MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Daniel Warren Johnson

2024-05-13T15:23:00Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{disambigm|Dan (disambiguation)|Johnson (disambiguation)}}

[[File:Daniel Warren Johnson.jpg|right|270px|thumb|]]

'''Daniel Warren Johnson''' is an American comic book writer and artist based in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. After breaking onto the scene with his self-published webcomic ''[https://www.space-mullet.com Space Mullet]'', Johnson gained wider notoriety with his [[2017]] series ''Extremity'', which also marked the beginning of his collaboration with frequent colorist [[Mike Spicer]] and [[Skybound Entertainment]], both of whom he would continue working with for his subsequent series ''Murder Falcon'' and the Eisner Award-winning ''Do A Powerbomb''. He has also worked on such titles as ''Beta Ray Bill'' for [[Marvel Comics]] and ''Wonder Woman: Dead Earth'' and ''Jurassic League'' (with Juan Gedeon) for [[DC Comics]].

In 2023, Johnson and Spicer returned to Skybound to helm the new [[Transformers (2023 comic)|''Transformers'' series]] as part of their [[Energon Universe]].

==Writer==
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]''
* ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024]]'' ([[Energon Universe Special 2024|Transformers story]])

==Artwork==
===Comic Artwork===
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|#1]]-[[Transformers (2023) issue 6|6]]
===Cover Artwork===
* ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 1|#1]] (Cover G; SDCC Exclusive)
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|#1]] (Covers A, B & C; SDCC Exclusive Ashcan; Felix Comic Art Exclusive), [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|#2]]-current (A Covers)
* ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024]]'' (Cover A)

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:EnergonUniversePoster.jpeg
File:Transformers 2023 1 cvr.jpg
File:Transformers01B Cover.jpg
File:Transformers01C Cover.jpg
</gallery>

''[[:Category:Images by Daniel Warren Johnson|Extended Daniel Warren Johnson gallery]]''</center>

==Notes==
* In ''Murder Falcon'', the main character's band is called ''[[Bruticus (disambiguation)|Brooticus]]'', which is awesome.
* Johnson's love for wrestling heavily influenced the comic's fight sequences.
* Johnson keeps a number of Transformers figures, both official and 'third-party', on or near his desk to use as drawing references.

==External links==
* [https://www.danielwarrenart.com Official website]
* [https://twitter.com/danielwarrenart Twitter account]
* [https://www.instagram.com/danielwarrenart/ Instagram account]
* [https://www.youtube.com/@DanielWarrenJohnson1 YouTube account]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Daniel Warren}}
[[Category:Illustrators]]
[[Category:Skybound Entertainment]]
[[Category:Writers]]

Daniel Warren Johnson

2024-05-13T15:22:45Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{disambigm|Dan (disambiguation)|Johnson (disambiguation)}}

[[File:Daniel Warren Johnson.jpg|right|270px|thumb|]]

'''Daniel Warren Johnson''' is an American comic book writer and artist based in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. After breaking onto the scene with his self-published webcomic ''[https://www.space-mullet.com Space Mullet]'', Johnson gained wider notoriety with his [[2017]] series ''Extremity'', which also marked the beginning of his collaboration with frequent colorist [[Mike Spicer]] and [[Skybound Entertainment]], both of whom he would continue working with for his subsequent series ''Murder Falcon'' and the Eisner Award-winning ''Do A Powerbomb''. He has also worked on such titles as ''Beta Ray Bill'' for [[Marvel Comics]] and ''Wonder Woman: Dead Earth'' and ''Jurassic League'' (with Juan Gedeon) for [[DC Comics]].

In 2023, Johnson and Spicer returned to Skybound to helm the new [[Transformers (2023 comic)|''Transformers'' series]] as part of their [[Energon Universe]].

==Writer==
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]''
* ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024]]'' ([[Energon Universe Special 2024|Transformers story]])

==Artwork==
===Comic Artwork===
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|#1]]-[[Transformers (2023) issue 6|6]]
===Cover Artwork===
* ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 1|#1]] (Cover G; SDCC Exclusive)
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|#1]] (Covers A, B & C; SDCC Exclusive Ashcan; Felix Comic Art Exclusive), [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|#2]]-current (A Covers)
* ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024]] (Cover A)

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:EnergonUniversePoster.jpeg
File:Transformers 2023 1 cvr.jpg
File:Transformers01B Cover.jpg
File:Transformers01C Cover.jpg
</gallery>

''[[:Category:Images by Daniel Warren Johnson|Extended Daniel Warren Johnson gallery]]''</center>

==Notes==
* In ''Murder Falcon'', the main character's band is called ''[[Bruticus (disambiguation)|Brooticus]]'', which is awesome.
* Johnson's love for wrestling heavily influenced the comic's fight sequences.
* Johnson keeps a number of Transformers figures, both official and 'third-party', on or near his desk to use as drawing references.

==External links==
* [https://www.danielwarrenart.com Official website]
* [https://twitter.com/danielwarrenart Twitter account]
* [https://www.instagram.com/danielwarrenart/ Instagram account]
* [https://www.youtube.com/@DanielWarrenJohnson1 YouTube account]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Daniel Warren}}
[[Category:Illustrators]]
[[Category:Skybound Entertainment]]
[[Category:Writers]]

Daniel Warren Johnson

2024-05-13T15:22:28Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{disambigm|Dan (disambiguation)|Johnson (disambiguation)}}

[[File:Daniel Warren Johnson.jpg|right|270px|thumb|]]

'''Daniel Warren Johnson''' is an American comic book writer and artist based in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. After breaking onto the scene with his self-published webcomic ''[https://www.space-mullet.com Space Mullet]'', Johnson gained wider notoriety with his [[2017]] series ''Extremity'', which also marked the beginning of his collaboration with frequent colorist [[Mike Spicer]] and [[Skybound Entertainment]], both of whom he would continue working with for his subsequent series ''Murder Falcon'' and the Eisner Award-winning ''Do A Powerbomb''. He has also worked on such titles as ''Beta Ray Bill'' for [[Marvel Comics]] and ''Wonder Woman: Dead Earth'' and ''Jurassic League'' (with Juan Gedeon) for [[DC Comics]].

In 2023, Johnson and Spicer returned to Skybound to helm the new [[Transformers (2023 comic)|''Transformers'' series]] as part of their [[Energon Universe]].

==Writer==
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]''
* ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024]] ([[Energon Universe Special 2024|Transformers story]])

==Artwork==
===Comic Artwork===
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|#1]]-[[Transformers (2023) issue 6|6]]
===Cover Artwork===
* ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 1|#1]] (Cover G; SDCC Exclusive)
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|#1]] (Covers A, B & C; SDCC Exclusive Ashcan; Felix Comic Art Exclusive), [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|#2]]-current (A Covers)
* ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024]] (Cover A)

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:EnergonUniversePoster.jpeg
File:Transformers 2023 1 cvr.jpg
File:Transformers01B Cover.jpg
File:Transformers01C Cover.jpg
</gallery>

''[[:Category:Images by Daniel Warren Johnson|Extended Daniel Warren Johnson gallery]]''</center>

==Notes==
* In ''Murder Falcon'', the main character's band is called ''[[Bruticus (disambiguation)|Brooticus]]'', which is awesome.
* Johnson's love for wrestling heavily influenced the comic's fight sequences.
* Johnson keeps a number of Transformers figures, both official and 'third-party', on or near his desk to use as drawing references.

==External links==
* [https://www.danielwarrenart.com Official website]
* [https://twitter.com/danielwarrenart Twitter account]
* [https://www.instagram.com/danielwarrenart/ Instagram account]
* [https://www.youtube.com/@DanielWarrenJohnson1 YouTube account]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Daniel Warren}}
[[Category:Illustrators]]
[[Category:Skybound Entertainment]]
[[Category:Writers]]

Energon Universe 2024 Special

2024-05-13T03:50:49Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=Energon Universe Special 2024
|prev=
|next=
|image=Energon Universe Special 2024 FCBD Cover.jpg
|caption=Looks like the Void Rivals are going to Free Comic Book Day!
|title=
|publisher=[[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[May 4]], 2024
|coverdate=May 2024
|editor=[[Sean Mackiewicz]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
}}

'''A glimpse into the future of the Energon Universe...'''

==Contents==
This special contains three stories, each one representing the series that make up the [[Energon Universe]] up to this point:
* A fourteen-page [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' story]] telling what happened to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] when the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' crashed on [[Earth]], by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Ryan Ottley]] (''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'')
* A six-page [[Void Rivals Energon Universe Special story|''Void Rivals'' story]] about [[Skuxxoid]] and [[Slizardo]], by [[Robert Kirkman]] and [[Lorenzo de Felici]] (''[[Void Rivals]]'')
* An eight-page [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe Special story|''G.I. Joe'' story]] focusing on [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] and the [[Baroness]], by [[Joshua Williamson]] and [[Jason Howard]] (''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]''/''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander'')]]

See individual articles for details.

==Notes==
* This special was first released as part of [[Free Comic Book Day]], with a decidedly not-free version containing no new material released the following Wednesday.

===Covers (10)===
* '''Free Comic Book Day cover:''' Megatron, by Ryan Ottley and [[Annalisa Leoni]].
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus and Megatron in battle, by Daniel Warren Johnson and [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Cover B:''' Skuxxoid and Slizardo, by Lorenzo de Felici.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Baroness, by [[Tom Reilly]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' by [[Stephen Green]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' by [[Khary Randolph]] and [[Emilio Lopez]].
* '''Encased Comics exclusive:''' by [[Alessandro Micelli]].
* '''Black Saber Comics exclusive:''' by [[Ivan Tao]].
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive:''' by [[Gabriele Dell'Otto]].
* '''Cowabunga Comics exclusive:''' by [[Joe Doyle]].

<gallery>
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 FCBD Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover A.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover B.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover C.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover D.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover E.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Encased Comics Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Black Saber Comics Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Carnivore Comics Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cowabunga Comics Cover.jpg
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.skybound.com/announcements/energon-universe/skybound-hasbro-energon-universe-special-free-comic-book-day-2024 Press release announcing the FCBD special ]
* [https://www.skybound.com/announcements/energon-universe/skybound-image-hasbro-announce-energon-universe-special-2024-1 Preview of the Energon Universe Special 2024 ]

[[Category:Energon Universe media]]
[[Category:Skybound issues]]

File:Energon Universe 2024 Special Cover E.jpg

2024-05-13T03:49:49Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{SkyboundEU
|description=
{{art|line-art=[[Khary Randolph]]|colors=[[Emilio Lopez]]}}
|series=energonuniversespecial2024
|cover=Cover E (1:50 Incentive)
|excerpt=
|issueno=
|storylink=
|storytitle=
|year=24}}

[[Category: Images by Khary Randolph]]
[[Category: Images by Emilio Lopez]]

Energon Universe 2024 Special

2024-05-13T03:48:50Z

Digamma-f-wau: (whoops, pressed enter too early) Mackiewicz is the only editor credited, also added the colorist credit for Randolph's cover

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=Energon Universe Special 2024
|prev=
|next=
|image=Energon Universe Special 2024 FCBD Cover.jpg
|caption=Looks like the Void Rivals are going to Free Comic Book Day!
|title=
|publisher=[[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[May 4]], 2024
|coverdate=May 2024
|editor=[[Sean Mackiewicz]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
}}

'''A glimpse into the future of the Energon Universe...'''

==Contents==
This special contains three stories, each one representing the series that make up the [[Energon Universe]] up to this point:
* A fourteen-page [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' story]] telling what happened to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] when the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' crashed on [[Earth]], by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Ryan Ottley]] (''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'')
* A six-page [[Void Rivals Energon Universe Special story|''Void Rivals'' story]] about [[Skuxxoid]] and [[Slizardo]], by [[Robert Kirkman]] and [[Lorenzo de Felici]] (''[[Void Rivals]]'')
* An eight-page [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe Special story|''G.I. Joe'' story]] focusing on [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] and the [[Baroness]], by [[Joshua Williamson]] and [[Jason Howard]] (''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]''/''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander'')]]

See individual articles for details.

==Notes==
* This special was first released as part of [[Free Comic Book Day]], with a decidedly not-free version containing no new material released the following Wednesday.

===Covers (10)===
* '''Free Comic Book Day cover:''' Megatron, by Ryan Ottley and [[Annalisa Leoni]].
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus and Megatron in battle, by Daniel Warren Johnson and [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Cover B:''' Skuxxoid and Slizardo, by Lorenzo de Felici.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Baroness, by [[Tom Reilly]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' by [[Stephen Green]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' by [[Khary Randolph]] and [[Emilio Lopez]].
* '''Black Saber Comics exclusive:''' by [[Ivan Tao]].
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive:''' by [[Gabriele Dell'Otto]].
* '''Encased Comics exclusive:''' by [[Alessandro Micelli]].
* '''Cowabunga Comics exclusive:''' by [[Joe Doyle]].

<gallery>
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 FCBD Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover A.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover B.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover C.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover D.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover E.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Black Saber Comics Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Carnivore Comics Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Encased Comics Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cowabunga Comics Cover.jpg
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.skybound.com/announcements/energon-universe/skybound-hasbro-energon-universe-special-free-comic-book-day-2024 Press release announcing the FCBD special ]
* [https://www.skybound.com/announcements/energon-universe/skybound-image-hasbro-announce-energon-universe-special-2024-1 Preview of the Energon Universe Special 2024 ]

[[Category:Energon Universe media]]
[[Category:Skybound issues]]

Energon Universe 2024 Special

2024-05-13T03:47:42Z

Digamma-f-wau: Manning isn

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=Energon Universe Special 2024
|prev=
|next=
|image=Energon Universe Special 2024 FCBD Cover.jpg
|caption=Looks like the Void Rivals are going to Free Comic Book Day!
|title=
|publisher=[[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[May 4]], 2024
|coverdate=May 2024
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
}}

'''A glimpse into the future of the Energon Universe...'''

==Contents==
This special contains three stories, each one representing the series that make up the [[Energon Universe]] up to this point:
* A fourteen-page [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' story]] telling what happened to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] when the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' crashed on [[Earth]], by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Ryan Ottley]] (''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'')
* A six-page [[Void Rivals Energon Universe Special story|''Void Rivals'' story]] about [[Skuxxoid]] and [[Slizardo]], by [[Robert Kirkman]] and [[Lorenzo de Felici]] (''[[Void Rivals]]'')
* An eight-page [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe Special story|''G.I. Joe'' story]] focusing on [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] and the [[Baroness]], by [[Joshua Williamson]] and [[Jason Howard]] (''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]''/''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander'')]]

See individual articles for details.

==Notes==
* This special was first released as part of [[Free Comic Book Day]], with a decidedly not-free version containing no new material released the following Wednesday.

===Covers (10)===
* '''Free Comic Book Day cover:''' Megatron, by Ryan Ottley and [[Annalisa Leoni]].
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus and Megatron in battle, by Daniel Warren Johnson and [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Cover B:''' Skuxxoid and Slizardo, by Lorenzo de Felici.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Baroness, by [[Tom Reilly]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' by [[Stephen Green]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' by [[Khary Randolph]].
* '''Black Saber Comics exclusive:''' by [[Ivan Tao]].
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive:''' by [[Gabriele Dell'Otto]].
* '''Encased Comics exclusive:''' by [[Alessandro Micelli]].
* '''Cowabunga Comics exclusive:''' by [[Joe Doyle]].

<gallery>
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 FCBD Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover A.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover B.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover C.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover D.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover E.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Black Saber Comics Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Carnivore Comics Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Encased Comics Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cowabunga Comics Cover.jpg
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.skybound.com/announcements/energon-universe/skybound-hasbro-energon-universe-special-free-comic-book-day-2024 Press release announcing the FCBD special ]
* [https://www.skybound.com/announcements/energon-universe/skybound-image-hasbro-announce-energon-universe-special-2024-1 Preview of the Energon Universe Special 2024 ]

[[Category:Energon Universe media]]
[[Category:Skybound issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 3

2024-05-09T02:00:05Z

Digamma-f-wau: extremely minor pedantic edit (Do a Powerbomb was just Image, not Skybound unlike Extremity and Murder Falcon)

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #3
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 2
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 4
|image=Transformers03A Cover.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[December 6]], [[2023]]
|coverdate=December 2023
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''It's Optimus Prime versus Skywarp in a vicious battle, with humankind caught in the crossfire.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TF2023 – Sparky threatens Cliffjumper.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Learning [[Davey|her father]] has been killed, [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] asks [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]] how it happened, and Sparky tells her he was crushed by a giant robot. Carly realizes it must have been [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and begins to tell Sparky about her and Spike's discovery of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. Sparky desperately asks where [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] is when they are attacked by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]. Sparky fires at the robot bird, only to get tossed around the room for his efforts. Laserbeak then corners Carly, but she is rescued by the timely arrival of [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], who delivers a swift kick to Laserbeak's face. As Cliff approaches Carly, however, Sparky yells at him to get away before firing a shotgun at the [[Autobot]]'s face. Carly tries to get him to stop, but Sparky pulls her into the police car he commandeered and they drive off.

In the ''Ark'', an irritated Starscream berates [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] for not fixing [[Teletraan I|Teletraan 1]]. Soundwave tells him that while they have enough [[energon]], the raw materials they gathered aren’t advanced enough to repair the computer. When Soundwave begins to mention what [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] would do, Starscream slaps him, repeating his order to not say his name. Soundwave receives an alert from Laserbeak and Starscream orders [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] to deal with it.

Sparky takes Carly to the veterans' bar. Carly asks why they’re there and Sparky tells her that the [[Decepticon]]s are jamming all phone, radio, and internet signals, so they need reinforcements from somewhere. Inside, [[Danny]] and a group of other veterans have heard the explosions and already formed a small militia to defend themselves. Carly tries to tell Sparky that they aren't all bad, but Sparky says that he's been in war: when the shooting starts, people die. At that moment, Cliffjumper appears in the doorway and Sparky unloads a machine gun on him. Skywarp then arrives, which the humans mistake for Cliffjumper having called in reinforcements, and they begin firing on both. On the outskirts of town, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus]] and Spike see smoke coming from the battle and Optimus quickly heads in to intervene. With Skywarp shaking off the humans' bullets like they're nothing, Danny decides they need something bigger: he and Sparky pull out a bazooka before the bar caves in on itself. Skywarp approaches Cliffjumper for the kill, but Carly tries to step in and defend him, much to Skywarp's amusement. The pair are saved by the timely intervention of Optimus, who rams into Skywarp in his truck mode. Optimus transforms and tells Spike to take cover while he deals with the Decepticon.

[[File:TF2023 – Spike tries to intervene.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1]]
The two fight, Skywarp using his teleportation and Optimus using his [[energon-axe]]. Optimus pins Skywarp down and asks him to surrender, but their fight is interrupted by Sparky and Danny firing the bazooka at Optimus, severely damaging his right arm. This allows Skywarp to regain his footing and blast Optimus back. Sparky tells the militia to pour their fire on both of the Cybertronians as Spike runs towards the wounded Optimus… getting caught in the crossfire. Skywarp taunts Optimus as he moves to crush Spike, but Optimus tackles him to the ground. In a moment of desperation, Prime tears off his injured arm, using it as a club to beat Skywarp down. He then picks up Spike, now bleeding profusely from his injury. Sparky runs towards Prime, tears streaking his face and a handgun pointed at the Autobot leader, screaming at him to get away from his son. Optimus transforms and tells Sparky to come with him; he’s going to save his boy.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (12)

|c2=
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (3)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (5)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (6)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (7)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (8)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (2)
* [[Danny]] (9)
* [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]] (10)
* Militia (11)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"I've been in '''war''', Carly. It doesn't matter whose team they're on or what glorious cause they fight for. When the shooting starts, people die."
:—'''Sparky'''

"Damn, Starscream was right! This is a blast!"
:—'''Skywarp'''

"Your kind have played with this planet '''enough'''. '''''I WILL HAVE NO MORE OF IT!'''''"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' right before ripping his own arm off.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* One of the citizens' militia, [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]], was the same man raving about seeing [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] in the [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|first issue]].
* Sparky notes the internet is down, throwing the implied setting of the 1980s into question.
* While talking to Starscream, Soundwave can be seen cradling [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] in his arms. Shot by Optimus in the first issue, it's still unclear if Ravage is in [[Stasis lock|stasis]] or dead.
* When Optimus sees Spike on the ground, he is reminded of the [[deer]] he accidentally stepped on in the [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|previous issue]].

===Transformers references===
* Optimus's iconic [[energon-axe]] first debuted in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]".
* Skywarp swears "by the soul of [[the Fallen]]".

===Real-world references===
* Daniel Warren Johnson hides little references on the license plates of the vehicles and characters' alt-modes:
** The license plate of the police car Sparky commandeered has changed, now reading "[https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/murder-falcon Murder Falcon]", the title of one of Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer’s previous Skybound comics.
** As Optimus drives into town, his front license plate reads "DAP", which stands for ''[https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/do-a-powerbomb Do A Powerbomb]'', another Johnson/Spicer Image title.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Oh- what's this? ''Do a Powerbomb!'' DAP!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=937s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
** When Optimus transforms at the end, his license plate also serves as Johnson's signature, with a small "DWJ '23".
* The wrestling influence on the action in this comic continues with Optimus Prime performing {{w|Kenta Kobashi}}'s iconic {{w|Professional wrestling throws#Inverted Death Valley driver|Burning Hammer}} on Skywarp, hoisting the Decepticon over his shoulders before slamming him into the ground head-first.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So this probably is my favorite page in the book, in issue #3. This is of course Optimus hitting a Burning Hammer! All you have to do is Google Kenta Kobashi, Burning Hammer, that's all I'm going to say about that. If you know, you know. There's this like [...] BREEEEE! I can feel like the pistons locking in, and like pushing, as he raises Skywarp above his head.|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* There are two references to the ''{{w|Gundam}}'' franchise:
** When Spike charges into the battle between Optimus Prime and Skywarp, the panel is framed to resemble the famous shot at the climax of ''{{w|Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket}}'' where Alfred Izuhara tries to intervene in the battle between Christina McKenzie's Gundam ALEX and Bernard Wiseman's Zaku II.
** Similarly, the scene where Optimus rips off his arm and uses it as a flail against Skywarp brings to mind Shiro Amada's Gundam Ez8 doing the same against Norris Packard's Gouf Custom in ''{{w|Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team}}''. Daniel Warren Johnson also shared a gif of the original scene on his Twitter<ref>{{citesocial|link= https://twitter.com/danielwarrenart/status/1732514531631374599|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=12|day=7}}</ref> and called the scene a homage to "one of [his] favorite anime shows of all time" in the letter column of the following issue.

===Storytelling notes===
* DWJ apparently struggled with the opening of this issue,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This whole first part of this issue was brutal for me to get through. Maybe it doesn't show, but I was having a really hard time. And I'll show you when I made a breakthrough, but it's not for a bit.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=346s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref> only feeling that he had hit his stride with the page where the militia first appear.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Okay, so here! Here's where I started getting my mojo back. It took a while!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=613s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* Skywarp sips Energon from a canister using a straw, as DWJ wanted to come up with a different way for Transformers to drink Energon, rather than drinking from cubes as they did in the original cartoon.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=We do get a standout moment here, which which is Skywarp of course, sipping Energon. I wanted to figure out a better way to have them consume Energon, that wasn't them like drinking out of those cubes from the TV show. So yeah, he's drinking from the scream canister—sorry, accidentally copying Pixar a little bit—but yeah sipping, sipping canister, in true skywarp fashion.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=566s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* Initially, DWJ drew himself into the militia, but ultimately he chickened out and revised the drawing!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I was scared of drawing this panel here, with all the soldiers, but it just worked out really well. I changed the design, I drew myself in here! I almost put myself in the militia, but I don't even own a gun, so I felt a little bit too much like a poser. And yeah, this is... I really really love this. I just, I... And this panel's great, her like pulling on the shirt, and... it's just... I got my, I got my groove back in this page. And it was, I was off to the races after this page, [...] page seven?|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=705s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* DWJ had originally wanted a mid-transformation panel as Skywarp touches down amidst the militia; this was removed for space reasons, particularly as it was visually similar to a panel from the previous issue.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I forgot to get rid of this page. This was going to be a mid-transforming page of Skywarp coming down. So instead of him being here, already kind of landed, he was going to be ''landing''. But I felt it was a little too similar to the panel that you saw in issue #2 of Skywarp crushing everybody at the electrical plant. And this has a more, a little bit of like a calm kind of like flowing-down, whereas I just kind of wanted him to be established. There were going to be too many storytelling beats between [the panel where Skywarp is landing] and [the panel where he's being shot], it just... You know, it's not a huge deal, it wouldn't have really mattered, but... And this is like a little bit more of an intense angle. I pulled out a little bit here, I also really wanted to have room for Cliffjumper. It's just the storytelling worked a little better, with all- I needed to include all of these, like, militia guys, at the same time, while also having Skywarp land, and be a threat. So I have all these things that I'm juggling at once, and I don't like having to make compromises, 'cause honestly if I had another page or another few- if I had just a little more room, this would have been the panel. But maybe I'll ink it up someday, that'll be cool.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=828s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* Easy to miss in the panel where Skywarp slaps a van aside, there's the ''lower half'' of one of the militia members!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Notice that this guy's getting cut in half here, by this van! Not Carly's van, it's not there, but I just wanted to draw a van again.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=953s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
** The sound effect from this panel was added at a late stage in the artwork, to unambiguously guide the reader's eye through the action of the panel.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I love this panel. This is awesome. I added the BREEEEEEEOOOOOO after a bit, it's not here on the thumbnail. But I really like, you know, this is the first person that's talking, the bartender going to Sparky... then you're kind of following it around. It kind of goes like this: left to right, but then you know you follow the letters, and it zooms around to him flying here, and circle is completed. So this is an intentional thing on my part, sometimes my compositions are unintentional, this one was definitely intentional, trying to ca- you through the entire reading experience in a way that is fun and dynamic.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=963s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* When depicting characters laughing—such as when Skywarp laughs at Carly—DWJ tries to draw the laughter as SFX into the panel, rather than deferring it to the letterer.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I don't like when in letters you have like little HAHAHAs in balloons. I like having really loud onomatopoeia HAHAs, so whenever someone's laughing, I try and include it in the background as an SFX. And then I will remove it from the letters. I'm sure Russ is very capable of drawing very great HAHAs, I just- it's a personal preference.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1052s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* DWJ was influenced by ''{{w|Pacific Rim (film)|Pacific Rim}}'' for the beat where Skywarp is rammed through buildings and cars by Prime.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Getting a lot done here, transforming and tossing Spike to the side, get to safety, this car and the- [Skywarp] was just kind of falling in a parking lot before, and I really wanted Skywarp to be having some serious damage, really getting pounded and slammed into something. And that's a bit of a nod to ''Pacific Ram'' where they just get knocked into ''all'' of the buildings. And I don't have the time to draw them [...] crashing into every building, and it is a small town, but you know, you could be smushing some cars, and you know, rocking some bricks, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1147s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* DWJ was keen on including Skywarp's teleportation ability. As Optimus fights Skywarp, DWJ wanted to build similar tension to that of a wrestler trying to tag in their partner—he keeps trying to ready his Energon axe, but never quite manages.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Teleport! Done on the page! Of course wanted to add that in, because I do love Skywarp and that is one of his most fun abilities. And through this entire sequence I was trying to do this kind of like hot tag thing, like you see in wrestling, where [...] somebody on a tag team's getting worked over by the other team, put in a submission, or... you know, they can't make this tag, to try and get that rescue partner. And in my mind it was like, in this scene, Optimus has got this energy ax, that everybody knows- everybody knows he's got an Energon axe! Even the people that aren't super fans of ''Transformers'', and... they're like, when is this guy... get... you know, BZOW, BZOW. Because I hint at it, I show, okay, this is a thing, he's activating it, ''nope'' just kidding. Okay, not going to happen...|link=https://youtu.be/MxfnknSUY4w?si=O4RC_XE6NmoidDFz&t=1263|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref> When it's finally fully activated, Prime's arm is destroyed before it can be used!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=And then, again, we got- we're hinting, we're saying, "this is when the Energon ax is going to come out." And we get this glorious, just like, KRSHHHHH. I can just, I can see it in my head, you know? The scene was clear as day. Everybody's getting excited about this moment. He's finally got the Energon ax. We are going to wreck face. Let's do it. JUST. KIDDING. Ohhh man.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1407s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* The panel where Spike runs to intervene between Skywarp and Optimus is deliberately composed so Spike appears the same size as the Transformers, to highlight his heroism.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So then we have Spike being a silly human, and running... Added a little step panel there, not sure why, just felt right! You know, I don't know if this works, but one of my goals was to have Spike be about the same size—compositionally—as Skywarp and Optimus, so that his actions are like, so heroic that he's like kind of now elevated to their stature, physicality wise.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1509s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* As Sparky runs in to check on Spike, the reactions of his comrades on the left side of the panel were intended to amplify the motion across the page.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I really wanted Sparky to have like forward motion, so left to right. We see the reaction of his fellow bar goers—militia, whatever—he's moving through them, and you see the reactions before you necessarily see Sparky, who's like at the forefront, who's most forward, and he's dropping his gun here... Did I tell you that I'm a pacifist?|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1588s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* DWJ liked the idea of a Transformer killing a human by flicking them, as Skywarp threatens to do to Spike here.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=You know I'm a big fan of flicking- robots flicking humans, and so I like this a lot. This makes me very happy. I don't know, the like... almost impact of, you know, getting his innards flung out by a middle finger.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1621s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* The two-page spread of Prime ripping his own arm off was originally meant to be a single page, but DWJ felt it needed to span a whole spread.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So here's here's the infamous- of course, going back to one of my favorite anime series of all time, ''Gundam: The 08th MS Team''. This is a total little shout out to that, of a robot ripping off its own arm and using it as a weapon. Not really sure what I was- So originally, this double page spread was not a double page spread, it was just going to be one page, until I made the call myself—without asking anybody over at Skybound for permission—to make this a double page spread. 'Cause I was like, you know what, we need this. So we're going to have a few less ads in the back of the ''Transformers'' comic, and he's going to be able to rip off his arm in full glory. The only problem is, the arm rip was indeed an addition, because it was a double page spread, and I did not have a lot of time. So I had to do this in an afternoon— or a few different afternoons, like tacking it on to other pages after those were done. [...] I like how he's got like kind of subtle Angry Eyes, I just kind of added that, just as a... artistic license.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1704s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* Sparky's hatred of Prime, even as the Autobot tries to save his son, was inspired by a similar emotion in a scene from ''{{w|All Star Superman}}''.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This makes me think of [...] ''All-Star Superman'', Frank Quietly and Grant Morrison, when the two Kryptonians are- they get sick and Superman rescues them. They start by being kind of bad guys, kind of mean, and then they need help. And Superman rescues this Kryptonian's wife, and he's running towards Superman, being like, "Don't you touch her!" Like, "How dare you even lay hands on her?" Even though he's trying to help her. So that was kind of the vibe I was going for here—that's one of my favorite scenes in all of comics, is Superman rescuing that Kryptonian couple. Just a little subtle thing I was thinking about. Thank you Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly, wouldn't be here without you guys. Standing on the shoulders of giants as always.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1867s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>

===Errors===
* On pages 4 and 5, Cliffjumper's feet are occasionally colored grey like the rest of his legs when they should be red.

===Other trivia===
* This issue contains a four page preview for ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]].
* While it is likely not intentional, the scene of Optimus ripping off his damaged arm and using it as a weapon is similar to a moment where [[Apeface]] does the same in [[Cold War!|issue #49]] of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|the Marvel series]].

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus Prime vs Soundwave and his cassettes, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' People cower beneath Optimus Prime as Skywarp rains fire upon him, by [[Taurin Clarke]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus and Skywarp square off, by [[Matías Bergara]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' A defeated Optimus sits in the shadow of Starscream, by [[Nick Dragotta]] and [[Patricio Delpeche]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover A:''' Ratchet, by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover B:''' Skywarp, by Jason Howard.

<gallery>
File:Transformers03A Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers03B Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers03C Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers03D Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers03E Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 3 2nd Ptg Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 3 2nd Ptg Cover B.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* The [[Cobra]] threat begins in ''Cobra Commander'' #1!

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Category:Images by Ryan Barry

2024-05-06T00:44:01Z

Digamma-f-wau: Created page with "A complete gallery of images by Ryan Barry on this wiki. Barry, Ryan"

A complete gallery of images by [[Ryan Barry]] on this wiki.

[[Category: Images by artist|Barry, Ryan]]

File:Transformers 2023 1 Ryan Barry cvr.jpg

2024-05-06T00:42:45Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{SkyboundEU
|description=
{{art|art=[[Ryan Barry]]|colors=[[Mike Spicer]]}}
|series=transformers
|cover=Ryan Barry exclusive cover A
|excerpt=
|issueno=1
|storylink=
|storytitle=
|year=23}}

[[Category:Images by Ryan Barry]]
[[Category:Images by Mike Spicer]]

File:Transformers 2023 1 Ryan Barry cvr B.jpg

2024-05-06T00:42:42Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{SkyboundEU
|description=
{{art|art=[[Ryan Barry]]|colors=[[Mike Spicer]]}}
|series=transformers
|cover=Ryan Barry exclusive cover B
|excerpt=
|issueno=1
|storylink=
|storytitle=
|year=23}}

[[Category:Images by Ryan Barry]]
[[Category:Images by Mike Spicer]]

File:Transformers 2023 1 Ryan Barry cvr B.jpg

2024-05-06T00:42:05Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{SkyboundEU
|description=
{{art|art=[[Ryan Berry]]|colors=[[Mike Spicer]]}}
|series=transformers
|cover=Ryan Barry exclusive cover B
|excerpt=
|issueno=1
|storylink=
|storytitle=
|year=23}}

[[Category:Images by Ryan Barry]]
[[Category:Images by Mike Spicer]]

File:Transformers 2023 1 Ryan Barry cvr.jpg

2024-05-06T00:41:51Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{SkyboundEU
|description=
{{art|art=[[Ryan Barry]]|colors=[[Mike Spicer]]}}
|series=transformers
|cover=Ryan Berry exclusive cover A
|excerpt=
|issueno=1
|storylink=
|storytitle=
|year=23}}

[[Category:Images by Ryan Barry]]
[[Category:Images by Mike Spicer]]

File:Void Rivals 1 3rd Ptg Cover.jpg

2024-05-06T00:41:38Z

Digamma-f-wau: fixing a typo

{{SkyboundEU
|description=
{{art|line-art=[[Ryan Barry]]|colors=[[Mike Spicer]]}}
|series=voidrivals
|cover=Third printing cover
|excerpt=
|issueno=1
|storylink=
|storytitle=
|year=23}}

[[Category: Images by Ryan Barry]]
[[Category: Images by Mike Spicer]]

File:Energon Universe 2024 Special FCBD Cover.jpg

2024-05-05T00:01:43Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{SkyboundEU
|description=
{{art|line-art=[[Ryan Ottley]]|colors=[[Annalisa Leoni]]}}
|series=energonuniversespecial2024
|cover=[[Free Comic Book Day]] cover
|excerpt=
|issueno=
|storylink=
|storytitle=
|year=24}}

[[Category: Images by Ryan Ottley]]
[[Category: Images by Annalisa Leoni]]

Energon Universe 2024 Special

2024-05-05T00:00:47Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers (10) */

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=Energon Universe Special 2024
|prev=
|next=
|image=Energon Universe Special 2024 FCBD Cover.jpg
|caption=Looks like the Void Rivals are going to Free Comic Book Day!
|title=
|publisher=[[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[May 4]], 2024
|coverdate=May 2024
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
}}

'''A glimpse into the future of the Energon Universe...'''

==Contents==
This special contains three stories, each one representing the series that make up the [[Energon Universe]] up to this point:
* A fourteen-page [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' story]] telling what happened to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] when the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' crashed on [[Earth]], by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Ryan Ottley]] (''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'')
* A six-page [[Void Rivals Energon Universe Special story|''Void Rivals'' story]] about [[Skuxxoid]] and [[Slizardo]], by [[Robert Kirkman]] and [[Lorenzo de Felici]] (''[[Void Rivals]]'')
* An eight-page [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe Special story|''G.I. Joe'' story]] focusing on [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] and the [[Baroness]], by [[Joshua Williamson]] and [[Jason Howard]] (''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]''/''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander'')]]

See individual articles for details.

==Notes==
* This special was first released as part of [[Free Comic Book Day]], with a decidedly not-free version containing no new material released the following Wednesday.

===Covers (10)===
* '''Free Comic Book Day cover:''' Megatron, by Ryan Ottley and [[Annalisa Leoni]].
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus and Megatron in battle, by Daniel Warren Johnson and [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Cover B:''' Skuxxoid and Slizardo, by Lorenzo de Felici.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Baroness, by [[Tom Reilly]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' by [[Stephen Green]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' by [[Khary Randolph]].
* '''Black Saber Comics exclusive:''' by [[Ivan Tao]].
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive:''' by [[Gabriele Dell'Otto]].
* '''Cowabunga Comics exclusive:''' by [[Joe Doyle]].
* '''Encased Comics exclusive:''' by [[Alessandro Micelli]].

<gallery>
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 FCBD Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover A.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover B.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover C.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover D.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cover E.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Black Saber Comics Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Carnivore Comics Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Cowabunga Comics Cover.jpg
File:Energon Universe Special 2024 Encased Comics Cover.jpg
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.skybound.com/announcements/energon-universe/skybound-hasbro-energon-universe-special-free-comic-book-day-2024 Press release announcing the FCBD special ]
* [https://www.skybound.com/announcements/energon-universe/skybound-image-hasbro-announce-energon-universe-special-2024-1 Preview of the Energon Universe Special 2024 ]

[[Category:Energon Universe media]]
[[Category:Skybound issues]]

Duke issue 5

2024-04-29T17:46:20Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' #5
|prev=Duke issue 4
|next=Energon Universe Special 2024
|image=Duke 5 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[April 24]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=April 2024
|written by=[[Joshua Williamson]]
|art by=[[Tom Reilly]]
|colors by=[[Jordie Bellaire]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Man versus machine! The final battle between Duke and M.A.R.S.!'''

==Synopsis==
In the remains of [[Pit (G.I. Joe)|The Pit]], Colonel [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] interrogates [[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Clutch]] on where [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] took the [[Skystriker (G.I. Joe)|Skystriker]] after their battle with [[Major Bludd]] and his [[Blood Hound]]s. Clutch refuses to talk, but [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] tells Hawk that they were able to find Dr. [[Adele Burkhart]]'s tracker in the wreckage, meaning they can track where Duke was headed.

Meanwhile, Duke is still being strangled by the claw of the [[Battle Android Trooper]]. [[Mercer]] and [[Destro]] watch the fight from the shadows. Deciding to take a different approach, Destro emerges and explains his philosophy to Duke: the only winners in wars are those who control the weapons wars are fought with. He offers Duke a place in [[M.A.R.S.]], which Duke rebuffs with the accusation that "[[Starscream (G1)|his robot]]" killed [[Frosting]]. Destro is fascinated at the idea of a transforming robot, but assures Duke that he didn't build it. He falsely claims that it was built by the U.S. military in order to sway Duke to his side, but Duke sees through the lie. When Destro offers him a hand, Duke takes it and pulls Destro into a headbutt. Destro then leaves Duke to the B.A.T., which easily knocks him to the ground. As Destro leaves, Mercer informs him that Duke's tracker pinged again, meaning he's likely being followed. Deciding to cut his losses, Destro orders [[Scrap-Iron]] to destroy the facility. Duke manages to overpower the B.A.T. eventually and rips its head off, but the android continues operating, forcing Duke to crush its power source with said head. Exhausted, Duke collapses to the ground as the facility explodes around him.

Later, news reports declare Duke dead, claiming his body was discovered in the Colorado mountains. He has been cleared of the murder of Dr. Burkhart and authorities are currently searching for Major Bludd, who remains at large. Duke wakes up in a hospital, where Colonel Hawk and [[Cover Girl]] greet him. Hawk tells Duke that he was trying to protect him by not telling him the truth, but now thanks to Duke's efforts, they know more about Destro and M.A.R.S. than ever before. Hawk brings Duke to the Pit, reuniting him with Clutch, and tells Duke that he wants him to lead a "[[G.I. Joe (team)|highly trained special mission force]]" to handle the new threats that are emerging. Duke refuses until Hawk reveals that there are more robots like the one that killed Frosting, showing him footage of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|one that can transform into a truck]]. Duke agrees to join this new team, vowing to destroy them all!

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|h1=[[United States military]]|c1=
* [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] (1)
* [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] (2)
* [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] (4)
* [[Cover Girl]] (13)
* [[Rock 'n Roll]] (14)

|h2=[[M.A.R.S.|M.A.R.S. Industries]]|c2=
* [[Battle Android Trooper]] (5)
* [[Mercer]] (6)
* [[Destro]] (7)
* [[Scrap-Iron]] (9)

|h3=Others|c3=
* [[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Clutch]] (3)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (8)
* Reporter (10)
* [[Adele Burkhart]] (11)
* [[Major Bludd]] (12)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (15)
}}

==Quotes==
"You run on batteries. While '''I'm''' good ol' American '''man'''-power!"
:—'''Duke''', ripping off the B.A.T.'s head.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Dr. Burkhart's tracker, given to Duke in [[Duke issue 1|issue #1]] was established as being taken from Duke off-panel [[Duke issue 4|last issue]].
* After being informed of the B.A.T.'s defeat, Destro once again notes that their current power source is insufficient, and they need [[Energon|a better one]] that can last longer. The [[Cobra Commander issue 4|fourth issue]] of ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'', released the week prior to this issue, confirms that M.A.R.S. does eventually get their hands on some energon thanks to the [[Dreadnok]]s.
* The footage Hawk shows Duke of Optimus Prime shows him with Megatron's arm, indicating the footage was captured at least some time after ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|#4]]. Additionally, in keeping with the fact that ''Duke'' takes place six months after Starscream's attack in ''Transformers'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|#2]], the footage is described as being from "a few months ago."

===G.I. Joe references===
* Destro’s maroon suit jacket features a leopard-print lining on the inside, inspired by the (in)famous <s>Pimp Daddy</s> Profit Director Destro figure.
* The jeep that Destro, Mercer, and Scrap-Iron escape in is based on the Cobra Stinger vehicle, with a slightly modified front bumper and redesigned missile launcher on the back.
* Duke having to fake his death ahead of the formation of G.I. Joe mirrors the setup of the [[Hasbro Universe|original IDW continuity]].
* The description of this new team as a "highly trained special mission force" is of course pulled directly from the narration of the original ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' cartoon series theme.

===Errors===
* The back cover remains the same as previous issues: "The contents of this booklet '''is''' confidential. '''This''' unauthorized disclosure of information within is prohibited."

===Other===
* This issue contains a 5 page preview of [[Destro (comic)|Destro]] [[Destro issue 1|#1]].

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Duke faces danger at the claws of the Battle Android Trooper, by Tom Reilly.
* '''Cover B:''' Duke discovers a newly-built B.A.T., by [[Mateus Santolouco]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Tyler Boss]] and [[Jason Wordie]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' B.A.T. on explosion, by [[Brian Level]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Duke facing off against the B.A.T. as Destro looks on, by [[Dustin Nguyen]].

<gallery>
File:Duke 5 Cover A.jpg|
File:Duke 5 Cover B.jpg|
File:Duke 5 Cover C.jpg|
File:Duke 5 Cover D.jpg|
File:Duke 5 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* 4-page preview of ''Destro''
* Experience the Energon Universe in the trade paperbacks for ''Duke'', ''[[Void Rivals]]'', ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'', and ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]''.

===Reprints===
* '''''Duke Volume 1: Knowing is Half the Battle''''' ([[June 5]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398163 / ISBN 978-1534398160 
** Collects issues #1–5.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Duke V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Knowing is Half the Battle''''' – cover art by [[Tom Reilly]]
</gallery>

[[Category:Duke issues]]

Duke issue 4

2024-04-29T17:45:58Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' #4
|prev=Duke issue 3
|next=Duke issue 5
|image=Duke 4 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[March 27]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=March 2024
|written by=[[Joshua Williamson]]
|art by=[[Tom Reilly]]
|colors by=[[Jordie Bellaire]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''With the hounds at their door, the American heroes and their allies must use every resource they can to fight back!'''

==Synopsis==
[[Major Bludd]]'s [[Blood Hound]]s continue their assault on the [[Pit (G.I. Joe)|Pit]]. Stalker tries to radio for backup, but his signal is jammed and he is forced to retreat further into the Pit with the others. Meanwhile, [[Baroness]] has her gun aimed at [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] while [[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Clutch]] and [[Rock 'n Roll]] fight off the Blood Hounds. She threatens to take Duke in and collect his bounty, but Duke tells her that even if she does, the people after him will eventually turn on her if she gets caught up in their game. The Baroness agrees and helps him up, and while Stalker is hesitant about this new alliance, he agrees that they'll need all the help they can get.

Unable to combat the Hounds above them, the group decides to head further down into the Pit, finding a hanger full of decommissioned and experimental vehicles that - with a bit of fine-tuning from Clutch - they can use to fight back against the invaders. Back on the surface, a grievously wounded Bludd reports back to his Hounds, ordering that they destroy the Pit, but that they leave Baroness to him: she owes him an eye! However, at that moment the Pit opens up and an APC, [[MOBAT]], and [[Skystriker (vehicle)|Skystriker]] come roaring out, mowing down the Blood Hounds. As the Hounds retreat, Baroness takes the opportunity to escape by stealing one of their [[F.A.N.G.]]s, much to Stalker’s irritation. Duke similarly decides to use this opportunity to take the Skystriker and follow the location on the device [[Adele Burkhart]] gave him. Clutch tries to convince him to stay, but ultimately wishes his friend luck on his mission.

At a secret [[M.A.R.S.]] facility in the [[Rocky Mountains]], [[Destro]] oversees the construction of his new [[H.I.S.S. tank]], but is informed that the power cores they've been provided with are insufficient. [[Mercer]] enters and informs Destro of Bludd's failure. Knowing Duke will be headed for them, Destro tells Mercer to have [[Scrap-Iron]] test his latest creation in the field. As Duke approaches the mountain range, a secret compartment opens up, from which Scrap-Iron fires his a missile from his anti-armor drone. Duke manages to bail out of the Skystriker before it crashes and climbs the mountain up to the facility. Inside, he discovers more of the weapons and vehicles he found at the M.A.R.S. facility, along with a massive battery of some kind. Knowing M.A.R.S. is watching him, Duke rails at them: he knows what they’re doing, and he’s going to kill their [[Starscream (G1)|flying robot]]. However, his words are cut short when he is grasped by the mechanical clawed arm of a [[Battle Android Trooper]]!

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|h1=[[United States military]]|c1=
* [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] (2)
* [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] (4)
* [[Rock 'n Roll]] (5)

|h2=[[M.A.R.S.|M.A.R.S. Industries]]|c2=
* [[Blood Hound]]s (1)
* [[Major Bludd]] (7)
* [[Destro]] (8)
* [[Mercer]] (9)
* [[Scrap-Iron]] (10)
* [[Battle Android Trooper]] (11)

|h3=Others|c3=
* [[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Clutch]] (6)
* [[Baroness]] (3)
}}

==Quotes==
"If you had just given up this precious system that has caged you your entire life…" 
"We ''all'' have our cages, Baroness. Even you…"
:—'''Baroness''' and '''Duke'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The tracking device Burkhart gave Duke in [[Duke issue 1|issue #1]] was confiscated off-panel when Duke and Clutch were captured in [[Duke issue 2|issue #2]].
* M.A.R.S. needs [[energon|a new energy source]] to power their new weapons. Perhaps a [[Cobra Commander|new ally]] could provide that.
** Although it is worth noting that the B.A.T.'s chest piece does glow the familiar yellow color we've seen else elsewhere, so maybe they do have ''some'' energon?
* Duke is still operating under the incorrect assumption that M.A.R.S. is responsible for creating Starscream and causing the death of his friend [[Frosting]] back in ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|#2]].

===G.I. Joe references===
* The APC, MOBAT, and Skystriker are all classic Joe vehicles from the first two years of the ''Real American Hero'' line.
* As expected, Major Bludd is shown to have lost his eye due to the Baroness, setting him up to receive either his traditional eyepatch or a more ''Classified''-inspired tech version. The shape of the wound is also reminiscent of some of the scar tissue sculpting on his ''Classified'' figure.
* Scrap-Iron also continues the trend of character designs being based on their ''Classified'' figures. He is even shown using that figure's main accessory, the Anti-Armor Drone.

===Errors===
* The back cover remains the same as previous issues: "The contents of this booklet '''is''' confidential. '''This''' unauthorized disclosure of information within is prohibited."

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' The Joes fight back, by Tom Reilly.
* '''Cover B:''' Baroness threatens a hanging Duke with a knife, by [[Andrei Bressan]] and [[Adriano Lucas]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Tyler Boss]] and [[Jason Wordie]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Major Bludd on explosion, by [[Taurin Clarke]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Duke facing off enemies with sabres, by [[Ben Oliver]].

<gallery>
File:Duke 4 Cover A.jpg|
File:Duke 4 Cover B.jpg|
File:Duke 4 Cover C.jpg|
File:Duke 4 Cover D.jpg|
File:Duke 4 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* 4-page preview of ''Universal Monsters: Creature From the Black Lagoon Lives!''
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 8|#8]], ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers issue 7|#7]], and ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 4|#4]].

===Reprints===
* '''''Duke Volume 1: Knowing is Half the Battle''''' ([[June 5]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398163 / ISBN 978-1534398160 
** Collects issues #1–5.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Duke V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Knowing is Half the Battle''''' – cover art by [[Tom Reilly]]
</gallery>

[[Category:Duke issues]]

Cobra Commander issue 2

2024-03-20T21:17:35Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' #2
|prev=Cobra Commander issue 1
|next=Cobra Commander issue 3
|image=Cobra Commander 2 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[February 21]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=February 2024
|written by=[[Joshua Williamson]]
|art by=[[Andrea Milana]]
|colors by=[[Annalisa Leoni]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Cobra Commander's hunt for the mysterious energon leads him to a series of dangerous encounters in the swamps of Florida.'''

==Synopsis==
In the swamps of [[Florida]], [[Buzzer (G.I. Joe)|Buzzer]] and [[Ripper (G.I. Joe)|Ripper]], two members of the local biker gang the [[Dreadnok]]s, capture and torture a pair of gun runners for information about who they were selling weapons to in their turf. When they refuse to talk, Buzzer murders one with his chainsaw. The other tells them they don't know the buyer's name, just that they were supposed to meet them in [[Orlando]]. The Dreadnoks untie the surviving dealer... only to chain him to their tricked out [[Thunder Machine]] and drag him across the ground, killing him.

The next day, [[Cobra Commander]] and his [[Cobra-La]] "[[Nemesis Enforcer|enforcer]]" investigate the swamps at a nearby gator tour, where Cobra Commander expresses his hatred of his fellow humans; they're too chaotic. What the world needs is ''order''. As the Commander traipses off into the swamp to follow the [[energon]] signature, the protector thinks back to when [[Pythona]] gave him this assignment, modifying his body in some unseen ways using the organic technology of Cobra-La. As the pair argue, they are confronted by a park ranger, whom the enforcer attacks on the Commander's order. The ranger draws his gun, but the enforcer is unfazed by the bullets and crushes his skull with a simple headbutt.

During the skirmish, the Commander slips away and stumbles upon the Dreadnoks' cabin. His energon detector beeps, indicating that they too have been experimenting with the alien energy source. At that moment, Buzzer and Ripper return in the Thunder Machine and confront their uninvited guest. The pair tell him that he'll have to pay their toll, but the Commander simply pulls out his pistol and fires at the two, causing them to scatter, and blowing up the Thunder Machine with a custom built grenade before taking his leave. The Dreadnoks prepare to chase after him but are halted by [[Zarana]], who reminds them that that part of the swamp is off-limits.

Going deeper into the swamp, Cobra Commander discovers a large body of water filled with raw energon. The Commander revels in how his success will be rewarded by Cobra-La... or what else he could achieve with all this raw transformative power. However, at that moment, he ends up plunging into the depths of the water, where a congregation of energon-enhanced alligators await!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|h2=[[Cobra]]/[[Cobra-La]]|c2=
* [[Cobra Commander]] (5)
* "[[Nemesis Enforcer|Enforcer]]" (6)
* ''[[Pythona]]'' (7)
* ''Cobra-La scientists'' (8)

|h3=[[Dreadnok]]s|c3=
* [[Buzzer (G.I. Joe)|Buzzer]] (2)
* [[Ripper (G.I. Joe)|Ripper]] (3)
* [[Zarana]] (10)

|h4=Others|c4=
* Gun runners (1)
* Tourists (4)
* Park ranger (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"I hate it here." 
"These are your people." 
"They were ''never'' my people. They are all ''fools''."
:—'''Cobra Commander''' and his '''protector'''

"Been a while since we had ourselves a fair shootout, Ripper. Should we call in for back-up?" 
"I think we can handle this one..."
:—'''Buzzer''' and '''Ripper'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The gun runners mention that they were selling to "some big dude with a flattop," likely referring to [[Mercer]] of [[M.A.R.S.]], who we met previously in ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 1|#1]].
* This issue marks the first time that a non-Cybertronian has referred to energon by its proper name. How Cobra-La knows what it's called is unknown, but perhaps [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] told them.

===G.I. Joe references===
* Continuing the trend from ''Duke'', the designs for Ripper, Buzzer, and Zarana are based on their ''G.I. Joe Classified Series'' action figures.
* The Thunder Machine is the signature vehicle of the Dreadnoks from the original ''A Real American Hero'' toyline, though its original driver — Thrasher — is nowhere in sight.
* Ripper is seen snacking on the Dreadnoks' favorite treat, a pink frosted donut.
* Zarana's reference to a "family meeting" suggests we'll soon be meeting her brothers [[Zartan]], frequent leader of the Dreadnoks, and/or [[Zandar]], her twin.
* A segment of the Florida swamps filled with alligators so dangerous that even the Dreadnoks dare not follow? [[Croc Master|Who could possibly be hiding there?]]

===Real-world references===
* Real-life gator tours are a common fixture of the Floridian tourist trade.

===Errors===
* Just as with previous issues, the back cover of the comic is patterned after a classified file (this time in red). However, it features the same grammatical errors, reading: "The contents of this booklet '''is''' confidential. '''This''' unauthorized disclosure of information within is prohibited."

===Other trivia===
* Buzzer sadly lacks the erudite English accent and mannerisms of his [[G.I. Joe (comic)|Marvel comic]] counterpart.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Cobra Commander is attacked by Buzzer, by Andrea Milana and Annalisa Leoni.
* '''Cover B:''' Cobra Commander's helmet emerges from the swamps, by [[Ricardo López Ortiz]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Cobra Commander surrounded by [[Torch (G.I. Joe)|Torch]], Zarana, and gators, by [[Chris Burnham]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Buzzer on explosion background, by [[ACO]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Ripper and gators corner Cobra Commander, by [[Nick Dragotta]] and [[Patricio Delpeche]].

<gallery>
File:Cobra Commander 2 Cover A.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 2 Cover B.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 2 Cover C.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 2 Cover D.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 2 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 3|#3]], ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 7|#7]], and ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers issue 6|#6]].
* [[Renegade Game Studios]]' ''[[Transformers Deck-Building Game]]'', ''[[Transformers Roleplaying Game]]'', ''G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game'', and ''G.I. Joe Roleplaying Game''
* ''Invincible: Escape From Mars''
* Skybound Insiders

===Reprints===
* '''''Cobra Commander Volume 1: Determined to Rule the World''''' ([[June 12]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398155 / ISBN 978-1534398153 
** Collects issues #1–5.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Cobra Commander V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Determined to Rule the World''''' – cover art by [[Andrea Milana]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Cobra Commander issues]]

File:Cobra Commander 2 Cover E.jpg

2024-03-20T21:17:05Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{SkyboundEU
|description=
{{art|lineart=[[Nick Dragotta]]|colours=[[Patricio Delpeche]]}}
|series=cobracommander
|cover=Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive)
|excerpt=
|issueno=2
|storylink=
|storytitle=
|year=24}}

[[Category:Images by Nick Dragotta]]
[[Category:Images by Patricio Delpeche]]

Daniel Warren Johnson

2024-03-19T19:20:22Z

Digamma-f-wau: expanded the article to include his art credits

{{disambigm|Dan (disambiguation)|Johnson (disambiguation)}}

[[File:Daniel Warren Johnson.jpg|right|270px|thumb|]]

'''Daniel Warren Johnson''' is an American comic book writer and artist based in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. After breaking onto the scene with his self-published webcomic ''[https://www.space-mullet.com Space Mullet]'', Johnson gained wider notoriety with his [[2017]] series ''Extremity'', which also marked the beginning of his collaboration with frequent colorist [[Mike Spicer]] and [[Skybound Entertainment]], both of whom he would continue working with for his subsequent series ''Murder Falcon'' and the Eisner Award-winning ''Do A Powerbomb''. He has also worked on such titles as ''Beta Ray Bill'' for [[Marvel Comics]] and ''Wonder Woman: Dead Earth'' and ''Jurassic League'' (with Juan Gedeon) for [[DC Comics]].

In 2023, Johnson and Spicer returned to Skybound to helm the new [[Transformers (2023 comic)|''Transformers'' series]] as part of their [[Energon Universe]].

==Writer==
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]''

==Artwork==
===Comic Artwork===
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|#1]]-[[Transformers (2023) issue 6|6]]
===Cover Artwork===
* ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 1|#1]] (Cover G; SDCC Exclusive)
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|#1]] (Covers A, B & C; SDCC Exclusive Ashcan; Felix Comic Art Exclusive), [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|#2]]-current (A Covers)

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:EnergonUniversePoster.jpeg
File:Transformers 2023 1 cvr.jpg
File:Transformers01B Cover.jpg
File:Transformers01C Cover.jpg
</gallery>

''[[:Category:Images by Daniel Warren Johnson|Extended Daniel Warren Johnson gallery]]''</center>

==Notes==
* In ''Murder Falcon'', the main character's band is called ''[[Bruticus (disambiguation)|Brooticus]]'', which is awesome.
* Johnson's love for wrestling heavily influenced the comic's fight sequences.
* Johnson keeps a number of Transformers figures, both official and 'third-party', on or near his desk to use as drawing references.

==External links==
* [https://www.danielwarrenart.com Official website]
* [https://twitter.com/danielwarrenart Twitter account]
* [https://www.instagram.com/danielwarrenart/ Instagram account]
* [https://www.youtube.com/@DanielWarrenJohnson1 YouTube account]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Daniel Warren}}
[[Category:Illustrators]]
[[Category:Skybound Entertainment]]
[[Category:Writers]]

Duke issue 3

2024-03-02T20:59:23Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' #3
|prev=Duke issue 2
|next=Duke issue 34
|image=Duke 3 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[February 28]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=February 2024
|written by=[[Joshua Williamson]]
|art by=[[Tom Reilly]]
|colors by=[[Jordie Bellaire]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Duke finds himself in an unexpected alliance as M.A.R.S. assaults the Pit.'''

==Synopsis==
At [[M.A.R.S.]] headquarters, the company has begun relocating after being compromised by [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]]'s infiltration. [[Destro]] initially believed their interloper would be killed while being pursued by the authorities; since that didn't happen, he must now be dealt with permanently. Luckily for them, [[Adele Burkhart|Dr. Burkhart]]'s tracking device works both ways and they know exactly where Duke is being held. Destro assigns this task to [[Major Bludd]], who is happy to undertake any assignment as long as Destro keeps paying him.

In the [[Pit (G.I. Joe)|Pit]], [[Rock 'n Roll]] and [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] confer with [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Colonel Hawk]], who tells them that a prison transport will arrive in two hours to transport Duke to a new facility. Stalker and Rock 'n Roll both express their concerns to Hawk about locking up such a decorated soldier, especially given how fervently Duke fought them. In the cells below, the [[Baroness]] continues trying to persuade Duke and [[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Clutch]] to help her escape. Duke reveals he knows who she is — Anastasia Cisarovna, daughter of Eastern European aristocrats who got bored and joined up with an off-the-books intelligence agency before turning to terrorism for unknown reasons. Duke calls her misguided, which she throws back in his face; she quit "the system", the very system that betrayed Duke despite his loyalties. When she asks what would get an American hero like him locked up in the Pit, Duke simply echoes Hawk's statement that it's "classified."

Above ground, Stalker meets the transport car, only to find that both its occupants have been murdered. A fleet of helicopters fly overhead, piloted by Major Bludd and his [[Blood Hound]]s. Bludd orders his Hounds to kill everyone in the Pit. Rock 'n Roll lets Clutch and Duke out of their cells to evacuate. Baroness begs them not to leave her behind before an explosion knocks down Rock 'n Roll and Clutch. As Blood Hounds storm the cell block, Duke reluctantly frees the Baroness. She tells him to help his friends while she looks for an exit. As Duke helps Clutch clear rubble off Rock 'n Roll, he is attacked by Major Bludd. Bludd reveals that he was the one who killed Burkhart and demands the device from Duke. Duke feigns ignorance, but Bludd is insistent: Duke has a high bounty on his head and Bludd has no problem going the extra distance to finish a job. Duke defiantly tells him he'll die before telling him anything. Bludd aims his gun at Duke's head, but is shot in the back of the head himself by the Baroness. She then takes aim at Duke. There ''is'' a huge bounty on his head...

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|h1=[[United States military]]|c1=
* [[Rock 'n Roll]] (4)
* [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] (5)
* [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] (6)
* [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] (7)
* ''[[Frosting]]'' (11)

|h2=[[M.A.R.S.|M.A.R.S. Industries]]|c2=
* [[Mercer]] (1)
* [[Destro]] (2)
* [[Major Bludd]] (3)
* [[Blood Hound]]s (12)

|h3=Others|c3=
* [[Baroness]] (8)
* [[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Clutch]] (9)
* ''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (10)
}}

==Quotes==
"If you keep paying me the right money, I’m good for whatever, mate."
:—'''Major Bludd'''

'''Clutch:''' "My bro here was made in America by America." 
'''Baroness:''' "Exactly. A machine built on an assembly line like every other soldier so they can put you out in the field, chew you up, and spit you out! Why is an American hero such as yourself in the Pit? What did you see that made you turn on your people so much that they would lock you up with me?" 
'''Duke:''' "That's... classified."

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Duke flashes back briefly to Frosting's death at the hands of Starscream in ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|#2]].
* Bludd confirms that he killed Dr. Burkhart back in [[Duke issue 1|issue #1]], hinted at by her mentioning that the man who attacked her was from Australia.

===''G.I. Joe'' references===
* As with other characters, Major Bludd's design is based on that of his ''Classified Series'' figure. This includes his mechanical arm, a detail from his original toy's sculpting but has rarely been used in previous ''Joe'' fiction.
** The one element not seen in this iteration's appearance is his iconic eyepatch, but it's safe to assume he'll be getting that soon.
* In turn, the outfits worn by the Major's Blood Hounds are inspired by Bludd's classic design.
* The backstory of the Baroness detailed in this issue takes cues from her original backstory as the daughter of European aristocrats-turned-terrorist. Some of her dialogue also hints towards the "student radical" interpretation that [[Larry Hama]] originally envisioned for the character which has largely gone unused.
** While past iterations have given her the surname "DeCobray", the "Cisarovna" used here was first introduced in the pages of [[Devil's Due Press|Devil's Due]]'s ''G.I. Joe: America's Elite'' #22 as a retcon to be her ''real'' last name, and has subsequently been used in the ''G.I. Joe: Renegades'' cartoon and the ''G.I. Joe: Classified'' novels.

===Real-world references===
* Clutch misquotes the song "{{w|You Can't Always Get What You Want}}" by {{w|The Rolling Stones}}.

===Errors===
* How does the transport car still drive up to the Pit if both the officers in it are dead?
* The back cover remains the same as previous issues: "The contents of this booklet '''is''' confidential. '''This''' unauthorized disclosure of information within is prohibited."

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Duke and Baroness, by Tom Reilly.
* '''Cover B:''' Duke surveys a battlefield, by [[Declan Shalvey]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Tyler Boss]] and [[Jason Wordie]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Baroness on explosion, by [[Priscilla Petraites]] and [[Frank Martin]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Major Bludd, by [[Karl Kerschel]].

<gallery>
File:Duke 3 Cover A.jpg|
File:Duke 3 Cover B.jpg|
File:Duke 3 Cover C.jpg|
File:Duke 3 Cover D.jpg|
File:Duke 3 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 7|#7]], ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers issue 6|#6]], and ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 3|#3]].
* Skybound Insiders
* [[Renegade Game Studios]]' ''[[Transformers Deck-Building Game]]'', ''[[Transformers Roleplaying Game]]'', ''G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game'', and ''G.I. Joe Roleplaying Game''

===Reprints===
* '''''Duke Volume 1: Knowing is Half the Battle''''' ([[June 5]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398163 / ISBN 978-1534398160 
** Collects issues #1–5.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Duke V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Knowing is Half the Battle''''' – cover art by [[Tom Reilly]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Duke issues]]

Duke issue 2

2024-03-02T20:58:51Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' #2
|prev=Duke issue 1
|next=Duke issue 3
|image=Duke 2 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[January 31]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=January 2024
|written by=[[Joshua Williamson]]
|art by=[[Tom Reilly]]
|colors by=[[Jordie Bellaire]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Duke hooks up with an old friend and winds up landing the both of them in hot water.'''

==Synopsis==
At the auto shop Manny's Mean Machines, genius mechanic [[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Lance "Clutch" Steinberg]] laments to himself, as he sees on his phone that his old friend [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Conrad "Duke" Hauser]] is on the run. He heads inside his R.V. to drink some day-old coffee, but just as he finishes pouring a cup, Duke arrives at his doorstep; Duke reasons that the M.P.s searching for him are going to see if he's linking up with friends from his army days first, but Duke and Clutch go farther back. Clutch's girlfriend Sherry then walks in, having heard her boyfriend get startled. Clutch introduces her to Duke, but when he tries to likewise introduce Duke to her and can't remember her name, Sherry gives him a good ''SMACK'' and storms off. Duke then convulses in pain from his injuries and Clutch brings him into the shop for a tune-up and an explanation of what's going down.

Though Clutch doesn't believe Duke's story of [[Starscream (G1)|a jet that turned into a giant robot]], he does know his friend well enough to know that he didn't see nothing, and that the drive [[Adele Burkhart|Doctor Burkhart]] gave him — essentially a stealthy, highly-advanced tracker for Burkhart's tech — is the key to figuring that out. Clutch manages to get the drive working, and it pops up a hologram of [[Earth]], with a marker located in the western [[United States of America|United States]] pointing to where Duke needs to go. Elsewhere, [[Destro]] receives a notice from his chair...

As Duke leaves, him and Clutch talk about his next move: it's too dangerous to go looking to his family for aid (especially not his [[Falcon (G.I. Joe)|younger brother]]), and [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] likely won't believe him more than he did back then. Just then, [[Rock 'n Roll]] suddenly appears and begins firing on the two, leading to Clutch's beloved hot rod getting destroyed. Duke and Clutch rush into the shop and burst out of it in a [[VAMP|van]] Clutch had been working on, prompting Rock 'n Roll to send a pair of armed drones after the two. Though the drones fail to hit their target, it turns out that they weren't trying to — it's a trap! [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] uses his sniper rifle to shoot out their vehicle's front tires, causing it to crash into a tree, knocking Clutch out. Stalker orders Duke to stand down, but Duke retorts that he doesn't take orders any more and charges at Stalker, who dodges his punch and knocks him to the ground with a kick to the face before knocking him unconscious.

Stalker and Rock 'n Roll bring Duke and Clutch (under arrest for aiding and abetting) to "the [[Pit (G.I. Joe)|Pit]]", a formerly-decommissioned underground facility now being used to house high-risk prisoners before they're transported. Stalker advises Duke to trust the system if he wants to get out of his situation, but Duke loudly fires back that the system didn't trust him. His words catch the attention of a [[Baroness|mysterious woman]] being held in a nearby cell, who notes that the two of them both want freedom, and suggests that they could come to an arrangement...
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|h1=[[United States military]]|c1=
* [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] (2)
* [[Rock 'n Roll]] (5)
* [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] (6)
* [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] (7)

|h2=[[M.A.R.S.|M.A.R.S. Industries]]|c2=
* [[Destro]] (4)

|h3=Others|c3=
* [[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Clutch]] (1)
* [[Sherry]] (3)
* [[Baroness]] (8)
}}

==Quotes==
"So, you saw a jet… turn into a giant robot?" 
"You believe me?" 
"Not even a little bit. But I know you enough to know you saw something."
:—'''Clutch''' and '''Duke'''

"Fascinating. What you are saying. You and I have common... '''goals.''' You want freedom. I want freedom. Perhaps we can come to an '''arrangement?'''
:—'''Baroness''' makes her sales pitch.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Though bits and pieces from last issue, later issues of ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'', and ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'''s [[Cobra Commander issue 1|first issue]] all indicated it, this issue definitively confirms that the Earth-based events of the Energon Universe happen in a "present-day" equivalent: Clutch sees the news regarding Duke going on the run on his smartphone, Rock 'n Roll uses modern-day military drones, and it's noted that the Pit was originally decommissioned in the 80's.
* Clutch's Bachelor's degree from the [[Massachusetts]] [[MIT|Institute of Technology]] not only indicates that his usual chauvinism and crudeness belies a knack for mechanical engineering but also (assuming this is the comic's way of telling us where we are) gives us an idea of how far Duke traveled between issues.
* Off-panel, Duke recounts his encounter with Starscream from ''Transformers'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|#2]] and the events that followed (as depicted last issue) to Clutch.
* Burkhart's tracking device pulls up a hologram of Earth... much like the one Cobra Commander pulls up from his wrist-gauntlet in the first issue of ''his'' mini-series. This may be a remarkable coincidence, but considering how intricate the Energon Universe's web appears to be weaved, one can never be too sure...
* Clutch mentions that Duke has a "baby bro," making this the second time this series has referenced [[Falcon (G.I. Joe)|Falcon]]. Though Duke says the situation's too dangerous for him to get involved, the fact that Falcon's come up in both issues thus far indicates he's probably showing up sooner rather than later.

===''G.I. Joe'' references===
* Manny's Mean Machines comes from Clutch’s original toy filecard, identified as his place of employment before enlisting in the Army.
* Much like his classic counterpart, Clutch is depicted as something of a skirtchaser.
* More than any character, Rock ‘n Roll’s design is based on his Classified Series figure, right down to sharing the exact same tattoos.
* Though it's unnamed in the actual comic and appears to be more of a van, the vehicle Duke and Clutch escape in is a version of the classic G.I. Joe [[VAMP]], which Clutch was originally packed in with and has been regularly associated with ever since. Its general shape and the presence of a tow line on the front bumper make it clear that the ''G.I. Joe Classified Series'' rendition of the VAMP was used as a basis for the design.
* Stalker mentions an "old friend" who taught him his roundhouse kick, likely referencing either [[Snake-Eyes]] or [[Storm Shadow]] and their friendship from the original ''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' comic.
* "The [[Pit (G.I. Joe)|Pit]]" is the codename used for G.I. Joe's underground headquarters in various ''G.I. Joe'' comic series (including ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'', where T.H.E. P.I.T. was instead used as an acronym), beginning with the [[G.I. Joe (comic)|original series]] published by [[Marvel Comics]]. The Pit also appeared as the Joes' headquarters in the live-action movie ''{{w|G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra}}''.
** The establishing shot, which shows the interiors of the Pit’s various levels, lifts many details from a diagram showing the schematics of the Pit from ''A Real American Hero'' #1.
* Like the VAMP, the lady at the end of the issue isn't named in the main story, but her signature black hair and glasses give her away as the scheming [[Baroness]], who's usually depicted as a high-ranking officer in [[Cobra]]. She's also been regularly romantically paired with Destro, indicating that if this version of her isn't already working for him, she likely will be soon enough.

===Real-world references===
* {{w|LoJack}} is a system designed to track and retrieve stolen cars.

===Errors===
* The back cover is essentially a blue-colored reprint of last issue's, meaning that the grammatical errors are identical: "The contents of this booklet '''is''' confidential. '''This''' unauthorized disclosure of information within is prohibited."

===Other trivia===

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Duke in the clutches of the law, by Tom Reilly.
* '''Cover B:''' Duke takes the wheel, by [[Ricardo López Ortiz]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Tyler Boss]] and [[Jason Wordie]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Stalker on explosion background, by [[ACO]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Stalker and Rock 'n Roll fire away, by [[Nick Dragotta]] and [[Patricio Delpeche]].
* '''Big Clutch exclusive variant:''' Duke and Clutch drive the VAMP with Stalker and Rock 'n Roll along for the ride, by [[Ramon Villalobos]].

<gallery>
File:Duke 2 Cover A.jpg|
File:Duke 2 Cover B.jpg|
File:Duke 2 Cover C.jpg|
File:Duke 2 Cover D.jpg|
File:Duke 2 Cover E.jpg|
File:Duke 2 Big Clutch Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''Duke'' [[Duke issue 3|#3]], ''Transformers'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|#5]], and ''Cobra Commander'' [[Cobra Commander issue 2|#2]]!
* A new era for G.I. Joe starts in ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' #301!
* ''Clementine: Book Two''
* ''Arcade Kings''
* ''Kroma'', by [[Lorenzo de Felici]]
* ''Murder Falcon'' Deluxe Hardcover, by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
* ''Invincible: Escape From Mars''

===Reprints===
* '''''Duke Volume 1: Knowing is Half the Battle''''' ([[June 5]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398163 / ISBN 978-1534398160 
** Collects issues #1–5.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Duke V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Knowing is Half the Battle''''' – cover art by [[Tom Reilly]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Duke issues]]

Cobra Commander issue 1

2024-02-07T01:27:00Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers */ fixed art credit for Cover C

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' #1
|prev=
|next=Cobra Commander issue 2
|image=Cobra Commander 2024 1 cvr.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[January 17]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=January 2024
|written by=[[Joshua Williamson]]
|art by=[[Andrea Milana]]
|colors by=[[Annalisa Leoni]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''An ambitious man begins his journey to ensnare the world in his coils.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Cobra Commander|A mysterious man in a mask and trenchcoat]] walks into the [[No Man's Land]] truck stop on the outskirts of a mountain range and tells the bartender he needs a vehicle. One of the patrons, [[Jimmy (Cobra Commander)|Jimmy]], teases the stranger over his hiss-like "lisp" and wishes him luck before heading out to his truck. The stranger follows Jimmy and tells him that his vehicle will do nicely, using—as Jimmy describes it "some kind of toy"—to attack him. The bartender follows after Jimmy to collect his pay... only to find Jimmy's bloody remains in the snow, next to the image of a [[Cobra|cobra]] drawn in blood.

''In the secret society of [[Cobra-La]], an angry mob gathers outside of a science lab, angry at the scientists for bringing a "monstrosity" into the city. One of the scientists insists that they retreat, but he is shot in the head by their commander, who insists no one retreats. He orders the other scientists to protect their research and hands them weaponized spores to combat the mob. The commander begins fighting back as the doors to the lab opens, but the other scientists hesitate. One of them asks the commander if she should also throw her spore, which promptly explodes in the commander's face.''

''Once the commander recovers from the explosion, he is given a reflective metal helmet to hide his shame. [[Pythona]] appears and tells him to put it on; he has been summoned. The commander is brought before Lord [[Golobulus]], the leader of Cobra-La who first brought him into Cobra-La when he was wandering the world without purpose. Golobulus castigates him for his actions; the people of Cobra-La respect organic life above all else, yet the commander has cost the lives of their people experimenting with "the specimen" and its "blasphemous technology". The commander balks at this, believing his work of such value that he should be given a position of leadership within Cobra-La. Golobulus reveals he knows the commander is responsible for leaking information about the specimen and instigating the riots, and that the only reason he was healed was so that Golobulus could personally oversee his execution. The [[Royal Guard]]s attack the commander, but he uses a series of small, insectoid robots to attack, infest, and kill them from within. The commander tells Golobulus that Cobra-La is a powder keg, cut off from the world so long that their resources are dwindling and civil war is imminent, but with this technology, they can make Cobra-La strong again. If Golobulus wants to further his control of the world, he must let the commander live to pursue a special mission in the outside world.''

''The commander returns to the science compound where they are keeping the "specimen" in question: [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]! Thinking out loud to the inactivate robot, he reflects that while Cobra-La is advanced for Earth, they are nothing compared to what awaits in space. While the other scientists tried to communicate with Megatron, the commander opts for a more direct approach, activating a machine that (quite painfully) extracts the [[energon]] from Megatron's body. This also reveals to him that there are other energy signatures similar to Megatron's in the outside world. The commander decides he will track down these others and learn the secrets of the energy that fuels them. Then no power in Cobra-La or any world will be able to stop Golobulus's army—an army ''he'' shall lead. As the commander exits the laboratory, Megatron looks up and smiles.''

The commander watches a sunset fall over a lake when he is confronted by the handler Golobulus sent to keep an eye on the him during his mission. The "grunt" insists they keep moving and recommends taking on a disguise so as to draw less attention. The commander doesn't care. He ''wants'' the attention. They have a long journey ahead of them to [[Florida]], and by the time they are done, the world will fear the name of... '''Cobra Commander!'''

Meanwhile, a small cabin on the edge of a swamp awaits, the door marked with a logo and name: "[[Dreadnok]]s"!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|h2=[[Cobra]]/[[Cobra-La]]|c2=
* [[Cobra Commander]] (4)
* ''Cobra-La citizens'' (5)
* ''Cobra-La scientists'' (6)
* ''[[Pythona]]'' (7)
* ''[[Royal Guard]]s'' (8)
* ''[[Golobulus]]'' (9)
* "Grunt" (12)

|h3=Others|c3=
* [[Jimmy (Cobra Commander)|Jimmy]] (1)
* Woman (2)
* Bartender (3)
* ''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'' (10)
*''[[Guardian robot]]'' (11)
}}

==Quotes==
"'''HA!''' How the hell you get all the way out here without a truck, buddy?! And what's with the '''lisp?''' Dang '''circus''' is in town, and no one told us, boys."
:—'''Jimmy'''{{'}}s (unwise) response to Cobra Commander asking for help in procuring a vehicle.

"Put it on. Hide your '''shame.''' You have been summoned."
:—'''Pythona''' orders the recently-revived science officer.

"'''LIES.''' I know '''you''' instigated the riots. I will not tolerate your betrayal. I healed you... because I wanted to watch you die with my own '''eyes.'''"
:—'''Golobulus''' takes the commanding science officer to task.

"Your sacrifice has shown me that there are '''other''' energy signatures similar to yours in the outside world. I will track them down and learn about this energy that fuels you. It does not merely power... it is '''transformative.''' Once I unlock its secrets... Golobulus will have his [[Cobra|army]]. That '''I''' will lead. And no force in Cobra-La, or in any world, will be able to stop us."
:—'''Cobra Commander''' rants to Megatron about his plans.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Much like how the first issue of sister miniseries ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' jumps forward in time, ''Cobra Commander''{{'}}s first issue is largely comprised of a flashback, showing us Cobra Commander's final days in Cobra-La before venturing out into the wider world to form what will become Cobra.
* #WhereIsMegatron? In the depths of Cobra-La, apparently! Though the issue doesn't say exactly, it would appear that this story takes place ''after'' our first look at the [[Decepticon]] leader frozen in the ice in ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|#4]].
* When Cobra Commander siphons the energon from Megatron, the electric effect is colored yellow. While this could just be a representation of electricity, it's worth noting that we've previously seen yellow energon in ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 1|#1]] when [[Darak]] and [[Solila]] used it to repower [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (a detail kept for ''Transformers'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|#1]].)
* The fact that Cobra Commander detects more energy signatures like Megatron's indicates that this issue takes place after the [[Autobot]]s and Decepticons have awoken in the pages of ''Transformers'', but when exactly is not clear.
* One of the monitors showcasing the knowledge Cobra Commander was able to extract from Megatron has an image of Optimus Prime missing an eye. Presumably a reference to the fight Megatron and Optimus had during the Ark crash, which was seen in a flashback in ''Transformers'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|#2]].

===G.I. Joe references===
* The rather-boxy truck that Cobra Commander steals has the treads and colors of a [[H.I.S.S. tank]].
* '''''[[Cobra-La|COBRA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA]]!!!''''' The secret society of snake-people—including Golobulus, Pythona, and the Royal Guard—made their debut in ''G.I. Joe: The Movie'', where we learn that they were responsible for the creation of Cobra and that Cobra Commander hails from them. While often maligned by fans and excised from most re-imaginings of ''G.I. Joe'', their inclusion here continues the Energon Universe's trend of basing their mythology on the [[Sunbow Productions]] cartoons. As he elaborates in the letter to the reader at the end of the issue, writer Joshua Williamson also incorporated Cobra-La ''explicitly'' due to its weirdness and fandom reputation.
* Cobra Commander is established to be a normal human who Cobra-La took in, something glimpsed by his Caucasian skin tone while recovering, marrying his more typical backstories in other media with his Sunbow origin. Whether this CC was a used car salesman remains to be seen.
* In a clever subversion of expectations, the Cobra-La scientist yelling to retreat is drawn to resemble Cobra Commander’s pre-mutated form from ''G.I. Joe: The Movie'', making the reader think this is the classic Cobra Commander we know and love... only to be shot by our actual Commander.
* Cobra Commander's science officer armor is based on his [https://www.yojoe.com/action/91/cobracommander4.shtml 1991 action figure]. A ''very cool'' detail is that some of Commander's facial features are faintly visible through his mask in a couple panels, replicating similar detailing from the original figure.
* The Dreadnoks are a gang of bikers and mercenaries, often led by the master of disguise, [[Zartan]], and who frequently find themselves in the employ of Cobra. Like in the G.I. Joe comics published by [[Marvel Comics]] and [[Devil's Due Press|Devil's Due]], they're holed up somewhere in Florida.

===Transformers references===
* The pistol Cobra Commander's holding on Cover A greatly resembles Megatron in gun mode (minus the ''{{w|The Man from U.N.C.L.E.}}''-inspired silencer and stock attachments). This led to ''lots'' of speculation as to whether or not he was going to show up here, and ''sure enough''...
* The outfit Cobra Commander wears as he enters the outside world draws heavily from his "Old Snake" guise from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[Only Human]]".
* The "Megatron being captive and used for research" plotline returns again. Given what we already know about ''this'' Megatron, it's safe to assume the Energon Universe is again drawing its influences from the [[Transformers (film)|first live-action movie]].
* In the panel featuring a look at [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], we also glimpse a few cameos, including a [[Guardian robot|Guardian]], an [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]], and several tetrajet [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] that are colored after the [[Rainmaker]]s.
** The involvement of a certain [[Guardian robot|big, blue and white robot]] in the war on Cybertron begs some questions, namely, what do we ''call'' this robot? Are they a "Guardian?" An "Omega Sentinel?" A "GADEP," even? Considering the [[Sunbow Productions]] influence pervasive across the Energon Universe and the more recent usage of both "Guardian" and "Guardian Robot" in places like the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' animated series and ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' toyline, we'll just use "Guardian" to refer to this guy.

===Real-world references===
*

===Errors===
* Just as with ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 1|#1]], the back cover of the comic is patterned after a classified file (this time in red). However, it features the same grammatical errors, reading: "The contents of this booklet '''is''' confidential. '''This''' unauthorized disclosure of information within is prohibited."

===Other trivia===
*

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Cobra Commander emerges as the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' crashes behind him, by Andrea Milana and Annalisa Leoni.
* '''Cover B:''' Cobra Commander stands with his machines, by [[David Aja]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Cobra Commander in a dark and snowy night, by [[Chris Burnham]] and [[Brian Reber]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Cobra Commander on explosion background, by [[Steve Epting]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Cobra Commander holds his beloved pet cobra, by [[Andrea Sorrentino]] and [[Sofie Dodgson]].
* '''Cover F:''' Cobra Commander and the captive Megatron, by [[Jonboy Meyers]].
* '''Cover G:''' Blank sketch cover.
* '''Cover H (1:250 Copy Incentive):''' by [[David Mack]].
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch cover A:''' by [[Maria Wolf]] and [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch cover B:''' Virgin Foil variant.
* '''The Comic Mint cover:''' Cobra Commander sends out his insectoid robots, by [[Vincenzo Federici]].
* '''Southern Comics Cartel cover:''' Cobra Commander sits with his pets, by [[Santa Fung]].
* '''Bird City Comics cover:''' Cobra Commander, by [[John Giang]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover A:''' by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover B:''' by Jason Howard.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover C:''' by Andrea Milana.

<gallery>
File:Cobra Commander 2024 1 cvr.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover B.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover C.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover D.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover E.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover F.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover G.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover H.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Maria Wolf Cover A.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Maria Wolf Cover B.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 The Comic Mint Cover.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Southern Comics Cartel Cover.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Bird City Comics Cover.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 2nd Ptg Cover A.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 2nd Ptg Cover B.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 2nd Ptg Cover C.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''Duke'' [[Duke issue 2|#2]], ''Transformers'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|#5]], and ''Cobra Commander'' #2!
* A new era for G.I. Joe starts in ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' #301!
* ''Kroma'' by [[Lorenzo de Felici]]
* ''Arcade Kings''

===Reprints===
* '''''Cobra Commander Volume 1: Determined to Rule the World''''' ([[June 12]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398155 / ISBN 978-1534398153 
** Collects issues #1–5.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Cobra Commander V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Determined to Rule the World''''' – cover art by [[Andrea Milana]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Cobra Commander issues]]

File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover C.jpg

2024-02-07T01:26:28Z

Digamma-f-wau: art credit correction

{{SkyboundEU
|description=
{{art|lineart=[[Chris Burnham]]|colours=[[Brian Reber]]}}
|series=cobracommander
|cover=Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive)
|excerpt=
|issueno=1
|storylink=
|storytitle=
|year=24}}

[[Category:Images by Chris Burnham]]
[[Category:Images by Brian Reber]]

Duke issue 1

2024-01-05T07:05:58Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers */ reordered the covers to match the order the artists are credited

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' #1
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 2
|next=Duke issue 2
|image=Duke 2023 1 cvr.jpg
|caption=A dedicated young man.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[December 27]], [[2023]]
|coverdate=December 2023
|written by=[[Joshua Williamson]]
|art by=[[Tom Reilly]]
|colors by=[[Jordie Bellaire]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Duke's entire world has been shattered. And if his country won't give him the answers he seeks, he'll find them himself.'''

==Synopsis==
Colonel [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] meets with First Sergeant [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Conrad "Duke" Hauser]]. Once one of the United States Army's finest soldiers, Duke hasn't been the same since he saw his friend, [[Frosting|Tyler "Frosting" Frost]], killed by [[Starscream (G1)|a giant robot that turned into a plane]]. However, Hawk tells Duke his country needs him back, assuming he can stop asking questions. Duke can't abide that, demanding to see the black box from Frosting's plane, but Hawk simply tells him that information is classified. An enraged Duke storms out, vowing find out what that flying robot was and take it out.

Six months later, Duke attends a meeting of alien conspiracy theorists in [[Washington, D.C.]] Though he's unsure he's in the right place, he soon meets Doctor [[Adele Burkhart]], a physicist using the meeting as a front for her own mission. Burkhart tells Duke that she used to be part of a project looking for new sources of clean energy. Burkhart had hoped to harness the power of cosmic elements created during the Big Bang that she believed were hidden on Earth. However, she became concerned that the people she worked for had less noble intentions, planning to use it to design weapons of war. Having heard Duke's story, Burkhart believes he's stumbled onto a high-tech arms race and enlists his help to investigate the company on the edge of said race: [[M.A.R.S.|M.A.R.S. Industries]].

Duke sneaks into the M.A.R.S. offices, discovering a hidden basement where hundreds of advanced weapons and combat vehicles are being built, including [[S.N.A.K.E.|robotic exosuits]], which leads him to conclude M.A.R.S. is responsible for the robot that killed Frosting. However, he is soon discovered and attacked by [[Mercer]]. The pair fight for a bit before more M.A.R.S. security overwhelm Duke and drag him out of the building. Mercer wants to kill Duke since he's seen too much, but [[Destro|his employer]] (watching from a camera hidden in a statue) tells him to stay his hand: his family didn't get this far by killing everyone who poked their nose into their business, and that there are other ways to deal with him.

As Duke heads back to Burkhart's, he calls an unknown contact and leaves a message telling them about what he saw inside M.A.R.S. However, his call is interrupted when he sees inside the meeting: a massacre. Duke finds Burkhart bleeding out and asks her what happened. She tells him a man claiming to be a believer attacked and stole all of her research, save for a single small hard drive. Duke tells her to hold on, but Burkhart uses her dying breath to tell him not to let the drive fall into the wrong hands and to find the truth. At that moment, a squad of police officers swarm the building, ordering Duke to freeze. He tries to de-escalate the situation, but the police open fire on him. Duke flees, jumping out the window of the second story. Though wounded, he slinks off into the night, more determined than ever to get answers.

With Duke now compromised, Hawk is ordered by his superiors to take care of his rogue soldier. His aide, [[Cover Girl|Krieger]], tells him that finding Duke will be impossible. Hawk says that if they want to track one American hero, they’re going to need American heroes. Namely, [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] and [[Rock 'n Roll]]!

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|h1=[[United States military]]|c1=
* [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] (1)
* [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] (2)
* [[Frosting]] (4)
* [[Cover Girl|Krieger]] (8)
* [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] (9)
* [[Rock 'n Roll]] (10)

|h2=[[M.A.R.S.|M.A.R.S. Industries]]|c2=
* [[Mercer]] (6)
* [[Destro]] (7)

|h3=Others|c3=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (3)
* [[Adele Burkhart]] (5)
}}

==Quotes==
"I believe [[Energon|this]] is the new apple from the tree of knowledge, and there is [[Cobra|a snake]] hoping someone takes a bite out of it."
:—'''Adele Burkhart'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Duke's traumatic encounter with the [[Decepticon]] [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and the death of Frosting was depicted in ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|#2]].
** Frosting's name is given here as "Tyler Frost," while the art for Transformers #2 had his first name being "Mike". This is likely just a case of a detail that wasn't communicated between different creative teams since it's so minor. Or perhaps his full name is "Mike Tyler Frost"?
* The six-month jump places this story further in the Energon Universe timeline than the concurrently running ''Transformers''. (Possibly further than ''[[Void Rivals]]'' as well depending on how long it took [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] to get to [[Earth]] and how long it took [[Darak]] and [[Solila]] to get off the planetoid.)
* One of the conspiracy theorists might be a resident of [[Farmingham]], since they reference [[Optimus Prime (G1)|a massive truck]] standing up.
* Hanging on the wall at the conspiracy theorist meeting is an "I want to believe" poster featuring the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', suggesting that its arrival was more recent and well-known than previously thought.
* Burkhart's goal of deriving a clean energy source from raw elements from space seems to point pretty clearly to [[energon]], continuing the theme of the substance playing a crucial role across the various titles.

===G.I. Joe references===
* The character designs for Duke, Stalker, and Rock 'n Roll are all at least partially based on their ''G.I. Joe Classified Series'' figures.
* Hawk mentions Duke's stubborn and insubordinate brother, a reference to the G.I. Joe member [[Falcon (G.I. Joe)|Falcon]], who was portrayed as Duke's younger half-brother in ''G.I. Joe: The Movie'' and younger full brother in the ''G.I. Joe: Renegades'' cartoon.
** The premise of Duke being framed for a crime and being on the run from the law also hearkens back to ''Renegades''.
* As Duke drives to the meeting, we see a stack of books on aliens and unexplained phenomena in his car. One of these books says "[[Doctor Mindbender|Mindbender]]" on the cover, though it's not clear if that is the title or the author.
* Among the conversations of the conspiracy theorists, one bit that is overheard is about "a secret society in the ice," likely a reference to [[Cobra-La]].
* Another tidbit mentions a man ripping his face off to reveal another face, which might be a reference to the preeminent master-of-disguise/sometimes shapeshifter of the ''Joe'' mythos, [[Zartan]].
* Doctor Adele Burkhart is a minor supporting character from the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] ''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' comics, first appearing in the very first issue as a nuclear physicist-turned-whistleblower kidnapped by [[Cobra]] that the Joe team must rescue.
* The most prominently shown of Burkhart's blueprints depicts the [[M.A.S.S. Device]], the teleporter used by Cobra in the 1983 pilot miniseries for the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' cartoon. The blueprint's depiction of the device separated into five components is based on the instruction sheet artwork for its [[Build a Figure]] release in the ''G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary'' toyline, which required the purchase of five figure-and-DVD box sets to obtain all the components and assemble [https://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/08/massdevice/ the full device].
* Several of the weapons M.A.R.S. is building are based on classic Cobra vehicles, including [[H.I.S.S. tank]]s, [[F.A.N.G.]]s, [[S.N.A.K.E.]]s, tanks that might be [[C.A.T.]]s, and even a stray [[C.L.A.W.]]
* Mercer is usually depicted as a former [[Cobra Viper]] who defected to join G.I. Joe. However, since G.I. Joe and Cobra have yet to form in the Energon Universe, he is depicted here at the beginning of that journey as an enforcer for [[M.A.R.S.]]
* Both Burkhart and Destro reference the history of M.A.R.S. as a family operation of the McCullen clan, something that dates back to Destro's original file card.
* Burkhart notes that the man who stole her research came all the way from Austrailia. Could we be seeing [[Major Bludd]] in the near future?
* Only identified by her last name, Kreiger is longtime G.I. Joe vehicle expert [[Cover Girl]]. Here she is acting as Hawk's aide, similar to her role in the ''G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'' film.

===Transformers references===
* One of the conspiracy theorists insists that there are little green men controlling the [[Transformer|alien robots]] from inside their heads, referencing the [[Nebulan]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]].

===Real-world references===
* The "I want to believe" poster mentioned above is based on [[Fox Mulder]]'s poster from ''The X-Files'', with the ''Ark'' replacing Mulder's more traditional UFO.

===Errors===
* Hawk's nameplate on his desk should really read "Abernathy," his legal last name, not his cool toy trademark. The same should also go for the nametag on Duke's uniform.
* The back cover of the comic is patterned after a classified file. However, its warning features some grammatical errors, reading: "The contents of this booklet '''is''' confidential. '''This''' unauthorized disclosure of information within is prohibited."

===Other trivia===
* This issue contains a four page preview for ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]].
* Like with [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|''Transformers'' #1]], an ashcan copy of this issue was available exclusively at [[New York Comic Con]] 2023 prior to its official release. The ashcan contains uncolored, unlettered pages from both this issue and ''Cobra Commander'' #1, with afterwords from Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly and [[Andrea Milana]].

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Duke stands tall as Starscream soars through the sky, by Tom Reilly.
* '''Cover B:''' Duke on the battlefield, by [[David Aja]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Duke jumps out the window to escape the SWAT team, by [[Tyler Boss]] and [[Jason Wordie]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Duke on explosion background, by [[Steve Epting]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Starscream towers over Duke, by [[Andrea Sorrentino]] and [[Sofie Dodgson]].
* '''Cover F (1:100 Copy Incentive Foil):''' Duke atop a defeated Starscream, by [[Jonboy Meyers]].
* '''Cover G:''' Blank sketch cover.
* '''Cover H (1:250 Copy Incentive):''' Duke and [[Baroness]], by [[David Mack]].
* '''The Comic Mint exclusive:''' SWAT team reflected in Duke's knife, by [[Marco Ferrari]].
* '''Southern Comics Cartel exclusive:''' Duke with Starscream flying overhead, by [[Santa Fung]].
* '''Bird City Comics exclusive:''' Duke, by [[John Giang]].
* '''The Comic Cupboard exclusive A''' by [[Nimit Malavia]].
* '''The Comic Cupboard exclusive B''' Virgin Foil variant.
* '''Maria The Wolf exclusive A:''' by [[Maria Lopez]] & [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Maria The Wolf exclusive B:''' Virgin Foil variant.
* '''New York Comic Con ashcan cover A:''' ''Duke'' corner box art, by Tom Reilly.
* '''New York Comic Con ashcan Big Clutch/[[eBay]] exclusive:''' ''Cobra Commander'' corner box art with spot foil, by [[Andrea Milana]].

<gallery>
File:Duke 2023 1 cvr.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover B.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover C.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover D.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover E.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover F.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover G.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover H.jpg|
File:Duke 1 The Comic Mint Cover.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Southern Comics Cartel Cover.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Bird City Comics Cover.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Maria The Wolf Cover A.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Maria The Wolf Cover B.jpg|
File:Duke 1 NYCC Ashcan Cover A.jpg|
File:Duke 1 NYCC Ashcan Cover B.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* The [[Cobra]] threat begins in ''Cobra Commander'' #1!
* Explore the Energon Universe in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|''Transformers'' #4]] and [[Duke issue 2|''Duke'' #2]].

===Reprints===
* '''''Duke Volume 1''''' ([[June 5]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398163 / ISBN 978-1534398160 
** Collects issues #1–5.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Duke V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Tom Reilly]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Duke issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 1

2024-01-05T07:02:18Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers */ shuffled the order of the covers to match the order that the artists are credited

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #1
|prev=Void Rivals issue 1
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 2
|prev2=
|image=Transformers 2023 1 cvr.jpg
|caption=Alright, let’s do this one more time.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[October 4]], [[2023]]
|coverdate=October 2023
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Sean Mackiewicz]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''After centuries of slumber, the Autobots and Decepticons awaken on a strange new world.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] finds his father, [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]], asleep in a bar. Spike asks his father how long he’s been there, to which [[Danny]] the bartender answers since noon. Sparkplug notices that Spike has his brother [[Jimmy Witwicky|Jimmy]]'s telescope with him. Spike tells him that he and [[Carly]] were planning to go up to [[Hanger's Rock]] to look at the full moon. He says it helps him remember Jimmy, to which Sparkplug grouses that it's better to just forget. Spike fires back at his father, telling him he won't end up like Jimmy. Meanwhile, [[Jerry (G1)|another patron]] is drunkenly ranting about how he saw a giant boxy jet fly down from space. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Sparkplug's co-worker, [[Davey]], here to pick him up for their shifts. Sparkplug tells Spike that he has to grow up eventually, to which Spike angrily asks if he means being like him. As the adults drive off, Carly arrives to pick Spike up in her van. Carly consoles a dejected Spike by suggesting they go "pretend they're on another planet."

At Hanger's Rock, the pair climb the mountain in search of a better view and discuss their future ambitions. Spike has recently been accepted to the [[University of California, Berkeley]], where he wishes to follow in Jimmy's footsteps and become an astronaut, though he's reluctant to actually tell his father about it since Jimmy's death. Carly, meanwhile, has been looking at art schools, but she and her father are struggling to make it work financially. Carly takes Spike's hand in hers, telling him how sorry she is about what’s going on with his family. As the two teenagers lean in closer, an earthquake shakes the ground, causing the mountain to split open and sending the two plummeting into the depths below. Recovering, they find themselves inside a giant circular structure — the booster of [[Ark (G1)|a giant spacecraft]]. Spike ventures further inside the spacecraft and finds the main control room, littered with the mangled bodies of what appears to be some sort of giant robots.

[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] flies into the ''Ark'' and transforms, grateful to have found his fallen friends. He activates [[Teletraan I|Teletraan One]] to repair and reconstruct his fellow Cybertronians, granting them new forms he found on [[Earth]]. The first to be reactivated is [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. Jetfire warmly greets his old friend, having not seen him in centuries. Starscream thanks Jetfire for waking him and says that he's glad he "picked the right side" before immediately turning to the nearby [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and blasting his head off. The stunned Jetfire, unaware that their people have been at war for the past hundred years, tries to stop him, but Starscream turns his weapons on his old friend for showing weakness. Starscream aims his weapon at [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] next, but he is stopped by a reconstructed [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]!

As the [[Autobot]] leader and [[Decepticon]] warrior fight, Prime notices the humans and instinctively dives to protect them from Starscream’s fire. Starscream's attack is halted by the intervention of [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], right as Teletraan One reconstructs [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]. Realizing the computer is reconstructing them randomly, Starscream tells Skywarp to bring their fellow Decepticons closer. Optimus realizes that the Decepticons will outnumber them and orders a retreat, telling Ratchet to load their fellow Autobots into his new form's trailer while he fends off their opponents. He reaches for his [[ion blaster]] but is intercepted by cannon fire from a revived [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. As he recovers, he sees Bumblebee's remains, cradling him in despair before being beset by Starscream and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. Seeing this, Spike and Carly run out and push Prime's blaster to him, allowing him to fight back.

[[File:TF2023 – Prime & Ratchet vehicle modes.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Left with no choice, Optimus fires at Teletraan One, destroying the computer and preventing the remaining Decepticons from being reconstructed. As Teletraan explodes, Optimus grabs Carly and Spike. He and Ratchet transform and drive out of the ''Ark'' into the mountains below, Starscream and Skywarp in hot pursuit despite their low [[energon]] levels. Jetfire regains consciousness and follows after them, firing on Starscream much to his regret. Starscream volleys back, critically wounding Jetfire. Fortunately for the Autobots, Skywarp begins to run out of energy and the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] are forced to retreat.

Needing to recuperate, Spike leads the Autobots to an abandoned quarry. As he succumbs to his injuries, Jetfire apologizes to Optimus; so much has changed since he left Cybertron in hopes of saving it. Optimus tries to use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to heal Jetfire, but Ratchet tells him that his injuries are too great. Optimus grips his old friend's hand as he passes, still lamenting his failure.

Back in the ''Ark'', Soundwave reports to Starscream that he is unable to fix Teletraan One, as they lack both the energon and the raw materials necessary. Until it is repaired, they are the only Decepticons left. Soundwave has already sent [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to scout for possible energon sources, but the job of harvesting it falls to Starscream since he has the most energon reserved. Begrudgingly, Starscream accepts. After all, he is leader of the Decepticons now.

As Davey and Sparkplug end their shift at the nearby power plant, Davey tries to talk to Sparkplug about his recent troubles, but they are interrupted by the arrival of Starscream, irritated he has to be the one doing all the work. The pair try to escape, but Starscream notices them. Sparkplug hides inside the plant, while Davey is snatched up by the giant alien. Starscream smiles to himself as he crushes Davey in his hand, amused at how fragile, squishy, and pathetic the humans are.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (11)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (12)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (13)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (14)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (15)
* [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (16)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (18)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]’s arm (19)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (8)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (9)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (10)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (20)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (21)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (22)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (3)
* [[Danny]] (4)
* [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]] (5)
* [[Davey]] (6)
* [[Carly]] (7)

|c4=
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Where are you going? Isn't that... Jimmy's?" 
"Yeah. Carly and I were going to check out the full moon tonight, remember? On top of Hanger's Rock?" 
"Looking at '''stars''' again, huh?" 
"Doing this kind of thing... it reminds me of him." 
"Why would you want to remember? It's best to '''forget''' all that." 
"Is that how you're gonna '''live''' now? Just pretending he didn't '''exist?'''" 
:—'''Sparkplug''' and '''Spike''' touch on their trauma

"You must forgive me. I have been away for centuries. I did not know about the war. I did not know you were the new Prime..." 
"I remember the day you left our home to find a way to save it." 
"And you... were so young then." 
"Much has changed since you left our planet. All for the worse." 
:—'''Jetfire''' and '''Optimus Prime''' rekindle their friendship

"Why are you all looking at '''me?'''" 
"You have the most energon reserved. Thus the harvesting is up to '''you.''' It's what Meg---" 
"'''Do not''' say his name. '''I''' am the leader of the Decepticons now."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Soundwave'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Jetfire's arrival on Earth follows from his awakening in [[Void Rivals issue 1|the first issue]] of ''[[Void Rivals]]''. How long he was asleep exactly is a little unclear. In ''Void Rivals'', he mentions being stranded for millions of years, but here he says he was away for merely centuries. Due to the syntax used, it could be that Jetfire was ''searching'' for centuries but ''asleep'' for millions of years. The following issue confirms the centuries time frame, making ''Void Rivals'' use of millions of years the outlier.
* Cybertron's energon shortage was hinted at by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] in ''Void Rivals'' [[Void Rivals issue 4|#4]].
* After being attacked by Starscream, Jetfire is seen leaking yellow fluid. This would appear to confirm that the yellow fuel used by [[Darak]] and [[Solila]] to reactivate him was indeed energon.
* Soundwave and Starscream allude to the absence of the usual Decepticon leader, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. Hmm... [[Cobra Commander (comic)|where could he be]]?
* Yes, Bumblebee's really dead, having been destroyed by Starscream. The other Transformers, including those like Thundercracker whose reassembly is interrupted, are just offline.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Thundercracker's not killed, he just was not fully built. [...] S'not like I shot him in the heart or something. Just FYI.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3774s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>

===Transformers references===
* Like with ''Void Rivals'', this new series draws heavy influence from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]:
** The character designs all pull directly from Generation 1.
** The ''Ark'' crashing into a mountain and the Autobots and Decepticons being repaired by Teletraan One is lifted from the premiere episode, "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]", right down to one of the Decepticons being reactivated first. The "error" of the Transformers having their Earth-inspired designs before they receive their Earth alternate modes is also carried over.
** Spike, Sparkplug, and Carly were all major characters in the Generation 1 cartoon, though they have been heavily reimagined, especially Carly.
** Starscream and Jetfire/Skyfire being old friends, as well as Jetfire dying after dogfighting Starscream, brings to mind "[[Fire in the Sky]]."
* Optimus Prime gains the upper hand over Starscream with a fist and a resounding "never", similar to ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* This [[Darkness Rising, Part 1|isn't the]] [[Infiltration issue 1|first time]] a new ''Transformers'' series launched with Starscream in command in lieu of Megatron.

===Real-world references===
* Sparkplug's flashbacks on the first page of the issue features imagery of Sparkplug in a conflict much like the [[Vietnam War]] and the explosion of a space shuttle reminiscent of the {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster}}; based on the context, it seems likely that Jimmy was one of the victims in the latter. Whether these are meant to literally be those events (which would suggest the comic is actually supposed to be set in the 1980s) or merely stylistic renderings of purely fictional events remains to be seen.
* Appropriately, Sparkplug is drinking at a {{w|Veterans of Foreign Wars|VFW}} bar.
* Carly's van art features several staples of van murals, such as a wizard inspired by {{w|Gandalf}} from ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}'', a barbarian resembling {{w|Conan the Barbarian|Conan}}, and a fantasy castle and dragon.
* Optimus Prime enters the scene by ''clotheslining'' Starscream—this being the signature move of "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada, one of DWJ's favorite wrestlers.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=And of course, next we have a rainmaker clothesline, as one does. This is a wrestling move, this is one of my favorite wrestlers, Kazuchika Okada from New Japan Pro Wrestling. Of course, you know, the rainmaker, the lariat, is not new in professional wrestling, and by the end of this series it will not be new to Transformers.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2508s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref><ref>[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x34jfv6 Kazuchika Okada's Finisher- Rainmaker on Dailymotion]</ref>

===Storytelling notes===
As both writer and artist on this ''Transformers'' series, Daniel Warren Johnson has a rare level of creative freedom while composing the issue and using the art to tell the story. Some of these creative choices were covered in a "director's commentary" livestream on his YouTube channel; key insights are reproduced here alongside our own analysis of the issue.
* DWJ keeps a copy of [[IP infringement|Magic Square]]'s "Light of Peace" figure close at hand, which influences his take on Optimus Prime.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is the Optimus Prime figure that Magic Square put out this past year in 2023. It's an update, so it has a new head sculpt, it looks just like the movie, the '86 movie which of course has been my bible. He looks so good that you can actually like, kind of pose him, and he looks pretty dynamic. And I knew that, man, if the toy looks this cool in real life, then I can make him look really cool... like look at this, it looks great, he looks kind of alive.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=798s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> He notes that he specifically avoids having Prime's "boots" flare out at all; he tries to draw them perfectly straight.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Another thing that I'll notice, that I'll give you a little preview of things to come artwise: you'll see Optimus's legs, you know, traditionally, you know, he's got kind of the 1970s design aesthetic here, which I think the Marvel Comics did, where, you know, the leg kind of comes out... like so it makes kind of like a boot cut kind of style for his like lower half of his leg. And I hate drawing that. I hate drawing that. Look how straight these legs are. As this series goes on you're going to see these legs get straighter and straighter. It's a stylistic thing something that I've been kind of like- it's been bugging me about drawing Optimus Prime, and it's just, I cannot stand drawing those legs widening out at the bottom. It's like, something about it, it just like, makes my eyes hurt. I've never liked it in the comics, it always read weird to me that they got wider. Some characters- like I remember when practicing, I was drawing Jazz. Jazz gets really wide, and if it's like, if it's really confident, like big and chunky, or Cliffjumper, big, chunky, no big deal. This? Like, Optimus's legs going wider? It just like, is it going wider is it not going w- anyway these are the ramblings of a crazy lunatic comic book artist.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2699s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* His primary ''Transformers'' comics influence comes from [[Marvel Comics]] and [[Dreamwave Productions]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I wanted to just highlight this poster that I had in my bedroom when I was like 16, when Pat Lee made this imagery. You know, I was a huge ''Transformers'' fan of course when I was growing up, and I read mostly the Marvel Comics, 'cause that was the only thing that was available at the time, and here we have the Pat Lee comics of course that Dreamwave put out. I was so excited, I thought it looked awesome. I still do appreciate its blockiness now. So this is another reason why I wanted to do the project, 'cause like I just remember these feelings, and these like super bright colors that like were so awesome... and just being excited with like every cover, and I just felt like a kid. [...] And of course this image, like this is very satisfying, I knew I didn't want to get this bulbous with the designs, but you know I can't say I wasn't influenced by the absolutely outlandishness of these kind of like larger-than-life characters, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=997s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> In the case of the latter, we'll note that [[Prime Directive|their opening miniseries]] prominently featured the ''[[Ark II]]'' disaster which drew heavily from the real-world Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster.
* The first page of the story consists of five vertically-stacked cinematic landscape panels, with Sparkplug's flashbacks interspersed by a panel of the Ark crashing and of Prime's deactivated body. This gives us an idea of what's been going through Sparkplug's mind at the bar. In particular, the panel of Optimus Prime is bookended by Spike's offscreen dialogue getting his dad's attention; Prime is often positioned as something of a father figure in wider pop culture.
** At Hasbro's request, DWJ avoided being too specific as to the conflict being shown.<ref name=HasbroMandates>{{citesocial|quote=So here we've got the first page, and you can kind of see here, Hasbro wanted me to be be very like... don't show what kind of war it is... which is fine, and I did have to change these engines from three engines, which I just thought was a little cleaner, to five engines, like the Ark is, so I didn't think they'd care that much about being on model when it came to the Ark but they did!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0?t=1316s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
** DWJ wanted to streamline the Ark's design to have just three rear thrusters, but Hasbro insisted on it having five,<ref name=HasbroMandates /> necessitating the digital addition of two more to the later splash page of the ship's engines.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So again, I had to make a bit of an edit. The original art has just three engines, so I had to add these digitally—which I did not want to do, but Hasbro wanted it, so, okay, you know? It's okay, it's okay, it's all right, it is what it is...|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1845s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* The second page aims to bring the story into reality,<ref name=Page2>{{citesocial|quote=I really wanted to go all in on the first half of this page, and like really sell to you how lived in this world is. Even though it's a ''Transformers'' book it was very important to me that we got a vibe and a sense of where the human characters come from. And there's nothing more fun, than drawing the heck out of, than like a crappy VW hall. [...] It was a hard thing to draw, but it was also fun. I had to kind of photobash a bunch of different VFW bars—obviously didn't want to take from any one specifically, or any one bar specifically, just kind of taking the best of everything and kind of combining it into one. And this bartender, Danny the bartender, I'm a big fan of, he just kind of stands there. And of course the old guy that maybe has seen something crazy... total shout out to—even his like haircut is the same as, and the hat, as—''{{w|The Iron Giant}}'', so a little shout out there. [...] It doesn't really [take place in a specific time period like the '80s or '90s] in my opinion, there might be other people in the Energon Universe that have a different time, we don't really have a time period in place. I find time periods in comics like ''Transformers'' to be completely unnecessary. If I'm trying to make historical fiction then of course it is important, but when it comes to making things like the Transformers I have just never cared. JFK is not getting assassinated in the background on television here, so it's just not part of the story. But you will notice there's no cell phones, so. But that's cuz I hate writing stories with cell phones in them.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1406s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> with much more detailed panels of varying shapes and sizes, and a muted earthen color palette.
** DWJ took reference from several different {{w|Veterans of Foreign Wars|VFW}} bars to arrive at the location seen in the comic.<ref name=Page2 />
** As Spike and Sparkplug exit, the cluttered interior gives way to the orange evening sky, with the generous negative space often physically separating Spike from his distant father.
** DWJ notes that the final panel of this spread is technically wrong; based on the perspective of the scene, Spike should be sinking into the ground. This was necessary so as not to obscure Carly's van,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I have a bit of a goof, a bit of a mistake [...] if you actually like do the perspective here, the way it should be done, it makes no sense. He would be sinking into the ground, he's like in quicksand right now, but I could not figure out a better dynamic shot choice that would show Carly and her artistic ability with this van. Like I tried to do it like this way, and it didn't really work, because it covered up too much of the van, and I realized just how big he would have to be, like his whole face would have to be like over here and it just didn't work. I wanted him to be in the middle, but then it also didn't make sense. So I was just like beating my head against the wall like, I hope this is okay, I hope people don't notice.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0?si=QxISYwvu5QpUEbhw&t=1516s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> which is the same model of vehicle that appears in DWJ's previous original comic series ''[https://www.skybound.com/murder-falcon Murder Falcon]''.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Of course the dragon wagon, the van used in ''Murder Falcon''.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1578s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> Mike Spicer has coloured the van using blue-pink tones, strongly contrasting with the orange otherwise dominating the spread. As we turn the page, these nighttime hues take over the story, marking the beginning of a transition towards the unreal.
* The mountain landscape was drawn to resemble that of an alien planet, to highlight the feeling of "otherworldliness".<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This also is one of my favorite panels in the book. I wanted to start getting a little crazy, a little more intense with the shot choices, to kind of start getting us into the vibe of otherworldliness. This looks a little bit like they're exploring Mars, that was the goal, completely clear sky, really pushing the envelope when it comes to dynamic composition.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1635s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* As the earthquake begins, we get the first instance of hand-lettered sound effects, drawn into the lineart by DWJ. These appear more prominently and frequently as we transition towards comic-book action.
[[File:TF2023 1 Splash pages composition.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2|Diagram illustrating DWJ's intended flow for the back-to-back splash pages.]]
* The reveal of the Ark is paired across the two-page spread with another splash page of the deactivated Autobots. DWJ hoped to create a seamless transition, with the reader's gaze travelling down towards the inset panels at the bottom left, then following Spike and Carly across to the right, before travelling up into the scene.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This was a goal, this was the goal: to have these pages be bleeding into each other. [...] You know I don't like to do this very often, you have like two splash pages back-to-back, because they kind of like... it gets a little messy here. But you know I usually like- if I have a big splash here [on the left], I'll usually have something a little more reserved over here [on the right], and I won't have it bleed over to the left side of the page. But with here, you'll actually notice that I was trying to get people to read from... obviously you're reading here, then you go down, left to right, into this bottom part of the page, and have your eye trail up instead of going over here [diagonally across the center fold] to the top. So I was using these kind of inset panels to kind of get you to read that way.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1985s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> Mike Spicer's coloring (exaggerated in the diagram on the right) again reinforces this intent, with the blue shade of the rocks at the bottom of the right-hand page carrying over from the left-hand page.
** Meanwhile, all of the lines of perspective inside the room point outside, where a tiny Jetfire can be seen approaching.
* Jetfire is one of Robert Kirkman's favorite Transformers, and his role in this series came entirely from Robert Kirkman's broad-strokes outline.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So, full disclosure: Robert Kirkman came up with the Jetfire idea. Jetfire is one of Robert's favorite Transformers, and that's why he was chosen. He's also like part of the lore and it was kind of like in this big outline that Jetfire was the one that comes in and finds the Autobots on Earth in the Ark- Autobots and Decepticons. But he doesn't have knowledge about the war. So you know I can't give away too much, but that was a Robert Kirkman call, and I was happy to do it. I was a little afraid about drawing Jetfire at first, but I'm actually- of course I write the script first where he dies, because it's just what the story needed, but then as I got to drawing him I was like, "I really like drawing this guy, I'm so sad I have to kill him!"|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3301s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* The shock death of Bumblebee was a deliberate choice, as DWJ felt like audiences would be getting a little tired of seeing Bumblebee everywhere. Surprisingly, Hasbro felt the same way, and themselves asked if there was a way to write Bumblebee out of the series! DWJ also apparently doesn't enjoy drawing Bumblebee, which informed the decision,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Let me be totally honest about the Bumblebee page, let me address this. I do really- I do like Bumblebee. I don't like drawing Bumblebee, I don't like those rivets in his arms. That's not the only reason why he had to go, I just honestly wanted to change things up. I just wanted to change things up, and I had seen a lot of Bumblebee, I think we all have, in a lot of ''Transformers'' media, and I just thought it would be a fun little swerve. And this is actually funny, our contact over at Hasbro was also a little tired of seeing Bumblebee everywhere, and he actually asked, before he saw my script, he's like, "is there any way we can not use Bumblebee in the main line?" And I told him, I was like, "I got good news for you!" He had to go, he had to go. Sorry Bumblebee fans, sorry to let you down like that, I am so sorry. They are Transformers, maybe they'll come back... but not for a long time. It's Cliff's time baby! You said it!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2545s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> which perhaps doesn't bode too well for Cliffjumper!
* When Starscream turns on Jetfire, DWJ struggled to get the composition exactly right, as he was limited by the need to make it explicitly clear that Jetfire was gravely wounded.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I wanted to make sure that everybody knew that Jetfire was gravely injured by this blast, which means I couldn't really white it out, had to be clear.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2498s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* Prime uses several wrestling moves on Starscream; DWJ had previously created the original comic series ''[https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/do-a-powerbomb Do A Powerbomb!]'', which had a central theme of loss—a motif which recurs throughout this first ''Transformers'' issue.
* As Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker look identical in black-and-white, DWJ labels them in his lineart so colorist Mike Spicer can easily distinguish.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Also notice the color notes I had to leave for Mike, because Skywarp and Starcream look exactly alike in black and white.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2839s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* Prime instinctively knowing about his trailer, and its sudden appearance in the story, is a riff on classic media where Prime's trailer would often appear and disappear out of nowhere per the needs of the story.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is a little shoutout to like, the not-making-any-sense of ''Transformers'', where you know, very conveniently, this trailer just shows up out of nowhere. So you know, Prime's like, "What are we going to do?" and he's like, "We could use my trailer!" Look sometimes you just have to have fun and not think too much about the story.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3131s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* As Prime's face is uniquely inexpressive, DWJ had to get creative to show his emotions to the reader, relying a lot on the character's eyes. Additionally, he tries to channel Prime's feelings through Spike.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Optimus is a character that does not emote—less so than even the rest of the cast, because of the face shield, because so much of his face is taken up, and he's really only got those eyes to work with. And I found that I was needing a way to channel Optimus through something, and I'm kind of trying to channel that through Spike, if you can't tell. I have a tendency to not be subtle, so... in life and in comics.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3516s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> When Spike sees Prime kneeling over Bumblebee's body, it seems that he recognises the grief this alien robot is experiencing.
* Amongst the many creative sound effects in this sequence, we have highlights like "GRAPPLE" and "ROLL" accompanying the action. Clicks and buzzes fill the air together with the floating components as the Transformers are reassembled.
* DWJ contrived the situation where Spike and Carly need to push Prime's gun into his reach as a way of giving the human characters agency during the action sequence.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Sliding the gun! Super fun! I rewrote this scene a few times because the humans were just sitting, screaming, you know? Spike and Carly like, "Oh my god, what's happening!?" behind some rocks, and I was like, "They need to have some agency, they need to get involved somehow." And so that is why I had them push the gun, and it forces action, it just forces movement in a story, it gives Spike personality and like bravery, and I'm very happy with this moment. It's very hard to not just write fight scenes where it's just like fight fight fight fight fight, and finding new ways to tie everybody together, and I wish I had more time to do this but of course we work in genre fiction where there are deadlines, and sometimes that can't happen, but I was glad that I was able to figure this one out.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3543s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> The "SKRKK" sound effect of the gun scraping along the floor is drawn to follow the lines of action.
* When Prime gives the order to "Transform and roll out!", the ''entire comic'' shifts to a landscape orientation, requiring you to physically turn the comic in your hands. This is awesome.
* Ratchet's updated alternate mode came simply from a dissatisfaction with his classic Nissan look.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Any reason you went with a more modern style van, a Ford Transit rather than the traditional Nissan Vanette for Ratchet? You know what, I just didn't like the way the Nissan looked, so I just, I really wanted something different. I just wanted something different, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2966s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* DWJ was keen to develop the Decepticons beyond their classic cartoonishly-evil characterisation, with a key example in this issue being Soundwave's clear concern for the injured Ravage.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's all about this, baby. It's all about trying to give some... you know... something other than... "The Decepticons are all evil, raah!" Like, Soundwave is a bad dude—but man, he loves his tapes, and one of these tapes is hurting bad and he's feeling real bad about it.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=4410s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* For Davey's gruesome death at the hand of Starscream, Hasbro requested it occur off-panel. The beat was intended to clearly set the stakes of the comic without being egregiously gory,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Hasbro asked for Davey to be killed offscreen, which I was totally fine with. Did want to get kind of messy with it, though, because I did want to kind of make a little bit of a statement. You know, it's a book that your kids can read, but you know, not everybody's going to make it, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=4593s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> and seems to mark a major turning point for Sparkplug.

===Errors===
* Bumblebee's body is seen near Optimus Prime’s trailer, despite him being across the ship near Teletraan One when Starscream blew his head open.
* When Starscream is forced to break off his pursuit of the Autobots, his speech balloon is pointing to Skywarp.

===Other trivia===
* Prior to its official release, an ashcan copy of this issue was available exclusively at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2023. The ashcan had certain pages taken out to prevent spoilers, as well as featuring concept art and designs for various characters.
* In early solicitations for this issue, the cover had an original logo with blue text broken over two lines;<ref>[https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/AUG230407 ''Transformers'' #1 CVR A JOHNSON on PREVIEWSworld]</ref> the final cover uses the standard modern logo, leaving some unsightly negative space above Prime's head. This was changed at the request of Hasbro.
* This issue sold out at the distributor level before it was even officially released, prompting Skybound to announce a second printing the day before it hit retailer shelves.

===Covers===
With over 50 to choose from, ''Transformers'' #1 features more variant covers than any other single ''Transformers'' comic issue ''by a long shot''.
{{comicstub|50/56 covers documented}}
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus Prime emerges from an explosion, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' The Autobots, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' The Decepticons, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover D:''' Optimus Prime destroys Starscream, by [[Ryan Ottley]] and [[Annalisa Leoni]].
* '''Cover E (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover F (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus leaps on Starscream to save Carly's van as Laserbeak and Ravage attack, by [[Cliff Chiang]].
* '''Cover G (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus Prime, by [[Francis Manapul]].
* '''Cover H (1:100 Copy Incentive Foil):''' Starscream holds Bumblebee’s head, by [[Ian Bertram]] and [[Gus Storms]].
* '''Cover I:''' Blank sketch cover.
* '''San Diego Comic-Con Ashcan cover A:''' Spike atop Optimus Prime, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''San Diego Comic-Con Ashcan cover B:''' Black-and-white version, only available at Skybound's Energon Universe convention panel.
* '''Big Clutch/[[eBay]] exclusive:''' Foil variant of main cover A. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Felix Comic Art exclusive A:''' Wraparound variant of Optimus Prime playing basketball against the Decepticons, by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Felix Comic Art exclusive B:''' Black-and-white virgin variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Stadium Comics exclusive:''' by [[Santa Fung]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Comic Grail Vault exclusive A:''' by [[Von Randal]] and [[Alex Guimarães]]. Limited to 800 copies.
* '''Comic Grail Vault exclusive B:''' Foil variant.
* '''Alan Quah exclusive:''' by [[Alan Quah]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Hector Trunnec New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Hector Trunnec]]. Limited to 400 copies.
* '''DarlsDraws exclusive:''' by [[Alina Rojas]]. Limited to 300 copies.
* '''Whatnot exclusive A:''' by [[Siya Oum]].
* '''Whatnot exclusive B:''' Foil variant.
* '''TransMissions Podcast exclusive:''' by [[E. J. Su]].
* '''MFKiG exclusive:''' by [[Ainsworth Lin]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Forbidden Planet exclusive A:''' by [[Flaviano Armentaro]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Forbidden Planet exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Memory Lane Comics exclusive:''' by [[Hayden Sherman]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Rod Reis New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Rod Reis]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive A:''' by [[Rafael Grassetti]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive C:''' Foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies, exclusively at New York Comic Con 2023.
* '''Matthew Roberts exclusive:''' by [[Matthew Roberts]].
* '''Mike Bowden New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Mike Bowden]] and [[Pez Fred]]. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Big Time Collectibles exclusive A:''' by [[John Giang]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Big Time Collectibles exclusive B:''' Foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Maria The Wolf exclusive A:''' by [[Maria Lopez]] & Mike Spicer. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Maria The Wolf exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Maria The Wolf exclusive C:''' Foil variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Juni Ba exclusive A:''' by [[Juni Ba]]. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Juni Ba exclusive B:''' Foil variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Seibertron.com exclusive:''' by [[Marco Ferrari]].
* '''The 616 Comics exclusive:''' by [[Vincenzo Federici]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Francesco Tomaselli New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Francesco Tomaselli]]. Limited to 900 copies.
* '''Condemned Comics exclusive:''' by [[Christopher Mitten]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Skottie Young exclusive:''' by [[Skottie Young]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Skottie Young exclusive second printing:''' Virgin foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Ryan Barry exclusive A:''' by [[Ryan Barry]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Ryan Barry exclusive B:''' Foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Things From Another World exclusive:''' by [[Frédéric Pham Chuong]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover A:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover B:''' Starscream, by Jason Howard.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover C:''' The 'Bots, by [[Lewis LaRosa]] and [[Rico Renzi]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover D:''' The 'Cons, by Lewis LaRosa and Rico Renzi.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover E:''' Bumblebee's fate, by [[Greg Tocchini]].
* '''Third Printing Variant Cover:''' by [[Gerald Parel]].
* '''Fourth Printing Variant Cover:''' by [[Clayton Henry]].

<gallery>
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File:Transformers01I Cover.jpg|
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File:Transformers 2023 1 Big Clutch-eBay cvr.jpg|
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File:Transformers 2023 1 Stadium Comics cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Comic Grail Vault cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Alan Quah cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Hector Trunnec NYCC cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 DarlsDraws cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Whatnot cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 TransMissions Podcast cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 MFKiG cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 ForbiddenPlanet cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 ForbiddenPlanet cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Memory Lane Comics cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Rod Reis NYCC cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Carnivore Comics cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Carnivore Comics cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Carnivore Comics cvr C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Mike Bowden NYCC cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Big Time Collectibles cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Big Time Collectibles cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Maria The Wolf cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Maria The Wolf cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Maria The Wolf cvr C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Juni Ba cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Juni Ba cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Seibertron.com cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 The 616 Comics cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Francesco Tomaselli NYCC cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Condemned Comics cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Skottie Young cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Ryan Barry cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Ryan Barry cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Things From Another World cvr.jpg|
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File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 3nd ptg cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 4th Ptg Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the [[Energon Universe]] in ''Void Rivals''
* Codename: G.I. Joe starts in ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' #1
* The rise of [[Cobra]] starts in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' #1
* A new era for G.I. Joe starts in ''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' #301
* ''Murder Falcon'' Deluxe Hardcover available now

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0 Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Void Rivals issue 1

2024-01-05T06:40:58Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers (21) */ shuffled the order the variant covers are listed to match the order the artists are listed in the credits

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Void Rivals]]'' #1
|prev=
|next=Void Rivals issue 2
|prev2=
|next2=Transformers (2023) issue 1
|image=VoidRivals01A Cover.jpg
|caption=Looks like the Void Rivals are doing a marketing stunt.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[June 14]], [[2023]]
|coverdate=June 2023
|written by=[[Robert Kirkman]]
|art by=[[Lorenzo De Felici]]
|colors by=[[Matheus Lopes]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Bixie Mathieu]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Two enemies from opposite sides of a galactic war find themselves stranded together on a desolate world and discover a shocking secret that changes everything they know.'''

==Synopsis==
The [[Agorrian]] [[Darak]] crash lands on a remote planetoid. Unconscious, his [[Handroid]] glove takes control of his body, dragging him to a nearby medpack and using a reviver to awaken him. When Darak asks where they are, the Handroid reports that, following the battle with a [[Zertonian]] [[Star Wing|ship]] that shot down his, each ship was caught in the gravitational pull of a comet and Darak was slingshotted into an uncharted region of space, far away from the [[Sacred Ring]]. Darak examines the wreckage of his [[Jump Jet|ship]], deeming it unlikely he'll be able to get it flying again, only to be attacked by the aforementioned Zertonian, [[Solila]]. The two enemy combatants fight, with Darak gaining the upper hand. He ultimately decides to spare her, reasoning that if the two work together, they can repair one of their ships and return to the Sacred Ring.

[[File:VoidRivals1 Jetfire leaves.jpeg|thumb|left|I have to go now. My planet needs me.]]

The pair begin to make repairs to Solila's cruiser, stripping the remains of Darak's for spare parts. Solila notes how little modification is needed for the parts to be integrated, something Darak attributes to Zertonian spies stealing Agorrian tech. However, during the process, Solila attaches the wrong cable to their [[Energon|energy source]], causing the ship to explode. Darak saves her life, and she returns the favor by putting out the fire on his jacket. Believing their situation hopeless, Solila leaves, refusing to die with an Agorrian.

After several hours of sulking, Darak decides to once again try salvaging the Zertonian craft, only for Solila to return, having found what appears to be a crashed spaceship buried in a nearby valley. Handroid confirms that it is neither Agorrian nor Zertonian in origin, and Darak speculates it may have been buried for thousands of years. The two use their energy cores to try and activate the ship; as soon as they do, parts of the ship begin to move and shift. The two stare in awe as it converts before their eyes into a giant robot—the [[Transformer|Cybertronian]] scientist [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]! Jetfire tells the two that he means them no harm, and inquires as to how long he's been offline, which neither of the soldiers can answer. Upon examining himself, Jetfire concludes that he must have been buried for millions of years and must return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. He apologizes to the two as he transforms back to jet mode and flies into space, leaving them behind.

With their one hope of getting off the planet gone, Solila begins to sulk, but Jetfire's transformation has given Darak an idea: using components of each of their [[flight armor]]s to convert the wreckage into a spacecraft. Solila refuses, as taking off their helmets violates each of their people's sacred decrees, but Darak counters that it's better than dying. The pair remove their helmets... revealing them to be of the same race.

Darak is stunned; this is just like his vision. A confused Solila asks what vision he's referring to.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|h4=[[Agorrian]]s|c4=
* [[Darak]] (1)

|h5=[[Zertonian]]s|c5=
* [[Solila]] (3)

|h6=Others||c6=
* [[Handroid]] (2)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (4)
}}

==Quotes==
"'''''Please?!''''' Are you begging me to spare you? Would any of '''your''' people '''ever''' spare my kind? Well?! '''Would you?!'''" 
"... Probably not." 
"''Huh.'' An honest Zertonian... What are the odds of '''that?'''"
:—'''Darak''' and '''Solila'''

"'''Cybertron...''' After all these years... I'm sorry. I have to get home."
:—'''Jetfire'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* ''Void Rivals'' gives us our first glimpse at the brand new [[Energon Universe]] from Skybound. However, much of the status quo of this new universe is left in the dark, so as to not give away the surprise.
* That said, one major clue can be gleaned: Jetfire appears to feature no [[insignia]] on his body, [[Autobot]], [[Decepticon]], or otherwise. As is revealed later, Jetfire left Cybertron long before war broke out and thus remains unaware of the factional split, something which will have [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|serious consequences later]]...

===Transformers references===
* Hey kids, it's '''JETFIRE!''' The Cybertronian scientist makes a quick cameo in this issue as part of the surprise reveal of the Energon Universe. His being woken up after millions of years asleep and with no visible faction logo echoes the character's introduction in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode, "[[Fire in the Sky]]". His design is also that of his Generation 1 cartoon counterpart.
* While it's never outright stated, the implication is that the fuel used for the Zertonian ship and to revive Jetfire is [[energon]]. However, it is notably colored yellow, as opposed to the more common pink or blue.

===Other trivia===
* ''Void Rivals''{{'}} status as the launch for the Energon Universe was kept secret for almost the entirety of the comic's promotion, with Skybound only revealing its existence to retailers just before the first issue's FOC date. It would ultimately be leaked by Bleeding Cool five days before this issue's publication.
* The copyright notice for the book, placed on page 27 with a text epilogue by Kirkman away from the rest of its indicia on page 1, reads "VOID RIVALS and all related characters are trademarks of [[Hasbro]] and are used with permission. © 2023 Hasbro...Licensed by Hasbro." and sports the Hasbro logo.

{{Comicstub|Retailer exclusives}}
===Covers (21)===
* '''Cover A:''' Darak and Solila in parallel, with the Sacred Ring looming ominously, by [[Lorenzo De Felici]].
* '''Cover B:''' Darak attacking Solila, by [[Ethan Young]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Darak's wrecked ship, with the giant heads of Darak and Solila, by [[Matteo Scalera]] and [[Moreno Dinisio]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Solila plugged into some sort of machinery, by [[Karen S. Darboe]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Darak emerges from the wreckage, with the giant head of Solila and the Sacred Ring still looming ominously, by [[Jim Cheung]] and [[Jay David Ramos]].
* '''Cover F (Blank Sketch Cover):''' Get your favorite artist to actually make this thing seem Transformers-relevant!
* '''Cover G (1:100 Copy Incentive):''' Jetfire towers over Darak, by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]; advertised as a secret spoiler cover, with no official images of the cover art made available before release.
* '''ComicTom101 exclusive:''' Black and white variant of main cover A. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Stadium Comics exclusive:''' by [[Ainsworth Lin]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Maria The Wolf exclusive A:''' by [[Maria Lopez]] and [[Mike Spicer]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Maria The Wolf exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Jonathan Comics exclusive:''' by [[Tri Vuong]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Whatnot/San Diego Comic-Con exclusive:''' by [[Alex Riegel]].
* '''The Comic Mint exclusive:''' by [[Matthew Roberts]]. Limited to 800 copies.
* '''San Diego Comic-Con exclusive:''' by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover A:''' Jetfire and the Autobot insignia, by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover B:''' Jetfire as "[[Wikia:Muppet:The Monster at the End of This Book|The ''Transformers'' Bot at the End of This Comic]], " by [[Marz Jr.]] after Michael Smollin.
* '''Third Printing Variant Cover:''' Jetfire, by [[Ryan Barry]] and [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Fourth Printing Variant Cover:''' Darak, Solila, and Jetfire, by [[Flaviano Armentaro]].
* '''Fifth Printing Variant Cover:''' Jetfire towers over Darak and Solila, by [[Jahnoy Lindsay]].
* '''Sixth Printing Variant Cover:''' by [[Dylan Burnett]].

<gallery>
File:VoidRivals01A Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01B Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01C Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01D Cover.jpg|
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File:VoidRivals01G Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01 ComicTom101 Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01 Stadium Comics Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01 Maria The Wolf Cover A.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01 Maria The Wolf Cover B.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01 Jonathan Comics Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01 Whatnot-SDCC Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01 The Comic Mint Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01 SDCC Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals012ndA Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals012ndB Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01 3rdPtg Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01 4thPtg Cover.jpg|
File:VoidRivals01 5thPtg Cover.jpg|
File:Void Rivals 1 6th Ptg Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* The [[Energon Universe]] is here!
* ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|#1]], ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 1|#1]], ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]]

===Reprints===
* '''''Void Rivals Volume 1: More Than Meets The Eye''''' ([[February 21]], [[2024]]) ISBN 153439818X / ISBN 978-1534398184 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Void Rivals V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: More Than Meets The Eye''''' – cover art by [[Lorenzo De Felici]]
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Void Rivals issues]]

Duke issue 1

2024-01-05T04:47:28Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' #1
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 2
|next=Duke issue 2
|image=Duke 2023 1 cvr.jpg
|caption=A dedicated young man.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[December 27]], [[2023]]
|coverdate=December 2023
|written by=[[Joshua Williamson]]
|art by=[[Tom Reilly]]
|colors by=[[Jordie Bellaire]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Duke's entire world has been shattered. And if his country won't give him the answers he seeks, he'll find them himself.'''

==Synopsis==
Colonel [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] meets with First Sergeant [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Conrad "Duke" Hauser]]. Once one of the United States Army's finest soldiers, Duke hasn't been the same since he saw his friend, [[Frosting|Tyler "Frosting" Frost]], killed by [[Starscream (G1)|a giant robot that turned into a plane]]. However, Hawk tells Duke his country needs him back, assuming he can stop asking questions. Duke can't abide that, demanding to see the black box from Frosting's plane, but Hawk simply tells him that information is classified. An enraged Duke storms out, vowing find out what that flying robot was and take it out.

Six months later, Duke attends a meeting of alien conspiracy theorists in [[Washington, D.C.]] Though he's unsure he's in the right place, he soon meets Doctor [[Adele Burkhart]], a physicist using the meeting as a front for her own mission. Burkhart tells Duke that she used to be part of a project looking for new sources of clean energy. Burkhart had hoped to harness the power of cosmic elements created during the Big Bang that she believed were hidden on Earth. However, she became concerned that the people she worked for had less noble intentions, planning to use it to design weapons of war. Having heard Duke's story, Burkhart believes he's stumbled onto a high-tech arms race and enlists his help to investigate the company on the edge of said race: [[M.A.R.S.|M.A.R.S. Industries]].

Duke sneaks into the M.A.R.S. offices, discovering a hidden basement where hundreds of advanced weapons and combat vehicles are being built, including [[S.N.A.K.E.|robotic exosuits]], which leads him to conclude M.A.R.S. is responsible for the robot that killed Frosting. However, he is soon discovered and attacked by [[Mercer]]. The pair fight for a bit before more M.A.R.S. security overwhelm Duke and drag him out of the building. Mercer wants to kill Duke since he's seen too much, but [[Destro|his employer]] (watching from a camera hidden in a statue) tells him to stay his hand: his family didn't get this far by killing everyone who poked their nose into their business, and that there are other ways to deal with him.

As Duke heads back to Burkhart's, he calls an unknown contact and leaves a message telling them about what he saw inside M.A.R.S. However, his call is interrupted when he sees inside the meeting: a massacre. Duke finds Burkhart bleeding out and asks her what happened. She tells him a man claiming to be a believer attacked and stole all of her research, save for a single small hard drive. Duke tells her to hold on, but Burkhart uses her dying breath to tell him not to let the drive fall into the wrong hands and to find the truth. At that moment, a squad of police officers swarm the building, ordering Duke to freeze. He tries to de-escalate the situation, but the police open fire on him. Duke flees, jumping out the window of the second story. Though wounded, he slinks off into the night, more determined than ever to get answers.

With Duke now compromised, Hawk is ordered by his superiors to take care of his rogue soldier. His aide, [[Cover Girl|Krieger]], tells him that finding Duke will be impossible. Hawk says that if they want to track one American hero, they’re going to need American heroes. Namely, [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] and [[Rock 'n Roll]]!

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|h1=[[United States military]]|c1=
* [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] (1)
* [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] (2)
* [[Frosting]] (4)
* [[Cover Girl|Krieger]] (8)
* [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] (9)
* [[Rock 'n Roll]] (10)

|h2=[[M.A.R.S.|M.A.R.S. Industries]]|c2=
* [[Mercer]] (6)
* [[Destro]] (7)

|h3=Others|c3=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (3)
* [[Adele Burkhart]] (5)
}}

==Quotes==
"I believe [[Energon|this]] is the new apple from the tree of knowledge, and there is [[Cobra|a snake]] hoping someone takes a bite out of it."
:—'''Adele Burkhart'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Duke's traumatic encounter with the [[Decepticon]] [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and the death of Frosting was depicted in ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|#2]].
** Frosting's name is given here as "Tyler Frost," while the art for Transformers #2 had his first name being "Mike". This is likely just a case of a detail that wasn't communicated between different creative teams since it's so minor. Or perhaps his full name is "Mike Tyler Frost"?
* The six-month jump places this story further in the Energon Universe timeline than the concurrently running ''Transformers''. (Possibly further than ''[[Void Rivals]]'' as well depending on how long it took [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] to get to [[Earth]] and how long it took [[Darak]] and [[Solila]] to get off the planetoid.)
* One of the conspiracy theorists might be a resident of [[Farmingham]], since they reference [[Optimus Prime (G1)|a massive truck]] standing up.
* Hanging on the wall at the conspiracy theorist meeting is an "I want to believe" poster featuring the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', suggesting that its arrival was more recent and well-known than previously thought.
* Burkhart's goal of deriving a clean energy source from raw elements from space seems to point pretty clearly to [[energon]], continuing the theme of the substance playing a crucial role across the various titles.

===G.I. Joe references===
* The character designs for Duke, Stalker, and Rock 'n Roll are all at least partially based on their ''G.I. Joe Classified Series'' figures.
* Hawk mentions Duke's stubborn and insubordinate brother, a reference to the G.I. Joe member [[Falcon (G.I. Joe)|Falcon]], who was portrayed as Duke's younger half-brother in ''G.I. Joe: The Movie'' and younger full brother in the ''G.I. Joe: Renegades'' cartoon.
** The premise of Duke being framed for a crime and being on the run from the law also hearkens back to ''Renegades''.
* As Duke drives to the meeting, we see a stack of books on aliens and unexplained phenomena in his car. One of these books says "[[Doctor Mindbender|Mindbender]]" on the cover, though it's not clear if that is the title or the author.
* Among the conversations of the conspiracy theorists, one bit that is overheard is about "a secret society in the ice," likely a reference to [[Cobra-La]].
* Another tidbit mentions a man ripping his face off to reveal another face, which might be a reference to the preeminent master-of-disguise/sometimes shapeshifter of the ''Joe'' mythos, [[Zartan]].
* Doctor Adele Burkhart is a minor supporting character from the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] ''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' comics, first appearing in the very first issue as a nuclear physicist-turned-whistleblower kidnapped by [[Cobra]] that the Joe team must rescue.
* The most prominently shown of Burkhart's blueprints depicts the [[M.A.S.S. Device]], the teleporter used by Cobra in the 1983 pilot miniseries for the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' cartoon. The blueprint's depiction of the device separated into five components is based on the instruction sheet artwork for its [[Build a Figure]] release in the ''G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary'' toyline, which required the purchase of five figure-and-DVD box sets to obtain all the components and assemble [https://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/08/massdevice/ the full device].
* Several of the weapons M.A.R.S. is building are based on classic Cobra vehicles, including [[H.I.S.S. tank]]s, [[F.A.N.G.]]s, [[S.N.A.K.E.]]s, tanks that might be [[C.A.T.]]s, and even a stray [[C.L.A.W.]]
* Mercer is usually depicted as a former [[Cobra Viper]] who defected to join G.I. Joe. However, since G.I. Joe and Cobra have yet to form in the Energon Universe, he is depicted here at the beginning of that journey as an enforcer for [[M.A.R.S.]]
* Both Burkhart and Destro reference the history of M.A.R.S. as a family operation of the McCullen clan, something that dates back to Destro's original file card.
* Burkhart notes that the man who stole her research came all the way from Austrailia. Could we be seeing [[Major Bludd]] in the near future?
* Only identified by her last name, Kreiger is longtime G.I. Joe vehicle expert [[Cover Girl]]. Here she is acting as Hawk's aide, similar to her role in the ''G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra'' film.

===Transformers references===
* One of the conspiracy theorists insists that there are little green men controlling the [[Transformer|alien robots]] from inside their heads, referencing the [[Nebulan]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]].

===Real-world references===
* The "I want to believe" poster mentioned above is based on [[Fox Mulder]]'s poster from ''The X-Files'', with the ''Ark'' replacing Mulder's more traditional UFO.

===Errors===
* Hawk's nameplate on his desk should really read "Abernathy," his legal last name, not his cool toy trademark. The same should also go for the nametag on Duke's uniform.
* The back cover of the comic is patterned after a classified file. However, its warning features some grammatical errors, reading: "The contents of this booklet '''is''' confidential. '''This''' unauthorized disclosure of information within is prohibited."

===Other trivia===
* This issue contains a four page preview for ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]].
* Like with [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|''Transformers'' #1]], an ashcan copy of this issue was available exclusively at [[New York Comic Con]] 2023 prior to its official release. The ashcan contains uncolored, unlettered pages from both this issue and ''Cobra Commander'' #1, with afterwords from Joshua Williamson, Tom Reilly and [[Andrea Milana]].

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Duke stands tall as Starscream soars through the sky, by Tom Reilly.
* '''Cover B:''' Duke on the battlefield, by [[David Aja]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Duke jumps out the window to escape the SWAT team, by [[Tyler Boss]] and [[Jason Wordie]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Duke on explosion background, by [[Steve Epting]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Starscream towers over Duke, by [[Andrea Sorrentino]] and [[Sofie Dodgson]].
* '''Cover F (1:100 Copy Incentive Foil):''' Duke atop a defeated Starscream, by [[Jonboy Meyers]].
* '''Cover G:''' Blank sketch cover.
* '''Cover H (1:250 Copy Incentive):''' Duke and [[Baroness]], by [[David Mack]].
* '''Bird City Comics exclusive:''' Duke, by [[John Giang]].
* '''Southern Comics Cartel exclusive:''' Duke with Starscream flying overhead, by [[Santa Fung]].
* '''The Comic Mint exclusive:''' SWAT team reflected in Duke's knife, by [[Marco Ferrari]].
* '''The Comic Cupboard exclusive A''' by [[Nimit Malavia]].
* '''The Comic Cupboard exclusive B''' Virgin Foil variant.
* '''Maria The Wolf exclusive A:''' by [[Maria Lopez]] & [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Maria The Wolf exclusive B:''' Virgin Foil variant.
* '''New York Comic Con ashcan cover A:''' ''Duke'' corner box art, by Tom Reilly.
* '''New York Comic Con ashcan Big Clutch/[[eBay]] exclusive:''' ''Cobra Commander'' corner box art with spot foil, by [[Andrea Milana]].

<gallery>
File:Duke 2023 1 cvr.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover B.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover C.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover D.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover E.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover F.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover G.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Cover H.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Bird City Comics Cover.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Maria The Wolf Cover A.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Maria The Wolf Cover B.jpg|
File:Duke 1 Southern Comics Cartel Cover.jpg|
File:Duke 1 The Comic Mint Cover.jpg|
File:Duke 1 NYCC Ashcan Cover A.jpg|
File:Duke 1 NYCC Ashcan Cover B.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* The [[Cobra]] threat begins in ''Cobra Commander'' #1!
* Explore the Energon Universe in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|''Transformers'' #4]] and [[Duke issue 2|''Duke'' #2]].

===Reprints===
* '''''Duke Volume 1''''' ([[June 5]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398163 / ISBN 978-1534398160 
** Collects issues #1–5.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Duke V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Tom Reilly]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Duke issues]]

War's End Part Four

2024-01-03T20:27:45Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: War's End|Transformers: War's End]]'' #4
|prev=War's End Part Three
|next=Transformers: Fate of Cybertron
|caption=
|image=TFWarsEnd 4 cvrA.jpg
|title="War's End Part Four"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[May 25]], 2022
|coverdate=April 2022
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Jack Lawrence]]
|inks by=[[Matt Froese]] (pg. 1-21), [[Rik Mack]] (pg. 22-27), and [[Maria Keane]] (pg. 28-30)
|colors by=[[John-Paul Bove]], [[Ed Pirrie]], and [[Ben Pirrie]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]] and [[Nathan Widick]]
|editor=[[Riley Farmer]], [[David Mariotte]], and [[Tom Waltz]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''No solution is too drastic as the Autobots and Decepticons fight to prevent Exarchon from infecting the living core of Cybertron.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] writhes in pain as [[Exarchon]]'s mutant [[spark]] attempts to usurp the gestalt consciousness that guides the mighty combiner... but unlike Exarchon's other victims, Devastator is not one mind, but ''seven'', and inside his own mind it's [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] who rallies the defense and inspires the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s to hold on and fight back against the infection. To Exarchon's shock, they successfully repel his assault... but the strain causes Devastator to collapse back into his individual components, and a frustrated Exarchon, unwilling to control just one body, turns his attention to finding another puppet. Realizing that they've been had, [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] and the other members of "[[Team Stream]]" promptly cut their ties and flee... but realize that they've left [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] behind! As Flamewar criticizes the weakened Constructicons, she's utterly oblivious to the danger at hand until Exarchon grabs her, opens his spark chamber, and prepares to assimilate the mouthy Decepticon into his collective—before he can complete the process, however, his minion [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] warns him to hurry before their enemies can regroup. Soundblaster's words remind Exarchon of his ''true'' purpose on this world; in disgust he tosses Flamewar aside and allows the mouthy little Decepticon to transform and zip away before [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] or [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] can react.

Outside the [[Sonic Canyons]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and his illusory companions watch as [[Pyra Magna]], [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], and their respective followers regroup. While his ghosts bicker amongst themselves as usual, Cyclonus observes the arrival of [[Bitstream (G1)|Bitstream]], [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], and [[Sparkstalker]], who, acting on [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s orders, have devised a weapon that might win this war. Using some salvaged technology from the ruined [[Forge Pyramid]], they've successfully refitted [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s spark-containment technology into a trap designed specifically to take out Exarchon: Mindwipe's hypnotic powers will persuade Exarchon to possess the spark, but the device will only allow him to ''enter'', not ''exit'', and seal him away forever. Pyra balks at the notion of using an unborn spark to kill Exarchon, but Cyclonus points out that Pyra, who's already sacrificed plenty of innocents in the past, has no room to talk. If Pyra won't do it, then ''he'll'' go with Mindwipe: one way or another, the war ends ''now''.

Inside the bunker, armies of [[Skywarp drone|Skywarp clone]]s busy themselves as Exarchon prepares for his final ascension. Having rigged his drill-tank with a rudimentary spark chamber, Exarchon implants a third of himself into the enormous machine—then, with the pull of a lever, activates the machine and sends it tunnelling into the living fabric of Cybertron, down towards the [[AllSpark|Allspark]] at the planet's core. Watching the scene from his hiding place, [[Pointblank]] informs [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] and [[Geomotus]] that they need to move, and fills in [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] and [[Zetar (G1)|Zetar]] on what's happened: Exarchon's on the move. To pursue him, they'll need Zetar's drilling skills, Geomotus's knowledge of the planet's interior... and Landmine, whose last expedition into the planetary strata ended in disaster and left him traumatized. Despite his friend's reservations, Geomotus tells Landmine that this is something they ''need'' to do, whether they want to or not; seconds later, [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] round the corner and open fire. While Sureshot and Pointblank hold off the [[Mini-Cassette|infiltration trooper]]s, the two scientists follow Zetar underground. Inside the main antechamber, meanwhile, Exarchon proudly stares down at the passage of the drill-tank, confident that his ascension has begun—but when Soundblaster relays news of a renewed surface assault, Exarchon orders Soundblaster to stand guard while he leads his clone swarm into battle. No sooner does Exarchon leave, however, then do Frenzy and Rumble arrive, and warn him that the Autobots have pursued Exarchon beneath Cybertron. With no other options, Soundblaster and his minions leap down the borehole to cut the Autobots off...

As the Combaticons and Skywarp clones hold off the combined Autobot-Decepticon alliance, Sixshot tackles Brawl, but himself takes a point-blank shot from Onslaught—while, unbeknownst to either side, the ''real'' [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] teleports in, dodging weaponsfire and exploding clones as he heads for the canyon floor. With only seconds to spare until Exarchon closes in, Sixshot orders Mindwipe into action, who promptly hits Exarchon with a full-force hypnotic assault until [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] punches him away. With only moments before the hypnosis wears off, Cyclonus shouts for Pyra to open the Titanspark chamber and trap Exarchon... but when she falters, Cyclonus snatches the device from her hands and opens it just as Exarchon releases his own spark, permanently trapping the warlord within. Sixshot takes the spark, ready to return it to [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]... but before he can leave, Pyra uses her axe to smash the chamber and destroy the spark for good: as long as she stands, Megatron will ''not'' get a Titanspark.

With two-thirds of Exarchon gone, Landmine and the rest of the team pursue Exarchon's final iteration as he tunnels down towards the Allspark, into a vast underground cavern. Exarchon continues digging, while Landmine shouts for the other Autobots to fire on the engines and cut him off... only for Soundblaster, Rumble, and Frenzy to drop in!

Inside the abandoned bunker, the mercurial Skywarp skulks through the empty building, idly searching for anything he can use to generate some more excitement... and is intrigued when he stumbles across the leftover [[imploder]] weapon. Meanwhile, the underground Autobots take on Soundblaster and the cassettes, and a desperate Landmine transforms to vehicle mode and plows into Exarchon's drilling machine. The impact damages the machine and freezes it in place long enough for Zetar to core through the stalled vehicle, destroy it, and finally put down Exarchon for good. The explosion triggers a massive cave-in—and while the Autobots work together to escape the disaster, a fallen chunk of debris leaves Frenzy trapped in his [[alternate mode]] and unable to move. Although Frenzy tries to surrender, a vengeful Landmine, angry at him for murdering [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and kicking off this entire mess, simply leaves him to his fate as he and the others follow Zetar back up to the surface.

With Exarchon dispatched, the tentative alliance between the [[Companion]]s and Sixshot's Decepticons quickly collapses; though Pyra wants to sweep the base, Sixshot announces that he and his forces are leaving to escort the Constructicons to Iacon, and warns Pyra to keep away, lest the ''next'' war start again on the site of the old. When Sixshot orders Cyclonus to come with the other Decepticons, however, the old warrior declines: he'll be sitting the current war out. All that matters to him now is enjoying the end of the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], the demise of Exarchon, and the fact that his long, lonely burden has finally been lifted. Inside Exarchon's abandoned base, meanwhile, Landmine and the other Autobots claw their way back up into the central antechamber, just in time to hear Skywarp teleporting away. Not immediately recognizing the sound, the confused Autobots look around to see who could've caused it before Pointblank draws their attention to a corner of the bunker: didn't there used to be an imploder in the corner...?

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in hallucinatory form.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Pyra Magna]] (24)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (25)
* [[Jumpstream]] (26)
* [[Pointblank]] (37)
* [[Geomotus]] (38)
* [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] (39)
* [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] (40)
* [[Zetar (G1)|Zetar]] (41)
* [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (44)

|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Shadow Striker (G1)|Shadow Striker]] (9)
* [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] (10)
* [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)|Hyperdrive]] (11)
* [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] (12)
* [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] (13)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (14)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (15)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (16)
* [[Tracer (Micromaster)|Tracer]] (17)
* [[Flamefeather (G1)|Flamefeather]] (18)
* [[Blackjack (G1)|Blackjack]] (19)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Cindersaur (G1)|Cindersaur]] (20)
* [[Roughstuff]] (21)
* [[Swift (G1)|Swift]] (22)
* [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] (23)
* [[Sparkstalker]] (33)
* [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] (34)
* [[Bitstream (G1)|Bitstream]] (35)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (42)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (43)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (45)

{{!}}}

|h3=Threefold Spark|c3=
* [[Exarchon]] (2)
* [[Skywarp drone]]s (36)

|c4=
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (1)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (3)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (4)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (5)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (6)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (7)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (8)
* ''[[Grudge]]'' (27)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (28)
* ''[[Highfire]]'' (29)
* ''[[Paragon]]'' (30)
* ''[[Provoke]]'' (31)
* ''[[Gridlock]]'' (32)
}}

==Quotes==
"Did we leave Flamewar?" 
"Do we care?"
:—'''Shadow Striker''' and '''Hyperdrive'''

"You're '''all''' in there? All of you, like, merged into '''one'''? That sounds '''terrible'''. How can you even '''think''' that's a good idea? I do get the appeal of the whole giant, smashing, crushing thing. But mixing yourself up with others like that? Can you hear me? C'mon. I'm '''interested'''."
:—'''Flamewar''' bothers the Constructicons

"I'm very tired. I've been waiting megacycles to stop being tired. One way or the other, I'm done waiting."
:—'''Cyclonus'''

"It is far, far too late to do anything but hope for my mercy."
:—'''Exarchon'''

"There are things about Cybertron you think you know, but you don't really understand until you see it. Feel it. You can think you know that this is a living planet. But then you go deep. You see fluid flows, you see moving light. You find shape-shifting matter and structures of crystal metal. Inexplicable voids and hollows and cavities. And it's only then you start to really understand. It's life all the way down."
:—'''Landmine'''

"You're the one they say killed Brainstorm, Frenzy. That true?" 
"Get this stuff off me!" 
"It's true, isn't it? You killed him. He wasn't perfect, Brainstorm, but he was a whole lot better than you. I was buried for a long time once. Thought I might have to stay there forever. Thought everyone had forgotten me." 
"Wait! Wait! Don't leave me!" 
"You're everything that's gone wrong with Cybertron, Frenzy. Best if you're forgotten."
:—'''Landmine''' consigns '''Frenzy''' to a terrible fate

"You're eager to get back to your precious war. Not me. I'm going to sit here for a while—maybe a long while—and enjoy the end of the last one."
:—'''Cyclonus'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* This issue is set in between the events of ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Radical Time|#42]] and [[End of Time|#43]], and flows directly into [[Transformers: Fate of Cybertron|the final issue of IDW's ''Transformers'' ongoing]]. ''Transformers'' #43 ended on a cliffhanger, with Skywarp threatening [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the other Autobots using the imploder he stole here, although artist [[Juan Samu]] drew the weapon as a cartoonish {{w|Fat Man}}-type bomb, quite differently to how the weapon appears in both this issue and the [[Light/Star|2021 annual]].
* The Constructicons' mental battle against Exarchon's corruption is drawn and framed in such a way that recalls their early struggles in ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'' [[Constructicons Rising, Part 1|#1]]. Devastator's components all speak of Devastator's "single consciousness" as something apart from their individual psyches; their learning to embrace the mindless, primal anger of that single consciousness was a major plot point throughout the "Constructicons Rising" arc.
* An angry Cyclonus points out that Pyra sacrificed lives in the past; Pyra's ill-fated pursuit of [[Turmoil]]'s ship and her inadvertent role in the death of Cyclonus's lover [[Paragon]] has been a point of friction between the two for a long time.
* In a conversation with Soundblaster, Exarchon notes that he provided [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] with the scientific resources and knowledge required to conduct [[cloning]] experiments, as related in [[Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust I|issue #34]]; this issue also reveals that Soundblaster possesses a "demi-spark", likely as a result of him being an artificially created clone.
* As the cave falls down around them, Landmine lays into Frenzy indirectly kickstarting this entire mess in the first place—having killed [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] just before the events of [[The World In Your Eyes Part One|#1]] after an [[energon]] robbery went wrong, Frenzy's stupidity pretty much kicked off the entire domino chain that led to [[Rubble]]'s death, the rise of Megatron and the Decepticons, the destruction of the [[Tether]], and the return of Exarchon, among various other terrible things. Hooray, comeuppance!

===Errors===
* Cyclonus tells Jumpstream to stay behind for the final assault on Exarchon, to avert the "bad future" that she witnessed where she and Cyclonus died fighting in the Sonic Canyons. She appears to join in on the attack anyway, which might be an error or perhaps she simply ignored the warning. Meanwhile, poor [[Groundbreaker]] and [[Rust Dust]] are completely absent from this issue, despite being present in previous parts of this series.

===Other trivia===
* Backmatter for this bonus-sized issues includes a brief "creator process" page highlighting the progression of page two from pencils, to inks, to colors.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Exarchon KILLS the IDW universe, by [[Jack Lawrence]] and [[Rebecca Nalty]]
* '''Cover B''': Geomotus and Landmine run from Exarchon’s drill, by [[Philip Murphy]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Exarchon versus the Decepticons and Companions, by [[Dan Khanna]] and [[David García Cruz]]

<gallery>
File:TFWarsEnd 4 cvrA.jpg
File:TFWarsEnd 4 cvrB.jpg
File:TFWarsEnd 4 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Captain Action: The Classic Collection''
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* ''Best of TMNT Collection''
* ''Parker''
* ''[[Beast Wars Annual]]''
* ''The Kill Lock: The Artisan Wraith''
* ''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing]]''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 6: War's End''''' ([[November 16]], [[2022]]) ISBN 1684059410 / ISBN 978-1684059416
** Collects [[Transformers (2019 comic)|''Transformers'' (2019)]] issues [[Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One|#37]]–[[End of Time|43]], ''War's End'' issues #1–4, and ''[[Transformers: Fate of Cybertron|Fate of Cybertron]]''.
** Bonus material currently unknown, most likely alternate covers.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v6.jpg|'''''Volume 6: War's End''''' – cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://majorspoilers.com/2022/05/24/preview-transformers-wars-end-4 Preview]

[[Category:War's End issues]]

Devastation issue 3

2023-12-10T05:13:30Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{Comicstory
|series=devastation|issueno=3
|prev=Devastation issue 2
|next=Devastation issue 4
|image=Devastation 3b.jpg
|caption=Funny, that plane's dusting crops where there ain't no crops.
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 28]], [[2007]]
|coverdate=November 2007
|written by=[[Simon Furman]]
|art by=[[Nick Roche]]
|colors by=[[Zac Atkinson (colorist)|Zac Atkinson]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|edits by=[[Andrew Steven Harris]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Devastation]]
}}
'''Sixshot goes Autobot hunting.'''

==Synopsis==
Within the [[Pentagon]], military staff discuss the lockdown of all air traffic after the crash of ''[[Ark-19]]''. During the meeting, [[Deacon]] takes a call from Senator [[Alexander Holt]] and both plot.

Meanwhile, in [[Wicksburg]], [[Alabama]], [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] activates the self-destruct mechanism of the escape pod from which he has just emerged. Though [[Verity Carlo]] is injured, Ratchet urges her and [[Jimmy Pink]] to board his [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]], as they have to leave quickly. His [[holomatter]] avatar proves more than capable of treating her (albeit lacking in bedside manner) as they travel. He explains to the [[human]]s that their attacker was [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], who is a living weapon usually deployed no earlier than [[Infiltration protocol|phase five]], but impossible to assess regarding the threat he poses due to there being no surviving witnesses of his firepower. As if on cue, Sixshot swoops down and opens fire.

In [[Indiana]], the [[Machination]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] fails to impress the brash [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]], who claims that he's no [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]]. The Headmaster boasts in return that he has all of Sunstreaker's capabilities and more. Beyond this, he reveals that the Machination knows everything about the [[Autobot]]s due to having downloaded their captive's data banks. Hot Rod counters this by saying that [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] is constantly developing new inventions and that Sunstreaker never paid much attention to their development. This proves useful, as the Headmaster is unable to counter a [[gyro-inhibitor shell]] from Wheeljack. The threat neutralized, the two Autobots escape. Time is running out, and they need to reach [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] before he is demolished.

In the Machination facility in [[Tampa]], [[Florida]], the detached head of Sunstreaker explains to [[Hunter O'Nion]] that he is the center node of the network that controls and coordinates the Headmaster units. He further reveals that Hunter himself has been made a Headmaster and again begs for death as an end to his pain. He says that the way they are using him to hunt and kill Autobots is torture. Hunter instead replies that there are more [[Sunstreaker clone|cloned bodies]] within the city, and he asks Sunstreaker to help him learn to use his Headmaster abilities.

In Alabama, Ratchet and the humans gain a reprieve as the [[United States Air Force]] locks on to Sixshot. Though Jimmy expresses concern for the pilots, Ratchet grimly states that it's their only chance to escape. While Sixshot is distracted, they cross the state line into Florida. Ratchet hides amongst the ambulances of a local hospital, but Sixshot soon arrives in tank mode and starts blasting them one by one until Ratchet is forced to flee. In transit, Ratchet lets Jimmy and Verity out and tells them to hide, as he can no longer protect them. He speeds off, but is quickly cornered as he runs out of road. Transforming, he prepares to meet Sixshot head-on. However, he finds he doesn't have to, as the remainder of the ''Ark-19'' crew emerge from the nearby water to back him up, blasting Sixshot.

In [[Earth]]'s orbit, the [[Reaper]]s agree that Earth is too valuable a strategic resource and vow to destroy it to keep it out of the hands of either faction.

Meanwhile, in the [[Dead Universe]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] orders [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] to travel to Earth at once.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] (3)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] (7)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] (8)
* [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] (10)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] (12)
* [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] (14)
* [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (15)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] (16)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (17)
* [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] (18)
* [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (19)
|c2=
* [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] (6)
|c3=
* [[Jimmy Pink]] (4)
* [[Verity Carlo]] (5)
* [[Hunter O'Nion]] (11)
* [[Lindy Simmons]] (13)
|c4=
* [[Sunstreaker clone]]s (9)
* [[Ravenous]] [[Reaper]] (20)
* [[Dreadlocked alien species]] Reaper
* [[Deathbringer (IDW)|Deathbringer]] (21)
* [[Klaxa]] (22)
* Other Reapers (23)
* [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] (24)
* [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] (25)
|h5=[[Facsimile construct|Facsimilies]]
|c5=
* [[Deacon]] (1)
* [[Alexander Holt]] (2)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The K-IDW news crew is the same one that just missed getting footage of [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], way back in [[Infiltration issue 3|''Infiltration'' #3]]. As a K* station, KIDW's home town must be located west of the Mississippi (stations east of the Mississippi start with a W); as they were previously in California and are now in Florida, clearly they get around!
* Sixshot's [[alternate mode]]s are huge, although in [[robot mode]] he was about the same size as [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]. This may indicate he has some form of [[Size changing|mass displacement]].

===Transformers references===
* Ratchet finds cover at a wrecked gas station that uses the brand name "Dark Stone". [[Blackrock Enterprises|Hmmm...]]
* Two cars below Ironhide at the junk yard is a Porsche with a license plate reading [[Pat Lee|"DREAM"]].
* McTackle's, the Pensacola, Florida bait shop Ratchet parks in front of ''could'' be an incredibly bizarre reference to the Autobot [[Machtackle]] from the Japanese ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Victory]]'' franchise.

===Real-life references===
* The news team covering the Florida destruction works for station K-IDW, a reference to [[IDW Publishing]].
* The Roche cover (at top) is a reference to an ad poster for the Alfred Hitchcock film ''{{w|North by Northwest}}''.

===Errors===
[[File:Devastation 3 Ratchet single vs trade.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Ratchet's cosplay as Prowl didn't go unnoticed.]]
* The gag of Ratchet's passengers having their faces buffeted by his rocket speed returns, having previously appeared in [[Infiltration issue 2|''Infiltration'' #2]]... and, Rule-of-Cool aside, is still impossible because Ratchet's cab is still enclosed.
* Nemesis Prime's text bubble comes from Galvatron and vice versa. This is corrected in the trade.
* Ratchet's helmet is white and his crest is red throughout the issue, reversed of what they should be. This is corrected in the trade.

===Other trivia===
* On the final page of the cover, a ''[[Transformers: Mosaic]]'' issue ("Reason") is featured.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Wheeljack and Hot Rod by [[E. J. Su]]
* '''Cover B''': Sixshot and Ratchet by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''RI''': Sketch cover (black and white of cover B)

<gallery>
File:Devastation 3a.jpg|Hot Rod likes Tae Bo
File:Devastation 3b.jpg|I'm a doctor, not a target!
File:Devastation 3ri.jpg|RI Cover
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [[Devastation issue 4|''Devastation'' #4]]
* CGC Grading, feat. Grimlock
* [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|''Transformers'' movie toys]] (3 pages)
* ''[[The Art of IDW's Transformers]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|Beast Wars: The Ascending]]''
* ''[[Spotlight: Ramjet]]'' and ''[[Spotlight: Blaster]]''

===Reprints===
In addition to [[The Transformers: Devastation#Collections|collections of the full series]].
* N/A

Devastation issue 2

2023-12-10T05:12:33Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{Comicstory
|series=devastation|issueno=2
|prev=Devastation issue 1
|next=Devastation issue 3
|image=Devastation 2a.jpg
|caption=Sixshot sings the blues.
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[October 24]], [[2007]]
|coverdate=October 2007
|written by=[[Simon Furman]]
|art by=[[E. J. Su]]
|colors by=[[Zac Atkinson (colorist)|Zac Atkinson]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|edits by=[[Dan Taylor (IDW)|Dan Taylor]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Devastation]]
}}
'''Things were bad enough for the Autobots. Now they get worse.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Doubledealer|Dealer]] tries to get [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] to ask [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] for permission for Dealer to travel to [[Earth]]. Hot Rod has more important items on his agenda, like rescuing [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] with [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]]. They are interrupted by an attack from a gang of [[Sunstreaker clone]]s, but they hesitate to destroy the clones in case one is actually [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]]. They disable two of the clones but three surround them. The [[Autobot]]s transform, but so does one of the clones, [[Headmaster (technology)|who removes his head... which transforms]]!

The ''[[Ark-19]]'', blasted by [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], is about to crash but they are able to maneuver to a coastline, avoiding the destruction of [[Knoxville|a residential neighborhood]]. [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] takes [[Verity Carlo]] and [[Jimmy Pink]] into an escape pod and jettisons away while [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] orders the ship's data transferred to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. Prime also orders the ''Ark-19'' to self-destruct, which it does after it hits the water. Sixshot observes the destruction, which he reports to [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]], but also relays the news about the escape pod. Megatron orders the survivors killed and brushes off an indignant [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] in the process. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] informs Astrotrain that [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] is awake.

[[Abraham Dante]] and the [[Machination]] observe an inert [[Hunter O'Nion]], who pretends to be a blank slate until Dante and the tech leave the room. He reveals that he used a mantra to resist the drugs and hypnosis and he attempts to find out what they've done to him. While the Machination observes the battle, Hunter sneaks around the complex and discovers the real Sunstreaker's detached head with many cables and wires attached. Sunstreaker begs for Hunter to kill him.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] (2)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] (3)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] (7)
* [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] (8)
* [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (9)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (10)
* [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (11)
* [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] (12)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] (21)
|c2=
* [[Doubledealer]] (1)
* [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] (13)
* [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] (14)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (17)
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (18)
|c3=
* [[Drake (G1)|Drake]] (5)
* [[Weiss]] (6)
* [[Verity Carlo]] (15)
* [[Jimmy Pink]] (16)
* [[Hunter O'Nion]] (19)
* [[Abraham Dante]] (20)
|c4=
* [[Sunstreaker clone]]s (4)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*

===Transformers references===
* When the crashing ''Ark-19'' nearly misses the neighborhood (a scene which captures the truly enormous scale of the Autobot ship), some of the objects blown about by the resulting wind include a [[Bumblebee (Movie)|yellow car with black racing stripes]] and a newspaper with the headline "PROJECT [[Megatron (Movie)|ICEMAN]]". Sounds like something out of a [[Transformers (film)|movie]], huh?

===Real-life references===
* Several signs in final panel on page 1 contain Easter eggs: "[[Acroyear (Micronaut)|ACROYEAR]]" was the name of the bad guys from the ''[[Microman]]'' series. The same sign also features the original ''Microman'' logo. Another sign actually ''says'' "MICROMAN", and a third sign says "[[BotCon|BOTCON]]".

===Errors===
* As the Ark-19 is going down, Prowl is drawn without his door wings.
* Hot Rod's left leg appears to be drawn wrong-side out on the second-to-last page.

===Other trivia===
* On the final page before the cover checklist, a ''[[Transformers: Mosaic]]'' issue ("Rain") is featured.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Sixshot by [[E. J. Su]]
* '''Cover B''': Hot Rod vs Headmasters by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''RI''': Sketch cover (black and white of cover B)

<gallery>
File:Devastation 2a.jpg|Cover A
File:Devastation 2b.jpg|Will the real Sunstreaker please stand up?
File:Devastation 2ri.jpg|RI cover
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [[Devastation issue 3|''Devastation'' #3]]
* ''[[The Transformers: Cover Gallery Volume 2]]''
* CGC Grading, feat. Grimlock
* [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|''Transformers'' movie toys]] (3 pages)
* ''[[The Art of IDW's Transformers]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|Beast Wars: The Ascending]]'' (also on back cover)
* ''[[The Transformers: Greatest Battles of Optimus Prime and Megatron|Greatest Battles of Optimus Prime and Megatron]]''

===Reprints===
In addition to [[The Transformers: Devastation#Collections|collections of the full series]].
* N/A

Devastation issue 1

2023-12-10T05:12:03Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{Comicstory
|series=devastation|issueno=1
|prev=Escalation issue 6
|next=Devastation issue 2
|image=Devastation 1a.jpg
|caption=Well, what do we have here?
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[October 3]], [[2007]]
|coverdate=September 2007
|written by=[[Simon Furman]]
|art by=[[E. J. Su]]
|colors by=[[Zac Atkinson (colorist)|Zac Atkinson]]
|letters by=[[Chris Mowry]]
|edits by=[[Dan Taylor (IDW)|Dan Taylor]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Devastation]]
}}
'''As the Autobots discover their base is compromised, Megatron ups the stakes.'''

==Synopsis==
In examining the data storage device that [[Verity Carlo]] swiped from [[Stoker|Rogue-1]], [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] discovers a high-tech tracking device. He sends [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] to scout the [[Lake Michigan]] area and he reports that they are surrounded with surveillance equipment. Nightbeat recommends moving the ''[[Ark-19]]'' and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] agrees. [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] (who has been reformatted into an [[Earth]] car) and [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] receive word from [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] that [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] is scheduled to be crushed in a compactor, so they rush to rescue him.

[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] briefs [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] that he wants the [[Autobot]]s eliminated. Sixshot is confused, believing it to be too early for [[Infiltration protocol|Phase Six]] but Megatron doesn't care—he just wants the job done. The other [[Decepticon]]s seem to think that Megatron has lost it and is destroying their efforts at infiltration but are unwilling to confront him. [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] later go to consult with [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], who is being repaired in a [[CR chamber]].

[[Skywatch]] has reprogrammed [[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] and plans to use him to track down the other [[Transformer]]s.

[[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sideswipe]] interrupts a transmission between [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and Optimus Prime and states that with [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] gone, they should be assisting the Autobots on Earth. Hound apologizes for Sideswipe's outburst, but Optimus agrees, giving the order for Hound's unit to travel to Earth and assigning [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] to supervise the decommissioning of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s base.

The Autobots plan to move the ''[[Ark-19]]'' to the [[Gulf of Mexico]], but they are reported on by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who informs Megatron. Megatron sends Sixshot to destroy the Autobots, and he blasts a hole in the ''Ark-19'', sending it down over [[Knoxville]], [[Tennessee]].

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (1)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (4)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] (10)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] (11)
* [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] (12)
* [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] (19)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sideswipe]] (21)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (22)
* [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] (25)
|c2=
* [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]] (6)
* [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] (7)
* [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] (8)
* [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] (13)
* [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] (14)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (15)
* [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] (16)
* [[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] (18)
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (23)
* [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] (24)
* [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (26)
|c3=
* [[Stoker]] (5)
* [[Verity Carlo]] (9)
* [[Joshua Red]] (17)
* [[Jimmy Pink]] (20)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The main cover pictured above depicts an event that happens off-panel but is not otherwise shown - Bumblebee searching around ''Ark 19'' for surveillance equipment per Nightbeat's request.
* Thunderwing was abducted from Hound's unit in "[[Spotlight: Galvatron]]".
[[File:Devastation-Ratbat SonyMylo by EJ Su.jpg|thumb]]
* Ratbat has his familiar "bat" mode, unlike how he appeared in ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]''. However his [[alternate mode]] is not a cassette, likely due to the fact that [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] had been missing for over a decade. Originally thought to be a portable CD player, E.J. Su revealed he's actually a [http://ej-su.deviantart.com/art/Ratbat-Concept-104748256?offset=10 Sony Mylo] (consider it a proto-smartphone without cellular access). [[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|At least until Shane McCarthy got ahold of him]].
* Hardhead has been reformatted into a heavy gun-armed Earth APC.

===Transformers references===
* When Ravage is released from his crate, the operator's computer reads the word "[[Transformers: Alternators#Binaltech|BINALTECH]]" at the top of the screen.

===Real-life references===

===Other trivia===
* On page 18, the car doors on Nightbeat's hands are on the wrong way.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Bumblebee discovering the [[Machination]]'s spying equipment on the shores of [[Lake Michigan]], art by [[E. J. Su]].
* '''Cover B''': Prime, Ratchet, Verity and Jimmy with the ''[[Ark-19]]''; art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]].
* '''Cover RI''': Sketch cover (black and white of cover B)

<gallery>
File:Devastation 1a.jpg|Bumblebee's headlights are on. Must be cold out.
File:Devastation 1b.jpg|Can someone get these kids some new clothes?
File:Devastation 1ri.jpg|RI Cover
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [[Devastation issue 2|''Devastation'' #2]] (2 pages plus a 3-page black and white sketch preview)
* [[The Transformers: Cover Gallery Volume 2|''The Transformers Cover Gallery'' Volume 2]]
* [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|''Transformers'' movie toys]] (3 pages)
* CGC Grading, feat. Grimlock
* ''[[The Transformers: Greatest Battles of Optimus Prime and Megatron|Greatest Battles of Optimus Prime and Megatron]]''
* ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|Beast Wars: The Ascending]]'' (back cover)

===Reprints===
In addition to [[The Transformers: Devastation#Collections|collections of the full series]].
* N/A

File:LastBotStanding 4 cvrB.jpg

2023-12-10T03:33:42Z

Digamma-f-wau: adding Burcham's coloring credit

{{IDWLastBotStanding
|description=
{{art|lineart=[[Kei Zama]]|colours=[[Josh Burcham]]}}
|''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing]]'' #4
|3=Last Bot Standing issue 4
|4=22
|source=
|cover=Cover B}}

[[Category: Images by Kei Zama]]
[[Category: Images by Josh Burcham]]

File:TFGalaxies 9 cvrRI.jpg

2023-12-10T03:29:26Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{IDW2019
|description=
{{art|lineart=[[Kei Zama]]|colors=[[Josh Burcham]]}}
|series=galaxies
|cover= Cover RI
|excerpt=
|issueno=9
|storylink=Gauging the Truth, Part Three: Moment of Truth
|storytitle=Gauging the Truth, Part Three: Moment of Truth
|year=20}}

[[Category: Images by Kei Zama]]
[[Category: Images by Josh Burcham]]

File:TF2019 18 cvrRI.jpg

2023-12-10T03:28:09Z

Digamma-f-wau: added Burcham's coloring credit

{{IDW2019
|description=
{{art|lineart=[[Kei Zama]]|colours=[[Josh Burcham]]}}
|series=tf2019
|cover=Cover RI
|issueno=18
|storylink=
|storytitle=Arcee/Greenlight: Run
|year=20}}

[[Category: Images by Kei Zama]]
[[Category: Images by Josh Burcham]]

Arcee/Greenlight: Run

2023-12-10T03:27:38Z

Digamma-f-wau: added Burcham's cover coloring credit

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' #18
|prev=The Change In Your Nature Part Five
|next=Rise of the Decepticons: All Fall Down
|caption=
|image=TF2019 18 cvrA.jpg
|title="Arcee/Greenlight: Run"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[March 11]], 2020
|coverdate=February 2020
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Umi Miyao]] (pages 1-5, 10-13, 18) [[Beth McGuire-Smith]] (pages 6-9, 14-17, 19-20)
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''In the face of unimaginable catastrophe, Arcee and Greenlight make a crucial decision... one that will define the future of the youngest Cybertronian.'''

==Synopsis==
Since her forging, [[Gauge]] has happily settled into life on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] with [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Greenlight]] and begun exploring all the different professions available to her. Today, Gauge is trying her hand at architectural design under [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]'s supervision, and so engrossed in her work that she's completely oblivious to the terse conversation between Arcee and Greenlight just out of earshot. Worried about rising tensions and an increasingly uncertain future on the planet—and remembering what happened to [[Rubble]]—Greenlight wants to up stakes and leave the planet completely aboard an outbound [[Reversionist]] starship that'll be leaving soon... but Arcee wants to stick it out, arguing that their mentee is already beginning to find her own talents; uprooting her at this vulnerable stage might undo all of her progress.

When Greenlight asks why Gauge looks so upset at the end of her shift, Gauge reveals she overheard a conversation between two of her coworkers, suggesting that she's only alive because [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] died—a comment that immediately incenses Arcee. While Arcee stalks over to chew out the 'bot responsible for the remark, Greenlight tries to soothe hurt feelings: there ''is'' some truth to the remark, she admits, and Gauge concedes that she should keep the comment in mind for the future. Arcee reassures Gauge that she's sorted the problem, but Gauge's attention is distracted by the shadow of something huge, blotting out the light and looming over [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s skyline... a shape that Arcee immediately recognizes as the [[Tether]], severed from the [[Winged Moon]] and toppling onto Cybertron!

The massive space elevator levels block after block as it crashes into Iacon; Arcee grabs Gauge and the three take shelter in a nearby doorway to weather the first shock wave of dust and debris that buffets the city. As the dust settles, Arcee orders Greenlight to get Gauge to safety while she helps with the rescue effort, but Gauge refuses: ''she'' wants to help as well. With no other option, the three of them join in the ad-hoc operation to do what they can, as they help to shift rubble, dig out stranded 'bots, and tend to the wounded.

Amidst the chaos, however, Gauge's curiosity gets the better of her when a stray sound catches her attention; ignoring Arcee's warnings to be careful, she dashes off to the remains of an [[energon]] storage facility to investigate. Officer [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] shouts for her to get down—but Gauge doesn't listen, and is promptly knocked off her feet by a blast of energy! Strongarm explains that a group of opportunistic looters have taken advantage of the chaos to steal some extra fuel for themselves, and although [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] assures Arcee and Greenlight that the perps are only packing nonlethal weapons, Arcee doesn't care: they shot Gauge, and Gauge's safety comes first.

Determined to make the criminals pay, Arcee singlehandedly storms the enemy position, jumps the [[Singe|first looter]], and quickly drops him... but not quickly enough, as he's able to shout a warning to his partner-in-crime [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]], who shoots Arcee in the face while she's distracted! The pair trade shots before Gutcruncher can make his escape, throwing some empty energon cubes at his opponent and then bolting just before Strongarm and Bumper burst into the ruined facility. Bumper arrests the first looter, and Strongarm heads off in pursuit of Gutcruncher... but the experience has emphatically changed Arcee's mind: they're ''all'' leaving Cybertron with the Reversionists immediately.

With Gauge still unable to transform, Arcee carries her atop her own [[alternate mode]] as she and Greenlight race through the ravaged vistas of Iacon, outrunning more shock waves and swerving around collapsing buildings as the Tether continues its lethal fall. Their path takes them through the [[energon storage field]]s, where [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] work to extinguish the flames that threaten to ignite the city's vast fuel reserves, but Red Alert's shouted warnings for them to get off the street go unheeded. Instead, the pair simply swerve around him and race directly into the danger zone, moments before the energon itself ignites and explodes!

Only just managing to clear a falling girder, the pair arrive at the takeoff site for the ''[[Exodus (G1 ship)|Exodus]]''... only to learn that they're far from the only Cybertronians to have had this idea: the ship is surrounded by frantic refugees trying to get aboard as the ship prepares for take-off, while security officers desperately try to keep the mob at bay. The three push their way through the crowds to the security perimeter, and although the officers immediately tell them to get back, that kind of thing has never stopped Arcee. Arcee promptly tackles the first security guard and is promptly rushed by the entire security staff. Though she's pinned down, electrocuted and stunned for her pains, she's ''also'' distracted the staff long enough for Greenlight and Gauge to slip through the cordon and race onto the ship's boarding ramp, where they're greeted by a Reversionist crewmember who informs them that they need to leave now before the [[Autobot]]s close down system space entirely—no time to wait for Arcee.

It's a somber moment as Greenlight watches the ramp slowly close, acknowledging Arcee's own sacrifice for her mentee... until a battered but still-functional Arcee squeezes through the narrowing gap and slides down the ramp into Greenlight's waiting arms! Greenlight confesses that she could never have left Cybertron without Arcee by her side, and as the ship lifts off the three of them gratefully embrace. No matter what happens to them as they begin this new life, they'll face it as they've faced everything... together.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=

|c2=

|h4=Cybertronians|c4=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Gauge]] (1)
* [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]] (2)
* [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] (3)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (4)
* [[Greenlight]] (5)
* [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] (6)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] (7)
* [[Singe]] (8)
* [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]] (9)
* [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] (10)
* [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (11)
* [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (12)
{{!}}}
}}

==Quotes==
"My first deployment! Isn't it incredible?" 
"Well, my first deployment was that immersant Titan, and if you'd been '''there''', you'd not call getting shot at 'incredible,' Bumper."
:—'''Bumper''' and '''Strongarm'''

"I don't think we can '''make''' it!" 
"This would be so much easier if I'd tried a few alternate modes before."
:—'''Greenlight''' and '''Gauge'''

"Warms my inners whenever I see yer authority so '''thoroughly''' respected, Red Alert. Really does. Warms them '''right up'''."
:—'''Inferno'''

"We get to start our new life together. Just the '''three''' of us."
:—'''Arcee''' probably speaks too soon...

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* We last saw Gauge almost a year ago, when [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Rubble]] watched her forging ceremony in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] back in [[The World In Your Eyes Part Four|issue #4]]. As she points out here, Bumblebee believed that her forging was a political move, one that aimed to distract Cybertron's attention from the then-recent murder of [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]].
* In addition to following up on the events of the [[The Change In Your Nature Part Five|previous issue]] from a different perspective, this comic also serves as a prequel to the [[Gauging the Truth: Part One|third arc]] of ''[[Transformers: Galaxies]]'', which focuses on Gauge and her adopted family after their escape from Cybertron. Gauge ''also'' appears in the ''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!]]'' crossover miniseries, which released a few months later, so it seems like somebody has high hopes for the character...
* Much like the previous two interstitial issues, this comic features an excerpt from a work of Cybertronian literature. The passage, "How to be a Good Mentor" by head archivist [[Proxima (G1)|Proxima]], reveals some more details about the mentoring process, noting that prospective mentors need the approval of both a "nominator" and an "assessment council" to care for a newly born Cybertronian. The document describes that the process of mentoring a new [[Titan (group)|Titan]] is very different from caring for a normal Transformer, although it does note that the [[Well of All Sparks]] has not produced a "Titanspark" for millennia.
* Greenlight alludes to "what happened to [[Rubble]]"; she saw Rubble's dead body in [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part One|issue #7]] as part of a police investigation regarding his murder.
* In her conversation with Arcee, Greenlight refers to the destruction of the [[Memorial Crater]], which occurred in [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Three|issue #9]], and the decapitation of an immersant Titan, which we saw in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Two|issue #14]].
* The ship that Greenlight has found is (presumably) owned by [[Heretech]]; leader of Cybertron's [[Reversionist]] faction, he had previously announced his intentions to abandon Cybertron with his devout followers in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Four|issue #16]]. In the interim, he's either built or obtained a massive starship shaped like the [[Matrix of Leadership]], although the actual talisman has yet to appear in this particular universe.
* [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] was last seen in issue #14 as one of the many officers called in to deal with [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]]'s group of [[The Rise|Risers]]; this issue confirms that it was her first deployment.
* Like several other characters in the series, Arcee is revealed to be a veteran of the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], and was apparently responsible for assassinating one of [[Exarchon]]'s many iterations during the conflict.
* Rubble visited Iacon's [[energon storage field]]s in [[The World In Your Eyes Part Five|issue #5]]. [[Orion Pax: Free Fall|Issue #6]] noted that these energon reserves would always need to be kept up above a certain level to supply Cybertron in case of emergency... so the destruction of at least ''two'' such facilities probably doesn't bode well for anybody.

===Transformers references===
* As a reminder, Arcee in this continuity uses [[:File:Synergy-Coralus-Arcee.jpg|her design]] that debuted in [[An Arcee Sort of Day|a ''Synergy'' anthology strip]], recognizable by the square on the sternum and twin hexagons inset on the front of her backpack. Appropriately, this interpretation was created by none other than Umi Miyao, one of the line-artists of this issue.
* Umi Miyao gives [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]], a supporting character from ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'', a cameo as an architect under Grapple's supervision.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Thank you! Flamewar is (pretty obviously) one of my faves too. Hot Rod - maybe, but tbh it won't be any time very soon. And Lug wasn't in the script (artist having fun!) so don't have specific plans atm for her and Anode, but maybe one day ...|link=https://twitter.com/Brian_Ruckley/status/1240313774118244352|name=Brian Ruckley|site=Twitter|year=2020|month=03|day=18|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* Our first real glimpse of Arcee's characterization reveals that she hews fairly closely to [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|her counterpart from the 2005 IDW continuity]]; much like her, this iteration of Arcee is established to be a fierce warrior and a veteran of a prior war, with a volatile temper and preference for up-close physical combat.
* Inferno is drawn in a somewhat-Cybertronized version of his [[Power of the Primes (toyline)|''Power of the Primes'']] Voyager Class [[Inferno (G1)/toys#Generations|toy]].
* [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] returns to comics since his last appearance almost thirteen years ago in the pages of ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron: Origin]]''. He's working as a member of Security Operations here, just as his original IDW and [[Bumper (WFC)|"Aligned"]] counterparts served Cybertron's pre-war law enforcement divisions.
* One of the robots in the crowd on page eighteen sports [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]'s head from ''More than Meets the Eye''.
* On page 19, the crewmember who greets Greenlight and Gauge is wearing a Matrix of Leadership necklace like [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] did with the real Matrix in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Real-world references===
* Among the many Cybertronian refugees trying to board the ''Exodus'' on page 18 are a pair of robots based off [[wikia:jojo:Crazy Diamond|Crazy Diamond]] and [[wikia:jojo:Rohan Kishibe|Rohan]] from ''{{w|JoJo's Bizarre Adventure}}''.

===Errors===
* On page nineteen, the "the" in "The ''Exodus''" is erroneously italicized (unless the starship is called "the ''The Exodus''"... but, uh, we doubt that).

===Other notes===
* Originally solicited for mid-February, this issue arrives three weeks late and lands in the second week of March instead. Unfortunately, this delay also meant that future ''Galaxies'' solicits would spoil the ending of this comic by revealing that Gauge and her family successfully escaped Cybertron.

===Covers (5)===
* '''Cover A''': Greenlight and Gauge reach for Arcee, by [[Umi Miyao]]
* '''Cover B''': Gauge and the Winged Moon, by [[Beth McGuire-Smith|Bethany McGuire-Smith]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Arcee and Greenlight amidst the ruins, by [[Kei Zama]] and Josh Burcham
* '''Convention exclusive cover A''': Megatron stands triumphant, by [[Livio Ramondelli]], produced for [https://www.sdrocketcon.com/ San Diego Rocket-Con 2020]
* '''Convention exclusive cover B''': [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and friends cosplay as ''[[My Little Pony]]'' characters, by [[Priscilla Tramontano]], produced for the cancelled WonderCon 2020

<gallery>
File:TF2019 18 cvrA.jpg
File:TF2019 18 cvrB.jpg
File:TF2019 18 cvrRI.jpg
File:TF2019 18 cvrRE A.jpg
File:TF2019 18 cvrRE B.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Transformers: Galaxies]]'' [[Wannabee, Part 1|#5]]
* ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel''
* ''Locke & Key''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: The Change In Their Nature''''' ([[September 16]], [[2020]]) ISBN 1684056756 / ISBN 978-1684056750
** Collects ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'' issues [[Constructicons Rising, Part 1|#1]]–[[Wannabee, Part 2|6]] and ''Transformers'' (2019) issues #13–18.
** Bonus material includes alternate covers.
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[Transformers: Best of Arcee]]''''' ([[October 5]], [[2022]])
** Collects ''[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Hunters]]'' [[An Uneventful Night|#1: "An Uneventful Night"]], [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|''The Transformers'' (2012)]] [[All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|#55: "All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights"]], ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' [[The Life of Sideswipe|#9: "The Life of Sideswipe"]], Excerpt from ''Optimus Prime'' [[The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable|#21: "The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable"]], [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (1984)]] [[Aspects of Evil!|#224: "Aspects of Evil!"]], and ''Transformers'' (2019) #18: "Arcee/Greenlight: Run".
** Bonus material includes an art gallery.
** One-shot format.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: The Change In Their Nature''''' – cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
File:BestOfArcee_cvr.jpg|'''''Best of Arcee''''' – cover art by [[James Biggie]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://majorspoilers.com/2020/03/10/preview-transformers-18/ Preview]

[[Category:Transformers (2019) issues]]

Wannabee, Part 1

2023-12-10T03:25:38Z

Digamma-f-wau: added Josh Burcham's cover coloring credit

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Galaxies]]'' #5
|prev=Constructicons Rising, Part 4
|next=Wannabee, Part 2
|caption=''Who are you?''
|image=TFGalaxies 5 cvrB.jpg
|title="Wannabee, Part 1"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[March 4]], 2020
|coverdate=January 2020
|written by=[[Kate Leth]] and [[Cohen Edenfield]]
|art by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Josh Perez]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]] and [[Tom Waltz]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Deathsaurus needs some help dealing with an alien race that literally worships Bumblebee... but with a certain yellow 'bot unavailable, he'll have to settle for the next best thing!'''

==Synopsis==
On the bleak world of [[Probat (planet)|Probat]], a pair of recently-arrived Cybertronians make their way to the elevator that will take them down from the planet's spaceport into the settlement below. But while Ambassador [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]] has visited the planet many times as part of his routine [[energon]]-collecting duties for the [[Senate]], it's [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]'s first time on Probat... although, oblivious to the awed whispers of the native [[Probat (species)|Probat]]s in the elevator down, he's puzzled as to ''why'' the cold, brusque ambassador, who can't even keep Cliffjumper's name straight, brought him along on this particular assignment. Deathsaurus doesn't answer right away; the moment he opens the doors to the Probat city beyond, however, Cliffjumper gawps at the sight of hundreds of bat-like citizens lining the road to the city's [[energon]] refinery. Foreman [[Natalus]] leads this strange congregation and joyfully announces that their "savior" has returned—their savior, ''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]''!

Correctly anticipating Cliffjumper's confusion, Deathsaurus grabs his fellow Cybertronian and whispers for him to play along: the Probats "see" with echolocation, and can't distinguish color, but Cliffjumper has no time to process this before he's shoved into the crowd and beset by his adoring fans. Pleased with the festivities, Natalus watches from a distance, but Deathsaurus has no time for these pleasantries: ''he''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s more concerned with picking up his regularly scheduled energon allocation and returning to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

Still puzzled by his apparent popularity, Cliff quickly deduces that Bumblebee is a hero to the Probats, adored for helping to "uplift" their race and helping to install the city's energon refinery. Indeed, the Probat claim that Bumblebee even appointed Natalus as their leader; out of respect, all other Probat deliberately mutilate their wings and render themselves flightless in reverence to Natalus. Finally, Cliffjumper realizes that this is just the latest in a series of frustrating misunderstandings: in his humble job as a sanitation engineer on Cybertron, ''everyone'' mistakes him for his more popular yellow lookalike. Before he can correct his fans, however, the Probats abruptly hustle him off to their homespire to continue the celebration. Deathsaurus and Natalus watch as the riff-raff disperse, and the Probat leader invites Deathsaurus back to his own spire for a feast; Deathsaurus, however, demands that Natalus take him to the energon refinery immediately so that he can inspect the shipment.

The towering roost that is a Probat homespire is home to dozens of Probat, but Cliffjumper's discomfort in the lightless environment prompt the Probats to build a fire for his benefit, igniting a portion of the mysterious, highly-reactive "substance" that lines the spire floor. Intrigued, Cliffjumper asks just what this substance ''is'', and in response the Probats recount a portion of their creation myth. Long ago, his host explains, the Probats were helpless cave-dwellers until the substance changed their bodies, giving them the power to fly and echolocate. Eventually, the Probats incorporated this miraculous element into every aspect of their lives—but when Cliffjumper asks just what this substance is, he's a little disturbed when the storyteller explains that the substance comes from ''them'', the Probats themselves! Although slightly disgusted by this revelation, Cliffjumper learns that the Probats have learned to farm their own waste, carefully harvesting only that which they need to survive and shipping the excess guano to Natalus for further "refinement". No sooner does Cliff asks what ''that'' entails, however, before the fire burns out and the cavern is illuminated by a strange, purple glow...

In the Cybertronian outpost, Natalus and Deathsaurus make their way towards the shipment of energon bound for Cybertron. Still oblivious to Deathsaurus's ruse, Natalus praises Deathsaurus for bringing "Bumblebee" back to their planet, but points out that the most recent growing season has been unsatisfactory as he shows Deathsaurus the shipment: a shipment far below Probat's expected quota of [[energon cube]]s. Deathsaurus doesn't buy Natalus's story for an instant, however, and immediately smashes a nearby wall to reveal a hidden energon stockpile—proof that his trading partner has been lying to him.

Bidding his new friends farewell, Cliffjumper hurries back to the Cybertronian facility to share his discovery with Deathsaurus, unaware that his fellow Cybertronian is currently threatening the helpless Natalus. Natalus desperately tries to explain that the Probats have been trying to stockpile energon in case of disaster, but Deathsaurus refuses to listen; as Cliffjumper rounds the corner, he watches in shock as Deathsaurus transforms into his monstrous [[beast mode]] and annihilates Natalus with a single gout of flame! Cliff's cry of horror alerts Deathsaurus to his presence. Demanding to know why Cliffjumper has come early, the smaller Cybertronian explains the truth behind Probat biology: they've never needed the refinery at all. If heated correctly, Probat waste instantly becomes a hyper-refined [[energon crystal]], but when he shows one such crystal as proof, Deathsaurus simply grabs and devours it. Although he only brought Cliffjumper along as a distraction to keep the rabble busy, Deathsaurus is pleased with his choice in lieutenants: once Deathsaurus has burned every spire to the ground and stolen the resulting energon for himself, Cliffjumper will be free to take whatever's left. Cliff refuses to help Deathsaurus destroy the Probat, however, and so the much larger Cybertronian simply piledrives him into the ground. Cliffjumper only gets ''one'' chance, Deathsaurus warns, so he had better choose wisely...

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* ''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]]'' (4)

|h4=Cybertronians|c4=
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (1)
* [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]] (2)
* ''[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]]'' (5)
* ''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (6)

|h5=Others|c5=
* [[Natalus]] (3)
}}

==Quotes==
"Hold on a second. '''I'm''' not-" 
"-comfortable with all the attention, we know, but come now, Bumblebee. These crawling things are your people!"
:—'''Cliffjumper''' and '''Deathsaurus'''

"You '''uplifted''' us! Brought us the Great Facility!" 
"Appointed and anointed our glorious leader!" 
"We have kept the faith that you would return, Bumblebee." 
"I'm never getting away from this, am I?"
:—'''Cliffjumper''' makes some new friends

"Come now, ambassador. We've done what we can under the circumstances." 
"I'm hearing a lot of excuses. A lot of 'we.' You know where I '''usually''' hear that? Last words."
:—'''Natalus''' and '''Deathsaurus'''

"Please, Ambassador, I was--''we've'' been hoarding--''storing'' for...for... against some unknown disaster..." 
"Failure to meet your quota ''is'' a disaster, organic. Wasting my '''time''' is a disaster. '''Lying''' to me, though? Thinking me your equal--no, your '''inferior?''' That's not a disaster. '''IT'S A CATASTROPHE!'''"
:—'''Natalus''' gets a lesson in why '''Deathsaurus''' gets to call himself that

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* As per ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[The World In Your Eyes Part One|issue #1]] and [[The World In Your Eyes Part Five|#5]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] was formerly a member of [[Security Operations]], but was expelled under unclear circumstances and eventually joined Cybertron's search and rescue division. Keeping that in mind, it's not ''entirely'' clear when he visited the Probat homeworld to set up this energon-trading operation: it's possible that he took another job in between these two careers, or this might be an adventure that he had before joining the force.
* ''Transformers'' [[The World In Your Eyes Part Two|#2]] had Bumblebee allude to the existence of [[energon crystal]]s elsewhere in the galaxy, a more efficient fuel source than the energon harvested by Cybertron's own [[Winged Moon]]. Presumably, they're not ''all''...um... "manufactured" this way...

===Transformers references===
* We'd be remiss if we didn't at least touch on the big meta-joke here: Bumblebee is one of the most prominent Transformers in the franchise, and the concept of an entire alien race infatuated with the little yellow guy seems like a wink at Bumblebee's meteoric rise to fame as the star of the [[Transformers (film)|first live-action film]] and his high levels of popularity since then, headlining multiple comics, movies, and television shows, while Cliffjumper's status as a forgettable nobody seems like a bit of a jab at how he's, well, not achieved anything close to Bumblebee's success. The Probats mistaking him for Bumblebee also references the fact that most Cliffjumper toys use variations of a Bumblebee mold.
* The concept of an alien race who literally...er... ''produce'' energon is not a new one: the [[The Test (issue)|first issue]] of [[Blackthorne Publishing]]'s "[[Transformers in 3-D]]" comics featured a different [[Observer|race of organic creatures]] with a similar ability.

===Real-life references===
* In keeping with the theme of the Probats, Natalus takes his name from the {{w|Natalus|identically-named bat genus}} that encompasses various tropical bat species.
* It's not clear if this was a deliberate influence on the story at hand or just a fun coincidence, but in the real world guano really ''was'' a valuable natural resource for a hot minute: to exploit gigantic guano deposits, various 18th-century colonial powers set up elaborate harvesting operations on New World islands... although, in that case, they were harvesting ''bird'' droppings, not the kind left by bats!

===Errors===
* On page seven, there’s an extra comma in Cliffjumper’s dialogue in panel five: "it’s, Cybertron."

===Other notes===
* Originally solicited for the end of January, this issue arrives extremely late, landing in the first week of March. This will be a trend for the foreseeable future.

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A''': "Bumblebee" struggles with his new fans, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
* '''Cover B''': Cliffjumper's got an inferiority complex, by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover A''': "Bumblebee" poses in front of a statue, by [[Anna Malkova]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover B''': Cliffjumper and Deathsaurus, by [[Kei Zama]] and [[Josh Burcham]]

<gallery>
File:TFGalaxies 5 cvrA.jpg|"Everywhere I go...
File:TFGalaxies 5 cvrB.jpg|"I always see..."
File:TFGalaxies 5 cvrRIA.jpg|"his face."
File:TFGalaxies 5 cvrRIB.jpg|"Go to a Therapy Bot for your Complex, they said... The Bots there are calming, they said..."
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''The Kill Lock''
* ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel''
* ''The Umbrella Academy''
* ''Locke and Key''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: The Change In Their Nature''''' ([[September 16]], [[2020]]) ISBN 1684056756 / ISBN 978-1684056750
** Collects ''Galaxies'' issues #1–6 and [[Transformers (2019 comic)|''Transformers'' (2019)]] issues [[The Change In Your Nature Part One|#13]]–[[Arcee/Greenlight: Run|18]].
** Bonus material includes alternate covers.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: The Change In Their Nature''''' – cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://tformers.com/transformers-galaxies-5-comic-preview-wannabee-part-one/36369/news.html Preview]

[[Category:Galaxies issues]]

File:TFGalaxies 5 cvrRIB.jpg

2023-12-10T03:25:03Z

Digamma-f-wau: added Burcham's credit

{{IDW2019
|description=
{{art|lineart=[[Kei Zama]]|colours=[[Josh Burcham]]}}
|series=galaxies
|cover= Cover RI-A
|excerpt=
|issueno=5
|storylink=Wannabee, Part 1
|storytitle=Wannabee, Part 1
|year=20}}

[[Category: Images by Kei Zama]]
[[Category: Images by Josh Burcham]]

File:TF2019 14 cvrA.jpg

2023-12-10T03:24:33Z

Digamma-f-wau: added Burcham's credit

{{IDW2019
|description=
{{art|lineart=[[Kei Zama]]|colours=[[Josh Burcham]]}}
|series=tf2019
|cover=Cover A
|issueno=14
|storylink=
|storytitle=The Change In Your Nature Part Two
|year=19}}

[[Category: Images by Kei Zama]]
[[Category: Images by Josh Burcham]]

Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots

2023-12-10T03:08:42Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers (4) */

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=45
|prev=The Not Knowing
|next=Animals
|image=MTMTE45_regcvr.jpg
|title="Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots"
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 30]], [[2015]]
|coverdate=September 2015
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]]
|inks by=[[Brian Shearer]] and Alex Milne
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era (2015)]]
}}
'''They're ba-aack!'''

==Synopsis==
It's been a funny old time for the [[Scavengers (G1)|Scavengers]]. Ever since learning that [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] has defected to the [[Autobot]]s and that [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] now rules [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], their plans to return home have been abandoned, and they have been pottering around the galaxy having wacky adventures: being cursed to speak only in song, accidentally raising eldritch horrors, dealing with the image of [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] coming alive from a datapad, holomatter escapades on [[Magisteria VI]], playing [[Jenga]] against a giant space jellyfish for the fate of the universe, falling into a [[perspective trap]], and even, somehow, getting turned into [[toy]]s! Today, though, the crew are just enjoying a simple game of "[[Cybertronian games#Shoot Shoot Bang Bang|Shoot Shoot Bang Bang]]", hunting each other around their ship, the ''[[Weak Anthropic Principle]]'', with dart guns. [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] lets his internal monologue run away with him, allowing [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] to get the drop on him, but [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] jumps in at the last second to score the winning shot. Unfortunately, in order to do so, Crankcase has left the bridge unmanned, and the ship promptly crashes into [[Tebris VII]].

[[File:Krok crankcase fulcrum some of my best friends are autobots.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
Four hours later, the battered [[Krok (G1)|Krok]] wakes up to find Crankcase and [[Fulcrum]] lounging around watching television—specifically, the stand-up routine of Krok's old shipmate [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]], who has made a mint in the post-war era by rebranding himself as a "self-hating Decepticon" comedian. Heartily cheesed off to see Skullcruncher and so many other Decepticons finding new jobs and new successes while he and the rest of the Scavengers are just bumming around the galaxy living hand-to-mouth, Krok chucks a Skullcruncher souvenir through the television, and starts lecturing his crewmates about taking control of their lives... only to be almost immediately interrupted when a rampaging [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] comes tearing into the room, with Misfire holding onto his back for dear life. Misfire has been attempting to "house-train" the mentally-damaged [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]], but after his biggest success to date—managing to write the first letter of his own name—Grimlock has had another in an escalating series of "fits" that forces the Scavengers to blast him into submission. Tiring of Krok's bossy tone, Misfire is about to rip into him about the "clicker" in his hand, but before anyone says anything they can't take back, Spinister enters to inform the team a communication is coming through.

[[File:Demus some of my best friends are autobots.jpg|thumb]]
The communication is from [[Demus]], a Decepticon scrap merchant on Tebris VII, who Krok knows from the [[Militant Monoform Movement|Triple M]] sub-group on the Decepticon social networking site, [[The Big Conversation]]. Demus invites the Scavengers to his scrapyard, and, thinking they are going to be offered jobs, they even agree to inject themselves with temporary [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|inhibitor chip]]s upon arrival due to Demus's condition—he is so militantly monoform that the very ''sight'' of transformation makes him sick. The group are led by the noticeably skittish Demus through his stockyard, full of merchandise from his profitable side-business making "[[Roboid]]" toys, before arriving at his office, where it turns out he does not want to ''employ'' them: he wants to buy Grimlock from them. He steps out to take a call while the Scavengers talk the proposal over amongst themselves; the obscene amount of money on offer all it takes to sway Krok, Crankcase, and Spinister into selling, outvoting the more compassionate Misfire and Fulcrum, the latter also healthily suspicious of Demus's motives. And it seems Fulcrum is right to be suspicious—out in the stockyard, Demus talks on his communicator in a panicked whisper about being on a list, and needing help from the caller... but he realizes that such concerns have become moot when a huge shadowy figure appears in front of him. Demus is hurled back through his office window and then has his brains blown out right in front of the Scavengers... as the Duly Appointed Enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]], [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], steps through the door and inquires which of them will be next!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] (7)
* [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] (10)
|c2=
* [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] (1)
* [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] (2)
* [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] (3)
* [[Fulcrum]] (4)
* [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] (image of hand, 5)
* [[Krok (G1)|Krok]] (6)
* [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] (8)
* [[Demus]] (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"Crankcase! That was '''my''' shot! You're not even playing!" 
"True. But I can't listen to someone else's party without wanting to '''pop their balloons'''."
:—'''Spinister''' isn't happy that '''Crankcase''' has stolen his win

"—and we used to say to him, 'Megatron, mate, why not get all the Phase Sixers and throw 'em at the Autobots?' Like, 'Forget the planets! You can cyberform as many planets as you like once you've killed all your enemies! '''You're not making the best use of your assets.'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>"
:—'''Skullcruncher''' likes to claim he spoke truth to power, but somehow, we doubt it

"Are you sure you won't let Spinister fix your head? He's a brilliant surgeon." 
"He's a brilliant surgeon who classifies random objects as 'goodies' or 'baddies' based on the sound they make when he punches them. I don't want him anywhere near my brain."
:—'''Krok''' and '''Crankcase'''

"When we found you on '''Clemency''', we didn't know '''what''' was going on. Now we '''do''', and it's worse than we thought. The Autobots have won, Megatron's '''flipped''', and Starscream's in charge of Cybertron! '''Starscream!''' At least the Autobots were '''upfront''' about wanting to kill us! I wouldn't trust Starscream to tell me my own name!"
:—'''Krok'''

"You must be the Scavengers." 
"It's pronounced '''<big>SCAVENGERS.</big>'''"
:—'''Demus''' and '''Misfire'''

"Are we gonna kill him and steal his money? <big>'''HA!'''</big> Joking. But seriously, are we gonna kill him and steal his money?"
:—'''Crankcase''', on dealing with '''Demus'''

'''Demus:''' "I'd like to buy [Grimlock] off you." 
'''Misfire:''' "You '''what'''?" 
'''Crankcase:''' "'''Buy''' him?" 
'''Fulcrum:''' "Bizarre." 
'''Spinister:''' "'''WHAT AM I REACTING TO AND IS ANGER APPROPRIATE?!'''"

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
[[File:Magisteria vi some of my best friends are autobots.jpg|thumb]]
* The single panel that shows the Scavengers' holomatter adventure on Magisteria VI has one of them remark that the holomatter program is struggling with the native species's gender; [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] had the same problem back in [[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|issue #13]].
* The Scavengers were seen playing Jenga when they last popped up in [[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|issue #20]].
* Misfire highlights the mystery of Grimlock's current condition; found by the Scavengers on [[Temptoria]] in [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|issue #7]], the last time he had appeared before that was when he was being taken to [[Garrus-9]] at the climax of the ''[[The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots|Maximum Dinobots]]'' miniseries.
* Misfire also mentions that he has a 'contact' within the Autobots who told him what happened on Garrus-9, informing us that Grimlock "went missing". It's likely that he's talking about [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]], who worked as an insider for the Decepticons, but never divulged any information that was actually ''useful''.
* Krok mentions that the Scavengers sometimes vandalize [[Autopedia]], the Autobots' free-to-edit database.
* During his stand-up routine, Skullcruncher talks about his having been part of infiltration squads during the war. We know he's speaking from experience, as he was last seen way back in ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'' as a member of one such squad—alongside Crankcase, no less—on the planet [[Nebulos]] where they were both apparently killed by [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], though obviously not.
* The "clicker" in Krok's hand was last seen in issue #7, or rather, it was ''heard''. He claimed it was a device that he clicked to keep rebooting the ship's continually failing communications systems, but in [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]], Misfire strongly implied that whatever the device was, it wasn't that. The way Fulcrum takes Krok's hand to stop him clicking it as he rants this issue certainly indicates it's an uncontrolled expression of anxiety like a nervous tic, and Misfire is just about to broach the clearly-taboo subject of what the thing is, but they get interrupted by Demus's communication.
* Krok makes reference to the planet [[Troja Major]], first (and last) heard of in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|issue #28]]. This was the world on which [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] picked up the original, unedited version of "[[Towards Peace]]"; perhaps the Decepticon antiquarian, [[Agonizer]], who Krok notes set up shop on the planet, had something to do with that.
* Demus previously served under [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]], who gave him an honorable discharge after the war. Surprising to hear about a Decepticon, perhaps, but we saw in [[The Permanent Revolution|issue #39]] that Deathsaurus is the sort to treat his men right.
* Crankcase is swayed into selling Grimlock by the possibility of using the money to buy his own spaceship, something we know from issue #8 that he always wanted to have.
* We last saw Fortress Maximus in [[The Sound of Breaking Glass|issue #21]], in which he took on the position of enforcer of the Tyrest Accord following the defeat of then-current holder of the title, [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]].

===Transformers references===
* We see the ''Weak Anthropic Principle'' for the first time, and it turns out to be a Decepticon-purple version of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] [[character model|animation model]]. The sequence of it crashing, complete with "Four Hours Later" caption, is styled directly after the scene of the Ark crashing from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"; the shot of the post-crash bridge, with rocks bulging in through the windows, is likewise styled after the interior of the cartoon's Autobot Headquarters.
* When Spinister places his gun against Misfire's head to end their game of "Shoot Shoot Bang Bang", he paraphrases [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'': "I would've waited an eternity for this. It's over, Misfire."
* Krok is revealed to be a [[Monoformer]]—the IDW continuity term for a Transformer that does not transform—referencing the fact that his original Generation 1 toy was a non-transforming [[Action Master]].
* According to Skullcruncher's routine, Krok named himself after "his dead pet", an allusion to Krok's Action Master parter [[Gatoraider]]—who was, of course, a crocodile.

===Real-life references===
* As mentioned in the plot synopsis, one of the situations featured in the fake "recap" section at the beginning of the issue depicts Fulcrum playing [[Jenga]] against a giant space jellyfish for the fate of the universe. Jenga is, of course, a popular game of skill, the rights of which currently belong to Hasbro. Grimlock was previously seen playing Jenga back in [[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|issue 20]].
* The Decepticon website "The Big Conversation" (established by an [[M.T.O.]] named [[Biteback]], Krok says) is likely named for the (now defunct) real-life website of the same name, launched in 2003 by the Labour government of the [[United Kingdom]].
* The comment about killing off the name Scavengers because it is too close to the word "scroungers" is a reference to the 2015 Tory government of the United Kingdom's policy on the use of the word in their political rhetoric.

===Errors===
* On page 2's final panel, Misfire thinks that "all hell broke lose". This should be "all hell broke '''loose'''". This was not corrected for the trade.
* On page 11, panel 4, Krok's second speech bubble ("We should be taking control of our lives!"...) is coming from Crankcase. This is corrected in the trade.
* On page 19, panel 1, Misfire says, "Bear my frikkin' soul?" This should be "'''Bare'''". Not corrected in the trade.

===Other trivia===
[[File:Scavengers_IRL.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|"Poor Fulcrum. Missing out on such an awesome scene."]]
* The final panel on the "recap" page, showing the Scavengers turned into toys, was taken by [[Maziar Shahsafdari]] using the original Generation 1 Spinister, Crankcase, Krok, and Misfire toys.[http://tfsquareone.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/idw-mtmte-45-that-scavengers-photo.html Read about the photo shoot here!]
* Skullcruncher's routine involves pointing out that nobody actually knows what phases 3 through 5 of [[infiltration protocol]] are, a joke based on the fact that they were never detailed back during [[Simon Furman]]'s "-ations" era on the IDW books, and that it's a little tricky to imagine what three distinct stages between "Instigating conflict" and "killing everything" would actually be.
* Crankcase mixes up the concepts of [[copyright]] and [[trademark]] and is promptly made fun of for it by Fulcrum, a common occurrence in online discussions among the ''Transformers'' [[fandom]].

===Soundtrack===
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf73xqZvk6k Loaded]" by {{w|Primal Scream}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The first song from MTMTE #45... well. You may have heard it before. https://t.co/DElhp2JBX1|link=https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/646458995377573888|name=James Roberts|site=Twitter|year=2015|month=09|day=22|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBsazIACpYM Fool's Gold]" by {{w|The Stone Roses}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The second song from #MTMTE45 is... also pretty well known. But there's a theme developing. https://t.co/MrZLcB9IMz|link=https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/646459879834677248|name=James Roberts|site=Twitter|year=2015|month=09|day=22|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6Jt-o8OGBc Shake Your Money]" by {{w|Black Grape}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Song three from #MTMTE45 is Shake Your Money, by Black Grape. "Explicit lyrics", as they say. https://t.co/MHPWq3kOs5|link=https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/646460867064823809|name=James Roberts|site=Twitter|year=2015|month=09|day=22|(defunct=)}}</ref>

===Covers (4)===
* '''Regular cover:''' Scavengers group shot, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
* '''Subscription cover:''' The other Scavengers don't appreciate whatever Misfire is laughing about, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]].
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' [[Solomus|Tyrest]], [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]], and [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]], by [[Kei Zama]] and Josh Perez; one of September's series of retailer incentive covers by Zama.
* '''Giant Robot Comics exclusive cover:''' Wraparound cover of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Wheeljack, Arcee, and Omega Supreme battle Megatron, Soundwave, Rumble, Swindle, Onslaught, and Devastator at [http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g780595-d209840-Reviews-Peggy_s_Cove_Lighthouse-Peggy_s_Cove_Halifax_Region_Nova_Scotia.html Peggy's Cove Lighthouse] in Halifax, Nova Scotia, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]. Available exclusively from [http://www.giantrobotcomics.com/ Giant Robot Comics], who are based in Halifax; third in [[Less Than Zero|a]] [[The World of Tomorrow|series]] of exclusive covers for the retailer by Coller and Bove, which all feature Halifax landmarks.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE45 regcvr.jpg|"Who loves ya, baby?"
File:MTMTE45 subcvr.jpg|Misfire is the Jerry Lewis of the Scavengers.
File:MTMTE45 cvrRI.jpg|What have these guys been up to?
File:MTMTE45 cvrRE.jpg|For Primus's sake, save the lighthouse!
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''More than Meets the Eye'' #46
* ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' [[The Nothing Man|#45]]
* ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' [[The Will of the Few|#7]]
* ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' [[Stick To Your Guns|#9]]
* IDW ''Skylanders SuperChargers'' comic
* [[Mickey Mouse]] is back in action at IDW!
* ''{{i|Jem and the Holograms (comic)|Jem and the Holograms}}'' Vol. 1 TPB
* "More than Meets the iPad" - IDW Transformers Comics app
* IDW ''[[Back to the Future]]'' comic (back cover)

===Reprints===
* '''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #45–49.
** Bonus material includes covers of each issue.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 66: Speak, Memory''''' ([[December 25]], [[2019]])
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #43–49.
** Bonus material includes a one-page article about the [[Scavengers (G1)|Scavengers]], a cover gallery and a forward by [[Simon Furman]].
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 10]]''''' ([[January 1]], [[2020]]) ISBN 1684055849 / ISBN 978-1684055845
** Collects [[The Transformers: Windblade|''Windblade'' (2015)]] issues [[Windblade vol. 2 issue 6|#6]]–[[The Will of the Few|7]], [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|''The Transformers'' (2012)]] issues [[The Transgressors|#44]]–[[The Nothing Man|45]], ''[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Hunters]]'' [[An Uneventful Night|#1]], ''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|Sins of the Wreckers]]'' issues [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 1|#1]]–[[Sins of the Wreckers issue 5|5]], ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #45–47 & #48–49, and ''[[The Transformers Holiday Special]]: [[Choose Me]]'' & ''[[The Thirteenth Day of Christmas]]''.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol9.jpg|'''''More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' – cover art by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v66.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 66: Speak, Memory''''' – cover art by [[Dan Khanna]] (Getaway) and [[Hayato Sakamoto]] (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V10.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 10''''' – cover art by [[Marcelo Matere]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.newsarama.com/26050-decepticons-do-battle-in-transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-45-preview.html Preview]

Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots

2023-12-10T03:08:20Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=45
|prev=The Not Knowing
|next=Animals
|image=MTMTE45_regcvr.jpg
|title="Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots"
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 30]], [[2015]]
|coverdate=September 2015
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]]
|inks by=[[Brian Shearer]] and Alex Milne
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era (2015)]]
}}
'''They're ba-aack!'''

==Synopsis==
It's been a funny old time for the [[Scavengers (G1)|Scavengers]]. Ever since learning that [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] has defected to the [[Autobot]]s and that [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] now rules [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], their plans to return home have been abandoned, and they have been pottering around the galaxy having wacky adventures: being cursed to speak only in song, accidentally raising eldritch horrors, dealing with the image of [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] coming alive from a datapad, holomatter escapades on [[Magisteria VI]], playing [[Jenga]] against a giant space jellyfish for the fate of the universe, falling into a [[perspective trap]], and even, somehow, getting turned into [[toy]]s! Today, though, the crew are just enjoying a simple game of "[[Cybertronian games#Shoot Shoot Bang Bang|Shoot Shoot Bang Bang]]", hunting each other around their ship, the ''[[Weak Anthropic Principle]]'', with dart guns. [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] lets his internal monologue run away with him, allowing [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] to get the drop on him, but [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] jumps in at the last second to score the winning shot. Unfortunately, in order to do so, Crankcase has left the bridge unmanned, and the ship promptly crashes into [[Tebris VII]].

[[File:Krok crankcase fulcrum some of my best friends are autobots.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
Four hours later, the battered [[Krok (G1)|Krok]] wakes up to find Crankcase and [[Fulcrum]] lounging around watching television—specifically, the stand-up routine of Krok's old shipmate [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]], who has made a mint in the post-war era by rebranding himself as a "self-hating Decepticon" comedian. Heartily cheesed off to see Skullcruncher and so many other Decepticons finding new jobs and new successes while he and the rest of the Scavengers are just bumming around the galaxy living hand-to-mouth, Krok chucks a Skullcruncher souvenir through the television, and starts lecturing his crewmates about taking control of their lives... only to be almost immediately interrupted when a rampaging [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] comes tearing into the room, with Misfire holding onto his back for dear life. Misfire has been attempting to "house-train" the mentally-damaged [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]], but after his biggest success to date—managing to write the first letter of his own name—Grimlock has had another in an escalating series of "fits" that forces the Scavengers to blast him into submission. Tiring of Krok's bossy tone, Misfire is about to rip into him about the "clicker" in his hand, but before anyone says anything they can't take back, Spinister enters to inform the team a communication is coming through.

[[File:Demus some of my best friends are autobots.jpg|thumb]]
The communication is from [[Demus]], a Decepticon scrap merchant on Tebris VII, who Krok knows from the [[Militant Monoform Movement|Triple M]] sub-group on the Decepticon social networking site, [[The Big Conversation]]. Demus invites the Scavengers to his scrapyard, and, thinking they are going to be offered jobs, they even agree to inject themselves with temporary [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|inhibitor chip]]s upon arrival due to Demus's condition—he is so militantly monoform that the very ''sight'' of transformation makes him sick. The group are led by the noticeably skittish Demus through his stockyard, full of merchandise from his profitable side-business making "[[Roboid]]" toys, before arriving at his office, where it turns out he does not want to ''employ'' them: he wants to buy Grimlock from them. He steps out to take a call while the Scavengers talk the proposal over amongst themselves; the obscene amount of money on offer all it takes to sway Krok, Crankcase, and Spinister into selling, outvoting the more compassionate Misfire and Fulcrum, the latter also healthily suspicious of Demus's motives. And it seems Fulcrum is right to be suspicious—out in the stockyard, Demus talks on his communicator in a panicked whisper about being on a list, and needing help from the caller... but he realizes that such concerns have become moot when a huge shadowy figure appears in front of him. Demus is hurled back through his office window and then has his brains blown out right in front of the Scavengers... as the Duly Appointed Enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]], [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], steps through the door and inquires which of them will be next!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Grimlock (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Grimlock]] (7)
* [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] (10)
|c2=
* [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] (1)
* [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] (2)
* [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] (3)
* [[Fulcrum]] (4)
* [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] (image of hand, 5)
* [[Krok (G1)|Krok]] (6)
* [[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] (8)
* [[Demus]] (9)
}}

==Quotes==
"Crankcase! That was '''my''' shot! You're not even playing!" 
"True. But I can't listen to someone else's party without wanting to '''pop their balloons'''."
:—'''Spinister''' isn't happy that '''Crankcase''' has stolen his win

"—and we used to say to him, 'Megatron, mate, why not get all the Phase Sixers and throw 'em at the Autobots?' Like, 'Forget the planets! You can cyberform as many planets as you like once you've killed all your enemies! '''You're not making the best use of your assets.'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>"
:—'''Skullcruncher''' likes to claim he spoke truth to power, but somehow, we doubt it

"Are you sure you won't let Spinister fix your head? He's a brilliant surgeon." 
"He's a brilliant surgeon who classifies random objects as 'goodies' or 'baddies' based on the sound they make when he punches them. I don't want him anywhere near my brain."
:—'''Krok''' and '''Crankcase'''

"When we found you on '''Clemency''', we didn't know '''what''' was going on. Now we '''do''', and it's worse than we thought. The Autobots have won, Megatron's '''flipped''', and Starscream's in charge of Cybertron! '''Starscream!''' At least the Autobots were '''upfront''' about wanting to kill us! I wouldn't trust Starscream to tell me my own name!"
:—'''Krok'''

"You must be the Scavengers." 
"It's pronounced '''<big>SCAVENGERS.</big>'''"
:—'''Demus''' and '''Misfire'''

"Are we gonna kill him and steal his money? <big>'''HA!'''</big> Joking. But seriously, are we gonna kill him and steal his money?"
:—'''Crankcase''', on dealing with '''Demus'''

'''Demus:''' "I'd like to buy [Grimlock] off you." 
'''Misfire:''' "You '''what'''?" 
'''Crankcase:''' "'''Buy''' him?" 
'''Fulcrum:''' "Bizarre." 
'''Spinister:''' "'''WHAT AM I REACTING TO AND IS ANGER APPROPRIATE?!'''"

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
[[File:Magisteria vi some of my best friends are autobots.jpg|thumb]]
* The single panel that shows the Scavengers' holomatter adventure on Magisteria VI has one of them remark that the holomatter program is struggling with the native species's gender; [[Rung (G1)|Rung]] had the same problem back in [[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|issue #13]].
* The Scavengers were seen playing Jenga when they last popped up in [[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|issue #20]].
* Misfire highlights the mystery of Grimlock's current condition; found by the Scavengers on [[Temptoria]] in [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|issue #7]], the last time he had appeared before that was when he was being taken to [[Garrus-9]] at the climax of the ''[[The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots|Maximum Dinobots]]'' miniseries.
* Misfire also mentions that he has a 'contact' within the Autobots who told him what happened on Garrus-9, informing us that Grimlock "went missing". It's likely that he's talking about [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]], who worked as an insider for the Decepticons, but never divulged any information that was actually ''useful''.
* Krok mentions that the Scavengers sometimes vandalize [[Autopedia]], the Autobots' free-to-edit database.
* During his stand-up routine, Skullcruncher talks about his having been part of infiltration squads during the war. We know he's speaking from experience, as he was last seen way back in ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'' as a member of one such squad—alongside Crankcase, no less—on the planet [[Nebulos]] where they were both apparently killed by [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], though obviously not.
* The "clicker" in Krok's hand was last seen in issue #7, or rather, it was ''heard''. He claimed it was a device that he clicked to keep rebooting the ship's continually failing communications systems, but in [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]], Misfire strongly implied that whatever the device was, it wasn't that. The way Fulcrum takes Krok's hand to stop him clicking it as he rants this issue certainly indicates it's an uncontrolled expression of anxiety like a nervous tic, and Misfire is just about to broach the clearly-taboo subject of what the thing is, but they get interrupted by Demus's communication.
* Krok makes reference to the planet [[Troja Major]], first (and last) heard of in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|issue #28]]. This was the world on which [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] picked up the original, unedited version of "[[Towards Peace]]"; perhaps the Decepticon antiquarian, [[Agonizer]], who Krok notes set up shop on the planet, had something to do with that.
* Demus previously served under [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]], who gave him an honorable discharge after the war. Surprising to hear about a Decepticon, perhaps, but we saw in [[The Permanent Revolution|issue #39]] that Deathsaurus is the sort to treat his men right.
* Crankcase is swayed into selling Grimlock by the possibility of using the money to buy his own spaceship, something we know from issue #8 that he always wanted to have.
* We last saw Fortress Maximus in [[The Sound of Breaking Glass|issue #21]], in which he took on the position of enforcer of the Tyrest Accord following the defeat of then-current holder of the title, [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]].

===Transformers references===
* We see the ''Weak Anthropic Principle'' for the first time, and it turns out to be a Decepticon-purple version of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] [[character model|animation model]]. The sequence of it crashing, complete with "Four Hours Later" caption, is styled directly after the scene of the Ark crashing from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]"; the shot of the post-crash bridge, with rocks bulging in through the windows, is likewise styled after the interior of the cartoon's Autobot Headquarters.
* When Spinister places his gun against Misfire's head to end their game of "Shoot Shoot Bang Bang", he paraphrases [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'': "I would've waited an eternity for this. It's over, Misfire."
* Krok is revealed to be a [[Monoformer]]—the IDW continuity term for a Transformer that does not transform—referencing the fact that his original Generation 1 toy was a non-transforming [[Action Master]].
* According to Skullcruncher's routine, Krok named himself after "his dead pet", an allusion to Krok's Action Master parter [[Gatoraider]]—who was, of course, a crocodile.

===Real-life references===
* As mentioned in the plot synopsis, one of the situations featured in the fake "recap" section at the beginning of the issue depicts Fulcrum playing [[Jenga]] against a giant space jellyfish for the fate of the universe. Jenga is, of course, a popular game of skill, the rights of which currently belong to Hasbro. Grimlock was previously seen playing Jenga back in [[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|issue 20]].
* The Decepticon website "The Big Conversation" (established by an [[M.T.O.]] named [[Biteback]], Krok says) is likely named for the (now defunct) real-life website of the same name, launched in 2003 by the Labour government of the [[United Kingdom]].
* The comment about killing off the name Scavengers because it is too close to the word "scroungers" is a reference to the 2015 Tory government of the United Kingdom's policy on the use of the word in their political rhetoric.

===Errors===
* On page 2's final panel, Misfire thinks that "all hell broke lose". This should be "all hell broke '''loose'''". This was not corrected for the trade.
* On page 11, panel 4, Krok's second speech bubble ("We should be taking control of our lives!"...) is coming from Crankcase. This is corrected in the trade.
* On page 19, panel 1, Misfire says, "Bear my frikkin' soul?" This should be "'''Bare'''". Not corrected in the trade.

===Other trivia===
[[File:Scavengers_IRL.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|"Poor Fulcrum. Missing out on such an awesome scene."]]
* The final panel on the "recap" page, showing the Scavengers turned into toys, was taken by [[Maziar Shahsafdari]] using the original Generation 1 Spinister, Crankcase, Krok, and Misfire toys.[http://tfsquareone.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/idw-mtmte-45-that-scavengers-photo.html Read about the photo shoot here!]
* Skullcruncher's routine involves pointing out that nobody actually knows what phases 3 through 5 of [[infiltration protocol]] are, a joke based on the fact that they were never detailed back during [[Simon Furman]]'s "-ations" era on the IDW books, and that it's a little tricky to imagine what three distinct stages between "Instigating conflict" and "killing everything" would actually be.
* Crankcase mixes up the concepts of [[copyright]] and [[trademark]] and is promptly made fun of for it by Fulcrum, a common occurrence in online discussions among the ''Transformers'' [[fandom]].

===Soundtrack===
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf73xqZvk6k Loaded]" by {{w|Primal Scream}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The first song from MTMTE #45... well. You may have heard it before. https://t.co/DElhp2JBX1|link=https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/646458995377573888|name=James Roberts|site=Twitter|year=2015|month=09|day=22|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBsazIACpYM Fool's Gold]" by {{w|The Stone Roses}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The second song from #MTMTE45 is... also pretty well known. But there's a theme developing. https://t.co/MrZLcB9IMz|link=https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/646459879834677248|name=James Roberts|site=Twitter|year=2015|month=09|day=22|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6Jt-o8OGBc Shake Your Money]" by {{w|Black Grape}}<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Song three from #MTMTE45 is Shake Your Money, by Black Grape. "Explicit lyrics", as they say. https://t.co/MHPWq3kOs5|link=https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/646460867064823809|name=James Roberts|site=Twitter|year=2015|month=09|day=22|(defunct=)}}</ref>

===Covers (4)===
* '''Regular cover:''' Scavengers group shot, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
* '''Subscription cover:''' The other Scavengers don't appreciate whatever Misfire is laughing about, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]].
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' [[Solomus|Tyrest]], [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]], and [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]], by [[Kei Zama]] and [[Josh Perez]]; one of September's series of retailer incentive covers by Zama.
* '''Giant Robot Comics exclusive cover:''' Wraparound cover of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Wheeljack, Arcee, and Omega Supreme battle Megatron, Soundwave, Rumble, Swindle, Onslaught, and Devastator at [http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g780595-d209840-Reviews-Peggy_s_Cove_Lighthouse-Peggy_s_Cove_Halifax_Region_Nova_Scotia.html Peggy's Cove Lighthouse] in Halifax, Nova Scotia, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]. Available exclusively from [http://www.giantrobotcomics.com/ Giant Robot Comics], who are based in Halifax; third in [[Less Than Zero|a]] [[The World of Tomorrow|series]] of exclusive covers for the retailer by Coller and Bove, which all feature Halifax landmarks.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE45 regcvr.jpg|"Who loves ya, baby?"
File:MTMTE45 subcvr.jpg|Misfire is the Jerry Lewis of the Scavengers.
File:MTMTE45 cvrRI.jpg|What have these guys been up to?
File:MTMTE45 cvrRE.jpg|For Primus's sake, save the lighthouse!
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''More than Meets the Eye'' #46
* ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' [[The Nothing Man|#45]]
* ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' [[The Will of the Few|#7]]
* ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' [[Stick To Your Guns|#9]]
* IDW ''Skylanders SuperChargers'' comic
* [[Mickey Mouse]] is back in action at IDW!
* ''{{i|Jem and the Holograms (comic)|Jem and the Holograms}}'' Vol. 1 TPB
* "More than Meets the iPad" - IDW Transformers Comics app
* IDW ''[[Back to the Future]]'' comic (back cover)

===Reprints===
* '''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #45–49.
** Bonus material includes covers of each issue.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 66: Speak, Memory''''' ([[December 25]], [[2019]])
** Collects ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #43–49.
** Bonus material includes a one-page article about the [[Scavengers (G1)|Scavengers]], a cover gallery and a forward by [[Simon Furman]].
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 10]]''''' ([[January 1]], [[2020]]) ISBN 1684055849 / ISBN 978-1684055845
** Collects [[The Transformers: Windblade|''Windblade'' (2015)]] issues [[Windblade vol. 2 issue 6|#6]]–[[The Will of the Few|7]], [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|''The Transformers'' (2012)]] issues [[The Transgressors|#44]]–[[The Nothing Man|45]], ''[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Hunters]]'' [[An Uneventful Night|#1]], ''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|Sins of the Wreckers]]'' issues [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 1|#1]]–[[Sins of the Wreckers issue 5|5]], ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #45–47 & #48–49, and ''[[The Transformers Holiday Special]]: [[Choose Me]]'' & ''[[The Thirteenth Day of Christmas]]''.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol9.jpg|'''''More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' – cover art by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v66.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 66: Speak, Memory''''' – cover art by [[Dan Khanna]] (Getaway) and [[Hayato Sakamoto]] (retro)
File:IDWCollectionP2V10.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 10''''' – cover art by [[Marcelo Matere]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.newsarama.com/26050-decepticons-do-battle-in-transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-45-preview.html Preview]

Last Bot Standing issue 4

2023-07-28T21:42:02Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Transformers: Last Bot Standing]]'' #4
|prev=Last Bot Standing issue 3
|next=
|caption='Cause I'm a cowboy On a steel horse I ride I'm wanted (wanted), dead or alive
|image=LastBotStanding 4 cvrA.jpg
|title=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[August 31]], 2022
|coverdate=August 2022
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|art by=[[E. J. Su]] (pg. 1-9, 11-30) [[Nick Roche]] (pg. 10)
|colors=[[Rebecca Nalty]] and [[Brittany Peer]]
|letters by=[[Johanna Nattalie]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
}}

'''The last Autobot steps up to save the universe one final time.'''

==Synopsis==
When [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]'s team first touched down on [[Donnokt]], they made a shocking discovery: in a universe otherwise drained of its resources, this one inconspicuous planet concealed a vast seam of [[energon]], so abundant and potent that a single spark could ignite the entire deposit and annihilate their entire world. Future generations might discover a way to harness this vast bounty to fuel a future civilization, but until that day Rodimus recorded a message to the natives: leave the energon alone. Should other "visitors" come calling, then the people of Donnokt will use the three energon keys bequeathed to the most trustworthy members of their tribe to activate their hidden guardians—but as [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] crushes the video tablet in his fist, he berates Rodimus for keeping the planet all to himself, content to starve in the midst of plenty while Steeljaw and his followers struggled to subsist on inefficient [[biofuel]]. Rodimus growls that Steeljaw and his grotesque "family" aren't the victims here—the Cybertronian race has had too many chances, and recklessly exploiting Donnokt's energon could completely destabilize the planet. [[Sharpclaw]] wonders if using the three energon keys could give them the necessary stamina to begin processing energon again, but Rodimus corrects her—there are only ''two'' now, after he used the first to wipe out Steeljaw's base camp. The thought of real energon triggers something in his followers; as they desperately dogpile their leader, one of the keys slips from Steeljaw's hand and smashes on the ground.

As Steeljaw's minions squabble amongst themselves, Rodimus orders [[Shib Wallkis|Shib]] to free the other citizens of [[Fembrance]], while Sharpclaw pleads with her brother to share the last remaining key with her. When Steeljaw refuses, Sharpclaw pounces on her brother, and in doing so drops [[Travyon Wallkis|Travyon]] and [[Beets Wallkis]] from her grasp and assist Shib as she opens the first livestock wagon. Steeljaw roars that they're letting their livestock escape, but [[Scylla]] and the rest are more interested in the last energon key, and the moment of confusion allows Rodimus to slip in and punt the key into Shib's waiting hand, who saddles up on [[Sparks (IDW)|Sparks]] and rides out. To buy time, Rodimus grabs [[Stambo]] and [[Brennet]]'s steam cars, uses his flamethrowers to ignite their fuel, and hurls them at the onrushing Cybertronians, but the knockback sends the old Autobot flying into a nearby cliff and knocks him unconscious.

''Not long after Rodimus, [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]], and [[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]] landed on Donnokt, their first task was to eliminate the Decepticons who'd pursued them there until only [[Talon (G1)|Talon]] and [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]] remained: the first and last Decepticons to learn the secret of Donnokt mere moments before Rodimus kills them. Although Gripper and Strongarm have their doubts, Rodimus insists that this is the only way to keep the rest of the universe safe.''

Energon key in hand, Shib rides up to the nearby mineshaft, with the intent of putting the device beyond the reach of the aliens—unfortunately for her, however, Sharpclaw and Steeljaw have followed her to the mine... but the sight of the mineshaft itself momentarily breaks their concentration. As Shib tries to make a quiet escape, Steeljaw catches her, opens fire, and ignites some of the nearby crystals in doing so—the resulting chain reaction causes the entire mountain to shudder. When Rodimus comes to, the black smoke makes finding Shib almost impossible, even before an enormous hand reaches down and grabs him by the head: using their remaining fuel, the surviving members of Steeljaw's crew have pooled their resources and merged into a twisted, ramshackle [[combiner]]: "[[Unstoppimus]]"!

With Shib captured, Steeljaw considers using the last remaining energon key on himself, only for an indignant Sharpclaw cuts in: although she's thankful for Steeljaw for leading them to this point, she won't scrounge for any more biofuel, not when the energon key rightfully belongs to ''both'' of them. If he wants it, he'll have to take it from her...

Meanwhile, as Rodimus faces off against Unstoppimus, he discovers that the temporary boost of energy afforded by the key has already begun to wear off—draining his ammunition in the process. Undaunted, the old Autobot shifts tactics by transforming into alternate mode, then races up the combiner's arm and transforms in mid-air to wrench Unstoppimus's head off; as the combiner collapses into its components, Rodimus nearly executes [[Lunaclub]] before he remembers Shib and races off. By the time that Rodimus reaches the mine, however, Steeljaw, having absorbed Shib's last energon key, and a badly wounded Sharpclaw have already arranged an ambush; while Sharpclaw slashes Rodimus in the throat, a furious Steeljaw continues the assault, and, as he does so, swears to turn everyone on Donnokt into biofuel before they strip-mine the planet. Despite his injuries, Rodimus just laughs, and Shib tells Steeljaw that Rodimus has already destroyed their refinery—without ''that'' fuel, the energon is worthless to them. As Sharpclaw collapses in despair, Steeljaw screams in rage, rams his fist through Rodimus's torso, and hurls his body down into the mineshaft. Although Sharpclaw tries to convince her brother that they can salvage ''something'' from their landing shaft, Steeljaw's too tired: the Cybertronian race is finished, and when he ignites the entire planet, he'll be the one to end the story. Sharpclaw wonders if, perhaps, Rodimus was right: even if their own people are functionally extinct, the people of Donnokt might have a chance, but Steeljaw won't listen, and Sharpclaw winds up taking a shot to the back when she dives to block Steeljaw from igniting the energon vein. An enraged Steeljaw reaches for Shib, determined to crush her for her impudence... but as he readies the shot that will end the planet, an empowered Rodimus—healed by exposure to pure energon and temporarily supercharged by its power—leaps from the shaft, punches Steeljaw's blaster arm off, and finally blows the ex-Decepticon's head apart as he makes one futile grab for Shib. The job done, Rodimus, victor of the very last battle his species will ever fight, finally rips the blasters from his wrists. As the sun sets, Rodimus and Shib take a moment to unwind outside the mine. Now that their secret is out, Rodimus won't be living with Shib anymore; before he leaves, he takes a moment to thank her for being the best boss he's ever had.

Time passes, and Rodimus turns his attention to helping the citizens of Fembrance: with his knowledge, the townsfolk learn how to better harness their planet's supplies of energon, and before long the townsfolk enjoy the conveniences of an electrical grid and a second generation of efficient steamramblers—while Shib and her family receive a pair of souped-up steam cars that will allow the Wallkis family to efficiently compete with their business rivals. Rodimus himself, meanwhile, eventually turns his attention to salvaging whatever he could from Steeljaw's vessel, then cobbles together a crude ship capable of housing both him and the [[stasis lock]]ed remnants of Steeljaw's followers. As his fuel supplies dwindle, Rodimus, content to slip back into stasis himself, launches his new ship on a one-way trip into orbit.

In this far-distant future, long after the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], in a time when even the stars themselves have burned out, the people of Fembrance can just make out the light of Rodimus's starship as it slowly slides across the night sky. As Shib gazes up into an empty sky, and remembers how Rodimus once told her that his people took the stars away, she muses that—sometimes—bringing back just ''one'' star can be enough.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters

|c1=
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (1)
* ''[[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]]'' (2)
* ''[[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]]'' (3)

|c2=
* ''[[Talon (G1)|Talon]]'' (18)
* ''[[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]]'' (19)

|h3=[[Donnokt]]|c3=
* [[Beets Wallkis]] (9)
* [[Shib Wallkis]] (13)
* [[Errold]] (14)
* [[Sparks (IDW)|Sparks]] (15)
* [[Firebolt (IDW)|Firebolt]] (16)
* [[Travyon Wallkis]] (17)

|c4=
* [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] (4)
* [[Lunaclub]] (5)
* [[Scylla]] (6)
* [[Cyberwarp (G1)|Cyberwarp]] (7)
* [[Sharpclaw]] (8)
* [[Riotgear (G1)|Riotgear]] (10)
* [[Override (BWU)|Override]] (11)
* [[Wedge (RID)|Wedge]] (12)
* [[Unstoppimus]] (20)
* [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (21)
}}

==Quotes==
"We have no idea '''how long''' we've lived this way because we've had to overwrite and '''overwrite''' our memories, just to conserve resources. '''Never enough''' fuel to feel full. '''Never enough''' fuel to build lasting technology that could guide our spacecraft to search for the next source. Just star charts, guesswork, and space capsules '''fired''' into the cosmos, hoping our calculations are correct. Pooling our '''lifeblood''' to send a scout ahead—like poor '''Nitro'''—as the rest of us travel in stasis within a '''giant sarcophagus''', praying that the fuel we carry is enough to '''harvest the produce''' at our destination. And here you are. Living here, in '''unearned retirement''', while we 'live' like '''that'''."
:—'''Steeljaw'''

"We've '''run out''' of '''choices'''. And '''time'''. And... '''worlds'''. '''They''' don't get to take what's '''in this planet'''. They don't have '''the right''' to start this whole mess over again. And if there's anyone '''out there''' who wants to come looking, '''they''' don't either."
:—'''Rodimus'''

"Hrrk—knew our species was '''out of fuel'''—hadn't realized we were—hrr—out of '''names''', too..."
:—'''Rodimus''' versus Unstoppimus

"We can... there might be '''enough of them'''... the '''resources,''' I mean. Maybe we can have enough reserve supplies to '''build something''' that can... look. Let's go '''back to the camp'''. Try to salvage '''some''' equipment. Start again to... and then we can begin to mine this ore, a-a-and..." 
"Sharpclaw, '''sister'''—let us '''die''' like Cybertronians. Let us die like '''Decepticons'''. It's over."
:—'''Sharpclaw''' and '''Steeljaw'''

"She was '''your sister'''... and she had '''your back''', up to the end. So you shoot her '''in hers'''." 
"Shut up."
:—'''Shib''' and '''Steeljaw'''

"Before your kind were '''food''' to me, you were '''sport'''. I've forgotten so much. But not what it's like to end '''something like you''' between my fingers. Purely to know '''how it feels'''. This moment is all we have. Let's make '''it last''' before I turn out the light."
:—'''Steeljaw'''

"What good is a Cybertronian? What good are any of us if we can't change? You can't win, Steeljaw."
:—'''Rodimus''' versus '''Steeljaw'''

"When you came out of that mine, all fired up... '''whooo!''' You looked like a god. '''Godimus'''." 
"Please don't call me that. Okay, maybe just one more time."
:—'''Shib''' and '''Rodimus'''

"My time with Rodimus was short, and scary, and '''exciting.''' And he fought '''so hard''' against his own people, his '''own past''', 'cos of the guilt he had for what '''they'd done'''. Stuff that's hard to win against. But I think he done it. I think he '''was''' a '''good guy'''. A good... '''person'''. He used to talk about the stars. How the sky used to be full of 'em before his kind '''took 'em all'''. He wished he coulda '''filled the sky up''' again. Brought back the stars. He knew he couldn't. But he managed '''one'''. One's enough."
:—'''Shib''''s final monologue

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Back in [[Last Bot Standing issue 1|issue #1]], Shib made a few references to a substance the locals called "fizzbang" being mined up in the hills beyond Fembrance, inadvertently kickstarting an industrial revolution as the natives began to use it to to fuel steam-powered machines. This issue reveals what this "fizzbang" actually ''is''—the last source of pure energon in the universe.
* To buy time while Shib escapes, Rodimus uses his flamethrowers on the steam cars used by local rich kids [[Stambo Flentz|Stambo]] and [[Brennet]] to annoy the townsfolk in issue #1.
* The first and only flashback in this issue fills in a final bit of missing detail between the flashbacks in issues 1 and [[Last Bot Standing issue 2|#2]]—while the brief shot in issue 1 showed Rodimus and his crew under fire from a group of Decepticons as they fled through space, this issue reveals that, just after landing, the three spent some time hunting down all the Decepticons who'd followed them, ensuring that none could ever discover the secret of Donnokt.
* On the second-to-last page, you can just barely spot [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]'s severed head drifting past, still stranded in space after Rodimus booted him into orbit in [[Last Bot Standing issue 3|issue #3]].

===Transformers references===
* Obscure Decepticon [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] [[Talon (G1)|Talon]] appears alongside [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]] as one of the two Decepticon stragglers Rodimus kills.
* "Unstoppimus" is made up of characters who were part of combiner teams in other franchises: Riotgear and Cyberwarp formed [[Galvatronus (RID)|Galvatronus]] in [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|the 2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], Scylla and the other [[Seacon (BW)|Seacon]]s combined into [[God Neptune]] in ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]''; Lunaclub became [[Megatronia]] with [[Megaempress]] and the other [[4 Guards]], while [[Wedge (RID)|Wedge]] formed the core of [[Landfill (RID)|Landfill]] in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]]. Appropriately, Unstoppimus seems to share a transformation scheme with Landfill, most notably in how Lunaclub transforms by splitting herself in half and wrapping around Wedge's torso, [[Grimlock (RID 2001)|''Robots in Disguise'' Grimlock]]-style.
* After Rodimus defeats Unstoppimus, the dying Lunaclub begs for her life, which Rodimus (abortively) responds with "Request denied" before attempting to finish her. He memorably said the same (and followed through on the threat) to the [[airborne hunter squad]] [[Ferak|leader]] in [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK]]'s [[Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!|''Transformers'' #114]].
* To incapacitate Rodimus, Sharpclaw uses her, well, sharp claws to slash at Rodimus's throat and damage his voice box, which ''might'' be a reference to [[Bumblebee (Movie)|"Movie" Bumblebee]]'s famous backstory. Immediately afterwards, the shot of Steeljaw pointing his wrist-mounted blaster at Rodimus's prone body evokes [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]]'s death at the hands of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* Moments later, as an energized Rodimus leaps from the mineshaft, Steeljaw's surprised scream of "Sheearggh!" homages one of [[Simon Furman]]'s most-used (and beloved) sound effects.
* Rodimus' gold, Super Saiyan-esque form when charged up on energon and Shib referring to that form as "Godimus" ''might'' be a reference to the [[Lucky Draw figure]] of [[Primus]], which was a gold chrome recolored version of Rodimus' original Generation One toy.

===Real-world references===
* As Steeljaw berates a fatally wounded Rodimus on page 20, their poses deliberately mimic a [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/think-mark memetic screencap] from the television series ''{{w|Invincible (TV series)|Invincible}}''. This reference was inserted by artist E. J. Su as a nod to ''Invincible'' writer [[Robert Kirkman]],<ref>{{citesocial|quote=All credit to EJ! Little callout to his buddy R-Kirkz!|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/1565068838689030144|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=08|day=31|(defunct=)}}</ref> for whom Su had illustrated ''{{w|Tech Jacket}}'', a comic set in the same continuity as ''Invincible''.
* Empowered by raw energon, the overcharged Rodimus resembles the Super Saiyans of ''{{w|Dragon Ball Z}}'' fame—right down to a glowing yellow "hairpiece" of flames.

===Errors===
*Syclla as part of Unstoppimus is partially colored purple.
*Steeljaw said in the previous issue that his group can't take in energon without altering their systems, yet he absorbs the energon stored in the key in this issue.

===Other trivia===
* Originally solicited for an August 10th release, this significantly delayed issue finally drops on the very last day of August.
* Backmatter for this issue includes both black-and-white and colored art depicting Rodimus's climactic confrontation with Steeljaw, by [[E. J. Su]].

===Covers (5)===
* '''Cover A:''' A fiery Rodimus mirrors the cover of [[Last Bot Standing issue 1|issue #1]], by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Cover B:''' Life and death hang in Rodimus's hands, by [[Kei Zama]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Cover C:''' Rodimus, by [[Saren Stone]]
* '''Cover D:''' Steeljaw and Rodimus have it out in homage to the cover of [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/7/76/Captain_America_Annual_Vol_1_8.jpg ''Captain America Annual'' #8 by Mike Zeck and John Beatty], by [[Ochopante]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Roddy's roundup, by [[E. J. Su]]

<gallery>
LastBotStanding 4 cvrA.jpg
LastBotStanding 4 cvrB.jpg
LastBotStanding 4 cvrC.jpg
LastBotStanding 4 cvrD.jpg
LastBotStanding 4 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''True Kult''
* ''The Best of EC Stories: Artisan Edition''
* ''[[Transformers: Best of the Beasts]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Best of the Rarities]]''
* ''[[Transformers: King Grimlock]]'' TPB
* ''Crashing''
* ''Todd McFarlane's Spider-Man: Artist's Edition''

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://majorspoilers.com/2022/08/30/preview-transformers-last-bot-standing-4 Preview]

[[Category:Last Bot Standing issues]]

Last Bot Standing issue 3

2023-07-28T21:41:38Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Transformers: Last Bot Standing]]'' #3
|prev=Last Bot Standing issue 2
|next=Last Bot Standing issue 4
|caption=The Headmasters' gritty reboot.
|image=LastBotStanding 3 cvrA.jpg
|title=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[July 20]], 2022
|coverdate=June 2022
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|art by=[[Nick Roche]] (pg. 1, 16), [[E. J. Su]] (pg. 2-15, 17-30)
|colors=[[Rebecca Nalty]]
|letters by=[[Johanna Nattalie]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
}}

'''Rodimus has an unwelcome reunion with an ancient survivor, but his efforts to rescue Shib from Steeljaw's forces threaten to expose the secret history of Donnokt.'''

==Synopsis==
Long, long ago, [[Shib Wallkis]]'s remote ancestors inherited an ancient relic from a dying race of star-farers: in exchange for keeping their benefactors hidden and safe, an ancient tribe received an emergency weapon to be used only if other "visitors" threatened their way of life. Over hundreds of years, this unassuming box passed from parent to child, quietly sailing down through the generations until the day it finally came into Shib's possession... but, as he comes to in the middle of [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]]'s base camp, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] laments the bitter irony that, for all their careful years of preparation, he couldn't save Shib in her hour of need. As they watch the tableau from afar, the rest of Steeljaw's followers debate whether or not they should even bother inducting a broken-down heap like Rodimus into their "family", until a new voice cuts through the chatter and prompts all of the Transformers save Rodimus to kneel in respect: the Veteran is about to speak!

As it turns out, the fabled "Veteran" is none other than Rodimus's old compatriot [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]... or, at least, what's left of him—after untold eons of neglect in a universe drained of its resources, the little [[Autobot]]'s been reduced to nothing more than a severed head, hardwired to a crude, [[biofuel]]-powered life-support system. Unlike Steeljaw and his followers, however, Wheelie's retained his memories and even adopted a new speech pattern based on ancient [[Earth]] haiku. Wheelie confirms that Rodimus is who he says he is; while [[Sharpclaw]] and the others welcome Rodimus to their little group, Rodimus vows that he'd sooner die than adopt their parasitic lifestyle: when Steeljaw insists that, in a post-[[energon]] universe, there can ''be'' no other way of life for their kind, he receives a glob of spit in his eye for his troubles. Annoyed, Steeljaw stalks off to put the rest of his followers to work: while [[Moon (BW)|Moon]], [[Wildwheel (G1)|Wildwheel]], and [[Treadshock (G1)|Treadshock]] will guard Rodimus and prepare the "resource" for consumption, Steeljaw and the rest will head to the nearest population center—the town of [[Fembrance]]—and round up as many organics as they can. Some, they'll process into biofuel immediately; others will wind up in their "husbandry paddocks" to bring the next generation of potential resources into existence. As he leaves, Steeljaw reminds a horrified Rodimus that there just aren't enough resources left to pillage indiscriminately—they must be farmers now...

On the outskirts of Fembrance, on the Wallkis family ranch, Shib's brother [[Beets Wallkis|Beets]] watch in horror as alderman [[Errold]]'s lawmen, determined to find any connection between the family and the aliens, ransack their house for any kind of evidence. [[Travyon Wallkis|Travyon]], who's already sustained a black eye for his troubles, warns his brother not to make a scene; although the two insist that they know nothing, Errold refuses to believe them and orders his men to keep searching.

Meanwhile, at Steeljaw's camp, Moon contemplates the prospect of actually ''befriending'' a primitive organic lifeform like Shib as he prepares to convert the helpless girl into biofuel, before an annoyed Wildwheel shouts for his compatriot to get a move on. As Moon carries her towards their processing plant, Shib begs her captors to let her say goodbye to Rodimus, one last time... and Wheelie, remembering happier times, allows her this small comfort. When Shib runs up to Rodimus, however, she secretly plunges her hand into her shirt, procures the small [[energon]] key she's been carrying, and jams it into a port on the Autobot's chest—this sudden surge of pure, life-giving fuel spontaneously repairs his injuries and restores Rodimus to full, vibrant life! The supercharged Rodimus easily dispatches his captors, then converts to alternate mode and annihilates their refinery with a burst of superheated exhaust. Wildwheel roars that Rodimus has betrayed his own species, grabs a girder, and hurls it at Shib—but Moon, who's quickly come to realize Rodimus might be right, dives into the path of the projectile and winds up fatally speared through the eye. While Rodimus dispatches Wildwheel, Wheelie orders the remaining two Cybertronians to warn Steeljaw immediately; as the pair transform and speed off, Wheelie screams that Rodimus's own ego has destroyed their future, but Rodimus coldly informs Wheelie that he's forgotten what being one of the "good guys" ''means''—when Wheelie tries to take him out personally, Rodimus easily shrugs off Wheelie's anticlimactic assault and dropkicks his head into orbit.

With no time to lose, Rodimus transforms and orders Shib to climb aboard as the pair race back to town to find and destroy the other two keys before Steeljaw's minions can warn their leader. Shib insists that she and her family have worked to keep the secrets of the Cybertronians hidden, and Rodimus explains the full story behind their presence on Donnokt: many millions of years ago, in the aftermath of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], Rodimus, [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]], and [[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]] touched down on Donnokt, a remote backwater where they could quietly fade away. There, they found the beginnings of intelligent life; eventually, the three made contact with the most trustworthy individuals they could find, and gave them a gift—a way to wake the three Autobots should other Cybertronians find their world. However, Gripper later died in an accident; some time after, Strongarm snapped, and Rodimus accidentally killed her when she tried to steal their ship and flee the planet. With nowhere else to go, Rodimus opened contact with the Wallkis family and found a quiet new life as the family wagon... but now, it's time to make good on ''his'' end of the deal and protect them from those who would do them harm. Rodimus catches up with the two other Cybertronians as they race through a canyon, sends them spinning out of control, and takes out Vex by crushing him under his weight—although Treadshock tries to put up a fight, he's no match for the rejuvenated Rodimus, who sends him tumbling into a gully and executes him with a heavy boulder when he tries to climb back out.

In Fembrance, Steeljaw's arrival throws off Errold's attempts to prosecute the Wallkis brothers. The aliens quickly set to work rounding up as many organics as they can find, until Steeljaw's enhanced olfactory sensors detects the unmistakable scent of Transformer technology. When he and the other Decepticons investigate, they're shocked to see [[Nitro (IDW)|Nitro]]'s headless corpse! Steeljaw briefly euologizes his fallen comrade—when [[Riotgear (G1)|Riotgear]] wonders if the townsfolks were organized enough to take him out, an exasperated Steeljaw snaps that ''Rodimus'' did this. At that moment, however, Sharpclaw picks up the trail of ''more'' Cybertronian tech... a trail that leads them straight to the standoff outside the Wallkis ranch. While Errold ignores the Wallkis brothers pleas to do something, the two Transformers set about demolishing the building, and eventually extract the box and its contents from the wreckage of the house. Though the two don't immediately recognize the two remaining energon keys for what they are, they're intrigued to find that they're not the ''only'' things hidden: an ancient, still-functioning Cybertronian data pad, with a message for whoever activates it...

Rodimus and Shib arrive in Fembrance too late—already, the Cybertronians have ransacked the town and herded its inhabitants into prison wagons. When Riotgear, [[Wedge (RID)|Wedge]], and [[Override (BWU)|Override]] see the old Autobot, they assume that he owes his rejuvenated appearance to their biofuel... until they see the still-alive Shib in his hands! Rodimus sets the girl down and orders her to find her family, but Steeljaw informs her that won't be necessary: Steeljaw already has the Wallkis brothers in her hands. A furious Rodimus warns Steeljaw he won't be leaving Donnokt alive, but his foe just smiles: Rodimus has been hiding a secret, and Steeljaw's just learned what it is...

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters

|c1=
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (6)
* ''[[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]]'' (23)
* ''[[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]]'' (24)

|h3=[[Donnokt]]|c3=
* Shib's ancestors (1-4)
* [[Shib Wallkis]] (5)
* [[Beets Wallkis]] (19)
* [[Travyon Wallkis]] (20)
* [[Errold]] (21)

|c4=
* [[Riotgear (G1)|Riotgear]] (7)
* [[Scylla]] (8)
* [[Wedge (RID)|Wedge]] (9)
* [[Wildwheel (G1)|Wildwheel]] (10)
* [[Cyberwarp (G1)|Cyberwarp]] (11)
* [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] (12)
* [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (13)
* [[Sharpclaw]] (14)
* [[Vex]] (15)
* [[Treadshock (G1)|Treadshock]] (16)
* [[Lunaclub]] (17)
* [[Override (BWU)|Override]] (18)
* [[Moon (BW)|Moon]] (22)
* [[Nitro (IDW)|Nitro]] (25)
}}

==Quotes==
"A verse of measured 
Sounds '''from Earth''' provide coping 
Communication." 
"I '''remember Earth'''. I remember thinking, the day it blew up, 'we did that.'"
:—'''Wheelie''' and '''Rodimus'''

"In order to live, we simply had to do the '''one thing''' our race is famous for, and '''change'''." 
"I think if you ask the trillions dead, they'll tell you we're known for something else entirely." 
:—'''Steeljaw''' and '''Rodimus'''

"Energon. The stuff that we're '''supposed''' to use as fuel. Not mulched-up carbon-based life like your good self. But if that's the only option for these guys, then all that's left for them to eat—is my burn. Kitchen's closed, losers."
:—'''Rodimus''' destroys the biofuel refinery

"Moon, I—you idiot! '''Why!'''" 
"Us... all of... '''us'''... dying... he had a '''point'''... I just got it—"
:—'''Wildwheel''' and '''Moon'''

"Goodbye, Wheelie. This was your last stanza."
:—'''Rodimus'''

"Like I said... good guys make the '''hard choices'''... I hate that I had to choose... not to be a good guy anymore."
:—'''Rodimus'''

"He '''shouldn't''' have been here. Neither should I. None of us should." 
"You don't get to decide that. '''You''' don't get to decide if our race '''lives''' or '''dies'''. We could've been '''brothers''', Rodimus. But families don't keep secrets from one another... and there's something you've been hiding from us."
:—'''Rodimus''' versus '''Steeljaw'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* During a conversation with Shib in [[Last Bot Standing issue 2|the previous issue]], Rodimus remembered humans as some of the many victims of the Cybertronian war. This issue expands on that, by revealing that he was stationed on Earth when the planet, in his words, “blew up”.
* Issue #2 began with a brief flashback of a grieving Rodimus kneeling in the wreckage of a burning starship—the wordless scene didn’t immediately clarify what’d happened, but this issue reveals that Rodimus accidentally killed Strongarm when his friend went rogue and tried to steal their starship. Gripper’s also shown to have perished in an accident; his predilection for reckless driving was hinted at during issue #2’s third flashback, when he suggested a drive in the mountains.
* Rodimus killed Steeljaw's advance scout Nitro in [[Last Bot Standing issue 1|issue #1]] when the disoriented Transformer stumbled into [[Fembrance]], and left his headless corpse lying on the outskirts of the town. As we pointed out in our article for issue #2, Override and Riotgear ''would'' have run into his remains when they arrived in Fembrance, but this issue reveals that the pair were running on fumes at the time and thus didn't divert any energy to the sensors that might've detected him otherwise.

===Transformers references===
* New members of Steeljaw's militia in this issue include [[Wildwheel (G1)|Wildwheel]], the cowboy Decepticon who originally debuted in the [[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|''Cyberverse'' cartoon]], but who'd previously made the jump to the [[Generation 1 continuity family]] in 2021 via [[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron|the second ''My Little Pony'' crossover]]. This version of the character, however, lacks his hat, poncho, and most of his cowboy accoutrements, perhaps as a result of the passage of time.
* It shouldn't come as a surprise that the critically damaged Wheelie's found a new way to eke out a living in a dying universe—since his introduction in 1986, he's been depicted as a hardcore survivalist, and this take on the character stretches that trait to its ultimate endpoint. Rodimus notes that while Wheelie once rhymed, as per most depictions of the character; he's shifted over to communicating via haiku since the two last crossed paths.
** Roche also considered casting [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] as the Veteran, but felt like his force of personality would overpower the comic.<ref name=TFN2022>Nick Roche at TFNation 2022, 2022/08/14</ref>
* While investigating the Wallkis brothers, Errold insists that there's "[[More than Meets the Eye (disambiguation)|more than meets the eye]]" to the pair.
* The three "energon keys"—which involve Shib plugging a key-shaped device into a port that opens from the [[insignia]] in Rodimus's chest, releasing a burst of energy that miraculously returns the old 'bot to fighting shape—is a reference to [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]]'s supernatural [[AllSpark Key]] from ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]''.<ref name=TFN2022 /> It also happens to evoke the [[Cyber Key]]s from ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Transformers: Cybertron]]''.
* While mourning the destruction of their biofuel refinery, Wheelie twists [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s traditional motto into something more ghoulish: "''feeding'' is the right of all sentient beings".

===Real-world references===
* Rodimus refers to two of Steeljaw's goons as "jabronis", an insult popularized by [[Dwayne Johnson|Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson]].
* Steeljaw sardonically calls Rodimus the "last son of Cybertron", in reference to one of [[Superman]]'s many appellations: "the Last Son of Krypton".

===Other trivia===
* Wheelie's rapid-fire "damn damn damn damn damn" haiku was meant to be him repeatedly saying "shit".<ref name=TFN2022 /> However, Roche and editor [[David Mariotte]] mutually agreed to tone down the language.<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://davidmariottecomics.tumblr.com/post/704031757980270592/transformers-till-we-meet-again|quote=Nick and I mutually agreed that a haiku of “Damn"s was more reasonable than a haiku of "Shit"s.|name=David Mariotte|site=Tumblr|year=2022|month=12|day=18}}</ref>
* Originally solicited for a July 13th release, this issue arrives just one week late.

===Covers (5)===
* '''Cover A:''' Wheelie gets ahead in life, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Cover B:''' Rodimus remembers happier times, by [[John Allison]]
* '''Cover C:''' Rodimus, Steeljaw, and Shib, by [[Evan Gauntt]]
* '''Cover D:''' Rodimus and Shib, by [[Mina Won]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Rodimus the defender, by [[E. J. Su]]

<gallery>
LastBotStanding 3 cvrA.jpg
LastBotStanding 3 cvrB.jpg
LastBotStanding 3 cvrC.jpg
LastBotStanding 3 cvrD.jpg
LastBotStanding 3 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Transformers: Best of the Beasts]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Best of the Rarities]]''
* ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' #296
* ''The Amazing [[Spider-Man]]: Artisan Edition''
* ''Best of TMNT Collection''
* ''Canto: Tales of the Unnamed World''
* ''Sleeping Beauties''
* ''[[Transformers: King Grimlock]]'' TPB
* ''[[Transformers: Fate of Cybertron]]''
* ''PopInsider''
* ''Dark Spaces: Wildfire''

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://majorspoilers.com/2022/07/19/preview-transformers-last-bot-standing-3/ Preview]

[[Category:Last Bot Standing issues]]

Last Bot Standing issue 2

2023-07-28T21:41:21Z

Digamma-f-wau: typo in letterer's name

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Transformers: Last Bot Standing]]'' #2
|prev=Last Bot Standing issue 1
|next=Last Bot Standing issue 3
|caption=''The Good, the 'Bot, and the Ugly''
|image=LastBotStanding 2 cvrC.jpg
|title=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[June 8]], 2022
|coverdate=June 2022
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|art by=[[Nick Roche]] (pg. 1, 5, 26), [[E. J. Su]] (pg. 2-4, 6-25, 27-30)
|colors=[[Rebecca Nalty]]
|letters by=[[Johanna Nattalie]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
}}

'''The sins of the past loom large as Rodimus finds himself the object of suspicion, while a new group of amoral Cybertronian survivors make planetfall.'''

==Synopsis==
In the desert night, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] finds more questions than answers as he examines the strange cylindrical vessel responsible for bringing the other Cybertronian to [[Donnokt]]: not only are the capsule's inner workings caked in a greasy, organic liquid that Rodimus can't readily identify, its lack of engines or kind of propulsion system suggests someone must've deliberately fired it from an external launcher... but who fired it, and ''why''? As he ponders out loud, a familiar voice catches his attention: [[Shib Wallkis]] has secretly followed Rodimus out into the desert. Before they passed away, she tells him, her parents warned her that Rodimus would only ever wake up in an extreme emergency. However, answers don't come quickly to Rodimus who's spent so much time in a low-power standby mode that his return to the waking world has left him disoriented. When he looks to the stars, the sight leaves him even more confused: the stars in the sky aren't where they're supposed to be... and there ''aren't enough'': one by one, the stars in the sky are winking out. As another star disappears right in front of them, Shib asks if Rodimus knows anything about why the stars have been fading her whole life... and the old 'bot informs her that it's all because of him—him and the rest of the [[Transformer|Cybertronian]] race.

For untold eons, [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s waged their endless war, a grinding, increasingly pointless conflict that swallowed planets, destroyed stars and drove countless sentient races into extinction until the Transformers became victims of their own longevity: when the universe ran out of resources to fight over and spare parts to repair themselves, the Cybertronians gradually dwindled away until only Rodimus remained, the very last Cybertronian of all—or so he thought. Shib reminds Rodimus, that, long ago, he made an agreement with her ancestors: if they kept ''him'' safe, then he'd keep ''them'' safe: her, her family, and maybe even the whole planet... but Rodimus asks if that deal applies to alderman [[Errold]] and his mob of angry citizens, who've pursued the pair across the barrens to apprehend Rodimus. Although Shib tries vouching for the exasperated Autobot, Erold points out that, by all accounts, ''Rodimus'' was the aggressor in the most recent scuffle between him and the other Cybertronian; after some back-and-forth, Rodimus makes a deal: if Shib walks free, then he'll come back to town with them and even allow them to tie him down if it makes them feel safe.

Elsewhere in the desert, outside the second, much larger cylinder, a small rabbit-like Cybertronian grumbles to himself as he completes his post-flight diagnostics, but his complaints only earn the ire of [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] as the commander emerges from [[stasis lock|stasis]]. Once "Spine-Shucker", the newly christened "[[Moon (BW)|Moon]]" reports that all of their equipment and crew—as far as they know, the last dozen Transformers in the universe—have survived the trip intact, while Steeljaw's sister [[Sharpclaw]] announces that they've got a bead on [[Nitro (IDW)|Nitro]]'s landing site. While Moon reactivates and refuels [[Override (BWU)|Override]] and [[Riotgear (G1)|Riotgear]], Sharpclaw informs her brother that they've found a single Cybertronian lifesign moving away from his lander; for his part, Steeljaw waves off her concerns and assumes that the disoriented Nitro got himself lost. Near Nitro's landing sites, the two guards Errold posted to keep an eye son the vessel are confused by a cloud of dust on the horizon. Although they initially mistake the pair for some local steam cars, the terrifying sight of the two vehicles transforming into Override and Riotgear sends the two organics scrambling for cover, even if Riotgear gets stuck in mid-transformation and requires a kick from Override to complete his shift into [[robot mode]]. Override searches the capsule for any clues regarding Nitro's whereabouts, and a potential argument over who gets to ingest some of the leftover [[biofuel]] smeared on the instruments gets cut short when Riotgear, who prefers his "fuel" raw, finds and scoops up the two guards as they cower behind a nearby rock. Before he disposes of the organics, however, he demands to know what happened to the other Cybertronian, and interprets their frantic pointing as a clue...

At the Wallkis farmstead, with the guards posted outside her home asleep, Shib makes preparations for a rescue mission: after secretly donning one of the mysterious necklaces provided by her parents, then putting frightened brother [[Beets Wallkis|Beets]] at ease, she sneaks out of a nearby window and heads down the road into [[Fembrance]], where the townsfolk have taken Rodimus prisoner. By morning, a grouchy, underfuelled Rodimus reminds his captors that they've only captured him because he let them... but as Shib sneaks up to try and rescue her friend, the ground shakes as Override and Riotgear arrive! Impervious to the crude powder weapons wielded by the citizens of Fembrance, the pair follow the signal and stumble across Rodimus; overjoyed to find another member of their kind, the pair help him to his feet and carry him away in their [[alternate mode]]s, ignoring his protests all the while. Overcome with emotion, Riotgear tells Rodimus that this meeting must be a portent: after years of wandering the stars, they've finally found a new home.

Some time later, the three guards report to Errold, who's upset to learn that that the mechanical invaders have stolen their prisoner out from under them. Although the sheriff initially suggests they head up to the Wallkis farmstead for some answers, a breathless guard bursts in with alarming news: Shib's gone missing! A furious Errold promptly leaps to the conclusion that she must've colluded with the aliens to steal the treasures in their hills... a betrayal he won't stand for.

Only a few hours after planetfall, Steeljaw's remnant Cybertronians have turned the crash site into a hub of activity as they labour to unpack and construct a prefabricated biofuel distillery. When Sharpclaw reports three Cybertronian signatures on approach, Steeljaw initially assumes that they've found Nitro... but is intrigued by the sight of a ''new'' Transformer, even as Rodimus recoils in disgust from their touch. The old Autobot squares up for a fight—but, as his tank runs dry, he finally gives out and collapses.

''With the war over, Rodimus's friends [[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]] and [[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]] debate their next move. Strongarm, certain that there must be other pockets of survivors out there in the universe, wants to take their ship, find their kin, and begin again... but Rodimus, certain that there can be no second chance for their species, insists that they stay on ''this'' world and defend it from any other Cybertronians who would do it harm. After a moment's thought, Strongarm agrees, while Gripper suggests they all go for a drive to take their minds off the problem.''

When Rodimus comes to, Steeljaw formally introduces himself and the rest of his "family"... and although Rodimus growls that he wants nothing to do with Decepticons, Steeljaw tells him that these old labels no longer apply—the Cybertronians who follow him have long ago forgotten their original factions, to the point where none of them even recognize Rodimus when he introduces himself. When Rodimus warns the group that there's no [[energon]] on Donnokt to plunder, Steeljaw reveals that there's no energon left ''anywhere''. In these straitened times, he and his followers have adapted by travelling from world to world, farming and processing organic resources into an alternative "biofuel" capable of sustaining Cybertronian life. Rodimus realizes that someone stole his cape while he was unconscious, and Steeljaw explains that, while tending to their new companion, they found a stowaway hidden inside his "unbefitting" garment, who will become the first batch of biofuel brewed on this new world to commemorate their friendship. While Steeljaw orders Override and Riotgear to refit Rodimus with a new fuel intake, he and Moon prepare to process this "local delicacy"... Shib!

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters

|c1=
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (1)
* ''[[Grandus (G1)|Grandus]]'' (3)
* ''[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]]'' (4)
* ''[[Tigerhawk]]'' (5)
* ''[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'' (9)
* ''[[Bulkhead (G1)|Bulkhead]]'' (10)
* ''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (11)
* ''[[Red Alert (IDW)|Red Alert]]'' (15)
* ''[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]'' (16)
* ''[[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]]'' (18)
* ''[[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]]'' (39)
* ''[[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]]'' (40)
|c2=

* ''[[Megatron (RID)|Gigatron]]'' (6)
* ''[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'' (7)
* ''[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]'' (8)
* ''[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'' (12)
* ''[[Strika (BM)|Strika]]'' (13)
* ''[[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]'' (14)
* ''[[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]]'' (17)
* ''[[Snarler]]'' (19)
* ''"[[Noisemaze Mass Production Type Version|Noisemaze]]"'' (20)
* ''[[Calcar]]'' (21)

|h3=[[Donnokt]]|c3=
* [[Shib Wallkis]] (2)
* [[Errold]] (22)
* [[Buck (LBS)|Buck]] (26)
* Buck's friend (27)
* Sleeping guard (30)
* [[Beets Wallkis]] (31)
* [[Tunp]] (32)
* [[Spletsil]] (33)
* Third guard (34)

|c4=
* [[Moon (BW)|Moon]] (23)
* [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]] (24)
* [[Sharpclaw]] (25)
* [[Riotgear (G1)|Riotgear]] (28)
* [[Override (BWU)|Override]] (29)
* [[Cyberwarp (G1)|Cyberwarp]] (35)
* [[Vex]] (36)
* [[Wedge (RID)|Wedge]] (37)
* [[Treadshock (G1)|Treadshock]] (38)
}}

==Quotes==
"Dying came easy to us. You were never mourned for long because someone nearly always found a way to '''bring you back'''. So you could pick up right where '''you left off'''. You can't bring a '''human''', or a '''Nebulan''', or a '''Klovian''' back to life. You can '''rebuild a Cybertronian''', but you can't '''resurrect a star.''' You can't '''remake a planet'''. And eventually, '''finally''', we did it. There were no '''more places left''' to battle over and to drain of resources. No one to put us back together again. Nothing to put us back together '''with'''. We could just '''end'''. Just like all those planets, all those places, all those... people."
:—'''Rodimus'''

"He ain't '''dangerous!'''" 
"No. He's right... I '''am''' dangerous. Of course I am. '''We always are'''. You need to remember that, Shib. Whatever else I end up forgetting, I need to remember that, too. Because if I '''don't''', that makes me even more of a threat."
:—'''Shib''' and '''Rodimus'''

"It is, of course, your right to be addressed as you wish, officer... Moon." 
'Thank you, Commander Steeljaw." 
"Just as it is my right, and that of the entire crew—which, lest you forget, makes up the '''remainder of your race'''—to be utterly, '''utterly''' embarrassed by your very existence."
:—'''Steeljaw''' and '''Moon'''

"'''Woah'''. Right in the cog. Good shot." 
"We're not close enough for me to keep doing this, Riotgear."
:—'''Riotgear''' and '''Override'''

"Take... take your hands '''off''' me. How is this possible? Why aren't you '''dead? Why can't you be dead?'''"
:—'''Rodimus''' gets rescued against his will

"We deserve that, don't we? To find more of us, to '''start again'''?" 
"Strongarm, you '''know''' what "starting again" '''means''' for Cybertronians. A '''beginning for us''' is just '''an ending''' for too many others."
:—'''Strongarm''' and '''Rodimus'''

"My name... is '''Rodimus.'''" 
''(beat)'' 
"Then we are pleased to meet you... Rodim-" 
"Wait. Didn't you hear me? My name is '''Rodimus'''." 
"Yes. That's... should we know—" 
"You've never heard of me? All right. '''Hot Rod'''. I used to go by Hot Rod. That ring a bell? I was '''Rodimus Prime''' for a while... I '''think'''... a '''Prime'''. Does that mean something?"
:—'''Rodimus''' can't impress '''Steeljaw'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* When Nitro arrived outside Fembrance in [[Last Bot Standing issue 1|the previous issue]], a passerby noted that he'd "come from the stories." Errold's speech in this issue continues on this theme, and implies that, millennia after the end of the war, myths and legends of the destructive Cybertronians have persisted, even amongst cultures who arose long after the disappearance of the Autobots and Decepticons.
* The sign welcoming visitors to the town of [[Fembrance]] was destroyed last issue when Rodimus killed the "Visitor"—as per dialogue in this issue, we now know that his real name is "[[Nitro (IDW)|Nitro]]". It's not really clear what happened to Nitro's body, however; going by the ending of issue #1, Override and Riotgear ''should'' have stumbled on his headless corpse lying outside the village, but it's possible that the townsfolk were able to quickly dispose of his remains before sunrise.
* The third flashback in this issue seems to tie into the brief, one-page sequence in issue #1, which showed Rodimus, Strongarm, and Gripper piloting a vessel under attack from other Cybertronian starships. The first panel of this issue, combined with Rodimus's narration on page five, makes it clear that Strongarm and Gripper are both dead, but it's not yet clear if this is the result of a crash-landing or if this issue's flashback is set ''after'' the one in issue #1, and that something else destroyed them and their ship after they landed on Donnokt.

===Transformers references===
* Shib notes that, to the people of Donnokt, the relativistic phenomenon of the nighttime stars winking out is known as "lost lights", and the aged Rodimus notes that the phrase feels familiar. The ''[[Lost Light]]'', was, of course, the starship that [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|one iteration of the character]] captained in IDW's popular ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' ongoings.
* Rodimus recounts that he was "[[Reproduction|forged]]" after the beginning of the Great War. Like most versions of the character, he claims to have originally gone by "Hot Rod", and briefly enjoyed a stint as "Rodimus ''Prime''".
* In his story, Rodimus muses that the Cybertronians treated [[death]] as something impermanent and reversible—a meta-reference to how many ''Transformers'' stories, most prominently the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel comic]], would regularly kill off and resurrect characters, often as a way of "clearing out" old product to [[To sell toys|advertise new toys]].
* In the same conversation, Rodimus describes the Cybertronian war as "Over. Finished.", a well-trodden [[Furmanism]]. In the third flashback, [[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]] drops another one when he sardonically asks Rodimus "who wants to live forever?"
* As per Rodimus, casualties of the Cybertronian war include [[human]]s, [[Nebulan]]s, and [[Klozian|Klovian]]s, pink aliens who originally appeared in the [[End of the Road! (US)|final issue]] of Marvel's ''The Transformers'' comic.
* The flashback on page five features a diverse array of characters from across the ''Transformers'' mythos. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s leading the Autobots; notable faces in the crowd include ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|Battlestars]]'' big guy [[Grandus (G1)|Grandus]], ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Tigerhawk]], [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]], and G1 versions of ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]]'' [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] and ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]]. On the Decepticon side of things, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s lesser-known allies include [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] as she appeared in IDW's [[Transformers (2019 comic)|2019 comic reboot]], ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], the Pretender [[Snarler]], the bat-winged [[Megatron (RID)|Gigatron]], and a gold-and-white Decepticon based on the [[Noisemaze Mass Production Type Version]]s from ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]''. Finally, in the bottom right corner, there's [[Calcar]], a late-run European exclusive from the tail-end of the original "Generation 1" toyline.
* Spaceborne casualties on page five include the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] or another [[Vanguard-class Deep Space Interceptor|Vanguard-class]] ship of its model, and the ''[[Warworld]]'' as it appeared in Marvel's ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' comics, complete with a Generation 2-style Decepticon [[insignia]].
* The central antagonist of our story is revealed to be [[Steel Jaw|Steeljaw]], a new version of the smooth-talking wolf-bot who debuted in 2015's ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' franchise. Like ''Robots in Disguise'' Steeljaw, who aimed to become the next Decepticon leader after [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'s defeat, this iteration of the character has taken a group of Cybertronian stragglers under his wing and set himself up as their nominal commander. ''Unlike'' his cartoon self, however, this version of the character has a [[Relatives|sister]]: [[Sharpclaw]], an original character created by Nick Roche's daughter, who'd previously made a cameo in ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|issue #20]].
* In addition to Sharpclaw and Moon, other Cybertronian remnants who've joined up with Steeljaw include perennial [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] favourite [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Wedge (RID)|Wedge]], an original character named [[Vex]] (see "Errors" for details), and three of the five 'bots who formed [[Galvatronus (RID)|Galvatronus]] in the 2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon: [[Treadshock (RID)|Treadshock]], [[Riotgear (RID)|Riotgear]], and [[Cyberwarp (RID)|Cyberwarp]] (in her blue-and-yellow cartoon coloration). Although they don't appear in this issue, Steeljaw also namedrops the Japanese-original characters [[Lunaclub]] and [[Scylla]], and speaks of a character known only as "the Veteran": while this ''was'' the name a grizzled future [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] went by in [[3H Productions|3H]]'s ''[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]'' comic, the preview for issue #3, combined with a few bits of dialogue in this issue, suggests that it's actually a new moniker for a post-apocalyptic [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. Author [[Nick Roche]] has explained that, with the exception of Wheelie, he deliberately chose characters who debuted after the end of the original [[The Transformers (franchise)|''Transformers'' franchise]], thus providing an in-fiction justification for why Rodimus wouldn't know them. <ref>{{citesocial|quote=The thinking was that they'd be Bots that Rodimus wouldn't have met/known. And the dopey way I rationalised this was: make them toys that were released after him. It imposed some fuzzy logic over the whole thing!|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/1564948359781433344|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=08|day=31|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* Without sufficient fuel or spare parts, Steeljaw notes that he and his men have had to "overwrite" old memories to stay functional, a new version of the "[[information creep]]" concept from ''More than Meets the Eye''. Although Steeljaw and his compatriots have forgotten many heroes and villains from the olden days—Optimus Prime, [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], and Rodimus himself—they immediately remember [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] when Rodimus drops his name, hearkening back to a running gag in ''More than Meets the Eye'' where the heroic Autobot continually one-upped Rodimus.
* Steeljaw's practice of distilling "biofuel" to survive in an energon-depleted universe resembles ''More than Meets the Eye'''s "[[pink alchemy]]", a similarly gruesome method of processing living beings into a viable energon substitute.

===Real-world references===
* Steeljaw's remnant Cybertronians travel from planet to planet using unguided, cylindrical projectiles; combined with their plan to round up the inhabitants of Donnokt and consume them, they evoke the antagonistic {{w|Martian (The War of the Worlds)|Martians}} from ''{{w|The War of the Worlds|The War of the Worlds}}''.
* Continuing the unexpected classic literature references, the imagery of a prone Rodimus lashed to the ground while surrounded by smaller beings evokes the iconic scene from ''{{w|Gulliver's Travels}}'' where the miniature citizens of {{w|Lilliput and Blefuscu|Lilliput}} capture Gulliver.

===Errors===
* Steeljaw's forces include a 'bot named "[[Vex]]"—while the next issue will depict him as a reddish-orange Cybertronian who turns into a six-wheeled vehicle, this issue, perhaps stemming from some kind of miscommunication betwewen writer and artists, instead shows him as a slender, purple and yellow Cybertronian.

===Covers (5)===
* '''Cover A:''' Bad Moon rising, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Cover B:''' Rodimus lassos the moon on horseback, by [[Andrew Griffith]]
* '''Cover C:''' A western showdown, by [[Sid Ven Blu]]
* '''Cover D:''' Rodimus homages the ''{{w|Vitruvian Man}}'', by [[Jim Stafford]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Rodimus versus Moon, by [[E. J. Su]]

<gallery>
LastBotStanding 2 cvrA.jpg
LastBotStanding 2 cvrB.jpg
LastBotStanding 2 cvrC.jpg
LastBotStanding 2 cvrD.jpg
LastBotStanding 2 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

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==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://graphicpolicy.com/2022/06/07/preview-transformers-last-bot-standing-2/ Preview]

[[Category:Last Bot Standing issues]]

Last Bot Standing issue 1

2023-07-28T21:40:23Z

Digamma-f-wau: incorrect letterer credit

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Last Bot Standing|Transformers: Last Bot Standing]]'' #1
|prev=
|next=Last Bot Standing issue 2
|caption=“Whatever Fett is paying you, we’ll match. And all you’ve got to do is stay put and let things play out.”
|image=LastBotStanding 1 cvrA.jpg
|title=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[May 11]], 2022
|coverdate=May 2022
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|art by=[[E. J. Su]] (pg. 1-22, 24-30) [[Nick Roche]] (pg. 23)
|colors=[[Rebecca Nalty]]
|letters by=[[Johanna Nattalie]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
}}

'''At the end of time, on the edge of space, the last Cybertronian discovers that he is not alone.'''

==Synopsis==
In the far-distant future, long after the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] between the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s, a small space pod hurtles towards a remote world and makes planetfall in an empty stretch of desert. After a moment, [[Nitro (IDW)|a single]] [[Transformer]] climbs from the vessel and slowly lurches away...

For the humanoids who inhabit the planet [[Donnokt]], it is a time of rapid change as an industrial revolution spreads across the planet: mining consortiums have enriched sleepy towns like [[Fembrance]] and introduced them to an age of steam-powered wonders, including the smoke-belching buggies so beloved by local rich boy [[Stambo Flentz]] and his friend [[Brennet]]. Not ''all'' of the people of Fembrance are so enamored with progress, however: as the pair rip through town, they spray mud over an incoming wagon and catch an earful from its owner [[Shib Walkis]]. Annoyed that the two brothers have used their new toys to get into the delivery business and undercut her own livelihood, she's found that her longtime customer doctor [[Brel Tonder]] has even hired them while she and her brothers were away on a delivery. When Brel suggests that Shib could modernize, she refuses: her cart's been in the family for generations, and the loss of her parents at a young age means that she's had more than enough change for ''one'' lifetime. After Brel pays them for their delivery, Shib and her brothers trundle home in their wagon, while, elsewhere, the Cybertronian intruder slowly trudges through the barrens.

At home, Shib washes up, puts her brothers to bed, then tends to a small box of family heirlooms that includes photos and a set of necklaces, each one containing a vial filled with [[energon|a strange, blue fluid]]. A sudden knock at the door catches her attention—the sheriff of Fembrance has come calling to ask for her assistance in rescuing a group of wounded miners trapped up in the mountains. Shib grumbles, but ultimately accepts the job, hitches her wagon, and rides off with Brel, even as the lone Cybertronian, leaking [[Biofuel|a strange, green fluid]] as it goes, marches closer and closer to their town. Hours later, Shib returns, bringing with her a complement of injured but still-living miners. Even the loudmouthed Stambo can't help but sheepishly complement her prowess... but any celebrations are cut short when an onlooker shouts in fear and points to the distance, where the Cybertronian has arrived! At first, the arrival merely takes in the sight of this unfamiliar town—until, unexpectedly, Shib's own wagon creaks, shudders, and, as the draft animals bolt, lurches to life all by itself, then sheds its outer tarp to reveal ''another'' Cybertronian, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]! The intruder can't believe he's found ''another'' member of his kind... but Rodimus coldly tells him to die, and promptly pile-drives him into the ground.

Amidst the madness, the townsfolk abruptly round on Shib—did she ''know'' her wagon was "enchanted"? Shib says nothing, but merely watches as the other Transformer desperately pleads with Rodimus to stop, and swears that they are ''brothers''... but when he lands an unexpected hit on his opponent and seemingly takes him out of the fight, the Visitor too momentarily realizes what he's done. As he pleads for his opponent to wake up, he makes the mistake of asking his name; as he does so, Rodimus mumbles his name as he remembers a time ''before'', when, under siege by an enemy flotilla, he deliberately crash-landed his ship and stranded himself on this remote world. As the citizens of Fembrance grab their guns, the visitor sincerely thanks Rodimus for providing "them" with a new home... but Rodimus quickly finds his footing, roars that Donnokt is not theirs, and promptly finishes the fight by ripping the other Transformer's head from his body. As the sheriff orders the town militia to open fire on Rodimus, Shib runs over to the old Autobot; although Rodimus has vague memories of her from his time masquerading as her wagon, he merely warns her and the other citizens of Fembrance not to pick a fight, wraps the remains of the wagon around him to form a makeshift cloak, and warns the people of Fembrance not to follow him as he tosses the severed head of his victim over his shoulder and leaves.

Unbeknownst to Rodimus, however, "they" have already arrived: even now, a second pod crash-lands in the desert, and disgorges [[Moon (BW)|a second Cybertronian invader]]...

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (5)
* ''[[Gripper (G1)|Gripper]]'' (10)
* ''[[Strongarm (G1)|Strongarm]]'' (11)

|h3=[[Donnokt]]|c3=
* [[Brennet]] (2)
* [[Stambo Flentz]] (3)
* [[Shib Wallkis]] (4)
* [[Travyon Wallkis]] (6)
* [[Beets Wallkis]] (7)
* [[Brel Tonder]] (8)
* [[Errold]] (9)

|c4=
* [[Nitro (IDW)|Nitro]] (1)
* [[Moon (BW)|Moon]] (12)

}}

==Quotes==

"These steamramblers—these... these people thinkin' they can get rich quick from it... don't it feel like '''crazy''' has come to town, doc? An' that, maybe, it mightn't leave?"
:—'''Shib'''

"Don't worry, Stambo. Them guys didn't get blowed up too much. They'll be back to work soon enough to fetch you more bang for your little fun-buggy. And thanks for not stealing more of my '''business''' while I was away." 
"...who says we didn't?"
:—'''Shib''' and '''Stambo'''

"No... this place—'''this place is not for us'''." 
"Hnnn! No, wait—we're the '''same—'''" 
"'''Not. The. Same!''''"
:—'''Rodimus''' versus the '''Visitor'''

"My name is '''Rodimus'''. And I have '''no kin'''."
:—'''Rodimus'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* With [[IDW Publishing]]'s time on the ''Transformers'' brand winding down, ''Last Bot Standing'' commemorates seventeen years of IDW ''Transformers'' comics by presenting a "final" ''Transformers'' story, an imaginary tale in the vein of ''{{w|Old Man Logan}}'' or ''{{w|Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?|Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?}}''. While Nick Roche has stated that the story was not written to fit into any one specific continuity—as the comic features shout-outs to many obscure corners of ''Transformers'' lore it ''can'', with a bit of squinting, conceivably act as a hypothetical "last adventure" for basically any ''Transformers'' universe<ref>{{citesocial|quote=WHICH CONTINUITY. ANSWER NOW. Any... all of 'em... or none. It's so far flung, it could ultimately be utterly speculative. But squint, and it bolts onto YOUR Transformers canon as the (chronological) last adventure.|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/1521596094609862658|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=05|day=03|(defunct=)}}</ref>—''Last Bot Standing'' draws heavily upon several concepts popularized by [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel]] and [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW]]'s most cynical stories: a timeline where the Autobot-Decepticon conflict over resources has degenerated into a pointless stalemate, where the galaxy has come to hate and fear all Cybertronians equally, and the antagonistic Transformer faction perpetually search for new sources of energy to survive. Combined with the G1-inspired robot modes for many of the story's heroes and villains, for our organizational purposes we've taken the liberty of labelling ''Last Bot Standing'' as part of the "[[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]]" [[continuity family]], although it's otherwise unconnected to any past or future stories.

===Transformers references===
* The opening narration notes that "it always starts the same way", alluding to the great tradition of ''Transformers'' stories beginning with the robots falling from space, crashing on [[Earth]]. It might also be a deliberate inversion of [[Simon Furman]]'s old chestnut, "[[Furmanism|it never ends]]".
* As mentioned above, ''Last Bot Standing'' isn't written with the intent of slotting into any one continuity, but we'd be remiss if we didn't point out that our hero apparently just goes by "Rodimus", not "Rodimus ''Prime''", which was a naming quirk the character adopted in [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW's original ''Transformers'' universe]].
*Meanwhile, the basic idea of a future era in which an aged and withered Rodimus has outlived many of his contemporaries is likely inspired by the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK]] story, "[[Aspects of Evil!]]", especially given Roche's history as a Marvel UK fan and a member of [[Transmasters UK|the famous fan-fiction group]] that continued the series. The idea has been revisited before, in IDW's Marvel sequel series ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]].''
* The two draft animals who pull Shib's "wagon" are named "[[Sparks (IDW)|Sparks]]" and "[[Firebolt (IDW)|Firebolt]]": [[Firebolt (G1)|Firebolt]] was the name of Hot Rod's [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] partner, while "Sparks" was the name Firebolt went by in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]].
* As she leaves to rescue the miners, Shib announces that it's time to "[[roll out]]".
* During Rodimus' flashback, he is chased by ships based on the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' and the ''[[Darksyde (BW)|Darksyde]]''.
* Rodimus ripping off Nitro's face is a visual homage to [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] doing the same to [[The Fallen]] in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)| Revenge of the Fallen]]''. <ref name=TFN2022>Nick Roche at TFNation 2022, 2022/08/14</ref>
* The killer rabbit leaving the space pod on the final page is [[Moon (BW)|Moon]], a transforming bunny who debuted in the ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' television show. In that cartoon, Moon was not, in fact, of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] origin; he and his android friend [[Artemis]] were ''[[human]]'' creations, overseers of an abandoned [[Earth]] many thousands of years after the disappearance of their creators. Given this comic's far-future setting, we're wondering if the choice to include this specific character might not factor into the plot of future issues...
** Originally, Moon's role was conceived as going to [[Waddlepop]]—this was a rare case of Hasbro vetoing such a choice. Roche also considered [[Signal Lancer (Cybertron)|Signal Lancer]] but felt a traffic light would be a little ''too silly'' an image to end on.<ref name=TFN2022 />

===Other trivia===
* Backmatter for this plus-sized issue includes [[Nick Roche]]'s concept art for Shib, Trayvon, Beets, Tonder, Rodimus, the "Visitor", and some of the miscellaneous steam cars seen throughout the issue.

===Covers (6)===
* '''Cover A:''' In the desert, Rodimus walks, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Cover B:''' Everyone Rodimus knows goes away in the end, by [[Alex Milne]]
* '''Cover C:''' Stabbed in the back, by [[Gavin Spence]]
* '''Cover D:''' Rodimus and Shib, by [[Phil Knott]]
* '''Online exclusive cover:''' Famous Cybertronians, by [[Rui Onishi]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Rodimus and the citizens of Fembrance, by [[E. J. Su]]

<gallery>
LastBotStanding 1 cvrA.jpg
LastBotStanding 1 cvrB.jpg
LastBotStanding 1 cvrC.jpg
LastBotStanding 1 cvrD.jpg
LastBotStanding 1 cvrRE.jpg
LastBotStanding 1 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

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==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2022/05/comic-book-preview-transformers-last-bot-standing-1/ Preview]

[[Category:Last Bot Standing issues]]

Shattered Glass II issue 4

2023-01-24T03:54:49Z

Digamma-f-wau: Pirrie wasn't credited on this issue nor made any indication (that I could find) of doing any uncredited work on it; seems like someone copy-pasted the infobox from the previous issue and forgot to edit him out

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass II]]'' #4
|prev=Shattered Glass II issue 3
|next=Shattered Glass II issue 5
|caption=
|image=IDWSGII 4 cvrA.jpg
|title=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 23]], 2022
|coverdate=November 2022
|written by=[[Danny Lore]]
|art by=[[Dan Khanna]]
|inks=[[Gigi Dutreix]]
|colors=[[John-Paul Bove]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
}}

'''Flamewar struggles to balance her desire for vengeance against the good of the mission as she leads a Decepticon strike force to Metroplex.'''

==Synopsis==
{{note|This story is told in non-linear form. This synopsis presents it in chronological order for ease of reading.}}

''As the war between the evil [[Autobot]]s and heroic [[Decepticon]]s took shape, not all Cybertronians took sides at first. Some, like [[Cannonball (SG)|Cannonball]] and the pirate crew of the ''[[Rising Sea]]'' initially stayed out of the conflict due to his past disagreements with [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]], but there came a time when Cannonball and his crew joined [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] in a battle to protect [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s [[Titan Net]] from [[Windblade (SG)|Windblade]]'s Titan-killing "Citycrashers". [[Flamewar (SG)|Flamewar]], fanatically loyal to her captain, took on [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]] alone, ignoring her captain's warnings, and forced Cannonball to sacrifice his life so that his crew could escape. Without their captain, Flamewar and the remaining survivors slipped into a deep despair; during a drunken memorial for Cannonball at a run-down watering hole, however, Megatron approached Flamewar and her compatriots with an offer of employment—join the Decepticons and take back Cybertron from Autobot tyranny. Megatron believes that [[Slipstream (SG)|Slipstream]] is the new leader of the pirates, but this isn't entirely true: she might be their ''nominal'' commander, but the truth is that they go wherever Flamewar goes.''

Years later, Flamewar was a part of Megatron's ill-fated mission to [[Earth]] and present for the final battle against the Autobots. Ultimately, Megatron ordered [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] to get the surviving Decepticons to safety while he stayed behind; although the noble [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] and his followers did what they could to rescue as many Decepticons as possible and limp back to Cybertron, Flamewar had now lost ''two'' leaders, and the experience taught the embittered Decepticon a valuable lesson: never leave a man behind.''

In the present day, an annoyed Flamewar gripes that Megatron still hasn't cleared her or her unit to take on the Autobots in the [[Static Zone]]; while Slipstream urges caution, Flamewar, still fuming about her recent run-in with [[Blaster (SG)|Blaster]], insists that she's ready for action. The pair argue back and forth about Megatron's true strategy before [[Shadow Striker (SG)|Shadow Striker]] finally cuts to the heart of the matter: if neither of them really want to be here, why are they still here? Flamewar admits that Cannonball would never have sat back and waited for the action to come to him—and with that, the crew of the ''Rising Sea'' transform and speed away to find the Autobots.

Out in the Static Zone, the group find [[Metroplex (SG)|Metroplex]]'s frozen form, surrounded by Autobots—including Flamewar's old nemesis, Rodimus. Flamewar immediately announces that she's going to kill Rodimus for everything he's done, Slipstream advises caution... but Flamewar, adamant that she'll do this even if her own teammates won't support her, promptly zooms away to settle her score. Slipstream watches her go, and murmurs that she'll ''always'' be there for her...

At Metroplex's base, Rodimus spies Flamewar on the horizon and springs into action, leaving an irritated [[Wheeljack (SG)|Slicer]] to drag their new prisoner [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] away to [[Ratchet (SG)|Ratchet]]'s newest base of operations. The pair fight until an artillery shell spirals into the battlefield and sends them both flying—a shell that belongs to [[Hailstorm (SG)|Hailstorm]], who tries to assist until Rodimus shoots him in a turret barrel and triggers a fatal explosion. At that moment, Slipstream swoops in to extricate her teammate from an unwinnable fight; furious and grief-stricken at losing another comrade, Flamewar struggles free and dives back down to finish the job—only for Rodimus to promptly shoot her unconscious.

Flamewar comes to inside the Titan itself... and right next to a shackled [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]], who bellows defiance at his captors as they haul him away for an unspecified "procedure". Flamewar demands to know where he's been taken, and what's to happen to her as well, but Slicer only informs her that she's being kept alive as a bargaining chip. Fortunately, Slipstream's arrived just in time to rescue her friend as she stalls for time. Noticing that Slicer has some attachment to Blaster's severed head, she grabs the body part and demands to know what Ratchet's doing to Optimus—Slicer manages to get out that Ultra Magnus's sinister plans involve Prime's body somehow, but when Slicer leaps for Slipstream, Flamewar lines up a shot and sends the amoral engineer tumbling out of a shattered wall to the ground far below. Flamewar takes stock of this unexpected victory, and remembers her last conversation with Slipstream.

Flamewar decides that she ''could'' pointlessly avenge Megatron and Cannonball and everyone else she's lost... but there's a ''real'' fight underway now, and there'll be plenty of other chances to make up for lost time!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashback. 

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Decepticon]]s|c1=
* [[Slipstream (SG)|Slipstream]] (1)
* [[Hailstorm (SG)|Hailstorm]] (2)
* [[Barricade (SG)|Barricade]] (3)
* [[Flamewar (SG)|Flamewar]] (4)
* [[Skywarp (SG)|Skywarp]] (5)
* [[Sunstorm (SG)|Sunstorm]] (6)
* ''[[Tracer (SG)|Tracer]]'' (7)
* [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] (8)
* [[Shadow Striker (SG)|Shadow Striker]] (9)
* [[Hotlink (SG)|Hotlink]] (10)
* [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] (14)
* ''[[Frenzy (SG)|Frenzy]]'' (16)
* ''[[Thundercracker (SG)|Thundercracker]]'' (19)
* ''[[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]]'' (20)

|h2=[[Autobot]]s|c2=
* [[Wheeljack (SG)|Slicer]] (12)
* [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]] (13)
* ''[[Windblade (SG)|Windblade]]'' (17)
* [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] (21)
* [[Springer (SG)|Springer]] (22)
* [[Drift (SG)|Drift]] (23)
* [[Tailgate (SG)|Tailgate]] (24)

|c4=
* [[Metroplex (SG)|Metroplex]] (11)
* ''[[Cannonball (SG)|Cannonball]]'' (15)
* [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (18)

}}

==Quotes==
"This isn't even really disobeying. This is just... speeding up the timeline."
:—'''Flamewar'''

"If you're not right behind me, then I guess you weren't 'with me' like I thought you were." 
"We're always with you, don't you get it?"
:—'''Flamewar''' and '''Slipstream''''

"I gotcha, Flamewar!" 
"Which one of us do you think is quicker on the draw? Me or '''Hailstorm?'''"
:—'''Hailstorm''' dies to '''Rodimus'''

"You do those experiments on your own people? Sick." 
"I get the feeling you've got a broader idea of 'your own people' than I do." 
"I don't get it." 
"You've '''got''' people. I've got a job."
:—'''Flamewar''' and '''Slicer'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The comic picks up in the immediate aftermath of [[Shattered Glass II issue 2|issue #2]], in which [[Blaster (SG)|Blaster]] led a raid on [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] and used his sonic powers to smash his way through a wall, catching Flamewar off-guard in the process.
* The third flashback takes place immediately after the flashback in '''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (IDW)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Shattered Glass issue 2|issue #2]], in which Megatron deliberately sacrificed himself so that [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]]—wearing his F-15 Earth body from the same flashback—could lead the remaining Decepticons off [[Earth]].

===Transformers references===
* While Flamewar rocketed to stardom during [[Brian Ruckley]]'s tenure on IDW's [[Transformers (2019 comic)|2019 ''Transformers'' reboot]]—in which he famously characterized her as a chaotic terrorist who delighted in trolling her nominal allies—this take on the character hews closer to her depiction in [[BotCon 2014]]'s "[[Hoist the Flag]]" storyline, which depicted her as a new recruit to [[Cannonball (G1)|Cannonball]]'s pirate crew. As we noted in our article for last issue, however, her affiliates are (mostly) mirror-universe members of [[Team Stream]] from the 2019 comics.
* Cannonball himself is based directly on his "Hoist the Flag" incarnation, a retool of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]]'' [[Ratchet (WFC)#Prime|Ratchet]] with a new head and color scheme.
* While in Iacon, Flamewar, Soundwave, and Cannonball fought to defend the city's "[[Titan Net]]", a piece of Titan-related technology that originated in the 2019 ''Transformers'' reboot. They're opposed by, among other characters, [[Windblade (SG)|Windblade]]; rather than a [[cityspeaker]], she and [[Lightbright (SG)|Lightbright]] are "city''crashers''" who deliberately destroy Titans.
* In her conversation with Soundwave, Flamewar namedrops [[Lowload (SG)|Lowload]], a ''Shattered Glass'' version of a [[Lowload (G1)|minor character from IDW's reboot]], as a former member of Cannonball's crew.

===Errors===
* On page two, "[[engex]]" is misspelt "energex".
* On page four, Flamewar's line—"we're not Constructicons"—is missing a period.
* On page eleven, Cannonball's dialogue is also missing a punctuation mark.
* On the first panel on page fifteen, Flamewar's handcuffs are black like the inner parts of her forearms instead of blue.

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A:''' Flamewar, by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
* '''Cover B:''' Flamewar's up to mischief, by [[Ashleigh Phillips]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Metroplex, Megatron, and a perky Flamewar, by [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Hasbro Pulse exclusive cover:''' Flamewar attacks, by [[Casey Coller]]

<gallery>
IDWSGII 4 cvrA.jpg
IDWSGII 4 cvrB.jpg
IDWSGII 4 cvrRI.jpg
SG Flamewar.jpg
</gallery>

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==External links==
* [https://majorspoilers.com/2022/11/22/preview-transformers-shattered-glass-ii-4/ Preview]

[[Category:IDW Shattered Glass issues]]

Shattered Glass II issue 3

2022-11-07T01:26:56Z

Digamma-f-wau:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass II]]'' #3
|prev=Shattered Glass II issue 2
|next=Shattered Glass II issue 4
|caption=
|image=IDWSGII 3 cvrA.jpg
|title=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 2]], 2022
|coverdate=October 2022
|written by=[[Danny Lore]]
|art by=[[Guido Guidi]]
|inks=[[Matt Froese]]
|colors=[[John-Paul Bove]] and [[Ed Pirrie]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
}}

'''Slicer has an unhappy reunion with his former leader as he infiltrates the dormant Metroplex.'''

==Synopsis==
Since the fall of [[Kaon (polity)|Gold City]], [[Ratchet (SG)|Ratchet]] has been hard at work re-establishing his ghoulish "clinic" in a secure location; as [[Wheeljack (SG)|Slicer]] gives him some fresh parts to tinker with, the cranky medic brings Slicer up to speed on his hasty relocation as the [[Wreckers|Wrecker]] commando prepares for his next mission. With [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] at the helm, Slicer insists that they're on the verge of a decisive victory... but the ever-morose Ratchet grunts that it's all the same, and gloomily proclaims that Slicer's bound to lose an arm on his next outing. No matter who wins or loses, Ratchet grumbles, ''he's'' the one who's stuck—quite literally—picking up the pieces.

As he transforms and races out into the inhospitable [[Static Zone]], Slicer relies on the sophisticated communications array embedded in [[Blaster (SG)|Blaster]]'s severed head to pierce the communications-jamming radiation that gives the region its name, even though the pragmatic, pessimistic Slicer has no patience for [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]]'s morale-boosting broadcasts. After arriving at [[Metroplex (SG)|Metroplex]]'s resting site, Slicer spies [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] scouting the area from above; worse yet, the disturbed ground around the base of the buried [[Titan (group)|Titan]] indicate that it's been ''moving''. Slicer heads through the Titan's inner workings in search of [[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]], using Blaster's head as a kind of compass to navigate through empty corridors and abandoned infrastructure and lacing the Titan's frame with hidden explosives as he goes, until he finally triangulates the source of the radio interference: Goldbug has implanted [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]]'s disembodied, indestructible [[spark]] into Metroplex's systems. When his old boss confronts his former lackey for running off, Slicer lies that he went underground after the fall of Gold City and has only just come out of hiding.

The two work to try and get Metroplex moving while Wheeljack tries to pump Goldbug for whatever scraps of information he can wrangle from the uncooperative Autobot warlord, but eventually slips away to put through a call to the rest of the Wreckers for backup. As he finishes, however, the ground beneath his feet abruptly shakes: Jetfire is making his move, and Metroplex is moving in response! However, when Jetfire weighs his odds and falls back, the Titan goes dormant once more; Slicer tries working Goldbug for any information regarding Metroplex's fitful behaviour, but the impetuous ex-tyrant refuses to play along. When Blaster's head picks up a garbled transmission from Soundwave regarding Decepticon movement on the front lines, Slicer gets an idea...

Somewhere in the wasteland, the [[Air Strike Patrol (SG)|Air Strike Patrol]]'s reconnaissance flight takes a dramatic turn when a shot from the ground obliterates [[Tailwind (SG)|Tailwind]]; [[Whisper (SG)|Visper]] leads the remaining two Decepticons as they circle around to take on Slicer and Goldbug, but the two Autobots make short work of their victims. Having goaded Goldbug into action, Slicer's confident that he can eliminate his former boss next... until Goldbug shrieks that he knows ''exactly'' who Slicer's really working for, tackles his former employee, and points his gun to Slicer's head. Before he can pull the trigger, however, unexpected salvation arrives in the form of Jetfire, who transforms and finally avenges Starscream as he fatally crushes Goldbug's head beneath his foot.

The two traitors briefly stand side-by-side... until Jetfire pulls his gun on Slicer, prompting the saboteur to deploy his last-ditch booby-trap—his own arm, rigged with enough explosives to sever the limb and shock the ex-Autobot. Jetfire's unfazed, however, but as he prepares to take down Slicer the other Wreckers arrive, and promptly lash the Autobot flier to the ground with strong cables. Slicer shouts that Ultra Magnus ''needs'' Jetfire alive to wake Metroplex... but he's not the only 'bot interested in the Titan: [[Flamewar (SG)|Flamewar]] and her Decepticon crew are on the way!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashback. 

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Decepticon]]s|c1=
* [[Soundwave (SG)|Soundwave]] (voice only) (5)
* [[Storm Cloud (SG)|Storm Cloud]] (9)
* [[Whisper (SG)|Visper]] (10)
* [[Nightflight (SG)|Nightflight]] (11)
* [[Tailwind (SG)|Tailwind]] (12)
* [[Barricade (SG)|Barricade]] (17)
* [[Slipstream (SG)|Slipstream]] (18)
* [[Hotlink (SG)|Hotlink]] (19)
* [[Tracer (SG)|Tracer]] (20)
* [[Flamewar (SG)|Flamewar]] (21)
* [[Sunstorm (SG)|Sunstorm]] (22)
* [[Shadow Striker (SG)|Shadow Striker]] (23)

|h2=[[Autobot]]s|c2=
* [[Wheeljack (SG)|Slicer]] (1)
* [[Ratchet (SG)|Ratchet]] (2)
* [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr's corpse]] (3)
* [[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]] (8)
* [[Springer (SG)|Springer]] (13)
* [[Tailgate (SG)|Tailgate]] (14)
* [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]] (15)
* [[Drift (SG)|Drift]] (16)

|c4=
* [[Metroplex (SG)|Metroplex]] (6)
* [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] (7)

}}

==Quotes==
"Winning and losing is all the '''same''' from my workbench. I'll be putting the pieces back '''together''' no matter what."
:-'''Ratchet'''

"Hearing Soundwave fret about how soldiers' pasts will affect their futures reminds me of Ratchet's way of holding on to the dead. Both hoping that they'll find a key to the future. I know better, of course. You can't change what's happened before. You don't know who's gonna win tomorrow's battle. You just figure out who's the most powerful now, what they need from you and... boom. You're good."
:—'''Slicer'''

"You're an overgrown patch of rust on my hinges, you know that? Think I don't know you're still '''loyal''' to '''Ultra Magnus?''' No '''Wreckers''' just '''walk'''. But you had a use, right up until that damn radio frequency nonsense. If your lies are getting '''sloppy''', Slicer, you're done."
:—'''Goldbug'''

"When you think about everything he's done... Goldbug should really have seen that coming."
:—'''Slicer''' watches Goldbug die

"Slicer." 
"Jetfire—look at us. Two traitors to Gold City." 
"Some bots deserve to be betrayed."
:—'''Jetfire''' and '''Slicer'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* As established in ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (IDW)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Shattered Glass issue 1|#1]], Ratchet used to run his clinic in occupied [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]], then known as "Gold City". This issue reveals that he survived the battle against the Decepticons and relocated to wherever the Autobots are currently operating out of.
* While driving towards Metroplex, Slicer passes [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]]'s melted corpse, still standing after [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] outsmarted him in ''Shattered Glass'' #1.
* Goldbug killed Starscream and escaped with his unique indestructible spark in [[Shattered Glass issue 5|''Shattered Glass'' #5]], in the hopes that he'd be able to awaken Metroplex. He's being tracked by [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]], who'd previously vowed to avenge Starscream in the same issue; [[Shattered Glass II issue 2|the previous issue]] had him pressing Megatron for troops to carry out his vendetta, so it's likely that, at some point between issues #2 and #3, Megatron allowed the Air Strike Patrol to fly a sortie with him.

===Transformers references===
* On page one, Ratchet's handling a severed arm based on the [[Exo-Suit (SG)|Exo-Suit]] figure that came with Slicer's [[Wheeljack (SG)#Shattered Glass Collection|most recent ''Shattered Glass'' toy]].
* Wheeljack's mid-transformation pose on page two evokes Wheeljack's pose in [[DIS-Integrated Circuits!|issue #9]] of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel US comic]].
* Flamewar's Decepticon squad draws heavily upon the (in)famous "[[Team Stream]]" from [[Transformers (2019 comic)|IDW's rebooted ''Transformers'']] run: there's Flamewar herself, of course, and her crew also includes mirror-universe versions of [[Sunstorm (SG)|Sunstorm]], [[Slipstream (SG)|Slipstream]], [[Hotlink (SG)|Hotlink]], [[Tracer (SG)|Tracer]], and [[Shadow Striker (SG)|Shadow Striker]], plus [[Barricade (SG)|Barricade]], whom Flamewar occasionally bullied in ''Transformers''. In a stranger turn, there's also [[Hailstorm (SG)|Hailstorm]], whose only connection to Flamewar involves a cameo in 2014's "[[Cybertron's Most Wanted]]" comic. Whether by coincidence or design, his missile tank altmode and purple paint job evokes [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], who occasionally appeared alongside Flamewar and rest of Team Stream in ''Transformers''.

===Real-world references===
* When holding Blaster's head, Wheeljack mockingly asks if he has no jokes and says "Alas, poor Blaster.", referencing the often-misquoted {{w|Yorick}} soliloquy from Shakespeare's ''{{w|Hamlet}}''.

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A:''' Slicer vs. Jetfire and Goldbug, by [[Guido Guidi]]
* '''Cover B:''' Slicer, Ratchet, and Optimus, by [[Lantana Gao]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Slicer in the Static Zone, by [[Stefano Siemone]]
* '''Hasbro Pulse exclusive cover:''' Slicer attacks, by [[Casey Coller]]

<gallery>
IDWSGII 3 cvrA.jpg
IDWSGII 3 cvrB.jpg
IDWSGII 3 cvrRI.jpg
IDWSGII 3 cvrRE.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Transformers: King Grimlock]]''
* ''[[Star Trek (franchise)|Star Trek]]: Resurgence''
* ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' #300
* ''Dead Seas''

==External links==
* [https://majorspoilers.com/2022/11/01/preview-transformers-shattered-glass-ii-3/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=preview-transformers-shattered-glass-ii-3 Preview]

[[Category:IDW Shattered Glass issues]]

Jack Lawrence

2022-09-14T23:39:36Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Comic art */ Going through and updating/standardizing various comic contributor pages

[[File:Jack Lawrence.jpg|thumb|Transformers Wiki presents Jack Lawrence in... <s>Potato</s> Android Vision!]]
'''Jack Lawrence''' (b. [[1975]]) is an [[United Kingdom|English]] comic book artist born in Canterbury, Kent, who began his career as a character animator for Lightmaker, a web design company in the UK, in 2000. He has worked on ''Transformers'' titles for [[IDW Publishing]]. His first published art for the company was a variant cover for [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|''Sins of the Wreckers'' #4]]. He was then announced as one of the artists for ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light]]''. He'd previously worked with [[James Roberts]], and Roberts's frequent collaborator [[Nick Roche]], on projects for the [[Transmasters UK]] [[fan fiction]] group.

Outside of ''Transformers''. his professional work includes drawing the "City Def: Field Trip" story for ''{{w|Judge Dredd Megazine}}'' 279{{n-}}293 and the creator-owned ''Darkham Vale'' series.

==Comic art==
===Interiors===
*''[[The Transformers: Lost Light]]'' [[Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|#1]]–[[After Megatron (A Dissolution Epilogue)|7]], [[The Plotters' Club (Part 1): Full Circle|#10]]–[[The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|12]], [[The Everlasting Voices (1): Metastasis|#16]]–[[The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|18]], [[Crucible (Part 3): Farsickness|#21]], [[Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|#23]], [[How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2|#25]]
*''[[Star Trek vs. Transformers]]'' [[Prime's Directive, Part Three|#3]]
*''[[Transformers Valentine's Day Special]]''
*''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!]]'' [[Shine Like a Diamond|#1b]], [[Pet Sounds|#3a]]
*''[[My Little Pony/Transformers: The Magic of Cybertron]]'' [[The Magic of Cybertron|#1a]], [[Finale (The Magic of Cybertron)|#4b]]
*''[[Transformers: Wreckers—Tread & Circuits]]'' [[Tread & Circuits Part 1|#1]]-[[Tread & Circuits Part 4|4]]
*''[[Transformers: War's End]]'' [[War's End Part One|#1]]-[[War's End Part Four|4]]

===Covers===
*''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers]]'' [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|#4]] (Subscription cover)
*''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One]]'' [[Ping|#5]] (Retailer Incentive cover)
*''The Transformers: Lost Light'' [[Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|#1]]–[[After Megatron (A Dissolution Epilogue)|7]] (Regular covers), [[An Axe to Break the Ice|#8]]–[[The Everlasting Voices (2): The God War|17]] (A covers), [[The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|#18]] (A and B covers), [[Crucible (Part 2): Lūstrāre|#20]] (A and B covers), [[Crucible (Part 3): Farsickness|#21]] (Cover A), [[Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|#23]] (Cover A), [[How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2|#25]] (Cover A)
*''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Orion Pax: Free Fall|#6]] (Cover A), [[Rise of the Decepticons: Swindle's|#20]] (Cover B)
*''Transformers Valentine's Day Special'' (Regular cover)
*''My Little Pony/Transformers: Friendship in Disguise!'' [[Friendship in Disguise! issue 1|#1]] (Cover RI-A)
*''[[Transformers: Galaxies]]'' [[Storm Horizon Part 1|#10]] (Cover RI)
*''Transformers: Wreckers—Tread & Circuits'' [[Tread & Circuits Part 1|#1]], [[Tread & Circuits Part 4|#4]] (A covers)
*''Transformers: War's End'' [[War's End Part Four|#4]] (Cover A)

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:SOTW4_subcvr.jpg|
File:TheNewColossus-BaronKarza.jpg|
File:LL1 regcvr.jpg|
File:LugIDW.jpg|
File:PrimesDirectivePart3-Decepticons.jpg
File:MLPTF 1 cvr RI A clean.jpg
</gallery>
*''[[:Category:Images by Jack Lawrence|Extended Jack Lawrence gallery]]''</center>

==External Links==
*[http://jackademus.com/ Art of Jack Lawrence Official Website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrence, Jack}}
[[Category:IDW Publishing]]
[[Category:Illustrators]]

Shattered Glass II issue 1

2022-09-01T19:19:29Z

Digamma-f-wau: /* Covers (4) */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass II]]'' #1
|prev=Shattered Glass issue 5
|next=Shattered Glass II issue 2
|caption=
|image=IDWSGII 1 cvrRI.jpg
|title=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[August 31]], 2022
|coverdate=August 2022
|written by=[[Danny Lore]]
|art by=[[Andrew Griffith]] (pg. 1, 4-5, 7-11, 14-16) [[Marcelo Matere]] (pg. 2-3, 5, 6, 12-13, 17-20)
|inks=[[Gigi Dutreix]]<ref>{{twitter|Since it's out-- here are some of the inks I did for transformers: shattered glass II, ISSUE 1!! original pencils by @marcelomatere |https://twitter.com/GigiDutreix/status/1565414746463117317|Gigi Dutreix|2022|09|31}}</ref>
|colors=[[John-Paul Bove]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]] and [[Riley Farmer]]
}}

'''As the Autobot warlords race to control the newly-activated Metroplex, Ultra Magnus and the Wreckers spearhead a coup against Optimus Prime.'''

==Synopsis==
{{note|This story is told in non-linear form. This synopsis presents it in chronological order for ease of reading.}}
''[[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] might have built up an army, overthrown the [[Senate]], and bent [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to his demented will, but none of it would've been possible without [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]], who considers himself the ''real'' power behind the throne. Once a quiet bureaucrat, Magnus found himself increasingly emboldened by Orion's quest for power; his ability to pinpoint the loopholes in Cybertronian police codes allow Orion and the Autobots to push the limits of due process and made made him an invaluable ally. Although senator [[Shockwave (SG)|Shockwave]] pays his friend a visit to warn that Orion is taking advantage of him, Magnus takes offense at the idea; when [[Goldbug (SG)|Bumblebee]] interrupts the conversation to bring Magnus another question from Orion, Shockwave—aware that Magnus has gone down a path he can't follow—quietly takes his leave.''

''As Orion's army takes shape, Magnus finds himself climbing the ranks, until the day he found himself thrust into a position of power when Orion appoints him to be the public face of a new security unit assembled to keep order by any means necessary. Initially, Magnus objects to the proposition... but Orion reminds him that he is not the innocent 'bot he sets himself up to be and that he secretly ''enjoyed'' puzzling out new ways to circumvent Cybertronian law. As Prime brushes his face, he warns that the emotionless hologram he wears to conceal his ''true'' face might just crack someday. A few days later, however, when Shockwave runs afoul of Magnus's private unit after a run-in with the press, tensions swiftly escalate when Shockwave criticizes Magnus's latest promotion and earns himself a swift rebuke from [[Impactor (SG)|Impactor]]. As the situation spirals out of control, Magnus sputters for everyone to stop, but a snide remark from [[Kup (SG)|Kup]] pushes him over the edge. Magnus' calm façade finally shatters—literally—as he drops his ever-present hologram to reveal his ''true'' face, then drops Impactor by throwing Kup at him. Watching the fight from safe distance, Shockwave coldly asks if Magnus ''really'' wanted them to stop... or if he was too cowardly to admit he secretly enjoyed the violence. When [[Wheeljack (SG)|Wheeljack]] asks what they'll do with Impactor, Magnus tells his men that it's time he makes some'' real ''changes.''

''When Orion lays into Magnus for daring to dismiss Impactor and re-organize "his" squad, Magnus points out that Orion is no longer their official leader—when he transferred command, Magnus's new position included the right to dismiss uncooperative or insubordinate 'bots like Impactor from the newly-christened "[[Wreckers]]". Amused by Magnus's insolence, Orion agrees to test Magnus's newfound bravado by including him and the Wreckers in the next part of his plan: a full-scale assault on the Senate. While the Wreckers storm the building, Magnus takes it upon himself to find and capture Shockwave—and although Shockwave's no fighter, he's courageous enough to try and remind Magnus of the good person he used to be, and the sanctity of the laws he used to care about—but a single swing of Magnus's fist easily shuts up his one-time friend. The job done, Magnus hoists Shockwave's unconscious body over his shoulder and carries him off, confident that the brain-altering [[empurata]] procedure will shut him up for good.''

In the present day, Ultra Magnus and his Wreckers have arrived at the gates of [[Iacon (polity)|Pax]] to demand an audience with Optimus Prime regarding recent developments. Although [[Sunstreaker (SG)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Whirl (SG)|Whirl]] try to keep them out, their citation of Autobot law only enrages Magnus, who growls that the law is what ''he'' says it is. Before the argument can escalate further, Optimus himself puts through a call to Sunstreaker, with orders to escort Magnus and one Wrecker of his choosing—[[Jazz (SG)|Jazz]]—to the throne room, leaving the rest of his crew with nothing but a terrified Whirl for company. Inside Prime's fortress, Magnus delivers a report to a bored Optimus regarding recent events: while [[Metroplex (SG)|Metroplex]]'s reactivation has sparked a new race between the three Autobot warlords to control the mighty [[Titan (group)|Titan]], the fall of [[Gold City]] has afforded [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]] and the [[Decepticon]]s the chance to regain a foothold and potentially reignite the war. Although Optimus scoffs that Goldbug was weak, Jazz breaks rank and shouts that Optimus ''owes'' Magnus: after all, Ultra Magnus and his Wreckers helped hand the city over to Prime during the war, but this comment finally provokes Prime's wrath, and the Autobot tyrant finally rises from this throne to backhand the insolent Autobot across the room.

Although Magnus and Jazz take their leave, Magnus mulls over his role in the coming conflict—when Jazz sardonically points out that Prime wants the Wreckers fighting Goldbug's Titan, Prowl's own breakaway faction, ''and'' Megatron's Decepticons, Magnus decides that enough's enough and finally reveals his true plan. On his orders, the rest of the Wreckers promptly swing into action as they overwhelm the guards outside the fortress, easily dispatch the guards, and storm Optimus's inner sanctum. Furious that his old ally has finally shown his true colours, Optimus takes it upon himself to remind his treacherous subordinate of his place; when Optimus accuses [[Prowl (SG)|Prowl]] of putting Magnus up to the task, however, the assertion enrages Magnus, who roars that ''he'' won the war for Optimus, before finally felling the Autobot leader by ramming him into his own throne. As Prime falls, the triumphant Wreckers take in the sight as a ''new'' Autobot leader rises to take his place—and, as Magnus crushes Prime's prone body under his foot, he prepares to put the next step of his plan into play...

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashback. 

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Decepticon]]s|c1=
* ''[[Shockwave (SG)|Shockwave]]'' (2)
* ''[[Laserbeak (SG)|Laserbeak]]'' (16)
* ''[[Ratbat (SG)|Ratbat]]'' (20)

|h2=[[Autobot]]s|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] (1)
* [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Orion Pax/Optimus Prime]] (3)
* ''[[Goldbug (SG)|Bumblebee]]'' (4)
* [[Jazz (SG)|Jazz]] (5)
* [[Wheeljack (SG)|Wheeljack/Slicer]] (6)
* [[Kup (SG)|Kup]] (7)
* [[Sunstreaker (SG)|Sunstreaker]] (8)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Whirl (SG)|Whirl]] (9)
* [[Sandstorm (SG)|Sandstorm]] (10)
* [[Drift (SG)|Drift]] (11)
* [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]] (12)
* [[Ricochet (SG)|Ricochet]] (13)
* ''[[Springer (SG)|Springer]]'' (14)
* ''[[Impactor (SG)|Impactor]]'' (15)

{{!}}}

|c4=
* ''[[Flashbox (SG)|Flashbox]]'' (17)
* ''[[Tomaandi (SG)|Tomaandi]]'' (18)
* ''[[Proteus (SG)|Proteus]]'' (19)
* ''[[Crosscut (SG)|Crosscut]] (21)
* ''[[Decimus (SG)|Decimus]]'' (22)

}}

==Quotes==
"Optimus may find your obsession with the letter of the law amusing, Whirl. I, on the other hand, find it a pathetic waste of processing power left over from the old days of the war. We did away with those that recite the law but don't understand it a long time ago."
:—'''Ultra Magnus'''

"Jazz, give the word." 
"With pleasure... you heard the boss, boys—'''WRECK AND RUIN'''."
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' and '''Jazz'''

"Ultra Magnus, please, I know you still care about the good. You can stop this." 
"Do you truly believe that? You shouldn't be so honest about how much this hurts you."
:—'''Shockwave''' versus '''Ultra Magnus'''

"Ultra Magnus, you have no idea what you're—" 
"Oh '''no''', Orion Pax. You're wrong. I '''always''' know what I'm doing."
:—'''Optimus''' versus '''Ultra Magnus'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* When we last left off in 2021's ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (IDW)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Shattered Glass issue 5|#5]], [[Goldbug (SG)|Goldbug]] had used the information encoded on [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]]'s [[spark]] to reactivate the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Metroplex (SG)|Metroplex]] after fleeing the newly-liberated [[Gold City]]—unaware that his own lieutenant [[Wheeljack (SG)|Slicer]] was really a mole in the employ of Ultra Magnus, who had his own enigmatic plans for the Titan and the Autobot warlords seeking to control Cybertron. [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]]'s return is briefly alluded to here, and Prime's disdain for Goldbug stems from Goldbug's failed attempt to assassinate him, as seen in a flashback in [[Shattered Glass issue 4|''Shattered Glass'' #4]].
* Ultra Magnus's [[Wreckers]] made a cameo in [[Shattered Glass issue 1|''Shattered Glass'' #1]] as a rival gang of bounty hunters [[Blurr (SG)|Blurr]] briefly encountered while trawling the [[Static Zone]] for kills. While this issue does feature [[Kup (SG)|Kup]] in the present day segments, [[Springer (SG)|Springer]] only shows up in a flashback, and the 'bot we surmised to be [[Roadbuster (SG)|Roadbuster]] doesn't appear at all.
* Rodimus was last seen as a casualty of the conflict on Earth in [[Shattered Glass issue 2|''Shattered Glass'' #2]]. He turns out to have survived, none the worse for wear, in the present here.
* A conversation between Orion Pax and Megatron in [[Shattered Glass issue 2|''Shattered Glass'' #2]] had Megatron accuse Optimus of pulling strings to remove [[Shockwave (SG)|Shockwave]] from power, only for the emotion-suppressing [[empurata]] procedure to go awry and leave him with a hyperdeveloped sense of empathy instead. This issue expounds on Shockwave's origin story—notably, it reveals that the "secret police" Megatron spoke of were actually Ultra Magnus and the Wreckers.
* [[Ratbat (SG)|Ratbat]]'s appearance in this issue, as one of the many Senators dying at the hands of the Wreckers, ties in with Megatron's claim that Ratbat ran for office at some point before the war in ''Shattered Glass'' #2. However, see "Errors" for more on this.
* [[Whirl (SG)|Whirl]] makes his first on-panel appearance, after first making a cameo on a pro-[[empurata]] poster in ''Shattered Glass'' #2. Fittingly for a mirror universe, he's depicted as a cowardly, by-the-books sort, contrasting his characterization as a reckless, mentally unstable 'bot in ''More than Meets the Eye''.

===Transformers references===
* ''Shattered Glass'' Ultra Magnus debuted in [[BotCon 2012]]'s ''[[Invasion (issue)|Invasion]]'' comic, and remained a major player throughout the rest of Fun Publication's ''Shattered Glass'' meta-lore up until its end in 2016. In that story, his grotesque, skeletal face was a disfiguring scar sustained after a failed attempt to depose Optimus himself. While the original version of the character was a vague riff on [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' Ultra Magnus]], IDW's take on the character hews much closer to his characterization in ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'' by depicting him as a bureaucratic tightwad-turned ''Judge Dredd''-style lawman. Notably, this version of the character incorporates the two swappable heads from his [[Ultra Magnus (SG)#Shattered Glass Collection|most recent toy]] by explaining that Magnus conceals his ''real'' face beneath an emotionless hologram.
* Ultra Magnus leading a version of the Wreckers hearkens back to "[[Target: 2006]]", where he was closely associated with the team. In addition to mirror-universe versions of traditional mainstays like [[Springer (SG)|Springer]], [[Kup (SG)|Kup]], and [[Impactor (SG)|Impactor]], the original lineup also features [[Wheeljack (SG)|Wheeljack]], likely in reference to his [[Wheeljack (Prime)|''Prime'' counterpart]], and [[Goldbug (SG)|Bumblebee]]—which ''might'' be a reference to his status as a [[Seeker (SG)|Seeker]] in the original ''Shattered Glass'' stories. By the present day, the team's grown to include [[Sandstorm (SG)|Sandstorm]], [[Drift (SG)|Drift]], [[Jazz (SG)|Jazz]], [[Ricochet (SG)|Ricochet]], and a goateed [[Rodimus (SG)|Rodimus]], who once led the Wreckers in Fun Publications' original ''Shattered Glass'' stories. Their corrupted mirror-universe catchphrase, "wreck and ''ruin''", likewise originated in the ''Shattered Glass'' prose story "[[Dungeons & Dinobots]]".
* This issue provides our first look at Senator Shockwave before his empurata—continuing the series' ongoing "[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Shadowplay]]" and "[[Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory]]" riffs, his original is based on how Shockwave appeared in those flashbacks, but with a purple, yellow, and grey color scheme.
* While trying to intimidate Sunstreaker into letting him pass, Magnus briefly mistakes him for [[Cordon (SG)|Cordon]], a mirror-universe version of the [[Cordon (G1)|Japanese-original Sunstreaker redeco]].
* In the third flashback, Shockwave's accosted by two reporters in the employ of [[ABN]], a fair and balanced news network that debuted in Fun Publications' "[[Around Cybertron]]" feature. You'll probably recognize [[Laserbeak (SG)|Laserbeak]], but you might not recognize the little camera-bot next to him; although Shockwave misremembers his name as "Flashback": it's actually a bizarro version of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' bit character [[Flashbox (Armada)|Flash''box'']], who was, via a [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] profile, established to have once been an intrepid reporter who worked alongside [[Laserbeak (Armada)|his universe's Laserbeak]].
* While arguing with Magnus, Shockwave compares his new unit to "rabid [[DeathEagle]]s", bird-like creatures first namedropped in ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]''.
* Beyond Ratbat and Shockwave, other visible casualties of the Senate attack include ''Shattered Glass'' versions of [[Proteus (G1)|Proteus]] from ''More than Meets the Eye'', [[Decimus (G1)|Decimus]], from ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'', the diplomat [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]], and, in the upper left corner, a just-barely visible [[Tomaandi (G1)|Tomaandi]] from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]].

===Real-world references===
* Author [[Danny Lore]] has cited the film ''{{w|Fight Club}}''—the story of a white-collar office worker's split-personality descent into violence and anarchy—as an inspiration for Ultra Magnus's character arc.<ref>{{twitter|quick thoughts about inspiration: lots of Fight Club inspiration here without being Fight Club, but also a story that's deeply about what it sometimes means when folks are so insistent on 'staying middle ground/not making decisions'|https://twitter.com/weredawgz/status/1565028766270767104|Danny Lore|2022|08|31}}</ref>

===Errors===
* In ''Shattered Glass'' issue #2, Megatron got into trouble with the law when he led an anti-empurata protest outside the Senate building. In a subsequent conversation with Orion Pax, Megatron cited Shockwave's empurata as part of the rationale behind the protest, only for Orion to wave off his accusations entirely. ''This'' issue's depiction of the event—a full scale assault on the Senate, replete with multiple dead and dying Senators—makes it difficult to imagine how Orion could keep such an blatant act of terrorism quiet enough he could dismiss the incident as mere rumor. Notably, in [[Shattered Glass issue 3|''Shattered Glass'' #3]], [[Starscream (SG)|Starscream]] and [[Jetfire (SG)|Jetfire]] visited the Senate building in the immediate aftermath of Megatron's empurata protest to secure funding for their archeological research.
* [[Ratbat (SG)|Ratbat]] makes an appearance as one of the many Senators in the building at the time of the attack; in [[Shattered Glass issue 2|''Shattered Glass'' #2]], however, Ratbat appeared as one of the many protesters ''outside'' the building, and Megatron mused that he was, at some point afterwards, elected to serve as a Senator. Given this, it's ''possible'' that a timeskip's been retconned in between the first and second flashbacks in ''Shattered Glass #2'', so that Megatron's been in jail at least twice and Orion's actually bailing him out for some ''other'' reason, which would go a ways toward untangling the multiple discrepancies in this scene.
* On page fifteen, Shockwave's dialogue is missing a comma between "enough" and "Senator".
* When Magnus takes out Shockwave, he refers to his leader as "Optimus", at a time when Orion Pax had yet to adopt that name.
* [[Ricochet (SG)|Ricochet]] is drawn sometimes with his normal head (the same as Jazz) or like [[War for Cybertron: Kingdom#Exclusives|Golden Disk Collection]] [[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]]'s toy head.
* Inker [[Gigi Dutreix]] is accidentally left uncredited, with her name only included on the Hasbro Pulse variant cover

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A:''' Make way for Magnus, by [[Nick Brokenshire]]
* '''Cover B:''' Ultra Magnus, by [[Red Powell]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Heeeeeeeeere's Magnus, by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Thomas Deer]]
* '''Hasbro Pulse exclusive cover:''' Magnus attacks, by [[Casey Coller]]

<gallery>
IDWSGII 1 cvrA.jpg
IDWSGII 1 cvrB.jpg
IDWSGII 1 cvrRI.jpg
IDWSGII 1 cvrRE.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Transformers: Fate of Cybertron]]''
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* ''[[Transformers: King Grimlock]]'' TPB
* ''Locke & Key: The Golden Age''
* ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' #296
* ''Dark Spaces: Wildfire''

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2022/08/comic-book-preview-transformers-shattered-glass-ii-1/ Preview]

[[Category:IDW Shattered Glass issues]]