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No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases

2016-03-10T00:37:47Z

AhelpfulTF: /* Synopsis */ "their" to "they"

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=50
|prev=The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds
|next=The Dying of the Light: (2)
|image=MTMTE50_subcvrC.jpg
|title="No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases"
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|published in=[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|''More than Meets the Eye'' #50]]
|date=[[February 24]], [[2016]] (digital, parts of Europe and Asia) [[March 9]], 2016 (rest of world)
|coverdate=February 2016
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|art by=[[Brendan Cahill]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}

'''A hole in time gives the ''Lost Light'' crew a chance to honor the departed.'''

==Synopsis==

Several years ago, [[Duobot]]s [[Shock (G1)|Shock]] and [[Ore]] wander the darkened halls of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' before its launch, sent to plant a tracer by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]. Shock, however, is convinced that the ship is actually the ''Unitrex-1'', a vessel they were assigned to five million years prior, but which disappeared before its maiden voyage. While Ore takes a call from Prowl, directing them to move [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] on board, Shock checks the underside of the counter in the ship's canteen, and finds a message he scratched into it all those millions of years ago. Ore is not terribly interested, though, and urges him to hurry up so they can complete their mission. Unseen by either, however, the discolored figure of [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] watches them...

Soon after the ship's launch, at the secret opening of the bar now known as "[[Swerve's]]", [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] has a drink with [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], toasting absent friends, and lamenting his lack of luck in love. Drift suggests introducing him to [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]... who is right next to the pair, invisibly listening in.

Not long after joining the crew, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] and [[Ambulon (G1)|Ambulon]] get a drink in "Swerve's" and take in all the new faces. When First Aid makes a joke about Ambulon's alternate mode—the leg of an experimental combiner—the senior medic requests that he keep information about his second shape to himself, worried about the jokes that will start flying if the rest of the crew finds out. Unfortunately, the ever-curious Swerve chooses that moment to bonk Ambulon on the back of the head, reflexively triggering his transformation into a giant leg. And, across the bar, [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] and the med-bay's [[Diagnostic Drone]] observe.

After hours in "Sweve's", Rewind finishes a phone call with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and sets up for the second of the storytelling sessions he hopes will reactivate the comatose [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]'s brain—so that he can finally ask him about [[Dominus Ambus]]. As he turns to write on his "whiteboard," the invisible Chromedome appears behind him and reaches out to touch him, but is stopped by a second, equally invisible Rung, who tells him it is "time to go."

As Overlord cuts a swathe of carnage across the ship, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] comes running into "Swerve's" with the badly-injured body of [[Tripodeca]]. The bar has been repurposed as a triage center as the med-bay is inaccessible, and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] goes to work on the wounded little 'bot... as a second Perceptor silently takes in the scene.

When Swerve's bar is in ruins after the attack by [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]]'s [[Legislator]]s, a group of crew members arrive to help the tiny metallurgist clear up if he promises to re-open. As they shift debris, Swerve tells them to be on the lookout for an intact Legislator that he can reprogram as a bouncer... and that very Legislator, [[Ten]], watches as [[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] pulls his body out of the rubble.

As the ''Lost Light'' prepares to leave Cybertron after its return to the planet, [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]] finishes giving the new crewmembers a tour of the vessel, ending the journey in "Swerve's," which he describes as being pretty much the most important place on the ship, where everyone ends up sooner or later. As [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]]'s has some fun with his [[magnawheels]] and everyone laughs... invisible doubles of more than a dozen crewmembers watch the scene and smile. Then, the bar shifts around them, and they are back in the present time, as Perceptor and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Minimus Ambus]] look on. Minimus has been busy and isn't clear on what has been going on; Perceptor explains that he recently discovered that the activation of [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s [[time case]] inadvertently opened a fissure in space-time in "Swerve's", which allows the crewmembers of today to look through a "window" into the past, undetected. Minimus remarks that everyone's been very well behaved, and Perceptor and [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] explain that that is because everyone has been taking the chance to revisit special moments in the past to see those who are no longer among them one last time. [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] urges Minimus to take a look himself if he wants to, as the fissure will soon close up, but Perceptor corrects him: the fissure is ''contracting'', but some day in the future, it will widen enough to be looked through again. Rodimus starts to ask when that might be, but stops, preferring instead to be surprised...

...all the while unaware that, from that unknown point in the future, [[Getaway]] is already back looking through the fissure at them, paying silent tribute to the dead...

==Featured characters==

{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Ore]] (1)
*[[Shock (G1)|Shock]] (2)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (3, voice only)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (4)
*[[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (5)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (6)
*[[Waverider]] (7)
*[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] (8)
*[[Dipstick]] (9)
*[[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] (10)
*[[Rad (G1)|Rad]] (11)
*[[Aquafend]] (12)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (13)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (14)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (15)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (16)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (17)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] (18)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (19)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (20)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]] (21)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (22)
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (24)
*[[Ambulon (G1)|Ambulon]] (25)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]] (26)
*[[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (27)
*[[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]] (28)
*[[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] (30)
*[[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (31)
*[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] (32)
*[[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]] (33)
*[[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (34)
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] (35)
*[[Borer]] (36)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (37)
*[[Tripodeca]] (38)
*[[Skater]] (39)
*[[Flex]] (40)
*Other green guy? (41)
*[[Toaster]] (42)
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] (44)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (45)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (46)
*[[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] (47)
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (49)
*[[Doubletap]] (50)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (51)
*[[Sprocket (G1)|Sprocket]] (53)
*[[Getaway]] (54)
*[[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] (55)
*[[Atomizer]] (56)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] (57)
*[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] (58)
*[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (59)
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (60)
*[[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] (61)
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (62)
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] (63)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (64)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] (photograph, 65)
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (66)
*[[Fervor]] (67)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (68)
*[[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] (69)
*[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] (70)
*[[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] (71)
*[[Firestar (G1)|Firestar]] (comm screen, 72)
*[[Grotusque]] (74)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] (43)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (73)
|c4=
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] (23)
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] (29)
*[[Bob (IDW)|Bob]] (48)
*[[Ten]] (52)
}}

==Quotes==

"So, does '''Pipes of Helex''' have a '''type'''?" 
"Triple Changers. Same height as me, ideally. Aquatic alt-mode, minimal kibble, big chest plate..." 
"I'm thinking more personality, character, temperament..." 
"Yeah, they're all good too."
:—'''Pipes''' and '''Drift'''

"For what it's worth, I think you're a '''living legend.'''" 
(...) 
"Wait. That looked better '''written down.'''" 
:—'''Swerve''' makes a crack about Ambulon's alternate mode

"So forget the '''bridge''', forget the '''oil reservoir''' and forget the '''rec deck'''. '''This''' is where everything happens. If you're looking for someone, they're '''bound''' to turn up here eventually. Heck, some people are here '''all the time.''' Some people come here when they feel '''happy.''' Others come here when they feel '''sad.''' But '''most''' people? Most people come here when they feel '''both.'''"
:—'''Crosscut''' sings the praises of "Swerve's"

"Every time Rodimus attempts to use '''layman's terms''', a scientist dies of embarrassment."
:—'''Perceptor'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The first sequence of this issue occurs concurrently with [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|issue #1]], showing us the other end of the phone conversation Prowl had with unseen parties in that issue, who we learned in [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|issue #3]] were the Duobots.
*The Duobots reference the disappearance of the ''Lost Light'' five million years ago, which took place when the present-day crew travelled back in time and caused it to quantum jump off into the depths of space, unmanned, in [[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|issue #38]]. In both that issue and [[Twenty Plus One|issue #31]], we saw that the ship's original name was the "U1"; Shock reveals that this stands for "Unitrex-1," after the city of [[Unitrex]] where it was built, as seen in #38.
*Reference is also made to the Duobots being Skids's handlers, which was revealed in [[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|issue #20]].
*The issue's second sequence takes place between issues #3 and [[Life After the Big Bang|#4]].
*Pipes mentions his friendship with [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]], which we learned about in [[Under Cold Blue Stars|issue #15]], and notes that he stayed on [[Debris]], setting up the character's role in ''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|Sins of the Wreckers]]''. He also comments on the absence of Riptide, the reasons for which we learned in issue #31.
*Sequence number three falls between [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|issue #5]] (because Ambulon and First Aid are now on board), but before [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|issue #9]] (because Red Alert is still up and about).
*Swerve bonks Ambulon on the head to trigger his transformation, the same way he tried to do to Rung in [[Little Victories|issue #22]].
*The fourth sequence also falls before issue #9, and shows Rewind prepping for his second story session, which we only saw in flashback in [[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|issue #11]]. Turns out Red Alert was supposed to be part of that session, but... well, we know what happened there.
*Sequence five is set concurrently with issue #15, as Overlord rampages on the ship.
*This sequence offers us another look at Tripodeca, a popular crew member who was killed by Overlord off-panel and whose funeral we saw in [[The Gloaming|issue #16]]. His alternate mode is revealed to have been a tripod.
*Other lesser-spotted 'bots seen in this sequence include Skater, Flex, and Borer, the trio who saved the day (off-panel again!) in [[The Frail Gaze|issue #42]].
*Sequence The Sixth falls between the end of the main strip from [[Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|issue #21]], but before [[The Sound of Breaking Glass|the issue's back-up prose story]]. It features the unexpected reappearance of [[Doubletap]], a 'bot who only previously appeared to be shot by Fortress Maximus in [[Interiors|issue #6]].
*The seventh and final flashback sequence of the issue takes place after new crew members have signed up to the ''Lost Light'', but before the ship has left Cybertron (Sandstorm is present, and he would remain on Cybertron after the ship left, as seen in ''[[The Transformers: Punishment|Punishment]]''). This ''might'' even be before Megatron is appointed co-captain of the ship, as the heavily-obscured banner hanging in Swerve's is implied to read, ahem, "F**K OFF MEGATRON."
*Getaway and Atomizer are seen cozying up to Mainframe, foreshadowing the events of the main story in issue #50.
*Mirage is unimpressed with Swerve's, alluding to his decision to later set up his own bar, as seen in [[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|issue #40]].
*Swerve is shown hanging up the picture of Ultra Magnus and Orion Pax that he took in [[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|issue #23]], which we saw hanging up in issue #30. As he does so, he discusses ''[[Community]]'' with [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], indicating that he has already begun his intake of all of Earth's arts and culture.
*Trailcutter shows off his [[magnawheels]], seen before in his [[The Reluctant Specialist|self-titled ''Spotlight'']].
*The "present day" part of this issue falls after the [[Silent Light|''Holiday Special'' story]], but, obviously enough, before the main story of this issue. The "Christmas lights" from the holiday story are still hanging up in Swerve's, and Magnus remarks that his armor "still smells of [[Scraplet]]s" after it was briefly "worn" by the little buggers in that story.

===Transformers references===
*Ambulon's got a ''[[Combiner Wars]]''-style connector peg in leg mode.
*Sitting on the counter of "Swerve's" during Overlord's attack is a toaster with an Autobot symbol on it. Believe it or not, this ''is'' a character—it's [[Toaster]], Blaster's "brother," a character mentioned as a gag in a letter's page in [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK comic]], which went on to be conflated with artist [[Andrew Wildman]]'s fondness for occasionally slipping a toaster into the background of his Transformers work. James Roberts joked years ago in a Q&A on the IDW Forums that Toaster was on the ship. Who's joking now?

===Errors===
*Blades is looking awfully ''Combiner Wars''-ish in his appearances in this story, complete with missile racks on his forearms, which isn't how he look in his few sparse appearances in ''More than Meets the Eye'' prior to getting his new combiner overhaul. He's also got an uncharacteristic mouthplate, which is how he appeared in the ''Combiner Wars'' comic (er, after the original round of art errors were fixed), which seemed to be the product of the [[Alpha Bravo]] toy being used for reference instead of Blades's own.
*Drift give Pipes's full name as "Pipes of Helex," but we learned in [[The Not Knowing|issue #44]] that it's supposed to be "Pipes of Pescus Hex."
*Joyride is shown being tended to by Hoist during Overlord's rampage, but Joyride wasn't part of the crew at this stage: he only joined up after the ship returned to Cybertron for "[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]". With all these 'bots to keep track of, there was bound to be at least one slip-up!
*Hoist is prominently sporting a very large [[Rodimus Star]] during the fifth sequence. This isn't outwardly an error, but kinda feels like a mix-up; it seems like it's supposed to be a callback to ''Spotlights [[The Reluctant Specialist|Trailcutter]]'' and ''[[The Waiting Game|Hoist]]'', but in those, it was ''Trailcutter'' who was desperate to earn a Rodimus Star, and who would logically be the one to wear it openly and proudly like Hoist is doing here (since nobody else ever does that), while Hoist received a gigantic Rodimus ''crest'' that looks different to the star.

===Other notes===
*"No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases" are, of course, the "three laws" of Swerve's, as introduced in [[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|issue #18]].
*We learn the names of Ambulon's other combining partners: [[Kicker (G1)|Kicker]], [[Swing]], [[Abdominus]] and [[Arm-Or]]. Collectively, they're the [[Combicon]]s. These may be the best combiner member names ever.
*While discussing ''Community'', Bluestreak remarks that "season 2 is when most series hit their stride," but then mutters "'course that's not a ''universal'' rule..."—a wry comment on the response to the last year of ''More than Meets the Eye'', which has been the subject of harsher criticism than any other period in the book's history.

Sins of the Wreckers issue 3

2016-02-27T07:02:03Z

AhelpfulTF: The release year was erroneously put as "2016"

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers]]'' #3
|prev=Sins of the Wreckers issue 2
|next=Sins of the Wreckers issue 4
|image=SOTW3_regcvr.jpg
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[January 27]], [[2016]]
|coverdate=January 2016
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|art by=Nick Roche
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|publisher=[[Ted Adams]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}

'''The face of Prowl's captor is revealed, as is his true plan, and his most dangerous creation yet.'''

==Synopsis==

''Many years ago, during the war, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] rushes into [[Tarantulas (BW)|Mesothulas]]'s lab to inform him of the success of his "[[Decepti-Bomb]]"—an explosive made entirely from [[Decepticon]]-traceable components which has just destroyed the [[Neutral]] city of [[Carpessa]], killing nearly 1500 civilians, but causing the survivors to blame the Decepticons and sign up with the [[Autobot]]s. This has proven to be the final straw for Prowl... the morality of his actions has overcome him, and he is no longer willing to work with Mesothulas on such questionable projects. Mesothulas pooh-poohs Prowl's desire to change his path, and instead decides to show his newest work: the [[Noisemaze]], a pocket dimension that torments the senses of all those incarcerated within it.''

In the present day, somewhere within the Noisemaze itself, now that Prowl has agreed to talk to him, Mesothulas unveils himself. Prowl gapes at the gigantic, organic spider that comes slithering down the webs that surround him, the new form worn by Mesothulas, which the twisted scientist reveals goes hand-in-hand with his new name: [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]. He goes on to explain that he has a mole within the ranks of the Autobots, a gifted communications expert who helped him track down the [[Aequitas]] [[data slug]] so that he could use it to get Prowl's attention. Lifting the webbed Autobot onto his back, Tarantulas carries him through his facility, "The [[Tor]]"—built in the heart of the Noisemaze but designed to shut out its effects—on a twisted tour. Tarantulas shows off the bio-disguises he created for the forces of [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]] in return for their help in capturing Prowl, then brings him to with the facility's power source, a small crystal he calls "[[Obtenteum]]", the energies of which have facilitated everything Tarantulas has done. Prowl is rightly amazed by the incredible technology on display and cannot understand why Tarantulas does not simply ''take'' whatever it is he wants, but Tarantulas then reveals that what he ''wants'' is to give everything to Prowl!

Back in [[Nome]], [[Alaska]], the battle between the [[Wrecker]]s and Mayhem continues. Presently, [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] receives word from [[Leobreaker (G1)|Leobreaker]], inside [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]], that the source of the giant Transformer's immobilized transformation has been discovered; Carnivac calls off the fight, and Tidal Wave reluctantly retreats back into the ocean, whinging and moping all the way. [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] catches [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] up on what they have learned from Prowl while he and [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] were away; at the mention of the Noisemaze, fear crosses Impactor's features, and he insists they all return to ''[[Debris]]'' immediately. Meanwhile, inside the retreating Tidal Wave, Carnivac is presented with the cause of his transformation problem: the missing [[Stakeout (G1)|Stakeout]] jammed in Tidal Wave's [[transformation cog]]. Fatally injured and near death as a consequence, Stakeout is surprised to see Carnivac, who turns out to also have previously worked under [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] before defecting. Carnivac assures his old friend that the other Wreckers are still alive, if not particularly safe, and Stakeout asks him to stay with him as he dies.

Tarantulas gleefully reveals that he wants to resume his old relationship with Prowl; in his mind, the two of them were never better than when they were together, each providing great and terrible inspiration for the other. Prowl refuses to accept that was true—that he was ever responsible for anything Mesothulas made or did—and turns his offer down. Tarantulas is saddened, and the pair's thoughts turn back to the day their partnership originally ended: the day the [[anti-rad armor]]-clad Autobot came blasting into Mesothulas's lab and hurled him into the Noisemaze in order to get rid of him and all the evidence he and Prowl had been involved. Tarantulas explains that he had a personal jumpgate fitted in his body that allowed him to escape the Noisemaze, but it took centuries before he was able to overcome the torturous delirium of the maze enough to remember about it and activate it. Returning to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to find his lab stripped, he decided to follow in the footsteps of the the planet's other scientific giants, which eventually led him to follow [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'s trail to [[Earth]]. He created Obtenteum from a sample of the [[Ore-13]] he found on the planet, and was inspired to perfect bio-disguises by Earth's wildlife—his ''second'' greatest achievement, he claims. He then reminds Prowl of his ''first'': [[Ostaros]], the first ever successful example of artificial Cybertronian life, built and animated in his old lab. Tarantulas inquires as to Ostaros's fate, and Prowl relates how he falsified papers for him and made him an Autobot... and that Ostaros then died on the battlefield. Tarantulas is consumed with rage and sorrow, and with a spray of furious spittle, extends his offer to Prowl one last time—with the caveat that if he says no, Tarantulas will visit the same fate upon Prowl as he has suffered, mental and emotional devastation through the destruction of everything he has ever built, out of nothing more than spite. Still Prowl refuses... and then finds himself surrounded by a cube of pure darkness...

Out in the chaos of the Noisemaze itself, [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]], and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] writhe in sensory agony. [[Verity Carlo|Verity]] is unaffected, as is [[Claw Jaw]], who laughs at their pain... until [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]], apparently able to screen out the maze's effects thanks to his mastery of signals, deactivates Claw Jaw's blockers and amplifies the maze's signal, causing the squid's head to explode. Verity calls upon Hubcap to use his powers to help the other Wreckers, but the little 'bot seems hesitant—something Verity does not have the time to notice, as she once again collapses in spasms of pain. Hubcap bends over to pick her up, congratulating her on her bravery, and telling her she must be brave one more time...

On ''Debris'', Kup watches as Impactor digs up his own pre-emptive grave site. He tells Kup what little he knows about Mesothulas and the Noisemaze, and the pair start to put together a plan to protect themselves from its effects. Finally, Impactor unearths what he was looking for, buried beneath his own grave to keep it hidden: the original gate to the Noisemaze from Mesothulas's laboratory.

Huddled in darkness, Prowl suddenly hears the voices of Springer, Arcee, and Roadbuster echoing in the void, each one confessing their guilty secrets. Then Tarantulas's voices joins theirs to offer an explanation: as the inventor of Aequitas, the guilt-calculating computer, he has now invented its successor, the guilt-''extracting'' computer, [[Impetus]]. Emerging from the darkness, Prowl sees his friends strapped into the computer, and Tarantulas—with Hubcap at his side—indicating that the remaining empty chair is for Prowl to sit in, that his sins might be released into the world...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (1)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (5)
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] (6)
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (7)
*[[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] (9)
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (10)
*[[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (11)
*[[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] (15)
*[[Stakeout (G1)|Stakeout]] (18)

|h2=[[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]]|c2=
*[[Claw Jaw]] (8)
*[[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]] (12)
*[[Stampy (BWN)|Stampy]] (13)
*[[Cybershark]] (14)
*[[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] (16)
*[[Leobreaker (G1)|Leobreaker]] (17)

|c3=
*[[Verity Carlo]] (4)
|c4=
*[[Ostaros]] (2)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Mesothulas/Tarantulas]] (3)
}}

==Quotes==

"One touch and it's '''all''' out there; '''the war''' reignites, the Autobots are '''disgraced''' and I'm a walking symbol for where it all went wrong. So, just simple, boring, unambitious '''blackmail''', then?" 
"That's just the '''by-product;''' the afterbirth of a '''poor decision''' you've '''yet to make.'''" 
"What do you '''want''', Tarantulas?" 
"'''Come'''... I want to show you something '''naughty'''..."
:—'''Prowl''' and '''Tarantulas'''

"Come off it—I was just your '''conduit''' to—what did you call it? '''The specimen,''' do I have that right? The concept that '''Cybertronian civilization'''—and the war '''itself'''—was some living macrocosmic '''organism'''. '''Our race''' was your '''lab animal''', and you were '''obsessed''' with finding new ways to '''prod it''' 'til it '''squeaked.'''"
:—'''Prowl''', on Tarantulas's thought processes

"I want... to '''ask''' you... '''the question'''... one more time. If you say '''no''', I will see you '''destroyed''', as '''I''' was. Not '''physically''', but mentally; '''emotionally.''' All you've '''worked for'''—all you've '''lived for'''; toppled over for the vulture to '''feast''' on, just because you denied me. I have felt '''true'''' loss, Prowl. And I want '''you''' to be '''alive''' and '''aware''' and '''cogent''' to feel it, too."
:—'''Tarantulas'''

"Usually, someone has to be dead before they take their '''secrets to their grave.'''"
:—'''Kup''', on what lies within Impactor's grave

"Your friends have proven more than '''adequate'''—if less than '''willing'''—test-subjects for '''Impetus.''' I've saved you a '''seat''', Prowl. '''Come:''' I want you to '''show me''' something '''naughty.'''
:—'''Tarantulas'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Prowl wears anti-radiation armor of the kind seen in ''[[Spotlight: Kup]]'' to cross the "radiation moat" surrounding Mesothulas's lab.
*Though he is clearly regretful of his actions, it's not hard to imagine Prowl being willing, on some level, to kill Neutrals for his own objectives. Prowl ''hates'' Neutrals, as we saw throughout the first story arc of ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', which ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' explained was because he used to ''be'' one, and they serve as a reminder of his own weakness and failure.
*Tarantulas describes how Prowl goes through "cyclical phases" of "trying and failing" to change. Most recently, Prowl went through one of these phases during the [[The Transformers (IDW)|2009-2011 ongoing series]], when he tried to be a better 'bot, only for [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]'s betrayal to push him back on his original path.
*It turns out Tarantulas was responsible for inventing the "Overmind protocol" Prowl used to mindlink with Kup, as seen in [[All Hail Megatron issue 15|''All Hail Megatron'' #15]].
*Tarantulas mentions Cybertronians having used "rudimentary bio-disguises" in the past; the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] used such alternate modes in ''[[Spotlight: Shockwave]]''.
*The guilty confessions we hear at the issue's end include:
**Springer blaming himself for the outcome of ''Spotlight: Kup'' and all the deaths that took place in it.
**Roadbuster remembering when [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] attempted to euthanize the comatose Springer, as related in [[Interiors|''More than Meets the Eye'' #6]], and revealing that secretly, he wished ''he'' had been brave enough to end his friend's suffering.
**Arcee blaming herself for "following" someone, for letting that person "do that" to her, for not seeing "what he is." If she's talking about [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], this would be the first tiny droplet of information about Arcee's life before she became the 'bot we know today.
**Arcee again, claiming that the only time she ever knew happiness was when she was killing Jhiaxus over and over, as seen in ''[[Spotlight: Sideswipe]]''.
**Springer again, lamenting his failure to stop Impactor from executing [[Squadron X]]. It is noted that he could not switch modes at the time, and Springer was suffering extreme bodily injury, able to only to drag himself slowly across the ground, when that happened, detailed a bit more clearly in "[[Zero Point]]" than in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''.
**Someone remembering how they killed a group of young lives while they slept for fear of what they would become. By process of elimination, this is logically Roadbuster, and it certainly ''sounds'' like something he'd do, but what it refers to is unclear; it is apparently an event that has not yet been recorded in IDW history.

===Transformers references===
*As we theorized last issue, Mesothulas turns out to be Tarantulas. He appears with an organic version of his [[Transmetal]] body, while his younger self, appearing only in flashbacks, is a mechanical version of his original organic ''Beast Wars'' design. His older design uses his original toy's robot head, as opposed to the [[mutant head]] made famous by the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]].
*Another [[Chimeracon]], [[Leobreaker (G1)|Leobreaker]], is introduced this issue, a Generation 1 version of the [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' character of the same name]]. Physically, he is based not on his namesake, but on the shared "big cat" body-type of [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] and [[Tigatron]], with the ''Cybertron'' character's color scheme—though his organic/furred parts are colored grey-black, which would make for a pretty rad, goth-lookin' lion.
*In what is perhaps a surprising move for so avowed a fan of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK]] as Roche, Carnivac's robot-mode head is based much more closely on his original toy (complete with the little "scored-out box" on his forehead) than on the character's (malleable) depiction in the comics.
*If you haven't had enough ''Beast Wars'' references yet, Tarantulas quotes the "originators" referring to the act of perfecting an alt mode as "attaining the [[maximal]]." It is currently unclear if these originators are a formal group, or if Tarantulas is simply referring to the creators of bio-disguises.

===Real-life references===
*A "tor" is a kind of rock formation that juts out of a smooth surrounding, which seems like an apt description of Tarantulas's Tor, a fixed point of stability jutting out of a landscape of incoherent chaos. Given the themes of ''Sins of the Wreckers'', though, it might also be a reference to {{w|Tor (anonymity network)|the computer network of the same name}}, which was created to maintain anonymity and secrecy of users. This "anonymous" portion of the internet is called the "deep web"—''web'', see, he's a spider—so it could well be a deliberate reference.
*Obtenteum appears to derive its name from the word "obtention," meaning "the act of obtaining something," since it is, after all, the means by which Tarantulas has attained everything he now has. Well that's... straightforward!
*The name of the substance may also derive from rocket scientist (and occultist) Jack Parsons' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Parsons_%28rocket_engineer%29] motto "Thelema Obtentum Procedero Amoris Nuptiae" - Grammatically incorrect Latin for "The establishment of Thelema through the rituals of love." The law of Thelema is "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will." Yeah, that's not creepy at all...

===Errors===
*On the recap page, "Noisemaze" is misspelled "Noicemaze" in one instance.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Regular cover:''' Impactor's hand bursts out of his grave as Kup looks on, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Subscription cover:''' Human police officers open fire on Prowl, by [[Andy MacDonald]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Verity sits atop a pile of corpses, by [[Priscilla Tramontano]]
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===Advertisements===
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*''The Transformers'' and ''More than Meets the Eye'' #50
*''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' #11
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==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/27658-meet-a-new-group-of-animal-transformers-in-sons-of-the-wreckers-3-preview.html Preview]

[[Category:Sins of the Wreckers issues]]