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Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon

2013-05-29T16:58:17Z

Jazzfox: /* Continuity notes */

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=17
|prev=The Gloaming
|next=
|caption=
|image=MTMTE17 cvrA.jpg
|title="Remain in Light, Part 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[May 29]], [[2013]]
|coverdate=May 2013
|story by=[[James Roberts]]
|art by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editorial assistants=[[Toni Korde]] and [[Mariel Romero]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2013)]]
}}
'''Everything has built to this! As Rodimus leads the ''Lost Light'' crew on a quest straight out of Cybertronian myth, old enemies reappear, old friends return, and new life waits to be born...'''

==Synopsis==

''Somewhere, in a darkened room, Rodimus relates the grim tale of recent events to an unseen listener...''

[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] verifies the [[death clock]]'s scan of [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], sadly confirming that the little 'bot has a fatal case of [[cybercrosis]], brought about by nothing more than old age, which will kill him in just over three days. As the medic details the stages of the disease, including blindness, paralysis, and memory loss, Tailgate flees the medibay in a panic, racing back to his quarters, where he explains his news to [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. Cyclonus stoically advises Tailgate to make his peace and face death boldly, but then leaves the room in silence, and stops in the hallway to observe his reflection... which he almost punches in a sudden, furious rage, only to stop and instead tear gouges in his own face with his claws.

Examining security footage to determine what has become of the missing [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]], [[Ambulon]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] observe as the comatose Magnus suddenly sits bolt upright with impossible speed and appears to ''float'' to the shuttle bay. [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] reports that the signal from the shuttle Magnus left in has been detected, and the ''[[Lost Light]]'' sets course after it, soon finding that it leads through a colossal wormhole. Rodimus informs the crew that the ship will be going through the portal, giving anyone who wishes the option not to come, but nobody takes it. The ship enters the portal, and what lurks on the other side proves beyond imagining: the lost satellite of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], alleged home to the answer to every question, found at last.

As Rodimus waits in his quarters, morosely examining unread messages from Ultra Magnus on his datapad, [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] enters to report his preliminary findings: a lifesign scan, amazingly, suggests the moon is home to a billion lifeforms. Rodimus handpicks a small team to join him on the first expedition to the moon, confidentially informing them that all he really wants to do is find out what became of Ultra Magnus: [[Rung]] (to fill Magnus's role and tell him things he doesn't want to hear); [[Brainstorm]]; [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (in case there's any fighting to be done, though Whirl suspects it's positive discrimination); [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (who [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] urges to search the moon for a solution to his lost memories); Ratchet; and Cyclonus, for his familiarity with the creation myth that Luna 1 is part of. Cyclonus agrees to come only on the condition that Tailgate gets to accompany them, desiring to give his tiny friend a great experience before his death, but he cautions Tailgate to disabuse himself of the notion that the moon may hold a cure to his condition. [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] begs to come along, citing his metallurgical skills, but Rodimus refuses, accusing him of having abandoned that function to be a bartender.

Leaving the ''Lost Light'' under the stewardship of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], the Autobots head down to the moon and deploy in [[Mobile Autobot Repair Bay|M.A.R.B.]]s. They soon discover Magnus's shuttle, smashed open from the outside-in, but when Rodimus hops off the M.A.R.B. to examine it, his feet touching the moon's surface for the first time, the incredible happens: the entire moon lights up, as a billion [[spark]]s suddenly flare to life all over its surface. Luna 1, it transpires, is a gigantic "hot spot", a field where sparks are born, that has been fertilized after an ages-long wait when Rodimus touched it. As Rodimus wonders if the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-half he is carrying could have been responsible, the other Transformers look in wonder on the field, the like of which Chromedome remarks had mostly ceased to be by his lifetime, since he was "constructed cold". Tailgate has heard this term thrown around a lot without understanding it, and the others explain that Chromedome was created using the energy from an extant spark, as opposed to "forged", born in a hot spot (which Whirl is eager to point out ''he'' was). Cyclonus calls the group's attention to a spark glowing green, which Brainstorm recognizes as a "superspark"—a vanishingly rare, insanely powerful [[Point One Percenter]]—and immediately begins excavating it over Perceptor's horrified protestations. Everyone discusses whether or not this is the right thing to do, but moral debates are promptly tabled by an explosive, unexpected arrival: a platoon of Decepticons led by [[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]], who descend from the sky, weapons blazing, decrying Rodimus's team as trespassers!

Back on the ''Lost Light'', the transmission from Rodimus's team is abruptly cut off, but Blaster and Maximus aren't sure if it's the moon or the ship that's being isolated. Down in the ship's oil reservoir, Skids is spending some time alone with this thoughts when suddenly, a familiar phrase gurgles out of the darkness: "Nineteen eighty-four". A platoon of the [[Legislator|giant golden warrior robots]] he last saw just before joining the ''Lost Light'' crew bursts out of the reservoir's black depths, chanting their familiar refrain... but that's not all. More of the robots appear all across the ship: in Swerve's bar, which he has decided to close down; on the bridge; and everywhere in-between, these ones brandishing huge guns and declaring "Seventeen twenty-one".

''Rodimus pauses in his story, reflecting on how many impossible things happened in one day, and realizes he has not even asked the name of his mystery listener. The older bot introduces himself as [[Dominus Ambus|Ambus]]...''

On Luna 1, as Rodimus's team flees the Decepticon attack, Ratchet's M.A.R.B. is hit and explodes, throwing the medic to the ground. A figure appears before the fallen Ratchet and offers its hand... and Ratchet looks up to see [[Pharma]] looming over him!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (3)
*[[Ambulon]] (4)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (5)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (6)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (7)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (8)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (9)
*[[Rung]] (10)
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] (11)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (12)
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (13)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (14)
*[[Grapple]] (15)
*[[Brainstorm]] (16)
*[[Atomizer]] (17)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (18)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (19)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (20)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (21)
*[[Dominus Ambus]] (27)
*[[Pharma]] (29)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Barrage (Insecticon)|Barrage]] (22)
*[[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]] (23)
*[[Venom (G1)|Venom]] (24)
*[[Lockdown (G1)|Lockdown]] (25)
*[[Chop Shop]] (26)
|c4=
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (1)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] (2)
*[[Legislator]]s (28)

}}

==Quotes==

"You're visiting Luna 1 for the '''experience''', nothing else. This can't be about finding a '''cure.'''" 
"'Course not! 'Course it can't. ...'''why''' can't it?" 
"It just '''can't.'''" 
"Right. Fine. So I'm not allowed to '''hope.'''" 
"Listen to me. <big>'''Never. Hope.'''</big> Hope is a '''lie.'''"
:—'''Cyclonus''' and '''Tailgate'''

"Time to break out the '''[[M.A.A.B.]]s''' and play 'Hunt the Crewmember.'" 
"Wait—'''M.A.R.B.s''' or '''M.A.A.B.s'''"? 
"'M.A.R.B.s or M.A.A.B.s?' What?" 
"'''M'''obile '''A'''utobot '''R'''epair '''B'''ay, or '''M'''obile '''A'''nti-'''A'''ssault '''B'''attlesuit?" 
"The ones that turn into—the '''cool ones.''' The battlesuits." 
"Right. We don't have any of those."
:—'''Rodimus''' and '''Brainstorm'''

'''Brainstorm:''' "I was '''anti-apartheid.''' Went on the marches and everything. 'Equal rights for '''knock-offs!''''" 
'''Tailgate:''' "Eh?" 
'''Chromedome:''' "Ignore him—he thinks it's four million years ago and he's being '''progressive.'''"

"What are you—" 
"'''Harvesting''' it." 
"No, because harvesting takes '''skill'''. And '''patience.''' And '''time.''' You can't just—you can't just do '''precisely what you're doing now...!" 
:—'''Perceptor''' and '''Brainstorm'''

"Where are you going to put [the spark], Brainstorm? In your '''briefcase?'''" 
"I '''wasn't''', but if I '''did'''... oh, man. You've just '''blown by mind.'''"
:—'''Rodimus''' and '''Brainstorm

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Popular-but-unseen [[Spoke]] and [[Lockstock]], mentioned in issues [[Before & After|#12]] and [[The Gloaming|#16]], get another name-drop in this issue, where it turns out they're just as well-liked by the ship's medibot—the [[Diagnostic Drone]] seen floating around the ship in multiple past issues (perhaps most prominently [[Rules of Disengagement|issue #7]]—as they are by their crewmates.
*Rodimus likens himself, Magnus and Drift to [[Rossum's Trinity]], the principle of Transformer biology introduced in [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|issue #3]].
*Following last issue's surprise ending, Tailgate's looming death is revealed to be the result of [[cybercrosis]], a rotting disease first mentioned in [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|the ''More than Meets the Eye'' 2012 annual]]. Ratchet notes that it has likely curdled Tailgate's [[innermost energon]]; this is sure to be why it appeared a sickly green color when Tailgate was seen pouring some out in issue #12, compared to the traditional pink-purple of everyone else's in that same issue. It is also pointed out that Tailgate's [[transformation cog]] likely no longer works, which he has not noticed because he hasn't transformed in so long; in fact, we've never seen him ''successfully'' transform at all through the run of the series, as when he last attempted it in [[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|issue #2]] he got stuck halfway.
*It's not immediately clear what Rung might be referring to when he says he has a sense of ''déjà vu'' at the sight of the portal, but it's appropriate that he would be the one to feel it, as past issues have established him as a "historical constant" who has been around a ''long'' time and been present for nearly every major event in Cybertron history.
*Having lost his arm in [[Under Cold Blue Stars|issue #15]], Chromedome is seen with a skeletal replacement on page 7 like that worn by Rodimus in issue #3, after he lost his own limbs. It has been built back up to a proper arm by page 10.
*Luna 1! This famous missing satellite of Cybertron's has been regularly mentioned across both ''More than Meets the Eye'' and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' since its legend was introduced in ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]''. Reference is made to the quests that Swerve and Rodimus both undertook for it, which were originally commented on in issue [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]] and the 2012 annual, respectively (though it's not clear if they were both on the ''same'' moonquest or not).
*Callbacks are made to the deaths of [[Polaris]] and [[Shock]] (both from issue #2), [[Animus]] (issue #3) and [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (issue #15) .
*The origin of Luna 1's nickname, "The Seething Moon", is revealed, as it is "seething" with unborn life. We got our first hint toward the sheer scope of what we see here back in [[Remembrance Day|issue #14]], when we saw [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]'s spark emerge from Luna 2. That story saw Overlord's spark denoted as a "Point One Percenter" by its green coloration, which is how the Autobots identify another this issue.
*We get a clear explanation for terminology we've been hearing throughout ''More than Meets the Eye'' since [[Life After the Big Bang|issue #4]]: "Forged" Transformers are those whose sparks were grown in these natural fields, while Transformers "constructed cold" were created using energy from another's spark. This process, in turn, is revealed to be another name for [[spark splicing]], a population-enhancement program introduced by [[Nova Prime]], mentioned in [[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|issue #11]].
*Skids is moping around in the ship's oil reservoir, where he was also seen ruminating in [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]].
*The Decepticons who attack Rodimus's team are Lockdown's "Titan Hunters" from ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]''. Ransack was not seen among the group in that issue; his presence here marks the first time all four [[Insecticon (G1)|Deluxe Insecticons]] have appeared together in IDW continuity.
*Dominus Ambus is Rewind's old friend and master, seen in flashbacks in issue #12. He has a new color scheme here, appearing with a white helmet and green face, as opposed to the gold helmet and white face seen in his previous appearance.
*The giant gold robots previously appeared back in issue #2. They've not been named in-story as of yet, but concept art from the first ''More than Meets the Eye'' trade paperback and excerpts from the Monthly Solicitations has identified them as "Legislators".
*Bonkers Autobot doctor Pharma appeared in issues #4 and [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]], in which he got his hands lopped off. He's replaced one of them with a chainsaw. Groovy.

===Real-life references===
*''[[Wikipedia:Remain in Light|Remain in Light]]'' is the title of an album by the band [[Wikipedia:Talking Heads|Talking Heads]].
*For the language-fanciers among you, "fecund" means "fertile". The full moon is often described as "fecund" in literature, owing to its mythological connections to fertility; here, that figurative language is given a far more literal double-meaning, as the moon in this story is literally bursting with life waiting to be born.
*Brainstorm has a tiny model of [http://robocop.wikia.com/wiki/Enforcement_Droid_Series_209 ED-209] from ''[[Wikipedia: RoboCop|RoboCop]]'' on his desk.

===Crew manifest===
*Tailgate discovers he is terminally ill.
*11 deaths, two crewmembers in terminal conditions, 5 new arrivals (plus 20 or so Faders), and one banishment since the launch.

===Soundtrack===

For all of "Remain in Light":
*''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjmGZfHHC80 A Dazzling End]'' from the ''[[Doctor|Doctor Who]]'' Series 4 soundtrack, by [[wikipedia:Murray Gold|Murray Gold]]
*''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPJAX7Cu-4k The Universal HD]'' by [[Wikipedia:Blur (band)|Blur]]

For this issue alone:
*''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zNdMc6wGtU Heaven]'' by the aforementioned Talking Heads
*''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4XHx_boqTI A Comet Appears]'' by [[Wikipedia:The Shins|The Shins]]

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' The ''[[Lost Light]]'' crew face an onslaught of [[Legislator]]s, art by [[Alex Milne]], colours by [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Cover B:''' Rodimus flees a Legislator, art by [[Sean Chen]], colours by [[Tom Chu]].
*'''Cover RI:''' A despondent Tailgate alone beside a porthole, art by [[Nick Roche]], colours by Josh Perez.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE17 cvrA.jpg|
File:MTMTE17 cvrB.jpg|
File:MTMTE17 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Shockwaves|#17]]
*''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'' [[Destiny, Part 1|#91]]
*''[[The Transformers: Monstrosity|Monstrosity]]'' [[Monstrosity issue 1|#1]]
*IDW [[Dynamic Forces]] exclusives
*''[[Doctor|Doctor Who]]: Prisoners of Time'' trade paperback
*IDW Limited Transformers books
*''[[My Little Pony|My Little Pony]]: Color Me Treasury Edition''
*''Regular Show''
*IDW ''Popeye'' graphic novels (back cover)

==External links==
*[http://www.fullmetalhero.com/content/more-than-meets-eye-17-full-preview-6586/ Preview]

Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism

2012-11-28T10:12:40Z

Jazzfox:

{{Comicstory|
|series=mtmte|issueno=10
|prev=Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc
|next=Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading
|caption=Act Like A Prick To Catch A Prick.
|image=MTMTE10_cvrB.jpg
|title="Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[October 31]], [[2012]]
|coverdate=October 2012
|story by=[[James Roberts]]
|art by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Chris Mowry]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2012)]]
}}

'''As Rewind's tale of the past continues, the senator murders lead Chromedome and Prowl to uncover the truth behind an urban legend, and Orion Pax to discover just how deep the corruption in the Senate runs.'''

==Synopsis==

''On Cybertron, before the war, [[Roller (G1)|Roller]] flips between the latest news bulletins covering the murder of Senator [[Sherma]] and the death of [[Nominus Prime]]. Tensions are high as the deadline date for "Proteus's Promise" draws near, the vow made by Senator [[Proteus]] that the [[Decepticon]]s will be recognised as a legitimate political party if 10,000 sign up with the [[Decepticon Registration Act]]. Then, an update on the missing [[Pious Maximus]] is interrupted by breaking news of a high-speed pursuit in [[Translucentica Heights]]...''

In the present day, said pursuit is now the subject [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]]'s story, with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] describing how he followed the killer of Senator [[Momus]] in an aerial chase, which ended when the murderer collided with one of the reinforced glass walls of the region and exploded against a billboard. On his way back to the crime scene, Chromedome met the warden of Translucentica Heights, [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], who was able to provide evidence that Momus was not killed ''by'' Decepticons—he was killed because he secretly ''was'' a Decepticon. Prowl's study of the crime scene quickly determined the involvement of a second killer, who then made himself known by opening fire. Pinned down and with Prowl never having seen combat before, the trio seemed doomed until the surprise appearance of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]], who brought the killer down, only for his [[Spark]] to collapse before he could be questioned.

Meanwhile, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] returns to the ''[[Lost Light]]'' from a reconnaissance mission, and is filled in by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] on the mysterious attack on Red Alert, whose spark is faint but still pulsing. In a makeshift interrogation room converted from [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s lab, [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] is trying to get a confession out of [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], but when things turn violent, Rodimus and Magnus have to step in. At that point a communique from [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] clears Cyclonus, as the medic reports that he has discerned the killer's identity.

Before handing the story over to [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], Rewind explains that the ex-watchmaker was, at the time, incarcerated in [[Garrus-1]] on [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]]. When [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] points out that Whirl was in prison for assaulting [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], the event allegedly responsible for turning him "bad", Whirl furiously interrupts and quickly picks the story up, describing how he summoned Orion away from investigating the senator killings to give him a message. In hopes of revenge against the [[Senate]] for ruining his life, Whirl shared with Orion information from a [[Kroma|cellmate]] about a Senate plot involving the death of [[Conspicuously-unnamed senator|Pax's senator friend]] and a bomb "hidden in plain sight". Orion left to act upon this information (leaving Whirl to be viciously beaten by his new cellmate [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] just a few minutes later), sending Ratchet and Roller to the [[Academy of Advanced Technology]], where trainee theoretician [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] watched them take Orion's senator friend into protective custody.

Narration returns to Chromedome, who prepares to recount how he and Prowl investigated the nearest [[Relinquishment Clinic]], suspecting that the killers had been using borrowed bodies. Rewind is dissatisfied at Chromedome's decision to preface this with a recollection of how he and Prowl stopped to watch a Decepticon protest and talk about what they would do if war broke out on the way, hurrying him along to the events that took place in the clinic itself. While waiting in its lobby, Chromedome remembers how the pair saw a news report based on their findings that cleared the Decepticons of the murders, which left Prowl frustrated as the results were only preliminary. They were then met by clinic tech [[Trepan]], who they easily pegged as squirrelly and promptly cuffed so they could investigate. The pair eventually found a secret facility beneath the clinic that Chromedome was horrified to realize was [[The Institute]], a supposedly-fictitious government facility that practises a forbidden science—brainwashing so heinous it is known only as "[[Shadowplay]]". Accessing its mainframe and verifying it as the source of the bodies their killers were using, the pair took the data and absconded without incident, prompting Rewind to resume the position of storyteller and sum up how the pair met back up with Orion, Ratchet, Roller and the senator in [[Rodion]]. When the senator identified the list of names from The Institute as all those currently signed with the Decepticon Registration Act, Pax was able to put all the evidence he and his friends have gathered together. Proteus arranged the murders so that the Decepticons could expressly ''not'' be found guilty, thereby demonstrating his fairness and leading to a surge in registrants. The bomb mentioned by Whirl would then be pinned on the Decepticons as supposed proof of their "true colors", giving Proteus and [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel]] the excuse needed to use The Institute to brainwash all those registered. Chromedome lamented their lack of knowledge at the bomb's location, but a news report immediately provided the answer: it was the fake [[Matrix of Leadership]] in the chest of the deceased Nominus Prime, whose body was to be lain in state the next day. The course of action for Orion's team was clear: they had to steal the Matrix!

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*''[[Roller (G1)|Roller]] (1)
*''[[Nominus Prime]]'' (3)
*''[[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]]'' (5)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (7)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (8)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (9)
*''[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'' (10)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (11)
*[[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] (13)
*[[Rad]] (14)
*[[Rollout (G1)|Rollout]] (15)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (16)
*[[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] (17)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (18)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (19)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (21)
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (22)
*[[Ambulon]] (23)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]]'' (24)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (25)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (26)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (27)
*[[Rung]] (28)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (29)
*''[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]'' (32)
*''[[Glitch (IDW)|Glitch]]'' (33)
{{!}}}
|c2=

|c4=
*''[[Proteus]]'' (2)
*''[[Pious Maximus]]'' (4)
*''"[[Fallout (G1)|Fallout]]"'' (6)
*''"[[Streaker]]"'' (12)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (20)
*''Garrus-1 warden'' (30)
*''[[Kroma]]'' (31)
*''[[Conspicuously-unnamed senator]]'' (34)
*''[[Trepan]]'' (35)
}}

==Quotes==

"You do '''read''' my memos, don't you, '''Rodimus?'''" 
"If there's a reason '''not to,''' I've yet to find it. I read '''all''' your memos. And every one of your many, '''many''' reports. And since you're finally here, you can read one of '''mine.'''" 
"'We found '''Red Alert''' in the oil reservoir. No head. Pretty sure '''Cyclonus''' is to blame—obv. watch his space.'" 
"'Obv' stands for obviously." 
"No, I, er—I guessed that."
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' and '''Rodimus'''

'''Tailgate:''' "No. Frikkin'. Way. '''Orion Pax''' landed on the guy's '''back?''' Where'd he even '''come from?'''" 
'''Chromedome:''' "I always assumed he jumped off the '''roof,''' Tailgate. He did that sort of thing quite a lot." 
'''Tailgate:''' "Pax is '''so''' cool." 
'''Swerve:''' "More of this, please. More jumping off roofs. Rooves. Roofs. More jumping off things."

"Well, I hope I never get as '''jaded''' and '''cynical''' as '''you''', Orion Pax."
:-'''Prowl'''

'''Whirl:''' "It was Pax's fault I was in prison—" 
'''Ratchet:''' "'''Rubbish!''' It was '''your''' fault you were in prison! Pax was the one who '''arrested''' you!" <to Tailgate> "Whirl attacked '''Megatron''' in his cell." 
'''Tailgate:''' "But wasn't Megatron the '''main bad guy?''' Or... have I missed something very important?" 
'''Ratchet:''' This was '''before''' he went bad. In fact, many say that the '''reason''' he went bad was—" 
'''Whirl:''' <big>'''HEY!'''</big> Can I just tell my part of the story? It's only a frikkin' '''cameo''' as it is! Yeah? Yeah? '''Right.'''"

"Five minutes. Ten if I hear him screaming."
:—'''Garrus-1's warden''', on letting Orion Pax visit Whirl

"The Senate '''mutilated''' me, got me to do their dirty work, and '''abandoned''' me. I want you to '''hurt''' them. I want you to '''crush''' them. I want—I want—I want my hands back."
:—'''Whirl'''

'''Rewind:''' "'''Impactor?!''' Impactor was your '''cellmate?!''' That's how you '''met?!''' And—and I bet he promptly added your name to the list of warriors who would one day become... '''The Wreckers!'''" 
'''Whirl:''' "No—he promptly '''beat me''' to the brink of fade-out and left me in a '''critical condition'''—and '''years''' later we met '''again.'''" 
'''Swerve''': "But that's a '''whole other story.''' Sorry—I always wanted to say that. That, and 'Impossible! Our laserfire is just making him '''stronger!'''' Ahem. Go on..."

==Notes==

*[[Kremzeek]] drinks reappear—in "juice box"-style this time.
*We've linked Roller to his [[Roller (G1)|Generation 1 self]] in this article for convenience, but whatever relationship this character may or may not have to Prime's longstanding buggy-companion, we don't know it yet.
*"Proteus's Promise" has been referenced in issues [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]] and [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]; here, we finally learn what it was.
*The robot speaking out against Nominus's policies at the J.A.A.T. lectures on page 1 appears to be the placard-carrying [[NAIL protester]] from "[[The Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", who transformed himself to death in [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|issue #1]] of this series.
*The speaker mentions racism based on whether you're forged or 'constructed', something Roberts first introduced in "[[Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory]]" (and is an idea he first came up with in ''Eugenesis'').
*And speaking of the J.A.A.T. lectures, the "A.A.T." part of the name refers to the Academy of Advanced Technology seen in this story. What the J stands for, we won't find out until next issue.
*Fallout's alternate mode is a Thunderbolt fighter from ''[[Wikipedia: Babylon 5|Babylon 5]]''.
*The classic Generation 1 "tetrajet"—Cybertronian alternate mode of the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]—can be seen on the billboard "Fallout" crashes into.
*Red Alert's body in Rewind's story is a Cybertronic adaptation of his original Generation 1 look, quite far removed from the bulky, rounded form he's wearing in the modern day.
*One of the Decepticon tracts Red Alert finds is titled "The Illusion of Progress: Revisited", evidently a sequel to Megatron's earlier work, "Nominus Prime and the Illusion of Progress", mentioned in "[[Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory]]".
*When the ultraviolet light is on in Senator Momus's suite, a small panel shows five puncture marks on the back of Red Alert's neck. As Chromedome explained in [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]], [[mnemosurgery]] marks only show up under UV light, and the ideal entry point is from the back of the neck. As Trepan is later seen with the spiked finger-extrusions Chromedome has been shown to use in mnemosurgery in issues #8 and [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]], it seems obvious this was the work of the Institute, presumably using Red in order to feed Chromedome and Prowl the required evidence. Seems Red Alert's paranoia about the organization as mentioned in his sessions with Rung from [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|issue #5]] was justified. All that from one inset panel, folks! Roberts, take a bow.
*Speaking of Senator Momus, whilst his name could well be a reference to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momus the ancient Greek deity], given [http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=12527 James Roberts' noted predilection towards indie music] it's more likely to be a reference to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momus_(artist) the eccentric Scottish musician] who also uses the name.
*Prowl's ability to "observe 800 moving objects and compute their direction of travel" is, verbatim, an ability from his original ''[[The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe]]'' profile.
*A small statuette, plaque or screen-projection of some kind (it's tiny, it's hard to tell!) can be seen in Perceptor's lab, sporting the likeness of [[Nijika]], the tiny female geisha droid that Perceptor's mind was transferred into in the Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[The Face of the Nijika]]".
*Cyclonus mentions Rossum's Rule of Thirds in regards to Red Alert's survival. This would have to do with Rossum's Trinity, the designation for the three parts of the Cybertronian body (the brain module, spark, and transformation cog) that are interlinked such that damage to one can damage the others, mentioned in issue #3.
*First Aid is seen working on a [[Diagnostic Drone]], likely the same one that watched Red Alert visit [[Rung]] in [[Interiors|issue #6]].
*Momus lived in hab suite 113, yet another of Roberts' references to [[Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!|issue 113]] of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|UK Marvel comic]].
*Whirl's cellmate is one of the trio of Senate enforcers who pay Pax a visit in "[[Chaos Theory Part 2]]". That story previously established Whirl's connection to that band of nogoodniks, as did the appearance of the trio's apparent leader in his flashback in issue #6.
*Scrawled on the wall of Whirl's cell is the Wreckers' catchphrase, "Wreck 'n' Rule". However, since the Wreckers don't ''exist'' yet at this point in time, the implication might be that this is where Impactor picked up the phrase for later use.
*Also written on Whirl's cell wall, and on a wall near the Decepticon protest, is "Free in 63", a similar message to one seen on Megatron's cell wall in "Chaos Theory," "Free in Cycle 63".
*Whirl's brutalization of Megatron was previously chronicled in the first part of "Chaos Theory". Left unsaid in the comic itself, the fact that Impactor immediately beats Whirl up upon meeting him is obviously because of the fact that Impactor and Megatron were once friends.
*Orion Pax's still-unnamed senator friend has had his color scheme completely overhauled in this issue, going from white, blue and gold to red, white and blue. We're not calling it an error, though, because like his namelessness, this is surely intentional for reasons we are not yet privy to...
*The helmet Glitch is wearing in the scene of Roller and Ratchet arriving at the Academy is Doc Brown's [http://backtothefuture.wikia.com/wiki/Brain-wave_analyzer brain-wave analyzer] from ''[[Wikipedia: Back to the Future|Back to the Future]]''.
*Prowl's pacifism, and his promised attempt to leave Cybertron to escape a potential war, were alluded to back in "The Death of Optimus Prime", where it was revealed that he ''did'' try to leave, but didn't make it.
*The Institute has been referred to several times in Roberts's work, stretching back to "Chaos Theory". At last, the mystery revealed!
*All the 'bots we see working in the Institute can be divided into two general body types: Ones visually similar to Rung/Trepan/the Necrobot (possibly a neurologist/psychologist body type) and ones who resemble Quark, with microscope cylinders on the tops of their heads. This makes sense, as who else would a brain experimentation facility employ but mind specialists and scientists?
*Pious Maximus, noted as having disappeared 18 months ago, shows up in one of the rooms of the Institute. Guess we know what happened to him.
*The Institute also contains the bodies of numerous [[Empty|Empties]] from the [[Dead End (place)|Dead End]]. This seems to imply that [[Sonic (G1)|Sonic]] and [[Boom]] from last issue, who were paid by a mysterious "them" to attack homeless residents of the Dead End, were actually hired by The Institute to bring them guinea pigs.
*In the bottom left panel of Page 19, Artist Alex Milne leaves a shoutout to series Colorist Josh Burcham: the glyphs beneath Fallout and Streaker's pictures spell out 'DCJOSH', Josh Burcham's chosen online handle.

===Crew Manifest===
*Our bad. Red Alert's headless <strike>corpse</strike> but still functional body was recovered from the oil reservoir last issue.
*5 deaths, 5 new arrivals (plus 20 or so Faders) since the launch.

===Errors===
*On page 11, panel 1, the word "foment" is misspelled as "forment."
*As Whirl mocks Chromedome for his history with Prowl on page 12, it's Skids who gets offended by it.

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' Chromedome riding a sky-dart, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Cover B:''' Chromedome and Prowl, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
*'''Cover RI:''' Orion Pax and Ratchet, by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]

<gallery>
Image:MTMTE10_cvrA.jpg|
Image:MTMTE10_cvrB.jpg|
Image:MTMTE10_cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

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