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The Sum and Its Parts

2015-03-26T01:22:08Z

Maybetoby: /* Continuity notes */

{{Comicstory
|series=windblade2|issueno=1
|prev=
|next=Combiner Wars Part 3
|seriesissue2=[[Combiner Wars]] Part 1
|prev2=First Contact (IDW)
|next2=Combiner Wars Part 2
|image=Windbladev2_1_regcvr.jpg
|caption=
|title="The Sum and Its Parts"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[March 25]], [[2014]]
|coverdate=March 2015
|story by=[[Mairghread Scott]] and [[John Barber]]
|written by=[[Mairghread Scott]]
|art by=[[Sarah Stone]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2015)]]
}}

'''As Menasor rampages on Caminus, Superion enters the fray, and Optimus Prime discovers the significance of the role he must play in bringing the two worlds together.'''

==Synopsis==

[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] has been swindled! [[Caminus]] has turned out not to be the resource-rich world [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] led him to believe he would be able to pillage, and the local law enforcement, led by [[Afterburner (G2)|Afterburner]], soon arrives to apprehend him. Unfortunately for them, their [[cityspeaker]]s have not been able to properly translate their [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Titan]]'s warning about the [[Enigma of Combination]], and they are unprepared for [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. Afterburner tries to keep his cool in the face of the [[combiner]], but when he tries to arrest Menasor, the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] giant stomps him to death. Menasor's rage begins to build, but Swindle tries to calm him, and moreover, to avoid any physical harm by reminding it was ''Starscream'', rather than Swindle himself, who promised them all a "big score". With mounting dread, Swindle realizes that Starscream has set them up—though what he does not know is that the addition of hot-tempered secret police officer [[Blackjack]] to the Stunticon ranks was also engineered by Starscream in service of this scheme, to "infect" Menasor with his anger. The ex-'Con tries to get Menasor to separate and retreat, but the combiner's fury is insurmountable, and he turns his anger on Caminus itself.

On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Starscream is nonchalantly picking a color for his new body when a furious [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] summons him to the [[space bridge]] chamber with the news that it has been used. Feigning shock and confusion, Starscream arrives on the scene and orders a squad of his secret police to join [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and the suspicious [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] in going through the portal to help take Menasor down. The battle does not go well, and when Chromia is seized by Menasor, [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] is forced to traverse the bridge to help; [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] offers to join her, but she insists that he stay on Cybertron until she can explain some pertinent facts about Camien life to him. Windblade arrives just as Chromia frees herself from Menasor's clutches and saves her friend from a nasty fall, then requests Prime have Starscream call in the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], who they both know are fully-functional, though Starscream tries to take the moral high ground by briefly denying it. In no time flat, the Aerialbots are through the bridge to Caminus, and combine into [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] to battle Menasor, displaying greater mental stability and dexterity that allows their combined form to easily best their Stunticon counterparts. When Menasor throws a haymaker, Superion is even able to reconfigure his body ''around'' the Decepticon's giant fist, causing him to fall forward, straight into a point-blank headshot from Superion's gun. Toppled by the shot, Menasor is quickly put down by a few more of Superion's earth-shaking punches. Swindle tries to sneak away in the chaos, but Starscream has plans for him, and has one of his officers secretly arrest him.

Windblade calls a meeting of Caminus's political leaders, the [[Forgefire Parliament]], who wish to speak with Starscream to arrange that he put right the trouble his world has caused. While Starscream goes to speak with them, Windblade explains to Optimus Prime the reason for her earlier hesitancy. On Caminus, there is only one religion, the [[Way of the Flame]], which deifies the [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]], and [[Solus Prime (G1)|Solus Prime]] above all. Since Optimus is a living Prime, and carries the [[Matrix of Leadership]], he will essentially be seen as a god to the Camiens—information Windblade wished Prime to have before he made any decision on how to act, given his recent struggles with bearing the title. Concerned, but unwilling to let Starscream play the naive Camiens, Prime decides to visit Caminus, where Windblade interrupts Starscream's meeting with parliament to dramatically introduce him. Caminus's religious leader, the [[Mistress of Flame]], requests that proof of his "divinity" be shown, and Optimus graciously complies, opening his chest to reveal the Matrix. Starscream can only look on in silent outrage as all the Camiens bow before the living Prime...

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks or stories. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] (10)
*[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (11)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (12)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (13)
*[[Alpha Bravo]] (15)
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (16)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (17)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (18)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (19)
*[[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (20)

|c2=
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (6)

|c4=
*[[Hot Shot (Henkei!)|Hot Shot]] (1)
*[[Lightbright (G1)|Lightbright]] (2)
*[[Afterburner (G2)|Afterburner]] (3)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (4)
*[[Alpha Squadron]] fliers (5)
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (7)
*''[[Blackjack]]'' (8)
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] (9)
*The [[Badgeless]] (14)
*"[[Yellow Leader]]" (21)
*"[[Red Leader (Caminus)]]" (22)
*[[Mistress of Flame]] (23)
*''[[Solus Prime (G1)|Solus Prime]]'' (23)
}}

==Quotes==

"Starscream said I'd get '''rich''' robbing these Camiens blind... and what do I find? No fuel! No weapons! '''Not even any metal!''' We're '''made''' of freakin' metal! How do you slag heaps not '''have''' any?"
:—'''Swindle'''

"Nice planet, by the way." 
"It looks a lot nicer when some impossibly tall Cybertronian '''freak show''' isn't wrecking it." 
"No worries. Combiners get a lot shorter once you take out their legs."
:—'''Ironhide''' and '''Chromia'''

"Well, I wouldn't be me if I wasn't prepared."
:—'''Starscream'''

"You done destroying this nice little city? ...Guess not." 
"Dead 'bots... talk... useless!" 
"That... didn't even make sense."
:— '''Superion''' and '''Menasor'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Blackjack's addition to the ranks of the Stunticons is revealed to be Starscream's work; he's actually an officer in the secret police, a group introduced in [[Windblade issue 3|issue #3]] of the original ''Windblade'' mini-series. Of the various officers who appear this issue, only one is shown in robot mode, but wears the same identity-obscuring mask as seen in that issue. It was said that these 'bots would come to be known as the "Badgeless" in the near future for their deliberate lack of obvious affiliation, though it doesn't appear they've picked that moniker up yet.
*Starscream reminds Chromia of when Swindle broke her, Windblade and several others out of jail, also in ''Windblade'' vol. 1 #3.
*Windblade, Chromia and Nautica's brief time as part of [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]]'s crew is mentioned, as detailed in [[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|''More than Meets the Eye'' #26]] and [[A 'Bot and Her City|''Windblade'' vol. 1 #1]]. She explains that Thunderclash told them about Optimus's (temporary) abandonment of his Prime title, which took place in ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'', only to be reversed just over two years later in [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|''Robots in Disguise'' #26]].
*The Matrix of Leadership, which Optimus was revealed to have both halves of the container to last issue, seems to be active in some way, given the blinding light it gives off here; this seems odd, given that the Matrix was divided in two and rendered nonfunctional at the end of [[The Transformers (IDW)|the previous ongoing]]. The light does appear to be in the shape of a half circle, and half of the crystal core was visible in the previous issue. But that was visible on the right side, and the light is coming from the left side. It's possible that this will be explained; maybe Optimus just mounted a flashlight behind it...

===Transformers references===
*The Badgeless attack using "pattern 3-3-1", which seems like a deliberate inversion of "[[113 (disambiguation)|113]]", [[James Roberts]]'s easter-egg number.
*The long-predicted connection between Solus Prime and Caminus is officially established this issue, with Solus appearing on-panel for the first time, based on her design in ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]''. Though we have seen that the [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]] are decidedly ''un''-divine in IDW continuity, the people of Caminus nonetheless subscribe to their myth as seen in the ''Covenant'' and other corners of the Transformers multiverse, including the belief that the Matrix of Leadership once rested on the hilt of the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]].

===Other trivia===
*Just as Drag Strip was missing from the Stunticons in the previous "Combiner Wars" chapter, [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] is not in evidence among the Aerialbots before the team combines. Notably, Drag Strip and Air Raid are the team members who are sold in separate waves of the [[Transformers: Generations|''Generations'']] toyline to their teammates, so this might be a deliberate, if rather odd, omission.
*Blackjack is drawn with a mouth and goggles in this issue, closer to his original toy's depiction, rather than the ''Combiner Wars'' toy-accurate head he got last issue.

===Covers (9)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Superion and Windblade, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' Starscream and Windblade leg it as Menasor gets ready for battle, by [[Livio Ramondelli]]; combines with subscription cover to [[First Contact (IDW)|''The Transformers'' #39]] to create a complete image.
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Windblade fist-bumps Superion, by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]
<gallery>
File:Windbladev2_1_regcvr.jpg|
File:Windbladev2_1_subcvr.jpg|
File:Windbladev2_1_cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>
A piece of art by [[Travis Sengaus]], with colors by [[Josh Burcham]], of Devastator was used as the basis for a number of store-exclusive covers. Credits below reflect who illustrated the store on the cover:

*'''BuyMeToys exclusive cover:''' [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] smashes the the [http://buymetoys.com/catalog/ BuyMeToys] store; art by Sengaus, colors by Burcham
*'''Giant Robot Comics exclusive cover:''' Devastator smashes the [http://www.giantrobotcomics.com/ Giant Robot Comics] store; art and colors by Burcham
*'''Midtown Comics exclusive cover:''' Devastator smashes the [http://www.midtowncomics.com/ Midtown Comics] store; art by Sengaus, colors by Burcham
*'''Midtown Comics exclusive cover:''' Devastator smashes the [http://www.4colorfantasies.com/ 4 Color Fantasies Comics] store; art and colors by Burcham
*'''St. Mark's Comics exclusive cover:'''Devastator smashes the [http://www.stmarkscomics.com/ St. Mark's Comics] store; art by Sengaus, colors by Burcham
*'''G & B Comics exclusive cover:''' Devastator smashes the [http://comic.com.sg G & B Comics] store; art and colors by Burcham

<gallery>
File:Windbladev2_1_cvrREA.jpg|
File:Windbladev2_1_cvrREB.jpg|
File:Windbladev2_1_cvrREC.jpg|
File:Windbladev2_1_cvrRED.jpg|
File:Windbladev2_1_cvrREE.jpg|
File:Windbladev2_1_cvrREF.jpg|
</gallery>
===Advertisements===
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' #39 - Combiner Wars, Part 2
*''Windblade'' #2 - Combiner Wars, Part 3
*''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets The Eye]]'' #39
*''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' #6
*''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection'' Vol. 1 (back cover)

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/23873-combiner-wars-begin-in-this-transformers-windblade-1-exclusive-preview.html Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sum and Its Parts}}
[[Category:Windblade issues]]

First Contact (IDW)

2015-03-26T01:20:02Z

Maybetoby: /* Continuity notes */

{{disambig2|the [[Combiner Wars]] prologue from [[IDW Publishing]]|the first chapter of ''[[Transformers: The Battle of the Star Gate|The Battle of the Star Gate]]'' manga|First Contact (Star Gate)}}
{{Comicstory
|series=exrid|issueno=39
|seriesissue2=[[Combiner Wars]] Opening Salvo
|prev=The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati
|next=Combiner Wars Part 2
|next2=The Sum and Its Parts
|caption=
|image=TF39 regcvr.jpg
|title="First Contact"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[March 18]], [[2015]]
|coverdate=March 2015
|story by=[[Mairghread Scott]] and [[John Barber]]
|written by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Livio Ramondelli]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}

'''Optimus Prime and Windblade make preparations to establish peaceful contact with Caminus, but Starscream has his own plans for the colony world... plans that involve the Enigma of Combination!'''

==Synopsis==

It's a hot night on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], as [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] returns from [[Earth]] to deliver the [[Enigma of Combination]] into [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]]'s waiting hands...

Making their way through the [[Decepticon]] ghetto on the outskirts of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] are attacked by a group of malcontents, including the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], who are unhappy to see [[Autobot]]s on their territory. [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] watches the fight from nearby, enjoying the show, until [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] appear from the shadows behind him. A little show of force from Chromia ends the fight, and after Ironhide and Optimus reconnect, Windblade asks to speak to them all in private. Swindle watches them depart, only to then find himself surrounded by the Stunticons, who still hold a grudge over the time he forged them into a barely-functional combiner on Earth. Swindle brushes them off, and heads off to get a drink.

Windblade and the others take Prime to meet with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] in the bowels of Metroplex, where they explain that Metroplex's [[space bridge]] is now functional and poised to re-established contact with [[Caminus]] and the other lost colony worlds. Aware that Starscream has Wheeljack repairing [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], and concerned that he may exploit the space bridge to create a new Cybertronian empire by having the combiner ''conquer'' the stricken colony worlds rather than aid them, Prime appoints Chromia and Ironhide to guard the space bridge while he and Windblade talk to Starscream directly. Starscream, meanwhile, is spending time picking out a new body for himself, much to Scoop's annoyance, but is happy to talk with his two Autobot guests when they reveal to him that the space bridge is operational. Starscream insists that Superion's repairs be completed before contacting Caminus, in the name of "security", and although Windblade and Prime claim it unnecessary, he refuses to negotiate otherwise, highlighting the fact that Prime already has a combiner working for ''him'' by showing them footage of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] rampaging on Earth. An angry Optimus starts to warn Starscream that he has no right to issue orders to a Prime, but Starscream retorts that he was ''elected'' by his people, and that the Prime title—and, indeed, the very fact that that title was all it took to make him leader—are representative of the problematic old ways of Cybertronian society they are trying to move beyond. Unable to actually disagree, Prime relents, but insists that a council of representatives from each world must be formed once contact is made, and a constitution established for Cybertron.

Some time later, Starscream and Scoop visit Wheeljack as he continues his work on Superion, and present him with the Enigma of Combination to speed his work to conclusion. Not long after that, Starscream tracks down Swindle and brings him into the fold with a simple offer to make him rich. Entrusted with the Enigma, Swindle is sent to the Stunticons' bolt-hole, arriving just as they are trying to explain how different things are nowadays to their new teammate [[Offroad]]. [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] is none too pleased to see the slimy [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]], but the sight of the Enigma changes things...

Optimus Prime contacts the ''[[Lost Light]]'' to invite [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] back to Cybertron for the momentous first contact with Caminus, but Rodimus is only annoyed by the prospect—after all, what sort of quest involves going home for a while and then starting up again?—and it is instead agreed that some representatives from the ship will return to their homeworld via shuttle. No sooner has the call ended, however, than Windblade detects a change in Metroplex's frequencies that alerts them to trouble: Ironhide and Chromia have been knocked unconscious, and someone has gone through the space bridge!

Across the galaxy, it's a hot night on Caminus... as Swindle emerges through the space bridge with the new and improved [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], and prepares to rob the planet blind!

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] (11)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (13)
*[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (17)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (18)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (19)
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (hologram, 21)
*[[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (22)
*[[Alpha Bravo]] (23)
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (24)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (25)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] (26)
*[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] (27)

|c2=
*[[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (4)
*[[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (5)
*[[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] (6)
*[[Blackjack]] (7)
*[[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] (8)
*[[Sinnertwin (G1)|Sinnertwin]] (9)
*[[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (10)
*[[Battletrap]] (12)
*[[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] (14)
*[[Offroad]] (15)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (30)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (2)
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] (3)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (16)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (20)
*[[Lightbright (G1)|Lightbright]] (28)
*[[Hot Rod (Henkei!)|Hot Rod]] (29)

}}

==Quotes==

"They were '''like that''' when I '''found''' 'em! '''Optimus Prime''' and '''Windblade''' were talking down the street. A bunch o' '''Decepticons''' got in their faces. An' you know who wins in a fight like '''that'''? The '''viewer.'''"
:—'''Swindle'''

"I '''really''' thought you were going to beat Optimus Prime. I mean, I know literally '''millions''' of Decepticons have tried for literally '''millions''' of years, but I seriously thought '''tonight''' was the '''night''', bud."
:—'''Swindle''' gets sarcastic with '''Motormaster'''

"How can you '''waste time''' like this, Starscream?" 
"'''Scoop''', my friend, what '''am''' I?" 
"You know." 
"'''Say''' it." 
"''Grrr.'''" 
"'''Scoop...?" 
"The '''Chosen One'''." 
"I '''am''' the Chosen One. A '''Titan''' said so, and the people of Cybertron '''agreed'''. You don't get '''chosen''' without making good decision, ergo, '''choosing a fresh new me''' is by definition a good idea. Hey, nobody ever said you have to '''like''' the one you '''believe in''', right '''Scoopster'''?"
:—'''Scoop''' and '''Starscream'''

"'Saving the Aerialbots is a '''worthy goal.''' Do your best.' Thanks, Prime. '''I'm''' glad to see me alive and kicking, too."
:—'''Wheeljack''', muttering to himself

"'''Seriously?''' We, like, '''just left'''. We came home, we saved the '''universe''', you made '''Megatron''' an '''Autobot'''—remember '''that'''? That was probably a '''lot easier''' a thing to '''live with''' if you don't have to '''actually live with it''' because he's on a space ship half a galaxy away—and we '''resumed''' our '''quest'''. You '''get''' what a '''quest''' is, right? You don't '''start''' a quest, take a '''few days off''' and go home, then '''restart''' a '''quest'''. If you do '''that,''' the quest never '''ends.'''" 
"The quest never '''starts.'''" 
"'''The quest never starts!''' Thank you, '''Magnus'''."
:—'''Rodimus''' and '''Ultra Magnus'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This issue occurs directly after ''[[The Transformers: Punishment|Punishment]]''; Windblade and Optimus are returning from their visit to the site of Optimus's transformation from Pax to Prime.
*Ironhide reminisces about his time spent teaching Optimus, detailed back in [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|''All Hail Megatron'' #13]].
*A minor point, but it's finally revealed that Optimus still has both halves of the Matrix container. He was only ever shown giving away the crystal core halves in [[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|''The Death of Optimus Prime'']], and one half of the container abruptly reappeared in [[Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|issue #29]]. In fact, it looks like Bumblebee's half of the of the crystal core is visible inside the container on the right side.
*The Stunticons are still mad at Swindle over how badly their first combination into Menasor went, back in [[Things Fall Apart, Part 4: "Enemies of the System"|issues #5]]-[[Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|6]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|2009-2011 ongoing series]].
*The activation of Metroplex's space bridge, the discovery of the colonies, and Chromia's "rash actions" all took place in [[Windblade issue 4|issue #4]] of the [[The Transformers: Windblade|first ''Windblade'' mini-series]].
*It is revealed that there were thirteen [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] colony ships, which logically connects them to the [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]], who were established in [[The Crucible|issue #34]] to have vanished from Cybertron. This is perhaps not wholly surprising, as fans have already connected Caminus to [[Solus Prime (G1)|Solus Prime]], since "caminus" means "[[Forge of Solus Prime|forge]]". The numbers don't quite line up yet, though, as [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] didn't leave Cybertron at that point, and [[Nexus Prime (Classics)|Nexus Prime]] died before he could.
*Dead End refers to an incident when the Stunticons were all defeated by "one Autobot"—no surprise he doesn't mention ''which'' Autobot, since it was [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]], in ''[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]''!

===Transformers references===
[[File:TF39 starscream 5bodies evolution.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.75]]
*Having already stolen [[Starscream (Armada)|''Armada'' Starscream]]'s look, Starscream's list of potential new bodies (pictured, right) consists of all the other major alternate [[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscreams]]: [[Starscream (BWII)|''Beast Wars II'' Starscream]] (which is the one he seems to be referring to when he mentions a body having "bestial power", wink wink), [[Starscream (Animated)|''Animated'' Starscream]], [[Starscream (WFC)|''Prime'' Starscream]], and ''juuust'' poking in on the left-hand side, [[Starscream (Movie)|live-action movie Starscream]]. The design in the centre, which is the one we know he'll end up going with, is Starscream's own upcoming Leader-class ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' figure—revealed through solicitations for future issues, but not actually officially confirmed by [[Hasbro]] as existing at the time of this issue's publication.
*Menasor and the Stunticons all now appear with their new ''Generations'' Combiner Wars toy designs. While the Enigma could be blamed for Menasor's new form, no explanation is offered for how the Stunticons have changed their bodies—though that wouldn't have been an issue with IDW comics a few years ago, body changes ''are'' usually addressed in-story these days, and it's especially odd for a bunch of guys living in a ghetto to have been able to accomplish it.
*Among the crowd of Camiens at the end of this issue are a new Generation 1 incarnation of [[Lightbright (Animated)|''Animated'' Lightbright]], and [[Hot Rod (Henkei!)|Hot Rod]], the Generation 1 counterpart of [[Hot Shot (Armada)|''Armada'' Hot Shot]] (who will hopefully get ''named'' "Hot Shot" during this story so we can move that article and stop having to do this explanatory dance every time he pops up). Hot Rod has appeared in IDW Generation 1 continuity before, dying in [[Drift issue 2|''Drift'' #2]] in an artist's easter-egg cameo we can certainly write off at this point, and in the alternate timeline seen in [[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|''More than Meets the Eye'' #35]].

===Errors===
* Chromia's actions that were revealed back in ''Windblade #4'' are referred to as having "inadvertently" killed innocent Cybertronians when said issue made it perfectly clear she knew ''exactly'' what she was doing.

===Other notes===
*[[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] is not in evidence at any point during the story, only appearing as Menasor's arm on the final page. It seems sort of like new member Blackjack has (accidentally?) been drawn in his place, given that he talks as if he was a regular member of the team around in the "old days", which he certainly wasn't. And speaking of Blackjack...
*Soooo... obviously, Blackjack's appearance in this story is a toy-mandated thing and unavoidable, but the character has previously appeared in IDW continuity in his original [[Micromaster]] form, as one of the [[Gorlam Prime|Gorlamites]] upgraded by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. This happened before when [[Tailwind (G1)|Tailwind]] appeared in [[Before & After|''More than Meets the Eye'' #12]], leading us here at TFWiki to reclassify the Gorlamite as [[Windrim]].

===Covers (9)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Menasor reaches for Optimus Prime, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' Optimus and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] leg it as Superion gets ready for battle, by [[Livio Ramondelli]]; combines with subscription cover to [[The Sum and Its Parts|''Windblade'' #1]] to form a complete image.
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Swindle in Menasor's palm, by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]
<gallery>
File:TF39 regcvr.jpg|
File:TF39 subcvr.jpg|
File:TF39 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

A piece of art by [[Travis Sengaus]], with colors by [[Josh Burcham]], of Superion was used as the basis for a number of store-exclusive covers. Credits below reflect who illustrated the store on the cover:
*'''BuyMeToys exclusive cover:''' Superion and the [http://buymetoys.com/catalog/ BuyMeToys] store; art by Sengaus, colors by Burcham
*'''Giant Robot Comics exclusive cover:''' Superion and the [http://www.giantrobotcomics.com/ Giant Robot Comics] store; art and colors by Burcham
*'''Midtown Comics exclusive cover:''' Superion and the [http://www.midtowncomics.com/ Midtown Comics] store; art by Sengaus, colors by Burcham
*'''Midtown Comics exclusive cover:''' Superion and the [http://www.4colorfantasies.com/ 4 Color Fantasies Comics] store; art and colors by Burcham
*'''St. Mark's Comics exclusive cover:''' Superion and the [http://www.stmarkscomics.com/ St. Mark's Comics] store; art by Sengaus, colors by Burcham
*'''G & B Comics exclusive cover:''' Superion and the [http://comic.com.sg G & B Comics] store; art and colors by Burcham
<gallery>
File:TF39 cvrRE A.jpg|
File:TF39 cvrRE B.jpg|
File:TF39 cvrRE C.jpg|
File:TF39 cvrRE D.jpg|
File:TF39 cvrRE E.jpg|
File:TF39 cvrRE F.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' #1 - Combiner Wars, Part 1
*''The Transformers'' #40 - Combiner Wars, Part 2
*''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]] #39
*''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' #6
*''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection'' Vol. 1 (back cover)

==External links==
*[http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/transformers-39-idw-2015 Preview]