MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Shoot Shoot Bang Bang

2015-10-21T18:48:08Z

Mariocog: Created page with "Shoot Shoot Bang Bang is a game created by the Scavengers (and "copyrighted" by Crankcase)."

Shoot Shoot Bang Bang is a game created by the [[Scavengers]] (and "copyrighted" by [[Crankcase]]).

Fulcrum

2015-10-21T18:15:16Z

Mariocog: /* Notes */

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 Decepticon|the ''Kre-O'' Decepticon|Fulcrum (Kre-O)}}
:''Fulcrum is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:RulesofDisengagement-FulcrumMisfire.jpg|thumb|250px|"If I only had my heart..."]]
Chatty and (he hopes) disarming, '''Fulcrum''' is by his own admission a big fan of his own survival. Dying, less so.

==Fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
Long ago, Fulcrum joined the Decepticons, agreeing with their goal of cleansing the galaxy of organic races, who were too backward to see their own inferiority. His own "superiority" came into question, however, when he was the Project Manager in charge of [[Eco-structuring|cyberforming]] [[B'lahr 39]], the Autobots attacked and he legged it as far and as fast as he could.

A few weeks later, he got caught. Convicted of cowardice, he was sent to [[Styx]] to die by [[Traitor's wheel]] - which got changed to dying as a [[K-Class]] bomb on the planet [[Clemency]] when the order came down that all Decepticon prisoners were to be re-engineered as such. As the moment came to jump and die, he was sullen and silent, ignoring the perky K-Squad member [[Torque (G1)|Torque]], until the moment came to jump.

This time, his own cowardice actually saved him - his systems, paralysed by fear, failed to trigger the auto-transformation to bomb mode and he crashed to the ground without exploding. Still, although he didn't die, he was damaged and knocked into [[stasis lock]] for an unknown period of time. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}}

With the huge number of Decepticon corpses produced by the battle simply left where they lay, Fulcrum finally awoke to find that a group of [[Scavenger (group)|Scavengers]] — [[Krok (G1)|Krok]], [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]], [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]], [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] and [[Flywheels]] — were attempting to steal his [[energon]], armor and even his [[fuel pump]]. After he had managed to persuade them that he was not a [[zombie]], he joined up with this ragtag crew and soon after they discovered a P-6 [[Worldsweeper]] "Symbol Ship". Exploring further, they discovered that the ship was full of extremely disquieting scenarios including malformed, aborted [[protoform]]s, bleeding rooms coated in skin, disembodied [[brain module]]s and a strange kind of wooden robot. Uniquely among the Decepticons present, Fulcrum expressed enthusiasm to find out the mysteries of the ship, and even in general, noting that for the first time in their lives they were free. This optimism was soon scotched when they were contacted by the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] who informed them that there was a traitor in their midst and they had 15 minutes to give him up so the other six could watch him being tortured and killed. Fulcrum assumed that the D.J.D. had miscounted the life signs aboard the Worldsweeper until Krok discovered that the ship also contained the deactivated [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in a [[stasis pod]]. {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}}

The Scavengers decided to stay behind and battle the D.J.D. by putting Grimlock out in the open and releasing him from his pod when the D.J.D. got close. At the last moment, their leader [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] revealed they were actually after Fulcrum but before the Decepticon could explain, the D.J.D. arrived. Krok released Grimlock anyways and the fight began. Fulcrum devised a plan to run to the top of the Worldsweeper, jump off, and detonate on the ground in bomb mode to destroy all the D.J.D. members. Before he jumped off, he told Tarn that he was sickened by organizations like the D.J.D. and that the Scavengers, aside from that Fulcrum had just met them and being weaklings, were still better than them. He then jumped off and only succeeded in making a small crater. The D.J.D. left for [[Overlord (Masterforce)|higher priorities]] and told that all the Scavengers and Grimlock were now on [[The List]] for aiding Fulcrum. Fulcrum recovered and found out that Spinister had removed his explosive charge in case he detonated when they had been scavenging him earlier. Fulcrum then told them about why he had been targeted by the D.J.D. but the group was too busy paying attention to Grimlock, who was revealed to be almost brain-dead. The group decided to fix Krok, set off for Cybertron, and use Grimlock as a bargaining chip when they got there. Before they left, they looted Flywheels, who had been killed during the fight. {{storylink|Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|Who's Afraid of the DJD?}}

Later, on the planet [[Constancy]], he was part of a mission to free Misfire from [[Galactic Council]] death row. This went wrong for two reasons: Misfire stopping for snacks and the [[universal killswitch|strange illness]] that knocked out the rest of the team. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

==Notes==
*[[James Roberts]] previously created a Decepticon named Fulcrum in his fan-published novel ''Transformers: Eugenesis''. Whether ''this'' Fulcrum is intended to represent the same character or is merely a re-use of the name is currently unknown.
*Fulcrum is [[K-Class]], a designation of Transformer that has a bomb alt mode and 'doesn't do fear.' Fulcrum missed the memo on the fear part.
*Everyone comments on his [[chin]].
*Did you know? Cowardly Fulcrum was project manager on B'lahr XXXIX, named after Cowardly Lion actor Bert Lahr, from the Wizard of Oz (1939).

[[Category:Comic-only Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Decepticons]]

Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet

2015-05-29T18:44:04Z

Mariocog: /* Errors */

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=37
|prev=Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays
|next=Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide
|image=MTMTE37 regcvr.jpg
|title="Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet"
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[February 4]], [[2015]]
|coverdate=January 2015
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|art by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]] [[Josh Burcham]] (pgs 7–8)
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2015)]]
}}

'''Rodimus's team continues their pursuit of Brainstorm through time, only to find that they are more involved in past events than expected—and that Brainstorm's goal is not what they believed it to be.'''

==Synopsis==

[[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]]'s team have followed [[Brainstorm]] back to [[Clampdown (event)|Clampdown]]-era [[Rodion]], and have spread out to search for the rogue scientist. While Rodimus watches for [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] at the police station alongside [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], he checks in with the others: [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] is surveying the city from his position on an airship; the bored [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] is watching the waterways; a nervous [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] is riding the rails to avoid the risk of running into his past self; and [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] look down on the city from a nearby cliff. Emotionally moved by the sight of the pristine planet, unblemished by war, to the point that he is struck dumb, Cyclonus doesn't respond to Rodimus, so Tailgate takes the communicator and quickly makes up a story about having set down for repairs. After a moment of silence, Cyclonus apologizes to Tailgate for physically abusing him in the past.

Rodimus then calls [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], who expresses concern over the fact that Rewind's database is being overwritten, as it implies that Brainstorm's alteration to the timeline may have already happened, or is destined to. As such, if they cannot stop him, Perceptor must dismantle the time machine to undo the paradox, warning that many things could "go wrong". Reminded by those words that he had forgotten about [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], Rodimus contacts the psychotherapist, who is staking out [[Maccadam's Old Oil House|Maccadam's New Oil House]]. Unfortunately, Brainstorm is also watching the bar, and when he spots Rung building a model of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', he realizes that he has been followed back in time and abandons his plans. Brainstorm's flight is spotted by Rewind, and Cyclonus gives chase, but just before he can land a missile-hit, Brainstorm's [[briefcase]] activates and he time-jumps away. At Perceptor's instruction, the team re-groups at Maccadam's, and he sends them after their quarry.

Arriving one year further in the past, in 4th Cycle 499, the team are contacted by Perceptor and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], who believe that Maccadam's is important, and that the deductions they made about Brainstorm's plans may have been hasty. Accordingly, the group splits in two: Chromedome, Rewind and Whirl keep watch over the police station, while the rest remain at the bar. But Brainstorm has gone to neither, and is, in fact, at a wellbeing clinic several miles away, where he ambushes and knocks out the Rung of the past...

At the police station, Chromedome and Rewind spend time stargazing, but Rewind is preoccupied with thoughts of the unknown fate of [[Dominus Ambus]]. He proposes using the time-case to finally discover what befell his former [[Conjunx Endura]], but Chromedome worries that he will want to change history and save Dominus's life, which would mean that his and Rewind's relationship would never happen. Before they can discuss those unfortunate ramifications too deeply, Whirl alerts them to the arrival of his own past self at the station. Recognizing the perp his past self is bringing in as [[Crossbar]], Whirl realizes what specific day it is—the day [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] is arrested.

Back at Maccadam's, the rest of the team watch the younger Megatron and [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] sitting at a nearby table. When Rung goes to fetch a [[curly straw]] for Tailgate, however, he accidentally knocks over a jumped-up cadet's drink, and winds up being thrown into Megatron and Impactor's table when he refuses to clean up the mess. This instigates the famous bar-room brawl that leads to Megatron's arrest, and as the ''Lost Light''ers make themselves scarce, Brainstorm, looking on from outside, grimaces at the realization his attempt to prevent it by incapacitating the past-Rung has failed.

A few hours later, at the police station, after Megatron has been arrested and subsequently released by Pax, the [[senate]]'s goon squad arrives for payback and kills officers [[Springarm]] and [[Wheelarch]]. Chromedome refuses to let Rewind intervene, regrettably understanding that history must be preserved, but is too slow to stop the deranged Whirl leaping into the fray when three new thugs come stomping up—including the [[Heavies]], who destroyed Whirl's life when they wrecked his watchmaking business. Hungry for revenge, Whirl takes the two huge 'bots down with violent ease; Chromedome intervenes before he can kill them, reminding Whirl that they ''have'' to live, so that Chromedome can have his own encounter with them in a year's time. Whirl justifies his actions by explaining his history with the Heavies... a history which is then elaborated upon by Hammer, who tells Whirl that the pair acted on the orders of the [[Functionist Council]], who wanted him punished him for abandoning his assigned job in the Aerial Corps, and who were also responsible for his later [[empurata]]. With icy detachment, Whirl vents his rage by shooting the third 'bot, who is unfamiliar to him, but whom he deems guilty by association.

Back in the present, on the ''Lost Light'', Perceptor discovers that time has ceased to flow in all other parts of the universe, indicating the imminent collapse of the original timeline. Studying the dates Rodimus's team has travelled to, Megatron realizes that they have been working on a flawed principle: the dates correspond to major events in ''Megatron's'' life, not Orion Pax's. It is Megatron's life that Brainstorm is trying to unmake... and even as Ultra Magnus's internal criminal database is overwritten, and Megatron disappears from his records, in the past, Brainstorm appears at the moment of Megatron's creation, and levels his weapons at the once and future Decepticon leader's half-built form...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] (1)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (2)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (3)
*[[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] (5)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (6)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (8)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (9)
*[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] (10)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (11)
*[[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (14)

|c2=
*[[Brainstorm]] (15)

|c4=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Proteus]] (4, billboard)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] (7)
*[[Quark]] (12)
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (13)
*"[[Streaker]]" and "[[Fallout (G1)|Fallout]]" (16, 18)
*[[Sherma]]'s body (17)
*[[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]] (19)
*[[Crossbar]] (20)
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (21)
*Cadets (22-23)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Roller (IDW)|Roller]]? (24)
*Senate thugs (25, 28, 30)
*[[Wheelarch]]'s head (26)
*[[Springarm]] (27)
*[[Heavies|Anvil]] (29)
*[[Heavies|Hammer]] (31)
{{!}}}
}}

==Quotes==

"You said the station was always busy. You said—" 
"I '''said''' it was a '''non-stop cop shop'''. An' I only said '''that''' 'cos it '''rhymed'''." 
"I can't tell if you're joking." 
"Welcome to the club."
:—'''Rodimus''' and '''Whirl'''

''Tailgate, after taking the communicator from Cyclonus and covering for his silence to Rodimus:'' 
"Is it the time travel? 'Cos I'm only just wrapping my head around it myself. I mean, '''think about it''': I'm somewhere out there right now, buried underground. Me! Underground! Right now! Me! The way I see it, you just have to accept what's happening as something that's... happening. And I think that's true of so many things in life." 
"It's beautiful." 
"Oh! Rodion." 
"Cybertron." 
"Yes, well, umm..drink it in, I guess." 
"It's been so '''long'''. So long since I saw it as it '''should''' be seen." 
''Both stare at the beauty of the city, then Cyclonus glances down at Tailgate'' 
"I'm sorry." 
"Noted." 

"No offense, but you couldn't draw attention to yourself if you '''tried'''. Even '''mirrors''' ignore you."
:—'''Rodimus''', to Rung

"Okay, as entrances go, that was only '''slightly''' less conspicuous than projecting "'''Your Attention Please'''" on a mushroom cloud."
:—'''Chromedome''' on the team's arrival in 4th Cycle 499

"Rodimus? It's Ultra Magnus speaking." 
"Listen, whatever I've done, it was an accident and I'm sorry." 
"The '''big picture:''' Brainstorm trying to kill Pax. We drew it at speed because we '''had to'''. But the more we look at it, the less it makes sense." 
"Magnus, the '''last''' thing I want to do is dissuade you from exploring the power of metaphor, but I really don't have the remotest idea what you're talking about."
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' and '''Rodimus'''

'''Rodimus:''' "The back door's this way. No one make eye contact with anybody. Especially not you, Tailgate." 
'''Tailgate:''' "Why especially not me?" 
'''Rodimus:''' "Because you've got one of those faces." 
'''Tailgate:''' "What's wrong with my face?" 
'''Rodimus:''' "It's basically a '''punch magnet.'''" 
'''Tailgate:''' "So '''rude!''' Cyclonus, did you hear that?" 
'''Cyclonus:''' "No. Was it about your face?"

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*''The Custom-Made Now'' is the third part of a trilogy of flashback stories, following ''Chaos Theory'' and ''Shadowplay''.<ref>[http://www.transmissionspodcast.com/2015/03/transmissions-episode-94-james-roberts-mtmte-elegant-chaos-interview/ TransMissions Episode 94 – James Roberts MTMTE Elegant Chaos Interview] 36:00 to 36:07</ref>
*The first time period our heroes jump to is that of the first chapter of the "Shadowplay" trilogy, from [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|issue #9]], while the second is that of the first part of "Chaos Theory", from [[Chaos Theory Part 1|issue #21]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|2009-2011 ongoing series]]. Two pages from each issue are reprinted in context.
*The billboard-airship that Rewind hitches a lift on was seen in issue #9, and can be seen again in the reprinted pages.
*Cyclonus apologises for kicking Tailgate back in [[Life After the Big Bang|issue #4]].
*We get another look at "Magnus-vision", the way Magnus sees the world around him, seen before in [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|the 2012 annual]].
*As Brainstorm flies away from Maccadam's, we see two 'bots carrying a body along the bridge below him. The corpse is that of [[Sherma|Senator Sherma]], who is about to be hung from the bridge, as we saw in issue #9; logically, it would follow that the two 'bots carrying it are the unnamed killers from [[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|issue #10]], before their [[spark]]s are implanted in the bodies of [[Streaker]] and [[Fallout (G1)|Fallout]].
*Rung has previously been described as a "historical constant" by Rewind in [[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|issue #11]], because of his presence at many important points in Cybertronian history. It now appears that this reputation is partly a product of the present-day Rung travelling back in time to these points in time, rather than his just happening to be there in the regular flow of history—we find out this issue that the Rung who appeared in the past sequences in "Chaos Theory" and "Shadowplay" were both the present-day Rung, in turn validating last issue's implication that the actions Rodimus's team are taking are and were always part of the timeline they knew.
*In-keeping with that, now we know why Rung didn't have any memory of the bar-room brawl when Megatron brought it up back in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|issue #28]] - for him, it hadn't happened yet.
*Previously, issue 9's scene of Rung assembling a model of the ''Lost Light'' seemed to imply a history to the ship, which was further hinted at when Nightbeat appeared to recognize the vessel in [[...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|''Dark Cybertron Finale'']]. Now we understand that Nightbeat was remembering the model and recognizing its anachronistic nature.
*Past-Rung's scooter is his wheeled backpack, which we learned was a separate attachment back in [[Little Victories|issue #22]].
*The song that past-Rung whistles as Brainstorm ambushes him is "[[The Empyrean Suite]]", the enigmatic piece of music with sinister connotations of which we are not yet aware, previously mentioned in issues [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]] and [[The Gloaming|#16]]. The notes in Rung's speech balloon match those when Swerve played the tune in #16.
*Chromedome and Rewind stargaze, imagining constellations in the shape of Prowl being beaten up, a habit of theirs mentioned in issue #16.
*Rewind brings up his and [[Dominus Ambus]]'s search for [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], originally discussed in [[Before & After|issue #12]].
*Rung groans "always the head" after he gets clobbered, hearkening back to the grave cranial injuries he took in [[Interiors|issue #6]].
*When the police arrive to break up the bar fight, the vehicle they arrive in appears to be [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]], or at least a 'bot with his [[alternate mode]]. The policebots themselves share a [[body-type]] with [[Springarm]] and [[Wheelarch]].
*The Heavies and their history with Whirl were originally introduced in issue #6. Chromedome's encounter with them took place in [[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|issue #11]], in which they, [[Kroma]] and [[Macabre]] raided the police station in order to capture [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Senator Shockwave]]. In the issue, [[Kroma]] noted in passing that Shockwave's whereabouts had been revealed through a tip-off from parties unknown; the Heavies go conspicuously ''un''-mindwiped at the end of this story, and hear Chromedome tell Whirl about the attack and Shockwave's presence. Could ''they'' have been the source of the information?
*Whirl kills the Heavies' unnamed cohort (who we've never seen before, for retroactively obvious reasons) with the curious weapon he took from Brainstorm's armory last issue.
*We learn that last issue's events, in 1st Cycle 502, took place on the same day as [[Megatron Origin issue 1|''Megatron Origin'' #1]].
*Though he has always been unforthcoming about his origins, we know that Megatron, as a [[Point One Percenter]], should have a green spark, but the one seen inside his half-built frame on the final page of this issue is the traditional blue. However, we ''very'' much doubt that's an error...

===Transformers references===
*Rodimus keeps his eye on the Rodion police station using a telescopic visor that slides down out of his helmet over his eyes, just like the one he used to zoom in on the captured shuttle in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*A generic working the waterway is colored like [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]].
*The train track that Chromedome rides is labelled "C-131", the [[List of Japanese ID numbers|Japanese ID number]] of [[Raiden (Headmasters)|Raiden]], combined form of the [[Trainbot|''TRAIN''bots]].

===Real-life references===
*This issue's title, "Stet", is a Latin word meaning "let it stand", used in proofreading to indicate that a previously-marked change is to be ignored, much like Brainstorm's attempts to change time.
*When trying to recall Quark's name, Rung believes it might be "{{w|QWERTY|Qwerty}}", after the most common modern-day keyboard layout.
*The address of Rung's wellbeing clinic is NX-74205, the registry number of the [[wikia:c:memoryalpha:USS Defiant (2370)|USS Defiant]] on ''[[Star Trek|Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''.
*To add even more to the image of [[Jesus]] established in #21 of this series in which he's literally crucified for the sins of others, Rodimus refers to the past in which he was not born yet as P.R: Pre-Rodimus, similar to how we refer to everything that happened before year 1 as B.C: Before Christ.
*The reprint of ''Chaos Theory'' and ''Shadowplay'' scenes was inspired by ''Back To The Future II'', which showed scenes from the first film from a different angle.Roberts has said this story is the most self-referential the comic will get, and he was conscious that showing the origin of the Sparkeater and the ship might be skirting the line.<ref>[http://www.transmissionspodcast.com/2015/03/transmissions-episode-94-james-roberts-mtmte-elegant-chaos-interview/ TransMissions Episode 94 – James Roberts MTMTE Elegant Chaos Interview] 50:10 to 51:11</ref>
*On page 7 a small robot resembles a mouse droid from Star Wars
*On the same page Rattrap and Scrounge can be seen

===Errors===
*The credits on the inside front cover mistakenly claim that the reprinted pages of Megatron and Rung's bar-room escapades are from [[Space Opera Act 2: Out of the Silent Planet|issue #20]] of the ongoing, rather than #22.
*On the same page, Kotteri's variant cover (see below) is listed as a "30th Anniversary cover", but the 30th anniversary is over; per the [[Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|''The Transformers'' #37]], the third variant should be back to being a "retailer incentive" cover.
*The bar brawl and Megatron's arrest are dated here to 4th Cycle 499; issue #28 previously gave a date of 4th Cycle 496 for those same events.
*On page 5, panel 5 Percy is missing his microscope mount.

===Other trivia===
*Originally intended for release in January 2015, month-long delays afflicting multiple IDW titles saw this issue pushed to the first week of February.
*The pages reprinted from previous issues are included in addition to the regular 22 pages of story, making for a 26-page story.
*This issue features the first visible instance of Whirl's original, pre-Empurata face.
*Roberts had vaguely planned for a "Let's Kill Hitler" time-travel story for ages but Megatron becoming captain turned it into a more "multi-layered" story.<ref>[http://www.transmissionspodcast.com/2015/03/transmissions-episode-94-james-roberts-mtmte-elegant-chaos-interview/ TransMissions Episode 94 – James Roberts MTMTE Elegant Chaos Interview] 43:20 to 44:10</ref>

===Soundtrack===
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WMjwlRhjGY Where Damage Isn't Already Done]" by {{w|The Radio Dept.}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPUrWmajIP4 The Certainty of Chance]" by {{w|The Divine Comedy (band)|The Divine Comedy}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2NaqB_aVgI The Psychiatrist Is In]" from {{w|God Help the Girl}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaxpAhDPboI A Europewide Search for Love]" by {{w|Ballboy (band)|Ballboy}}

===Covers (3)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Impactor, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' The Heavies, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Skids, Cyclonus and a glum Tailgate enjoy a drink, by [[Kotteri]]

<gallery>
File:MTMTE37 regcvr.jpg|
File:MTMTE37 subcvr.jpg|
File:MTMTE37 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''More than Meets the Eye'' #38
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' [[Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|#37]]
*''[[The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone|Drift - Empire of Stone]]'' [[Drift - Empire of Stone issue 3|#3]]
*''Machi Koro'' (back cover)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://tformers.com/comics-preview-the-transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-issue-37/25786/news.html Preview]

Slaughterhouse

2015-01-23T15:39:26Z

Mariocog: /* Quotes */

{{lowercase}}
{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=32
|prev=Twenty Plus One
|next=slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken
|image=MTMTE32 regcvr.jpg
|title="slaughterhouse" 
|caption=Wait a minute, [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe's]] on the cover? How did that happen?
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[August 27]], [[2014]]
|coverdate=August 2014
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|art by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2014)]]
}}

'''Horrors await the small group of Autobots as they explore the wreckage of the ''Lost Light'', but all is not as it appears...'''

==Synopsis==

Overcoming their shock at the sight of the ruined ''[[Lost Light]]'', torn into three chunks and bleeding quantum foam, the remaining crew of the [[Rodpod]] conclude that, somehow, this is the time-displaced future version of the ship from which the coffin containing [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]]'s dead body originated. Setting down inside the wreckage to investigate, they soon realise that their impromptu landing pad appears to be [[Swerve's]], only it seems to have been refashioned as a playhouse, rather than a bar; a poster for a showing of "Information Creep", the play [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]] is currently working on, seems to confirm that the ship is from the future. [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] brings out [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] to help in sniffing out the crew, though no-one is particularly pleased to see the cat-bot allowed to roam free. [[Nautica]] tries to be friendly, but makes the cardinal mistake of treating Ravage like a pet, and, suitably chastized by a swipe of his claws, decides to head off with [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] to fix the [[quantum generator]]s and stop the foam leakage. Presently, Ravage locates [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]—or rather, [[Minimus Ambus]], slaughtered and stripped of the [[Magnus Armor]] post-mortem, which lies nearby. [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] identifies the fatal blast-wound in Ambus's side as having been caused by a [[fusion cannon]], and immediately turns on Megatron; the former Decepticon retorts that his fusion cannon was destroyed following his change of allegiance, and that furthermore, he had no knowledge of Minimus Ambus within the armor. But as Skids points out, as the ship is from their future, he now ''does'' possess that knowledge and could potentially act on it in that future. Shaken, Megatron realizes that it is actually not impossible for him to be responsible for the death and devastation, and suggests that he and Ravage be locked up until more answers are forthcoming.

In another section of the ship, Nightbeat and Nautica make their way to the engine rooms, talking about the strangeness of recent events. Recalling the appearance of the deceased [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]]'s "data ghost" leads Nightbeat to ask Nautica about her own romantic past, and from there to the topic of pair-bonding in general on [[Caminus]]; the engineer is amused by his bluntness, and asks the same questions of him. As they enter an elevator, extra gizmos added to Nautica's wrench by [[Brainstorm]] deliver a report on the local surroundings, identifying local space as "worn down", with many signs of extensive recent [[transwarp|teleportation activity]]. At that point, Nautica's foot bumps into something on the floor... ''Brainstorm's [[briefcase]].''

Locked in a cupboard together, an angry Ravage attacks Megatron, accusing him of betrayal and hoping that [[shadowplay]] is responsible for his change of heart, which Megatron denies. Ravage tells him that [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] is now in charge of the Decepticons, but that he will be abandoned immediately if Megatron but gives the word; Megatron despairs over the toxicity of Decepticon loyalty, and correctly deduces that Ravage was sent to spy on him by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], and that he was responsible for the attempted jailbreak during his trial. In response to Ravage's allegation that Megatron is unsure of his identity for the first time in his life, Megatron explains that his change of heart was motivated by the fact that, during his last talk with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] prior to the [[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos event]], he had spoken harsh words that he had intended only to wound Prime... only to realize that he ''believed'' them, and that he hated the person he had become. Ravage claims that in years to come, Megatron will laugh at this notion, but Megatron admits to feeling old, and believes that the Megatron he once was is dead. Before the conversation can go any deeper, the lights flick on, repaired by the other Autobots... illuminating the dead bodies of [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] in the cupboard's corner! Examining the bodies, Megatron finds their [[brain module]]s torn out and stuffed into their mouths, which gives him all the information he needs to identify the murderers...

Nightbeat opens Brainstorm's briefcase, only to find it empty, leading him and Nautica to theorize everything from invisible gas to a cloaking device to outright theft to explain the lack of contents... unaware that local space/time has begun warping around them, causing their conversation to occur out of sequence. The elevator opens to a gruesome sight: [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]'s dead body, impaled on a bulkhead! But Nightbeat's attention is drawn by a greater mystery: a flight of stairs leading to a lower level, when they are already supposed to be on the lowest deck of the ship.
[[File:Slaughterhouse mtmte -32 djd attack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|Showed up just to die! [[Ambulon (G1)|It]] [[:File:MTMTE18 cvrRI.jpg|happens]] [[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|sometimes.]]‎]]
Skids and [[Getaway]] continue their exploration of the ship, talking about Megatron and their changing attitude toward him as they go. They catch up to Riptide just as he has made an horrific discovery—a room full of corpses, every one in [[alternate mode]], with two puncture holes in each of them. Reminded of the practice of [[cerebral dowsing]]—the ability to deduce the location of a Transformer's brain module while they are in alt mode—Skids realizes that all the dead have been shot in the "head", and that the secondary holes were bored in order to remove their [[transformation cog]]s. Just as Skids is getting to grips with this discovery, Nightbeat contacts him over the comm, and reveals that they have found [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]'s dead body in the [[slow cell]] beneath the ship. Megatron then joins the call, and everyone pools their knowledge and realizes they have come to the same conclusion: the ''Lost Light'' has been attacked by the [[Decepticon Justice Division]].

Everyone regroups in Swerve's and prepares to depart with all due haste, though first, they have to bring the befuddled Nautica up to speed: the brain modules in the corpse mouths were the work of [[Helex (DJD)|Helex]], while the fusion cannon that slew Magnus belonged to [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]], who also removed the transformation cogs of the dead to feed his transformation addiction. Megatron believes the DJD are acting in response to his denouncement of the Decepticon cause, but Nightbeat points out that evidence suggests that the ship is ''not'' simply from the future: Overlord and the cell containing were jettisoned from the ship some time in the past, and should not ''be'' there any more, suggesting that past events somehow played out differently on this version of the ship. A surge of energy and tremor caused by the ship's reaction to the quantum foam rocks the team, but Nautica refuses to leave as they haven't finished searching for survivors. Megatron is certain that the DJD will have left none... until Ravage picks up a new scent, and, huddled within the Magnus Armor... Megatron finds the still-living form of Rewind.
{{--}}
==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. Those who appear in the present as corpses are marked with asterisks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Nautica]] (1)
*[[Getaway]] (2)
*[[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] (3)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (4)
*[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] (5)
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (6)
*[[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]] (poster, 7)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]* (9)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*''[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'' (10)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]]'' (11)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]]* (12)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]]* (13)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]]* (14)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]* (15)
*[[Blades (G1)|Blades]]* (16)
*[[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]]* (17)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]* (18)
*[[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]* (19)
*[[Rad]]* (20)
*[[Powerflash]]* (21)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]]* (22)
*[[Waverider]]* (23)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]* (24)
*[[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]]* (25)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]* (26)
*[[Rollout (G1)|Rollout]]* (27)
*[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]* (28)
*''[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'' (36)
*''[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]'' (37)
*''[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]'' (38)
*''[[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]]'' (39)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (40)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (8)
*[[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]]* (29)
*''[[Tesarus (DJD)|Tesarus]]'' (30)
*''[[Helex (DJD)|Helex]]'' (31)
*''[[Vos (DJD)|Vos]]'' (32)
*''[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]]'' (33)
*''[[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]]'' (35)
|c4=
*''[[The Pet]]'' (34)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Nautica:''' "Okay, so it's '''been ripped apart''', but—that's our ship!" 
'''Getaway:''' "Er—the ship we just saw disappear..." 
'''Riptide:''' "Two words: '''paradox.'''" 
'''Skids:''' "Riptide's right, even if his spelling isn't."

'''Nautica:''' "That's '''quantum foam'''...and it's not supposed to be exposed to naked space. I think it's '''mutated'''. Best not to fly too close. I suspect the '''merest graze''' would-" 
''Riptide flies too close to the foam, damaging the ship*'' 
'''Getaway:''' "Did you do that on purpose?" 
'''Riptide:''' "'''No!''' Why would I do that on purpose?" 
'''Getaway:''' "Because you strike me as one of those "'''don't push the button'''" types. 
'Don't push the button' / 'Why not?' / (presses button) / '''BOOM!'''" 
'''Riptide:''' "...Ridiculous."

"Nuh-uh! It's '''not''' Ultra Magnus, which makes this a '''fail'''... I'm just waiting for confirmation from the judges and... oh! Not only is it a fail, but it's been placed in the '''epic''' category."
:—'''Riptide''' on Ravage's tracking ability

"Do you have a ''Conjunx Endura''? Or any ''Amica Endurae''? Do they practise any form of elective kinship on Caminus? Why are you smiling?" 
"Because '''you'''! Your '''questions'''! Anyone else would '''sidle up''' to a subject like that..." 
"Gah, who's got time to tiptoe?" 
"Well, the answers are no, yes, and yes. What about you? Ever had a sparkmate?" 
"Nah. But then, I '''am''' pretty insufferable." 
... 
"Silent howls of protest."
:—'''Nightbeat''' and '''Nautica'''

"I love my wrench." 
"'''Is''' it technically a wrench?" 
"It's a wrench-slash-scanner-slash-'''everything'''. Brainstorm added a billion extras. See? There's even a light that goes on when I'm exaggerating." 
:—'''Nautica''' and '''Nightbeat'''

"I once told Optimus I killed for the sake of killing. I wanted to make him '''hurt me''', you see—because when he hurts others, he hurts '''himself'''. And the thing is, when the words were in my head I didn't think I meant them; but when they left my mouth, I realized that I '''did'''. If the world thinks you're a monster, what does it matter? The world is '''wrong'''. But when you start to think of '''yourself''' as a monster... I came to hate the person I'd become. And I decided that the best way to leave that person behind—perhaps the easiest way—was to become an Autobot."
:—'''Megatron''' on his change of allegiance

"Look at me, Ravage. I'm '''old'''. Old and weak. Their poison makes me '''brittle''', but even at full strength, I'm long past my prime. My spark '''flickers''' where once it '''flared'''. And this body... oh, this nonsense body. It doesn't graft to the spark like the others. There's no purchase. No '''bite'''." 
"I don't like to hear you talk like this." 
"Why?" 
"Because it's not '''you'''! The Megatron who tore down the Senate—who emancipated millions; the Megatron we followed; the Megatron we '''loved'''... what happened to '''him'''?" 
"I don't know. I think he's dead." 
"Dead? Or just resting?" 
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Ravage'''

"Well done for '''Megatron'''. That was bomp-worthy." 
"It's weird, though. I almost wanted to apologize for locking him in... I worry I'm going to stop hating him." 
"A Decepticon kills an Autobot, you hate him. But a million Autobots? A '''billion'''? It's meaningless. That's the problem: the greater the crime, the harder it is to process a response."
:—'''Getaway''' and '''Skids'''

"It's a game, Nautica—an old wartime favorite. When someone shouts '''D.J.D.''' you have to find your friends and run like hell."
:—'''Getaway'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Though nobody points it out, the web of red quantum foam looks an aaaaawful lot like blood. This is not first "bleeding spaceship" we've seen in ''More than Meets the Eye''—there was the ''[[Worldsweeper]]'' back in [[Rules of Disengagement|issue #7]], though that was ''actually'' blood.
*We learned about Crosscut's play "Information Creep" last issue.
*A one-panel flashback shows Megatron being made to melt his fusion cannon in a vat of acid under the watchful eyes of Jetfire and Optimus Prime; there's a similarity here to an imaginary sequence seen in issue #7 (again) in which, after the hypothetical end of conflict, Megatron prepares to dispose of his weapon in a similar bubbling vat.
*We learn about another form of Transformer pair-bonding in addition to the [[Conjunx Endura]] this issue, the "[[Amica Endura]]". Though Nightbeat doesn't expand on the concept, it seems logical to assume that this is a Transformery version of a "best friend"—this was later confirmed by James Roberts.<ref>https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/504551830937165824 James Roberts on Amica Endura</ref>
*Ravage mentions [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]'s stewardship of the Decepticons, which is playing out over in sister title ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]''.
*Ravage is also revealed to be responsible for freeing the Decepticons from the ''Lost Light'' brig in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|issue #28]].
*When Megatron recalls his talk with Optimus Prime, he is remembering the events of "[[Chaos Theory Part 1]]" and the notable speech he gave in that issue.
*As starts to become apparent as the issue builds towards its climax, there's clearly some timey-wimeyness at play here, and this is not simply a future version of the ''Lost Light''—the slow cell, Overlord and Rewind were all, ah, ''dispatched'' one way or another in [[Under Cold Blue Stars|issue #15]] and should no longer be on the ship, nor should Drift, who appears among the corpses despite being exiled in [[The Gloaming|issue #16]]. Note the... ''tactful'' positioning of Tailgate's dead body so as not to give this away ahead of time: he has been impaled through the chest, so we can't see if he's got the Autobot insignia he received shortly before issue #28, and only "Disposal" can be glimpsed on his right arm—we can't tell if it says "Bomb" or "Waste", the switch between the two having taken place in [[Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|issue #21]]—thereby eliminating the markings that we would be able to use to identify a future version of Tailgate as he is now. We do, however, get one small hint at the truth: the energon splattered around Tailgate's corpse is green, curdled as a result of the cybercrosis that he was cured of in issue #21.
*We can probably safely presume that it was to this "alternate" ''Lost Light'' that the DJD went following their detection of Overlord's signal at the conclusion of [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]], explaining why they never appeared to vex our heroes in the course of regular events.
*And speaking of issue #8, it's logical to wonder if the deaths on the [[Necrobot]]'s list back in that story might not be recordings of the passings of these "alternate" 'bots.

===Transformers references===
*Skids exclaims "By the [[Celestial Spires]]", an exclamation commonly seen in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK]] comics.

===Real-world references===
*{{w|Quantum foam}} is a real concept in quantum mechanics.
*Nautica's upgraded wrench is a pretty clear take-off on the {{w|sonic screwdriver}} of ''[[Doctor|Doctor Who]]'' fame, in particular the highly multifunctional version of the device seen in the 2005 series.
*Getaway's feelings about the scale of Megatron's crimes (see quote [[#Quotes|above]]) are reminiscent of a famous statement dubiously attributed to another mass-murdering tyrant, Joseph Stalin: [[wikiquote:Joseph Stalin#Misattributed|"The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic."]]
*Skids references Tarn's "morphing addiction," which is a soundalike for "morphine addiction."

===Crew manifest===
* Of "our" ''Lost Light'' crew, only Megatron, Getaway, Nautica, Nightbeat, Riptide, Skids, and stowaway Ravage are left. All other crewmembers have disappeared.
* All are dead on the alternate ''Lost Light'' except for Rewind.

===Soundtrack===
*''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zsDdNvoqiI Dark]'' by {{w|Low (band)|Low}}
*''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML3G1MykdnM Dirge]'' by {{w|Death in Vegas}}
*''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EODw7eH5u7Q Waiting Rooms]'' by {{w|Simon Warner}}

===Other trivia===
*As noted in the synopsis, when Nightbeat and Nautica open Brainstorm's briefcase, the six-panel scene plays "out of order", with each panel making no sense if read directly after the preceding one. The clue for readers to deduce the proper reading order is in the large floor numbers that change as the lift descends through the ship's levels; reading the panels by in descending order from Level 06 to Level 01 will reveal the proper conversation. This is quite deliberate, and not any kind of printing error or glitch in your digital copy, kids!
*Many of the dead characters appear in vehicle mode for the first time in the series, making it hard to identify them! In particular, once-and-former [[Action Master]]s Rad, Rollout and Powerflash get alternate modes for the first time in Transformers fiction; fellow Action Master Jackpot—sitting to the right of Blades above the door—has been mostly covered by a speech balloon.
*Despite Megatron's explicit order after the formation of the Decepticons{{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}}, Whirl is not spared by the Division. Real loyal, guys.

===Covers (3)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Ultra Magnus, Whirl, Ratchet, Perceptor and Mainframe in battle, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' Nightbeat and Nautica atop Brainstorm's briefcase, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]], in homage to a classic ''[[The X-Files: Conspiracy: The Transformers|X-Files]]'' promotional image.
*'''30th Anniversary cover:''' The fused Megatron/Ratchet monstrosity from [[The Pri¢e of Life!|issue #70]] of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Comics series]], by [[Casey Coller]] and [[John-Paul Bove]], continuing this month's 30th Anniversary cover theme of Marvel moments. Slightly less horrifying than the contents of the issue.
<gallery>
File:MTMTE32 regcvr.jpg|Mainframe: Ok [[James Roberts|Roberts]]! I swear to [[Primus|God]], for every issue I don't star in, someone dies!
File:MTMTE32 subcvr.jpg|The truth is in [[briefcase|here]]!
File:MTMTE32 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''More than Meets the Eye'' #33
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Earthfall Chapter 5: I Dream of Wires|#32]]
*''[[The Transformers: Primacy|Primacy]]''
*IDW ''Transformers'' trade paperback library
*''Spirit Animals''
* ''Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland'' (back cover)

==External links==
*[http://issuu.com/idwpublishing/docs/tf_mtmte_32-pr Preview]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

Before & After

2014-10-29T02:05:16Z

Mariocog:

{{Comicstory|
|series=mtmte|issueno=12
|prev=Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading
|next=More than Meets the Eye issue 13
|caption=Call me crazy, but I think it's a bomb...
|image=MTMTE12_cvrA.jpg
|title="Before & After"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[December 19]], [[2012]]
|coverdate=December 2012
|story by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]] (before) [[Brendan Cahill]] (after)
|inks by=[[Atilio Rojo]] with Alex Milne (before) [[Brian Shearer]] (after)
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2012)]]
}}

'''In the wake of a battle with the Decepticons on the planet Temptoria, Rewind lies at death's door and Chromedome is pushed to the edge.'''

==Synopsis==
''Before... Aboard the scout ship ''[[Leading Light]]'', a shuttle of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the rambunctious, fight-hungry 'bots in the craft's fore section are lead in a war-chant by [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], and have to be silenced by [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] so he can deliver their mission briefing: they are heading for the planet [[Temptoria]], current home to a group of Decepticons they suspect of kidnapping the [[Circle of Light]]. Around the ship, [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] and [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] employ "[[Rung (G1)|Rungian]] Re-Experience Therapy", going to their "happy places" to calm themselves before battle; [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] discuss [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s appointment in the stead of the wounded [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]; [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] compliments [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] on his new leg-guns; and [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] argue over a promise Rewind has broken. Before that particular argument can get going, Whirl barges into the rear section and calls for Rewind to accompany him on the front lines to take footage.''

''In "the [[Battery]]", the Decepticon base down on Temptoria, [[Blip]] responds to a summons from [[Nautilator (G1)|Nautilator]], but finds himself more interested in the fact that the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] sounds exactly like [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]. When Nautilator finally gets him to pay attention to the security monitor, he sees that the Autobots are air-dropping out of the ''Leading Light'' right on top of them! A ferocious battle soon erupts; while Rodimus and Drift squabble over who gets to take on which 'cons, Tailgate and Swerve head off to sneak into the enemy base, though Tailgate delays a moment to marvel at Ultra Magnus's fighting prowess.''

After... The Autobots return to the ''Lost Light'', but the battle is not without victims: twenty-one crew-members have been gravely injured, including "massive contributors to the Autobot cause" [[Spoke]] and [[Lockstock]]... and Rewind. A panicked Chromedome tries to ask Swerve what happened, but discovers the little 'bot has had his face blown off. [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] rushes Rewind to the medibay where his [[spark]] is diagnosed to be rapidly fading. As Rewind's [[Conjunx Endura]], Chromedome is given the option of using First Aid's spark-jumpstarting procedure to save him—an easy choice to make, and with his spark a match for Rewind's rare type, he volunteers for the process himself. Just before they begin, Tailgate bursts in, dragging the wounded [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] behind him, begging for help.

''While the other members of their team handle the fighting, Rewind and Tailgate search the Battery for the Circle of Light, and discover that the Decepticons have captured not them, but the native organic Temptorians, and are somehow [[pink alchemy|converting them into fuel]]. A bomb is wired to the door of their cell, which Tailgate sets to work disarming while Rewind films; when Rewind asks what he is going to do, Tailgate calls upon him to hypothesize what the correct procedure would be, then proceeds to carry it out exactly as he describes. Whirl, Cyclonus and Swerve keep the Decepticons at bay just outside... although Swerve'' does ''manage to shoot himself in the face when Whirl tosses him [[Brainstorm]]'s newest weapon, the [[Shoomer]].''

The jumpstart procedure complete, Chromedome waits with Tailgate outside the medibay. After Chromedome explains that the little vials left in the bay are symbolic offerings of [[innermost energon]] from the crew for Rewind, Tailgate is prompted to ask how the pair met. A little reluctantly at first, Chromedome relates Rewind's history: he was a member of the "[[disposable class]]" in the days of functionism, and was recruited to work as a data receptacle by campaigner [[Dominus Ambus]]. Rewind became friends with his new employer (whose list of achievements prompts Tailgate to take an immediate dislike to him), who was moved to fight for Disposables' rights, and accompanied him on a quest for [[Moonbase One|Luna-1]], only returning to Cybertron after the war had broken out. After some time, Dominus disappeared and Rewind began searching [[Relinquishment Clinic]]s—since repurposed as assisted suicide facilities—in hopes of discovering his friend's fate. It was in such a clinic that he met Chromedome, who was seeking death to escape the war, and together, the pair gave each other something to live for. But Rewind has never given up his search for Dominus—this is the reason for his hoarding of "snuff movies", and why he has broken his promise to Chromedome to stop entering danger zones. Tailgate argues that perhaps Rewind only goes into battle to be beside Chromedome, but then, First Aid emerges with bad news: Chromedome's own weak spark means the process has not worked.

The call goes out for other donors to save Rewind while Chromedome goes to his quarters in a grief-filled haze. As he sits in silence, a voice calls to him through the door... a voice that tells him it has discovered a way to wipe out the Decepticons and stop what happened to Rewind from ever happening again... an answer that lies in [[Overlord (Masterforce)|the basement]]. Suddenly, First Aid calls Chromedome on his comm and summons him to the medibay: Whirl has proven to have a compatible spark and has saved Rewind's life. On the other side of the bay, Tailgate is about to leave some of his innermost energon for Cyclonus when he suddenly awakens and knocks the vial from Tailgate's hand, shattering it. Cyclonus mocks the small 'bot for believing they share a bond, but upon noticing how many offerings have been left for Rewind by the others, while none were left for him, he silently kneels to help Tailgate pick up the pieces of glass.

''After Whirl and Cyclonus finish off the remaining Decepticons, Whirl compliments Cyclonus on his fighting ability, and suggests they become friends and put that whole "death threat" business behind them. Cyclonus is not interested and reiterates his intent to kill Whirl some day, at which point Rewind calls for their aid: Tailgate has triggered a timer on the bomb, but refuses to leave until he can drain the explosives so the blast won't reach the prisoners. Cyclonus seizes his diminutive contemporary and hurls him out of the chamber to safety, only to be trapped inside as Whirl surreptitiously presses the lock button in order to take out his would-be killer. Rewind is trapped inside with Cyclonus, but at the last second, just before the bomb detonates, Cyclonus throws himself in front of the archivist, shielding him.''

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Powerflash]] (1)
*[[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] (2)
*[[Dogfight]] (3)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (4)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] (5)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (6)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (7)
*[[Atomizer]] (8)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (9)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (10)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (11)
*[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] (12)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (14)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (15)
*[[Ambulon (G1)|Ambulon]] (16)
*[[Xaaron]] (17)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (18)
*[[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] (20)
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (21)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (22)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (23)
*[[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (24)
*[[Fizzle]] (27)
*[[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]] (28)
*[[Rollout (G1)|Rollout]] (29)
*[[Dipstick]] (30)
*Little generic's head (33)
*[[Pincher]] (35)
*[[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]]'s fist (38)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (43)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (47)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Blip]] (25)
*[[Nautilator (G1)|Nautilator]] (26)
*[[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]] (31)
*[[Rage (G1)|Rage]] (32)
*[[Bulletbike (G2)|Bulletbike]] (34)
*Sureshot's generic victim (36)
*[[Seawing (G1)|Seawing]] (37)
*[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gar]] (39)
*[[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] (40)
*[[Turbo Master]] (41)
*[[Tailwind (G1)|Tailwind]] (42)
*[[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]] (44)
*[[Snaptrap (G1)|Snap Trap]] (45)
*[[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] (46)
|c4=
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] (13)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (19)
*''[[Flip Sides (G1)|Flip Sides]]'' (48)
*''[[Rosanna (KP)|Rosanna]]'' (49)
*''[[Dominus Ambus]]'' (50)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ultra Magnus informs me that running through the ''Lost Light'' shouting 'Who's up for a fight?' doesn't '''technically''' qualify as a 'briefing.'"
:—'''Rodimus'''

"I'm '''Nautilator''', by the way, one of '''Snap Trap''''s crew. I thought you'd want to see this." 
"Woah. Say that again." 
"What?" 
"You sound '''exactly''' like Megatron." 
"Everyone says that, but I really think you should look at the '''monitor'''." 
"'''Ha!''' Brilliant. Is that your actual voice? Say, ''um'', you know—something something '''tyranny.'''"
:—'''Nautilator''' and '''Blip'''

"D'you mind if I film this? If I die, I don't want my last recorded footage to be of Whirl punching himself in the face to prove he's ''''super-unvincible.''''"
:—'''Rewind'''

"The day I snuggle up to a bomb and '''don't''' fear for my life is the day I get '''sloppy'''."
:—'''Tailgate''', eyes flashing with panic as he sets to work.

"Please! I surrender! Don't shoot!" 
"That is un'''canny'''! Has anyone ever—?" 
"Megatron, yes, I know! Just '''don't shoot!'''" 
"Okay, you be Megatron, I'll be Prime. "You who are without mercy, now plead for it?" Wait wait wait. Try again: "You who are without—" Not '''deep''' enough. "You who are—" How can anyone's voice '''be''' that low? Ah, frag it."
:—'''Nautilator''' and '''Whirl''', just before Whirl shoots Nautilator in the head.

"I'll admit I've made no real '''effort''' to understand the '''warped moral code''' by which you live your '''atrocity''' of a life, but I assume you think that by helping me fight a common foe you've atoned for past sins. You're wrong. There's no '''before''' or '''after''' to our 'relationship': I'm still going to kill you. All that changes is the manner of your death, which becomes more elaborate and protracted by the day."
:—'''Cyclonus''', to Whirl

==Notes==

===Continuity notes===
*Magnus was seen returning from his reconnaissance mission in [[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|issue #10]]. Now we know where he went!
*Tailgate notes that, when in the [[Primal Vanguard]], he fought and killed organics. While immediately a bit jarring for such a naive, innocent little guy, it's been established for a while now that the Vanguard were [[Nova Prime]]'s off-world army, and given his [[expansion]] ideals, it shouldn't really come as any surprise that this is what they were up to for all those years.
*Judging from the 'bots present, Tailgate's "happy place" would appear to specifically be the "movie night" he attended in [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]].
*Trailbreaker has added guns to his legs in emulation of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], after drunkenly grumbling about the latter's legs back in [[Interiors|issue #6]].
*Blip was previously mentioned by Ultra Magnus as a Decepticon who thought he was a [[sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] in [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|issue #3]]. His slobbering monster alternate mode certainly helps sell his delusion, and explains why Nautilator confuses him with [[Blot (G1)|Blot]], who's also a filthy beast.
*While the Terrorcon leader has had his name spelled quite a few ways across various Transformers stories at this point, "Hun-Gar" is a new one. He was "Hun-Grrr" in his only named IDW appearance before now, in ''[[Spotlight: Sixshot]]''.
*On page 5, we see Pipes unconscious on the ground, apparently one of those Autobots injured in the fighting. This is the latest incident in his streak of bad luck that began in issue 4 (brought down by plague) and continued in issue 6 (gunned down by Fort Max).
*Chromedome off-handedly mentions Rewind is "allergic" to ultraviolet light, the only known way to illuminate neuro-surgery insertion scars. But hey, that's probably a coincidence.
*The footnote regarding the conversion of organics into energon points readers to the deluxe hardback edition of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''; specifically, the process was seen in the short story included in that tome, "[[Escape (G1)|Escape]]".
*The substance [[propex]] was previously mentioned in "Shadowplay." There, "propex conduits" were blamed for some explosions.
*The nature of innermost energon is expanded upon after passing mentions in issues [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|
#3]], [[Rules of Disengagement|#7]] and [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8.]]
*Dominus Ambus was mentioned by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] in ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''.
*The disease cybercrosis was previously mentioned by Swerve in the [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|2012 Annual]].
*At this point, quite a few characters have mentioned seeking the missing [[Moonbase One|Luna-1]], intimating that many searches for it have taken place. We get a little bit of a reason for that with this issue, in that the moon lies at the centre of romanticized legend. We also find out that it's the same thing as the "Seething Moon", something included in a list of non-existent folk legends by Trailbreaker in issue #3.
*A relinquishment clinic was heavily implied to have played a role in Chromedome and Rewind's first meeting back in issue #6; we get the full story here.
*Rewind's "snuff movies" were introduced in issue #6.
*Tailgate's innermost energon is green, rather than the pink seen in all the other offerings. Although this gives it a resemblance to the propex Tailgate was seen draining earlier in the issue, James Roberts confirmed<ref>http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=325247&highlight=#325247 Post on the IDW Publishing Forums</ref> that it was his real energon being decanted.

===Transformers references===
*When Blip asks Nautilator to say "something something tyranny", he is evidently trying to recall Megatron's motto: "Peace through tyranny."
*The Decepticon base on Temptoria has [[Energon Driller]]s from ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Transformers: Prime]]'' stationed outside.
*Tailgate identifies the bomb as a "C-61"; this was the [[List of Japanese ID numbers|Japanese ID number]] of Tailgate's Generation 1 toy. Further, he recalls the bomb's progenitor, the "C-12S"; "12" was the ID number of [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] toy, which was [[retool]]ed to create Tailgate's.
*In attempting his Optimus Prime impression, as transcribed above, Whirl is, of course, quoting from Prime and Megatron's famous exchange from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Trivia===
*The bomb Tailgate is studying on Cover A matches the alt modes of [[K-Class]] Decepticons seen in [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]]. This, coupled with a solicitation for the issue that mentioned "a band of rogue Decepticons", led pretty much the entire fandom to the conclusion that the ''Lost Light'' crew would be meeting [[Fulcrum (G1)|Fulcrum]] and the [[Scavenger (group)|Scavengers]]. Whoops!
*Also, in an amusing little bit of foreshadowing of what will happen, the bomb Tailgate is examining on Cover A has the words "Keep Out of Reach of Small Bots" scrawled on the side of it.
*The transition from page 4 to page 5 makes a semantic juxtaposition of the phrases, "It's raining Autobots" and "Autobot down!"
*If you hadn't ''got'' Chromedome and Rewind's relationship from the rest of the issue, note that "Conjunx"—from "Conjunx Endura", the Transformer term for "significant other"—is Latin for "spouse". Not Roberts's [[Empurata|first use]] of Latin wordplay!

===Crew manifest===
*21 crew members are seriously injured, but with no fatalities as of yet.
*5 deaths, 5 new arrivals (plus 20 or so Faders) and 1 boxed since the launch.
*A number of Decepticons — those "too dumb to run" — are incarcerated in the ship's brig.

===Errors===
*Temptoria's capital is spelled differently the two times it's mentioned: "Sensensica" (page 2, panel 2) and "Sensenica" (page 4, panel 1). In the TPB the latter was corrected to Sensensica.
*On page 15, panel 2, "Cybertronian" is misspelled "Cybetronian". This was also corrected in the TPB.
*On the very last page, panel 3, Cyclonus' fingertips are colored green.

===Soundtrack===
*''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgE29oRPhrI Airbag]'' by [[Wikipedia:Radiohead|Radiohead]]
*''[http://vimeo.com/23717610 Prelude for Time Feelers]'' by [[Wikipedia:Eluvium (musician)|Eluvium]]

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' Tailgate looks over a Decepticon bomb, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Cover B:''' Ultra Magnus and Rodimus under fire, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
*'''Cover RI:''' The assembled crew of the ''Lost Light'' by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]], in homage to the cover of the [[Fab Four|Beatles]] album, ''[[Wikipedia:Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]''. Part of a theme month along with [[City on Fire|''Robots in Disguise'' #12]], which also features an incentive cover based on a famous album.

<gallery>
Image:MTMTE12_cvrA.jpg|
Image:MTMTE12_cvrB.jpg|
Image:MTMTE12_cvrRI.jpg|The ''[[Lost Light]]'' class of 2012.
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[City on Fire|#12]]
*''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight:]] [[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Thundercracker]]''
*IDW Limited
*''[[Doctor|Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time]]'' (back cover)

==References==
{{reflist}}