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Fragmentation (G1)

2026-04-19T18:39:12Z

Leoalpha7: Added a 5th cover, Dynamic Forces blue foil variant, to the cover section, picture and cheesy caption added in the gallery section.

{{disambig2|the Dreamwave ''War Within'' comic|for the IDW ''Fall of Cybertron'' comic|Fragmentation (FOC)}}
{{comicstory|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages]]'' #1
|prev=The War Within issue 6
|next=Escalation
|image=DW WW2 1 don.jpg
|caption=[[Titanium Series]], here I come!
|title="Fragmentation"
|publisher=[[Dreamwave Productions]]
|date=[[October 8]], [[2003]]
|coverdate=October, 2003
|writer=[[Simon Furman]]
|pencils=[[Andrew Wildman]]
|inks=[[Erik Sander]]
|colors=[[Espen Grundetjern]], [[Rob Ruffolo]], [[Ramil Sunga]]
|letters=[[Ben Lee|Benjamin Lee]]
|editorinchief=[[Roger Lee]]
|chronology=[[Dreamwave timeline|The Dark Ages]]
|continuity=[[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave continuity]]
}}
'''Optimus Prime removes himself and Megatron from the board, causing the two factions to break into six. A burning darkness emerges.'''

==Synopsis==
Before, at Polar State: [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] heroically dives at [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], throwing the two together through an early [[space bridge]]. Unable to process the unexpected higher occupancy, the portal explodes. Long after the area is abandoned, a crack in space opens up, letting [[The Fallen]] return.

Years later, on an operation at a [[Moon Alpha Spaceport|spaceport]] on [[Moonbase One|Moon Alpha]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] questions the existence of [[Primus|a higher power]] and [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s role in the larger universe. [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] pulls Kup's head out of <s>his ass</s> the proverbial clouds.

[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] returns to the [[Autobase]], with news of a [[Decepticon]] [[Trypticon (G1)|mobile assault base]]. But [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] is unable to spare extra soldiers ever since the [[Wreckers]] and [[Lightning Strike Coalition|L.S.C.]] broke off from the [[Autobot]]s with the absence of Optimus Prime.

On Orbital Torus State: [[Kalis]], [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] leads [[Bugly (G1)|Bugly]] and [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] in [[Chaos Trinity|a dark ritual]]. The Fallen crashes their pagan party and recruits the three to be his henchmen.

[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and his crew of [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]] transport a shipment of raw [[energon]] to the spaceport, but after landing, they find their receiving team has already been killed by Grimlock's gang. As Grimlock and Starscream shout at each other, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] jack the energon transport, leaving Starscream very, very angry.

Deep within Cybertron, The Fallen leads his underlings to the [[Well of All Sparks]] and tasks them with the retrieval of Grimlock for his role in the [[Unbinding]].

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (3)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (4)
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (5)
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (6)
*[[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (8)
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (9)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (10)
*[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] (11)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (12)
*[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (13)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (14)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (15)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (17)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (18)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (19)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (28)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (29)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (30)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (33)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (16)
*[[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (20)
*[[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] (21)
*[[Bugly (G1)|Bugly]] (22)
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (23)
*[[Octane]] (24)
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (25)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (26)
*[[Hardcase]] (27)
*[[Krok (G1)|Krok]] (31)
*[[Horri-Bull]] (32)
|h3=Others|c3=
*[[The Fallen]] (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"So I ask you—what's it all ''about?''" 
"...Right here, Kup, right now... it about ''Energon.''"
:— '''Kup''' and '''Grimlock'''

==Notes==
===Continuity Notes===
*Though this issue gives no suggestions as to how long the gap between ''War Within'' #6 and the opening of this issue is, ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' gives the date as being around 7.4 million years ago
*Iacon is still in ruins after Starscream's power play back in the previous miniseries.
*That Wheeljack, Ironhide and Kup are with the Lightning Strike Coalition isn't much of a surprise. The three had already been good buds with Grimlock.
*Now what's with that [[Space bridge]] Megatron's built, eh? The comic never gives full details, but the final issue of ''Age of Wrath'' released reveals Optimus and Megatron's end destination was [[Quintessa (planet)|Quintessa]], and unreleased scripts from Simon Furman showed Megs was going to make a deal with them to deliver Cybertron's core in exchange for an army.
*The Fallen's appearance gets some context shone on it some issues down the line, with the Fallen confirming that it was Megatron's mucking about with Space Bridges that freed him from imprisonment. So that's why he shows up in the exact place the space bridge goes kablooey, rather than it just being coincidence.

===Transformers references===
*Grimlock almost accidentally calls Swoop [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]]—this is a nod to the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK]] story, "[[What's in a Name?]]".

===Other trivia===
*The "[[Wavelengths]]" section contains an article from the desk of penciller and character designer, [[Don Figueroa|Don Allen Figueroa]].
*The "Declarations of War" page has reader mail answered by [[Matt Moylan]] and has a rendering of Optimus Prime by Jeffrey Englert.
*Furman previously [[...The Harder They Die!|wrote a story]] about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] tackling [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] through a space bridge in the Marvel UK series.
*One of Starscream's Predacons is named [[Stormbringer]], a name that Furman would reuse later for the [[The Transformers: Stormbringer|IDW mini-series]].

===Covers (5)===
*'''Cover A:''' Double-sized, wrap-around cover of [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and some major players from the series. Art by [[Don Figueroa]], [[Erik Sander]] and [[Alan Wang]].
*'''Cover B:''' The Dynobots in their Cybertronian forms. Cover by [[Pat Lee]] (with [[Elaine To]] and [[Rob Ruffolo]]).
*'''Incentive Cover:''' The Fallen by Pat Lee, Erik Sander and Rob Ruffolo.
*'''Dynamic Forces Cover:''' by [[Andrew Wildman]], Erik Sander and Alan Wang, featuring the Autobots at Prime's funeral (limited to 3000 copies).
*'''Dynamic Forces Blue Foil Cover:''' by [[Andrew Wildman]], Erik Sander and Alan Wang, Dynamic Forces variant cover featuring the Dreamwave logo, title, and eyes in blue foil (limited to 2000 copies).

<gallery>
File:DW WW2 1 don_wrap.jpg|Now how is Jetfire supposed to use his right hand?
File:DW WW2 1 pat.jpg|Sludge is pissed that Pat Lee drew them as balloon-bots. So are we, Sludge, so are we.
File:DW WW2 1 inc.jpg|The Fallen's magical floating sword.
File:DW WW2 1 wildman.jpg|Don't the Autobots know about [[the many deaths of Optimus Prime]]?
File:DW WW2 1 wildman foil variant.jpg|What is wrong with you? Why are you blue?
</gallery>

===Advertisements ===
*''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe]]'' #3: "[[Trial by Fire]]"
*[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|''More than Meets the Eye'' #8]]
*[[Escalation|''The Dark Ages'' #2]]

===Reprints===
Other than [[Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages#Collections|reprints of the full series]]
* N/A

[[Category:War Within issues]]

File:DW WW2 1 wildman foil variant.jpg

2026-04-19T18:31:34Z

Leoalpha7: {{DreamwaveG1 |description=Funeral for a Prime {{art|pencils=Andrew Wildman|inks=Erik Sander|colors=Alan Wang}} |series=darkages |cover=Dynamic Forces Foil Cover |issueno=1 |storytitle=Fragmentation |storylink=Fragmentation (G1) |year=03}} ...

{{DreamwaveG1
|description=Funeral for a Prime
{{art|pencils=[[Andrew Wildman]]|inks=[[Erik Sander]]|colors=[[Alan Wang]]}}
|series=darkages
|cover=Dynamic Forces Foil Cover
|issueno=1
|storytitle=Fragmentation
|storylink=Fragmentation (G1)
|year=03}}
[[Category:Images by Andrew Wildman]]

User:Leoalpha7

2025-05-11T00:24:42Z

Leoalpha7:

I literally created this account to contribute to the [[Transformers (2023) issue 11]] page regarding that Ultra Magnus cover you may or may not have heard of.

Uhh... Anyway, check me out on YT I guess https://youtube.com/leolegotoy

Transformers (2023) issue 1

2025-05-11T00:19:52Z

Leoalpha7: /* Covers */ Updated tally of covers documented

{{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|"Sparky" Witwicky]], asleep in a bar. Spike asks his father how long he’s been there, to which [[Danny]] the bartender answers since noon. Sparky notices that Spike has his brother [[Jimmy Witwicky|Jimmy]]'s telescope with him. Spike tells him that he and [[Carly (G1)|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 Sparky 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 Sparky's co-worker, [[Davey]], here to pick him up for their shifts. Sparky 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 Sparky end their shift at the nearby power plant, Davey tries to talk to Sparky 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. Sparky 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==
{{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)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (8)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (9)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (10)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (19)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (20)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (21)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (3)
* [[Danny]] (4)
* [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]] (5)
* [[Davey]] (6)
* [[Carly (G1)|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?'''" 
:—'''Sparky''' 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. However, later issues would reveal that the ''Ark'' did indeed crash millions of years ago.
* 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>
* One of the many body parts strewn about the ''Ark'' is a green arm that is clearly supposed to belong to the Autobot tracker [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. However, the events detailed in the ''[[Energon Universe 2025 Special]]'' [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe 2025 Special story|''G.I. Joe'' story]] make that impossible.

===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. Sparkplug's name is shortened to just "Sparky".
** Starscream and Jetfire/Skyfire being old friends, Jetfire helping Starscream out of ignorance to the war, 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]]''.

===Real-world references===
* Sparky's flashbacks on the first page of the issue features imagery of Sparky 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. However, these are merely stylistic renderings of purely fictional events, as later events and the wider Energon Universe stories are firmly set in the present day.
* Appropriately, Sparky 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 Sparky'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 Sparky'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 Sparky 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 Starscream 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 Sparky.

===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.
* ''Transformers'' #1 was the best-selling comic issue of 2023, according to ICv2 industry sales estimates.<ref>[https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/56290/top-50-comics-full-year-2023 ICv2: Top 50 Comics - Full Year 2023]</ref>
* Whilst not neccessarily an error, Starscream refers to Prime's 'eyes' with the human term, instead of 'optics.'

===Covers===
With over 100 to choose from, ''Transformers'' #1 features more variant covers than any other single ''Transformers'' comic issue ''by a long shot''.
{{comicstub|51/100 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.
* '''East Side Comics exclusive:''' by [[DarlsDraws]]. 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]]. 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.
* '''JJL Collectibles / The Comics Vault / Matthew Roberts exclusive:''' by [[Matthew Roberts]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''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.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch exclusive A:''' by [[Maria Wolf]] & Mike Spicer. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch 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]].

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* 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: 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=joUZgObXmU0 Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson]

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 1

2025-05-11T00:18:32Z

Leoalpha7: /* Covers */ Added the JJL Collectibles/The Comics Vault/Matthew Roberts exclusive cover to the gallery and added "Limited to 1,000 copies."

{{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|"Sparky" Witwicky]], asleep in a bar. Spike asks his father how long he’s been there, to which [[Danny]] the bartender answers since noon. Sparky notices that Spike has his brother [[Jimmy Witwicky|Jimmy]]'s telescope with him. Spike tells him that he and [[Carly (G1)|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 Sparky 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 Sparky's co-worker, [[Davey]], here to pick him up for their shifts. Sparky 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 Sparky end their shift at the nearby power plant, Davey tries to talk to Sparky 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. Sparky 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==
{{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)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (8)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (9)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (10)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (19)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (20)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (21)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (3)
* [[Danny]] (4)
* [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]] (5)
* [[Davey]] (6)
* [[Carly (G1)|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?'''" 
:—'''Sparky''' 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. However, later issues would reveal that the ''Ark'' did indeed crash millions of years ago.
* 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>
* One of the many body parts strewn about the ''Ark'' is a green arm that is clearly supposed to belong to the Autobot tracker [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. However, the events detailed in the ''[[Energon Universe 2025 Special]]'' [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe 2025 Special story|''G.I. Joe'' story]] make that impossible.

===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. Sparkplug's name is shortened to just "Sparky".
** Starscream and Jetfire/Skyfire being old friends, Jetfire helping Starscream out of ignorance to the war, 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]]''.

===Real-world references===
* Sparky's flashbacks on the first page of the issue features imagery of Sparky 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. However, these are merely stylistic renderings of purely fictional events, as later events and the wider Energon Universe stories are firmly set in the present day.
* Appropriately, Sparky 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 Sparky'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 Sparky'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 Sparky 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 Starscream 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 Sparky.

===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.
* ''Transformers'' #1 was the best-selling comic issue of 2023, according to ICv2 industry sales estimates.<ref>[https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/56290/top-50-comics-full-year-2023 ICv2: Top 50 Comics - Full Year 2023]</ref>
* Whilst not neccessarily an error, Starscream refers to Prime's 'eyes' with the human term, instead of 'optics.'

===Covers===
With over 100 to choose from, ''Transformers'' #1 features more variant covers than any other single ''Transformers'' comic issue ''by a long shot''.
{{comicstub|50/100 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.
* '''East Side Comics exclusive:''' by [[DarlsDraws]]. 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]]. 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.
* '''JJL Collectibles / The Comics Vault / Matthew Roberts exclusive:''' by [[Matthew Roberts]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''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.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch exclusive A:''' by [[Maria Wolf]] & Mike Spicer. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch 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:Transformers 2023 1 TransMissions Podcast cvr.jpg|
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File:Transformers 2023 1 ForbiddenPlanet cvr.jpg|
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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|
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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|
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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 D.jpg|
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</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: 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=joUZgObXmU0 Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson]

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

File:Transformers 2023 1 Matthew Roberts Cover.jpg

2025-05-11T00:16:17Z

Leoalpha7: {{SkyboundEU |description= {{art|art=Matthew Roberts}} |series=transformers |cover=JJL Collectibles / The Comics Vault / Matthew Roberts exclusive cover |excerpt= |issueno=1 |storylink= |storytitle= |year=23}} [[Category:Transformers (2023) covers...

{{SkyboundEU
|description=
{{art|art=[[Matthew Roberts]]}}
|series=transformers
|cover=JJL Collectibles / The Comics Vault / Matthew Roberts exclusive cover
|excerpt=
|issueno=1
|storylink=
|storytitle=
|year=23}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) covers]]
[[Category: Images by Matthew Roberts]]

Transformers (2023) issue 1

2025-05-11T00:01:21Z

Leoalpha7: /* Covers */ Edited Matthew Roberts exclusive title to include commissioning comic shops.

{{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|"Sparky" Witwicky]], asleep in a bar. Spike asks his father how long he’s been there, to which [[Danny]] the bartender answers since noon. Sparky notices that Spike has his brother [[Jimmy Witwicky|Jimmy]]'s telescope with him. Spike tells him that he and [[Carly (G1)|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 Sparky 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 Sparky's co-worker, [[Davey]], here to pick him up for their shifts. Sparky 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 Sparky end their shift at the nearby power plant, Davey tries to talk to Sparky 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. Sparky 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==
{{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)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (8)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (9)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (10)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (19)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (20)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (21)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (3)
* [[Danny]] (4)
* [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]] (5)
* [[Davey]] (6)
* [[Carly (G1)|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?'''" 
:—'''Sparky''' 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. However, later issues would reveal that the ''Ark'' did indeed crash millions of years ago.
* 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>
* One of the many body parts strewn about the ''Ark'' is a green arm that is clearly supposed to belong to the Autobot tracker [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. However, the events detailed in the ''[[Energon Universe 2025 Special]]'' [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe 2025 Special story|''G.I. Joe'' story]] make that impossible.

===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. Sparkplug's name is shortened to just "Sparky".
** Starscream and Jetfire/Skyfire being old friends, Jetfire helping Starscream out of ignorance to the war, 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]]''.

===Real-world references===
* Sparky's flashbacks on the first page of the issue features imagery of Sparky 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. However, these are merely stylistic renderings of purely fictional events, as later events and the wider Energon Universe stories are firmly set in the present day.
* Appropriately, Sparky 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 Sparky'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 Sparky'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 Sparky 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 Starscream 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 Sparky.

===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.
* ''Transformers'' #1 was the best-selling comic issue of 2023, according to ICv2 industry sales estimates.<ref>[https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/56290/top-50-comics-full-year-2023 ICv2: Top 50 Comics - Full Year 2023]</ref>
* Whilst not neccessarily an error, Starscream refers to Prime's 'eyes' with the human term, instead of 'optics.'

===Covers===
With over 100 to choose from, ''Transformers'' #1 features more variant covers than any other single ''Transformers'' comic issue ''by a long shot''.
{{comicstub|50/100 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.
* '''East Side Comics exclusive:''' by [[DarlsDraws]]. 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]]. 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.
* '''JJL Collectibles / The Comics Vault / 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.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch exclusive A:''' by [[Maria Wolf]] & Mike Spicer. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch 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>
File:Transformers 2023 1 cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers01B Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers01C Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers01D Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers01E Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers01F Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers01G Cover.jpg|

File:Transformers01I Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 SDCC AC cvr.jpg|

File:Transformers 2023 1 Big Clutch-eBay cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers01-FelixComicArtA Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Felix Comic Art cvr B.jpg|
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|
File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr A.jpg|
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: 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=joUZgObXmU0 Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson]

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

User:Leoalpha7

2025-05-10T23:43:30Z

Leoalpha7:

I literally created this account to contribute to the [[Transformers (2023) issue 11]] page regarding that Ultra Magnus cover you may or may not have heard of.

User:Leoalpha7

2025-05-10T23:42:54Z

Leoalpha7: Created page with "I literally created this account to contribute to the Transformers (2023) issue 11 page regarding that Ultra Magnus cover you may or may not have heard of."

I literally created this account to contribute to the Transformers (2023) issue 11 page regarding that Ultra Magnus cover you may or may not have heard of.

Transformers (2023) issue 11

2025-05-10T23:33:50Z

Leoalpha7: /* Covers */ Corrected the title of "UltraMega" to "Ultramega".

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #11
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 10
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 12
|image=Transformers 2023 11 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[August 14]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=August 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobots must rescue their captured comrades from Shockwave’s clutches as the ultimate doom rains down upon them.'''

==Synopsis==
Using a high-tech surfboard, [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] investigates the whirlpool created by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s attempt to bring [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] into [[Earth]] orbit.

Meanwhile, on the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] speaks to an unconcious [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], guilt-ridden for leaving him to be tortured by Shockwave. [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] chastises Arcee for leaving as well, causing Arcee to deck her in anger. Witnessing this exchange, [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] asks what happened to him, leading Arcee to reveal that this is what happens to bots captured by Shockwave, meaning that [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] are likely being tortured as they speak. The idea horrifies Carly. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] confers with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] about Magnus’s repairs, but Wheeljack is unable to fully repair Ultra Magnus without [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and doing so would use up their remaining [[Energon]]. Wheeljack suggests that they could keep him in his current state and revive more [[Autobot]]s instead, but Magnus awakens and pleads with Optimus that he wants to fight as part of this new resistance.

Aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] asks Shockwave to take [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] back to Cybertron to be repaired, but Shockwave insists that there are more important matters to be attended to. He then returns to Cybertron himself and orders the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s to ready their defenses against any potential attacks from the remaining Autobot rebels. When the Combaticons inquire about the status of [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] and [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], Shockwave brushes aside their concerns as well.

The Autobots quickly deduce that the [[space bridge]] bringing Cybertron is connected between the ''Nemesis'' and [[Shockwave's Tower|Shockwave' fortress]], using that to siphon the energy collected from Earth into Energon stores in the fortress. If they can destroy the ''Nemesis'', they can cut that connection off, but it's likely Shockwave already has enough Energon stored up to crush the remaining Autobots on Cybertron. Carly insists that their first priority should be rescuing Cliffjumper, to which Optimus agrees. However, Elita balks at this. She chastises Prime for leaving her and the rest of the Autobots alone on Cybertron for centuries and letting Shockwave's forces slowly destroy them. She does not want to risk losing their home to the [[Decepticon]]s to save this new world. Optimus merely says that he is confident in their abilities and old friends. Arcee, enraged by what the Decepticons did to Magnus, prepares for battle while Carly—surprised at the turn her [[Iron Intercessor]] has taken—looks on. Elita One tells her that she is proud to see her fire returning.

The Autobots formulate a plan: using [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'s teleportation abilities, now connected to [[Teletraan I]], they will teleport inside the ''Nemesis'' and use a series of explosives to destroy the Decepticon flagship, severing its space bridge connection. Carly insists on coming along, believing rescuing Cliffjumper to be her responsibility, but both Optimus and Arcee refuse, promising to bring him home for her.

[[File:TF2023 no.11 - Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|200px|left|[[Derek Yaniger|Yaniger]] would be proud.]]

Beachcomber returns to where he left [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and tells Spike of what he saw. Spike asks if they should do something, but Beachcomber solemnly states that there's nothing they can do. He leaves a canister of Energon for Astrotrain before taking Spike to find another quiet part of the world to wait for the inevitable end. As they walk through the woods, Spike sees a deer and recalls when Optimus first stepped foot on the planet. Spike tells Beachcomber that while he knows the fighting is wrong, that doesn't mean they can just run away.

Aboard the ''Nemesis'', Shockwave continues to torture Jazz and Cliffjumper, but is interrupted by the arrival of Optimus Prime and the other Autobots. As Optimus frees their comrades and Elita finishes planting the charges, Arcee threatens to execute Shockwave, but Prime stops her, fearing what might happen if she gives into her anger. Unfortunately, her hesitation gives Shockwave an opening to attack, taking Cliffjumper hostage and escaping. The Decepticon leader orders the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s to form [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], but Optimus isn't worried: teleporting in behind them are Wheeljack and the now fully restored Ultra Magnus!

However, upon seeing Shockwave again, Magnus freezes. He can't do it. In a fit of panic, he drops his weapon and retreats, apologizing all the while. As their strongest warrior drives off, Shockwave gloats. He broke the mind of the mighty Ultra Magnus, and now he’ll break the rest of the Autobots' bodies!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (1)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (2)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (3)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (7)
* ''[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'' (15)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (18)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (19)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (8)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (9)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (10)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (11)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (12)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (13)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (14)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (17)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (18)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (19)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (20)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (21)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (22)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (23)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (24)

|c3=
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (5)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"I know how you feel, Beachcomber. It feels... 'wrong' to fight. But I don't think I have to. I just know I can't run away."
:—'''Spike''' finds his resolve.

"Ratchet said I was too concerned with this world. But I brought this war to them. They need us now." 
"We have our own problems, Optimus." 
"That is true. But I am beginning to think we need them to survive, as well."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Elita One''' talk objectives.

"HAHAHA! I broke his mind! And now I will break your bodies!"
:—'''Shockwave''' celebrates over the Autobots

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Soundwave has been trying to repair Ravage ever since Optimus damaged him back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]].
* The Combaticons were shown to be defending Shockwave's fortress in [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]].
* Skywarp's willingness to help the Autobots is likely due to the combination of wanting revenge for what Soundwave and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] did to him back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]], as well as Arcee saving him from Carly’s attack in [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|issue #8]].
* Spike recalls Optimus's unfortunate encounter with another deer from [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|issue #2]].

===''Transformers'' references===
* Beachcomber's use of a surfboard is likely a reference to a similar scene in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode “[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]” - the multi-part epic this arc is largely based on - where the Autobots must surf to reach the [[sea funnel]].
* Just as in [[Transformers (2023) issue 9|issue #9]], Shockwave is shown as highly emotional, even laughing. He continues to be starkly out-of-character compared to everybody else, in a way that sure ''looks'' deliberate....

===Real-world references===
* Shockwave's battle cry is "[[X-Men|To me, my Decepticons!!!]]".

===Errors===
*Soundwave informs Shockwave that the portal to Cybertron has been repaired. Shockwave already knows this, as last issue, he himself told Soundwave the very same thing! (And no, nothing seems to have happened to it in between issues.)
*Once rebuilt, Ultra Magnus’s head antennas are now colored blue, as opposed to them being white (like his G1 Counterpart) when He is first shown in Arcee’s flashback in issue 7.

===Other trivia===

===Covers===
{{comicstub|10/17 covers documented}}
* '''Cover A:''' Shockwave fires on Optimus, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Shockwave attacks Elita, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Karen S. Darboe]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Elita fires a blast, by [[Ludo Lullabi]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Shockwave stands over a fallen Optimus, by [[Wes Craig]].
* '''Carnivore Comics Cover:''' by [[Ryan G. Browne]].
* '''Big Time Collectables Cover:''' by [[Ivan Tao]].
* '''The 616 Comics Cover A:''' by [[Tiago da Silva]].
* '''The 616 Comics Cover B:''' by Tiago da Silva.
* '''Ultramega homage surprise cover (Limited to 1 per store):''' by [[James Harren]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Carnivore Comics Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Big Time Collectibles Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 The 616 Comics Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 The 616 Comics Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 James Harren Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[Scarlett (comic)|Scarlett]]'' [[Scarlett issue 4|#4]] and ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' [[Destro issue 4|#4]].
* ''Invincible: The Hero-Building Game''
* ''Impact Winter''
* Experience the Energon Universe in the trade paperbacks for ''Transformers'', ''[[Void Rivals]]'', ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'', and ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]''
* Skybound Insiders

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' ([[November 27]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270 
** Collects issues #7–12.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 11

2025-05-10T23:32:34Z

Leoalpha7: /* Covers */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #11
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 10
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 12
|image=Transformers 2023 11 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[August 14]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=August 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobots must rescue their captured comrades from Shockwave’s clutches as the ultimate doom rains down upon them.'''

==Synopsis==
Using a high-tech surfboard, [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] investigates the whirlpool created by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s attempt to bring [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] into [[Earth]] orbit.

Meanwhile, on the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] speaks to an unconcious [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], guilt-ridden for leaving him to be tortured by Shockwave. [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] chastises Arcee for leaving as well, causing Arcee to deck her in anger. Witnessing this exchange, [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] asks what happened to him, leading Arcee to reveal that this is what happens to bots captured by Shockwave, meaning that [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] are likely being tortured as they speak. The idea horrifies Carly. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] confers with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] about Magnus’s repairs, but Wheeljack is unable to fully repair Ultra Magnus without [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and doing so would use up their remaining [[Energon]]. Wheeljack suggests that they could keep him in his current state and revive more [[Autobot]]s instead, but Magnus awakens and pleads with Optimus that he wants to fight as part of this new resistance.

Aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] asks Shockwave to take [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] back to Cybertron to be repaired, but Shockwave insists that there are more important matters to be attended to. He then returns to Cybertron himself and orders the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s to ready their defenses against any potential attacks from the remaining Autobot rebels. When the Combaticons inquire about the status of [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] and [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], Shockwave brushes aside their concerns as well.

The Autobots quickly deduce that the [[space bridge]] bringing Cybertron is connected between the ''Nemesis'' and [[Shockwave's Tower|Shockwave' fortress]], using that to siphon the energy collected from Earth into Energon stores in the fortress. If they can destroy the ''Nemesis'', they can cut that connection off, but it's likely Shockwave already has enough Energon stored up to crush the remaining Autobots on Cybertron. Carly insists that their first priority should be rescuing Cliffjumper, to which Optimus agrees. However, Elita balks at this. She chastises Prime for leaving her and the rest of the Autobots alone on Cybertron for centuries and letting Shockwave's forces slowly destroy them. She does not want to risk losing their home to the [[Decepticon]]s to save this new world. Optimus merely says that he is confident in their abilities and old friends. Arcee, enraged by what the Decepticons did to Magnus, prepares for battle while Carly—surprised at the turn her [[Iron Intercessor]] has taken—looks on. Elita One tells her that she is proud to see her fire returning.

The Autobots formulate a plan: using [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'s teleportation abilities, now connected to [[Teletraan I]], they will teleport inside the ''Nemesis'' and use a series of explosives to destroy the Decepticon flagship, severing its space bridge connection. Carly insists on coming along, believing rescuing Cliffjumper to be her responsibility, but both Optimus and Arcee refuse, promising to bring him home for her.

[[File:TF2023 no.11 - Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|200px|left|[[Derek Yaniger|Yaniger]] would be proud.]]

Beachcomber returns to where he left [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and tells Spike of what he saw. Spike asks if they should do something, but Beachcomber solemnly states that there's nothing they can do. He leaves a canister of Energon for Astrotrain before taking Spike to find another quiet part of the world to wait for the inevitable end. As they walk through the woods, Spike sees a deer and recalls when Optimus first stepped foot on the planet. Spike tells Beachcomber that while he knows the fighting is wrong, that doesn't mean they can just run away.

Aboard the ''Nemesis'', Shockwave continues to torture Jazz and Cliffjumper, but is interrupted by the arrival of Optimus Prime and the other Autobots. As Optimus frees their comrades and Elita finishes planting the charges, Arcee threatens to execute Shockwave, but Prime stops her, fearing what might happen if she gives into her anger. Unfortunately, her hesitation gives Shockwave an opening to attack, taking Cliffjumper hostage and escaping. The Decepticon leader orders the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s to form [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], but Optimus isn't worried: teleporting in behind them are Wheeljack and the now fully restored Ultra Magnus!

However, upon seeing Shockwave again, Magnus freezes. He can't do it. In a fit of panic, he drops his weapon and retreats, apologizing all the while. As their strongest warrior drives off, Shockwave gloats. He broke the mind of the mighty Ultra Magnus, and now he’ll break the rest of the Autobots' bodies!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (1)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (2)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (3)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (7)
* ''[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'' (15)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (18)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (19)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (8)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (9)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (10)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (11)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (12)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (13)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (14)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (17)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (18)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (19)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (20)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (21)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (22)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (23)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (24)

|c3=
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (5)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"I know how you feel, Beachcomber. It feels... 'wrong' to fight. But I don't think I have to. I just know I can't run away."
:—'''Spike''' finds his resolve.

"Ratchet said I was too concerned with this world. But I brought this war to them. They need us now." 
"We have our own problems, Optimus." 
"That is true. But I am beginning to think we need them to survive, as well."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Elita One''' talk objectives.

"HAHAHA! I broke his mind! And now I will break your bodies!"
:—'''Shockwave''' celebrates over the Autobots

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Soundwave has been trying to repair Ravage ever since Optimus damaged him back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]].
* The Combaticons were shown to be defending Shockwave's fortress in [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]].
* Skywarp's willingness to help the Autobots is likely due to the combination of wanting revenge for what Soundwave and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] did to him back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]], as well as Arcee saving him from Carly’s attack in [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|issue #8]].
* Spike recalls Optimus's unfortunate encounter with another deer from [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|issue #2]].

===''Transformers'' references===
* Beachcomber's use of a surfboard is likely a reference to a similar scene in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode “[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]” - the multi-part epic this arc is largely based on - where the Autobots must surf to reach the [[sea funnel]].
* Just as in [[Transformers (2023) issue 9|issue #9]], Shockwave is shown as highly emotional, even laughing. He continues to be starkly out-of-character compared to everybody else, in a way that sure ''looks'' deliberate....

===Real-world references===
* Shockwave's battle cry is "[[X-Men|To me, my Decepticons!!!]]".

===Errors===
*Soundwave informs Shockwave that the portal to Cybertron has been repaired. Shockwave already knows this, as last issue, he himself told Soundwave the very same thing! (And no, nothing seems to have happened to it in between issues.)
*Once rebuilt, Ultra Magnus’s head antennas are now colored blue, as opposed to them being white (like his G1 Counterpart) when He is first shown in Arcee’s flashback in issue 7.

===Other trivia===

===Covers===
{{comicstub|10/17 covers documented}}
* '''Cover A:''' Shockwave fires on Optimus, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Shockwave attacks Elita, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Karen S. Darboe]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Elita fires a blast, by [[Ludo Lullabi]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Shockwave stands over a fallen Optimus, by [[Wes Craig]].
* '''Carnivore Comics Cover:''' by [[Ryan G. Browne]].
* '''Big Time Collectables Cover:''' by [[Ivan Tao]].
* '''The 616 Comics Cover A:''' by [[Tiago da Silva]].
* '''The 616 Comics Cover B:''' by Tiago da Silva.
* '''UltraMega homage surprise cover (Limited to 1 per store):''' by [[James Harren]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Carnivore Comics Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Big Time Collectibles Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 The 616 Comics Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 The 616 Comics Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 James Harren Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[Scarlett (comic)|Scarlett]]'' [[Scarlett issue 4|#4]] and ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' [[Destro issue 4|#4]].
* ''Invincible: The Hero-Building Game''
* ''Impact Winter''
* Experience the Energon Universe in the trade paperbacks for ''Transformers'', ''[[Void Rivals]]'', ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'', and ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]''
* Skybound Insiders

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' ([[November 27]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270 
** Collects issues #7–12.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

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

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]