (G1)|Sonic]] and [[Boom]] and was saved by decorated police officer [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] and brought to a medical drop-in center run by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. Ratchet takes issue with Drift's embellishment of the facts, as he jokingly claims the atheistic medic was praising [[Adaptus]] and [[Primus]] as he worked, but what he begrudgingly is unable to deny is that he told Drift that he was special. Drift tells of how he lied to Ratchet about going to a local [[Relinquishment Clinic]], prompting Tailgate to ask exactly what the clinics were; Rewind plays an infomercial for one, which explains that they were used in the days of functionalism to give 'bots the chance to experience life in bodies with other [[alternate mode]]s via Sparkswap technology. Never a fan of the clinics, Ratchet picks up the story, remembering the news broadcast that played immediately after he had repaired Drift: the broadcast that announced the death of [[Nominus Prime]], with its claim that he was the victim of a rust infection that Ratchet, having operated on Nominus following the attempt on his life, knew was a lie. His part in the story complete, Drift leaves to respond to an increasingly irate Rodimus, while Ratchet goes on to summarize how he accompanied Orion to a rendezvous with his senator friend. The senator confirmed Orion's suspicions that Nominus was killed by the Senate after the [[Matrix of Leadership]] within his chest was revealed to be a fake, and revealed his fears that the Senate's head of security, [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel]], was planning something involving the Decepticons. For the sake of drama, Rewind has Ratchet stop there, turning things back over Chromedome to have him carry on with the story of Sherma's murder. Having discovered through autopsy that the senator was shot to death, Chromedome describes how he and Prowl traced fragments of [[cerulean glass]] found in Sherma's boots and treads back to the privileged community of [[Translucentica Heights]] and headed there on [[Skydart]]s. They discussed Prowl's upbringing in the strict town of [[Petrex]] and the existence or not of [[The Institute]] along the way, but upon their arrival, a corpse came flying out a high-rise window and landed in front of them, sporting another graffitied Decepticon symbol...

Meanwhile, down in the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s oil reservoir, Drift arrives to answer Rodimus's call. The reason is anything but pleasant... dredged out of the oil by [[Grapple]], they have discovered the remains of [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], and Rodimus blames [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] for his death!

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*''[[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]'' (1)
*''[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]]'' (2)
*''[[Quark]]'' (3)
*[[Rung]] (4)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (6)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (7)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (8)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (9)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (11)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (12)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (13)
*''[[Nominus Prime]]'' (14)
*''[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]'' (16)
*''[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'' (17)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] (20)
*''[[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]]'' (21)
*[[Grapple]] (23)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (24)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (25)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*''[[Boom]]'' (18)
*''[[Sonic (G1)|Sonic]]'' (19)
|c4=
*''[[Sherma]]'' (5)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (10)
*''[[Proteus]]'' (15)
*''Unnamed senator'' (22)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Ratchet''': By the vaulted heights of— 
'''Drift''': You had him '''hidden behind the bar?!''' 
'''Chromedome''': So '''embarrassing'''. 
'''Skids''': —not '''seriously''' telling me that he's been here the '''whole time?!''' 
'''Whirl''': Cool.
:—Reactions to Rewind pulling Rung's catatonic body out from behind [[Swerve's bar]].

"The Decepticons are behind this." 
"What makes you say that? Does the '''upside down corpse''' reference the Decepticons' plans to '''upend''' societal hierarchies? Is the position of the body such that at sunset, the shadow will point to the '''Functionalist council building''' where the first Decepticon activists were '''arrested?'''" 
"There's all that, '''obviously.''' But for me the real '''clincher''' is the '''massive Decepticon symbol''' graffitied on his back."
:—'''Chromedome''' and '''Prowl'''

"It's '''Prowl!''' 'Prowl the Pragmatist!' You know—'''Prowl!'''" 
"'''Oh!''' Turns into a Predabot? Posted at Delphi? Likes a hug?" 
"'''No!''' Prowl with the '''head spikes''' and the '''cruel mouth''' and the--'''cross''' all the time! '''Epically, pre-emptively, existentially''' cross. And cold! Supercilious and cold! Imagine '''Ultra Magnus''' without the '''warmth''' and '''people skills.'''"
:—'''Swerve''' and '''Skids'''

"So I'm laying on a circuit slab in Ratchet's Dead End workshop—and he says: 'Primus guide me, Primus protect me, I beseech you, oh might Primus, please—' '''MMMPH!'''" 
"'''Unreliable narrator alert!''' Do '''not''', I repeat '''do not''' listen to what he says!"
:—'''Drift''' and '''Ratchet'''

==Notes==
*[[Wikipedia:Post-hoc analysis|"Post hoc" analysis]], from the Latin meaning "after this", is the examination of data in search of patterns after the fact. As Rewind explains, this is the purpose of his story: to reveal to the gathered characters' how their exploits all crossed over with one another without any of them knowing.
*This story is essentially a direct sequel to Roberts's "[[Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory]]" [[Chaos Theory Part 2|two-parter]] from the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], published a little over a year before this story began. It follows up on events established by that story, like the injury of Nominus Prime by a suicide bomber, the establishment of the [[Clampdown]], Orion Pax's reconstruction with a new chamber in his chest, and his dalliance with an enigmatic senator who conspicuously continues to go unnamed. The window of Maccadam's is even still cracked from where Rung collided with it in the first few pages of "[[Chaos Theory Part 1]]".
*Furthermore, the issue's opening line, "What am I looking at again? Not more violence?" is a call back and deliberate contrast to Chaos Theory's opening line, "What am I looking at again? Not more poetry?"
*Roberts previously used "Quark" as the name for an Autobot in his ''Eugenesis'' fan-novel, but that's about as far as similarities between the two characters go. This Quark's head is based on [[Perceptor (Animated)|''Animated'' Perceptor]], as they both turn into microscopes.
*Speaking of ''Animated'', the luckless Scrounge makes a cameo in the first panel with an appearance based predominantly on his [[Scrounge (Animated)|''Animated'' counterpart]], carrying a bundle of [[Conductor|energy conductors]] (though probably [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|not enough to last a quartex]]). Also visible is [[Rattrap|''Beast Machines'' Rattrap]].
*This issues gives us our second mention of the [[Primal Vanguard]], the unit to which Tailgate was attached, as he mentioned back in "[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|issue #2]].
*Several references are made to "Proteus's Promise", an unspecified political promise made by [[Proteus|Senator Proteus]] from "Chaos Theory". This was the title of the public information film shown by Rewind in [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]].
*A billboard reading "Everyone's Shape Serves A Purpose" can be spotted outside Maccadam's; this slogan was repeated by Rewind in [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|issue #1]].
*The model ship Rung is building on page 2 is the ''Lost Light'' itself, or at least a ship of the same class.
*Ratchet comments that he spray-paints his hands red; and well he should, as they're replacements gained from [[Pharma]] in [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|issue #5]] which are actually blue. Some paint even transitions onto Drift's face when Ratchet tries to gag him during the storytelling.
* A jug on the bar table has the same unique shape as the chemical flasks seen in the [[Lithone scientist|Lithone scientist's]] workshop at the beginning of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*[[Sherma Bridge]] has cropped up in several places in Roberts's stories, starting with "Chaos Theory Part 1". Here we learn it was formerly the "Interstate Bridge", and was re-named (formally or colloquially, it's not specified) after the dead senator hung from it.
*Chromedome is sporting a body based on his original Generation 1 toy in the flashback sequences.
*Skids confuses Prowl with [[Dent]], who we met back in [[Life After the Big Bang|issue #4]], where it was explained that he ''used'' to be named "Prowl" as well. His suggested animalistic alternate mode is confirmed (as a "Predabot"), and humorously, the reason he was shambling towards [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] in that issue despite being infected with [[Red Rust]] is because he "likes a hug".
*Drift's time as a homeless drifter (snort, giggle) was previously shown in [[Drift issue 2|issue #2 of his self-titled mini-series]].
*Sonic and Boom previously appeared in issues #4 and #5.
*Mentioned several times but perennially silent and off-screen is an allegedly chatty, teasing cohort of Orion's named "Roller". If this is an earlier incarnation of Orion's [[Roller (G1)|future component]], or perhaps someone for whom that component would be named in honor, we don't know yet.
*We first got a glimpse of a Relinquishment Clinic in [[Interiors|issue #6]], where one was implied to have some link to Chromedome and Rewind's shared history. The images used in the clinic's infomercial are redrawn from the original Generation 1 toy [[instructions]] for the [[Powerdasher|Drill Powerdasher]] and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]].
*A few of the names on the memorial for the Ark-1 are obscured by Ratchet's hand. While "Tailgate" and "Cyclonus" can be easily figured out from what we can see of them, the final name, starting with "Hype...", raises more questions. Could this be a hint at a greater backstory for Roberts-original character [[Hyperion (G1)|Hyperion]]?
*[[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'s involvement in Nominus Prime's unfortunate fate was implied in a montage of images in [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|issue #3]], and made explicit here.
*With the revelation that the Matrix within Nominus Prime was a fake, combined with the fact that his predecessor [[Nova Prime]] has never been shown to hold the talisman and Optimus Prime's discovery of it in the [[Undergrid]] in ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', a picture is emerging that suggests the Matrix may actually have been missing since ancient times, only being rediscovered by Optimus Prime and ''never actually held'' by any of the other Primes, despite what the Senate has told the population.
*"Chaos Theory" and ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'' are bridged with the revelation that Megatron was shipped off-planet after the earlier story, to [[Messatine]], future home of the [[Delphi]] medical facility, previously established to be home to [[nucleon]] mines. This presumably places [[Mining Outpost C-12]] from ''Megatron Origin'' on that planet.
*In a big retcon, the Decepticons exist ''before'' the events of ''Megatron Origin''.
*The mysterious "Institute" gets another mention this issue, one of several that have been peppered throughout Roberts's works.

===Crew Manifest===
*Red Alert's headless corpse is recovered from the oil reservoir.
*6 deaths, 5 new arrivals (plus 20 or so Faders) since the launch.

===Errors===
*On page 7, Prowl refers to "the Functionalist council"; the council's ad on the same page, and page 2 before it, says "Functionist" and that's what Quark called them on the second page.
*On page 16, panel 3, "understanding" is misspelled as "undersanding".
*On the same page, on a subsequent panel, "someone" is misspelled as "somone".
*On page 18, panel 3, assuming that the names on the Ark-1 memorial are all of Cybertronian polities already established in fiction, "[[Protihex]]" is misspelled as "Protohex".

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' Many key characters in fractured panels that together make up a close-up of the Decepticon insignia, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Cover B:''' Orion Pax in a shadowed alley, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
*'''Cover RI:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Priscilla Tramontano]]

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Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc