All His Engines

2025-09-01T12:00:38Z

Jonreadscomics: /* Real-life references */ Fixed the wording and explanation of the Paradise Lost quote.

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers]]'' #7
|prev=Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"
|next=Scrapper (issue)
|title="All His Engines"
|image=TFvol1 7cvrA.jpg
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date= [[May 26]], [[2010]]
|coverdate=May 2010
|written by=[[Mike Costa]]
|art by=[[E. J. Su]]
|colors by=[[James Brown]]
|letters by= [[Neil Uyetake]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|associate editor=[[Denton J. Tipton]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era (2010)]]
}}
'''A recovering Megatron reflects on the current state of the Decepticons and the Autobots' alliance with humanity.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:IDWTF7-SunstormAcidstorm.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3|"Hey." "Yeah?" "You ever wonder why we're here?" "It's one of life's great mysteries isn't it. Why ''are'' we here?"]]
Three years after [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s defeat on [[Earth]], the majority of the remaining [[Decepticon]]s are located on a desolate asteroid, under the self-proclaimed command of [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] and [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] sit dejected, while [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] fight with each other. Elsewhere on the asteroid, [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] is pursued by [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]], [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]], Kickback, and [[Pounce]] after stealing more than his share of [[energon]] rations. After initially escaping by firing his boot jets into the others, Dreadwind is gunned down and killed by the other three, who then fight amongst themselves over who gets what part as they cannibalize the body, during which [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] looks on approvingly.

Elsewhere, [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] has isolated himself in his laboratory, allegedly striving to fix the [[space bridge]], while [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] is based in the ship that took them to the asteroid. Starscream, wearing the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], confronts [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] over his lack of progress in developing an energon processor, to which Bombshell replies that the Decepticons on the asteroid are now self-governing through cannibalism, under the supervision of Razorclaw. Starscream demands to know what Bombshell has been working on, and Bombshell presents him with a [[cerebro-shell]], which would allow Starscream to exert control over any Cybertronian he affixes it to.

At that moment a [[Quake (G1)|disgruntled Decepticon]] blasts a hole through the wall and bursts in, declaring "death to tyrants". Starscream throws the cerebro-shell at him, and once it is affixed he opens fire, shouting "die!" at the intruder, who then promptly dies, seemingly because Starscream ordered him to, as opposed to from any wounds. Starscream asks if Bombshell has created any more cerebro-shells.

Meanwhile, on Earth, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Sparkplug Witwicky|General Witwicky]] meet at a military facility, and Optimus thanks him for the contributions of [[human]] soldiers that made the defeat of the Decepticons possible. In private, General Witwicky is angered by the release of Optimus Prime and the [[Autobot]]s, stating that [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike Witwicky]] has superseded his authority. Spike retorts that it was a tactical decision, that the Autobots aren't the enemy, and that they'd never be able to keep up technologically otherwise. General Witwicky points out that if General [[Allenby]] finds out. Spike will probably be court-martialed, to which Spike replies that they'll just have to keep it a secret.

After the general leaves, Spike speaks to [[Sandra (G1)|Sandra]], a soldier who used to work for General Allenby. She points out that if he is so much suspected of breaking protocol, Allenby will have him court-martialed, and that he has jeopardized all of those under his command by asking them to back his story, and that this underhanded approach goes against all the reasons that she decided to join the military for. Spike replies that the only lie that General Allenby has to believe is that Prime escaped custody prior to fighting [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], as opposed to being released. They then go to meet the rest of the Autobot recruits, in the form of [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]], [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]], and [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]].

Back on the asteroid, Megatron, badly damaged and in a [[CR chamber|CR tank]], stirs, clenches his fist, and vows that upon his return, Optimus Prime will be defeated.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (15)
* [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] (19)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] (20)
* [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] (21)
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (22)
|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] (1)
* [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] (2)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (3)
* [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] (4)
* [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] (5)
* [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] (6)
* [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] (7)
* [[Pounce]] (8)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
* [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (9)
* [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] (10)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] (11)
* [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] (12)
* [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (13)
* [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] (14)
* [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] (23)
{{!}}}
|c3=
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (16)
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Daniel Witwicky]] (17)
* [[Sandra (G1)|Sandra]] (18)
}}

==Quotes==
"Shockwave has isolated himself in his workshop, toiling without stop to rebuild the space bridge. Or so he says. No one has thought to check. No one would know what they were looking at if they did."
:—'''Megatron''' thinks that Shockwave may have hatched a cunning plan.

"Razorclaw has not been chosen by the Matrix of Leadership. He may enjoy observing this place like a game warden, but in Megatron's absence I must lead us into a new era!"
:—'''Starscream''' makes sure that Bombshell hasn't forgotten that he's the boss.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* In IDW continuity, Dreadwind and Darkwing are siblings.


===Real-life references===
* The chapter title is from a quote from John Milton's 'Paradise Lost': "(...)Nor aught availed him now to have built in heaven high towers; nor did he 'scape by all his engines, but was headlong sent with his industrious crew to build in hell." It refers to Mulciber, one of Satan's chiefs, who was once an architect of Heaven, but now builds all his works in Hell.

===Errors===
* Some of Dreadwind's body parts are inconsistently colored—on page 2 and 3 his "leg wings" are colored gray, but on page 4 and 5 they're the same teal color as his shoulders, and then they're gray once more on page 7. His kneecaps suffer the same mis-coloring as they are colored purple in every page except 3 and 7 where they're gray.
* Bombshell's [[cerebro-shell]]s are depicted as miniature versions of his insect mode. This ''could'' be related to the miniature Bombshell from ''[[Spotlight: Blaster]]'', but it seems Bombshell invented them just now. Years later, this continuity goof would be papered over in [[Shockpoint|a bit of dialogue]], dismissing that first Bombshell as "a different one".
* Blurr is back in his Cybertronian body à la ''[[The Transformers: Bumblebee]]''.
* And speaking of Bumblebee, he's oddly back to his old Volkswagen body, rather than his Dodge Challenger-inspired body which had been used for the last few issues.
* To complete the [[alternate mode]] roundabout, Jetfire is now in a simplified version of his body from ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'', as opposed to the much larger body with an Earth bomber alternate mode that he had previously.
* How ''does'' a barely functioning/on life support/half dead Megatron know so much about what's going on in the Decepticon camp ''and'' Earth anyway?
* The issue title, which should be printed on the last page, is missing.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20110907100528/http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=10070&start=30 Mike Costa and the Transformers Ongoing literary references]" post on IDW Publishing's forums.</ref>

===Other trivia===
* Includes a [[Decepticomments]] section where editor [[Denton J. Tipton]] says good-bye to the readers. It also reveals the winner of the contest from "[[Things Fall Apart, Part 3: "Seasons in Flight"|Seasons in Flight]]".
* With this issue, art duties have been turned over to E.J. Su, and the characters are no longer drawn in [[Don Figueroa]]'s movie-inspired style. For example, the Autobots' designs are simplified versions of the character models Su developed back in 2005 for the ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'' series.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A:''' Close up of Megatron's face; art by [[Don Figueroa]] and colors by [[James Brown]].
* '''Cover B:''' An angry Megatron featuring a black helmet like in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]]; art by [[Andrew Wildman]].
* '''Cover RI:''' Concept art of Hot Rod; art by Don Figueroa.

<gallery>
File:TFvol1 7cvrA.jpg|He's one mean mutha!
File:TFvol1 7cvrB.jpg|Meaner than [[Horri-Bull|bull]] that's seen red!
File:TFvol1 7cvrRI.jpg|Rodimus tries to sell his knee-skates.
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [[Scrapper (issue)|''The Transformers'' #8]]
* ''[[Jurassic Park]]'' comic in the [[IDWords]] section
* ''Killing the Cobra'' comic
* {{i|G.I. Joe: Hearts & Minds|''G.I. Joe'': "Hearts and Minds"}} comic
* ''[[Star Trek]]: Motion Picture Trilogy'' trade paperback
* ''Witch and Wizard: Battle for Shadowland'' comic
* ''Antiques: The Comic Strip'' trade paperback
* ''Love and Capes'' comics
* ''Puffed'' trade paperback
* ''Bram Stoker's Death Ship'' comic
* ''Mystery Society'' comic (back cover)

===Reprints===
* '''''The Transformers, Volume 2: International Incident''''' ([[December 8]], [[2010]]) ISBN 1600108040 / ISBN 978-1600108044
** Collects ''The Transformers'' (2009) issues #7–12.
** Bonus material includes art from all covers, including design sketches from Don Figueroa.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume Seven]]''''' ([[October 17]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613774060 / ISBN 978-1613774069
** Collects ''[[Infestation (IDW)|Infestation]]'' issues [[The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|#1]]–[[The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|2]], ''The Transformers'' (2009) issues #7–18, and ''[[The Transformers: Ironhide|Ironhide]]'' issues [[The Iron Age|#1]]–[[Any Old Iron|4]].
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 46: Things Fall Apart''''' ([[October 4]], [[2017]])
** Collects ''The Transformers'' (2009) issues #2–8.
** Bonus material includes character design sketches by Figueroa, an extract from [[Decepticomments]] from ''The Transformers'' #4 by Mike Costa, and a bio on IDW [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]].
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:IDW ongoing tpb2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: International Incident''''' – cover art by [[Guido Guidi]] and [[James Brown]]
File:IDWCollection7.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Volume Seven''''' – cover art by [[E. J. Su]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v46.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 46: Things Fall Apart''''' – cover art by [[Makoto Ono]] and [[Don Figueroa]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:IDW The Transformers issues]]

MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

All His Engines