MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Transformers: Unicron

2019-06-16T04:29:26Z

Minimusminor: /* Collections */

{{disambig3|Unicron}}
[[File:TFUnicron6 cvrA clean.jpg|thumb|250px|"The entire time I knew him, he only ever had one goal: to wipe out half the universe."]]

'''''Transformers: Unicron''''' is a six part, biweekly crossover miniseries<ref>[http://ign.com/articles/2018/03/24/unicron-dwarfs-earth-in-this-amazing-transformers-art Unicron Dwarfs Earth in This Amazing Transfomers Art - IGN]</ref> by [[IDW Publishing]] which debuted in May [[2018]] with issue #0 available as part of the [[Free Comic Book Day]] promotion. The third part of a loose trilogy that began with 2016's ''[[Revolution]]'' and continued with 2017's ''[[First Strike]]'', the series serves as the grand finale to the [[2005 IDW continuity]] in advance of [[Transformers (2019 comic)|the 2019 reboot]], introducing [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] as the ultimate threat to the [[Hasbro Universe]].

{{chapters|title=''Unicron'' issues|align=center|prev=Transformers vs. Visionaries|next=|content=
<div class="list-header">''Unicron''</div>
*[[Our Darkest|#0]]
*[[Last Stand (Unicron)|#1]]
*[[Stranger Eons|#2]]
*[[Our Finest|#3]]
*[[Road's End|#4]]
*[[Assembly (Unicron)|#5]]
*[[Ceremony|#6]]
 <div class="list-header">Backup strips</div>
*"{{i|Ad Infinitum}}"
* "[[Last Stand (G.I. Joe)|Last Stand]]"
*"{{i|Reunion}}"
*"{{i|Transition}}"
*"{{i|A World and a Future}}"
}}

==Buildup==
When [[Simon Furman]] was first brought aboard to pitch his vision of IDW's then-nascent Transformers mythos, he explicitly chose to eschew the traditional [[Primus]] and Unicron mythology that he himself had put forth during his run on the original [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]], due in part to the oversaturation of the concept in the then-concurrent [[Unicron Trilogy]]. Though no concrete origin was put forth for the Cybertronian species in the IDW universe, various authors would occasionally reference the creator gods as abstract religious beliefs rather than concrete deities—Unicron, specifically was never addressed by name, only fleetingly referred to as the "opposite" of Primus, who himself was not conclusively confirmed to exist.

In 2017, IDW began a ramp-up of this mythos as the [[Hasbro Universe]] took shape; [[Origin Myths|issue #10]] of ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' would provide the most definite look into Cybertron's past, establishing a group of mythical [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s as warriors who had once battled against Primus's "opposite". Finally, in October of that year, Unicron made his first physical appearance on the final page of ''[[First Strike]]'', having been awakened by Cybertron itself after exposure to the [[magic]]al powers of the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]].

==Overview==
[[File:TFUnicron1 cvrA clean.jpg|thumb|left|200px|“I think you’ll find ''our'' will to be equal to ''yours''.”]]
''Unicron'' picks up in the immediate aftermath of "[[The Falling]]"; following the events of [[First Strike|Joe Colton's invasion of Cybertron]] and the subsequent clash between [[Transformers vs. Visionaries|Iacon and New Prysmos]], the mysterious Talisman has successfully awoken Unicron, who begins an attack on the galaxy by devouring the scattered [[Cybertronian colonies]]. This monstrous attack has been orchestrated by "[[Onyx Prime]]"—now revealed as [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]—in a gambit eons in the making; by unleashing Unicron to destroy Cybertronian civilization, Shockwave reasons, then he can rebuild Cybertronian society anew on [[Earth]].

[[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] leads a force to [[Rom]]'s homeworld of [[Elonia]] to try and evacuate the planet, discovering that each world has been targeted by Shockwave's old [[Regenesis]] project as part of his time-travelling exploits as Onyx Prime. Though Elonia is safely evacuated, the planet is not so lucky and is unceremoniously swallowed by Unicron. A subsequent attempt at stopping Unicron over the planet [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] sees Prime and a small group of allies unsuccessfully try to destroy the monster from within, though they discover an ancient relic in the process: a ruined [[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinel robot]]. On returning to Cybertron, Bumblebee links with [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] to learn the full story behind Unicron's creation: eons ago, during the reign of the [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]], "Onyx Prime" and his retinue led a colonization mission to the planet [[Antilla]], the first planet to be colonized by the Cybertronian race. The [[Antillan|native species]] fought back against Cybertron's imperialism, and a [[Unicron's creator|desperate scientist]] created a doomsday weapon designed to wreak ultimate vengeance upon Cybertron: the Talisman itself, the device twisting the fabric of reality to create Unicron and the monstrous [[Dire Wraith]]s.

This respite is short-lived, however; having devoured twelve of the colonies, Unicron—having merged with the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]—approaches Cybertron in his new [[robot mode]], intent on finishing the planet. Having double-crossed [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]'s "[[Decepticon Vengeance Division]]", Shockwave's lackey [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] leads the mutated Decepticons and the bestial [[Maximal]]s into an orbital dogfight over Cybertron, successfully destroying [[Vigilem|Carcer]] and [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] with it. Though the Cybertronians fight their hardest, they are unable to prevent Unicron from beginning his attack on their homeworld.

Salvation comes from an unexpected source: the [[Spectral Knight]]s of [[New Prysmos]] are capable of using their own [[magic]] to activate the Talisman, projecting a beam of energy which teleports the population of Iacon to [[Earth]], with [[Blurr (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] sacrificing himself to save as many people as possible before Unicron rips the planet in half.

[[File:TFUnicron3 cvrA clean.jpg|thumb|right|200px|“Alright, back up Sam, you’re gonna get your wings singed.”]]
Regrouping on Earth, Shockwave begins his final plan to transform [[Toronto]] into the capital of his "New Cybertron," believing that Unicron was felled by the Talisman when the Decepticon scientist tricked it into eating Cybertron. Little does he suspect that his plan has failed, and that Unciron now approaches Earth supported by Bludgeon and the Maximals, having turned on their former master for manipulating them over millennia.

Elsewhere on Earth, heroes and villains unite as Unicron's approach causes havoc, and as the Maximals descend on Earth to find and destroy the Talisman Optimus hatches a risky plan, recruiting Arcee and the three [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] for a mission to activate the Talisman in the heart of Unicron and destroy the monster from within. Events culminate in a massive battle for Earth as heroes and villains from across the [[Hasbro Universe]] join forces to repel the Maximal invasion, and as the battle reaches its zenith Starscream sacrifices himself to bring the Talisman online.

Within the black hole heart of Unicron, Optimus is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice, willingly throwing himself into [[infraspace]] in the hopes of bringing Unicron down from within. Bolstered by [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]]'s own suicide play, tapping into the afterlife to bolster Optimus with the souls of the departed, Optimus relies on their faith in ''him'' as he confronts the vengeful specter of Unicron's creator, eventually convincing the alien to let go of his hurt and move on. Renouncing his title as [[Prime (rank)|Prime]], recognizing that the title was flawed from the start, the alien and Orion Pax die together, collapsing Unicron into a new black hole and ending the threat for good.

In the aftermath, the characters take stock of their victory; Shockwave is arrested by [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] and brought into custody, [[Slide]] learns to let go of her anger at the Prime, [[Pyra Magna]] steps up to lead the Cybertronian refugees on Earth, and the Cybertronian species, freed from their dark past at last, settle into life on their new homeworld: Earth.

==Creative team==
[[File:Unicron-Bcovers-JamesRaiz.jpg|thumb|250px|"In time, you will know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail all the same. Dread it... Run from it... Destiny still arrives."]]

The series is written by [[John Barber]], with art by [[Alex Milne]], and colors by both [[Sebastian Cheng]] and [[David Garcia Cruz|David García Cruz]].<ref>[https://www.newsarama.com/37795-may-2018-free-comic-book-day-solicitations-updating.html May 2018 FCBD solicitations]</ref> [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]], [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Kei Zama]] provided art in addition to Milne for the series' double-size final issue, which also featured coloring by [[Joana Lafuente]]. Six connecting B-covers were done by ''Transformers'' veteran [[James Raiz]].

==Collections==
*'''''Transformers Unicron''''' ([[April 2]], [[2019]]) ISBN 1684054230 / ISBN 9781684054237
:Contains the Free Comic Book Day issue #0 and issues #1 to #6.
:Bonus material includes covers for each issue, as well as Hasbroverse backup comics and creator interviews originally published in the series' single issues.

==Notes==
*The series was originally solicited as '''''Transformers: Unicron: The Darkest Hour'''''. It was also initially scheduled biweekly from July to September, but delays forced the last issue to be rescheduled for October, with it finally seeing release in November.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://freecomicbookday.com/Article/207337-FCBD18-Interview-Transformers-Creators-Discuss-Comics-Unicron-and-the-End-of-a-Universe FCBD18 Interview: Transformers Creators Discuss Comics, Unicron, and the End of a Universe?!]
* {{i|Transformers: Unicron}} at the IDW Hasbro Wiki

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unicron}}
[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) comic series]]
[[Category:Unicron issues| ]]

Transformers: Unicron

2019-06-16T04:29:08Z

Minimusminor: added info regarding bonus material in series TPB.

{{disambig3|Unicron}}
[[File:TFUnicron6 cvrA clean.jpg|thumb|250px|"The entire time I knew him, he only ever had one goal: to wipe out half the universe."]]

'''''Transformers: Unicron''''' is a six part, biweekly crossover miniseries<ref>[http://ign.com/articles/2018/03/24/unicron-dwarfs-earth-in-this-amazing-transformers-art Unicron Dwarfs Earth in This Amazing Transfomers Art - IGN]</ref> by [[IDW Publishing]] which debuted in May [[2018]] with issue #0 available as part of the [[Free Comic Book Day]] promotion. The third part of a loose trilogy that began with 2016's ''[[Revolution]]'' and continued with 2017's ''[[First Strike]]'', the series serves as the grand finale to the [[2005 IDW continuity]] in advance of [[Transformers (2019 comic)|the 2019 reboot]], introducing [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] as the ultimate threat to the [[Hasbro Universe]].

{{chapters|title=''Unicron'' issues|align=center|prev=Transformers vs. Visionaries|next=|content=
<div class="list-header">''Unicron''</div>
*[[Our Darkest|#0]]
*[[Last Stand (Unicron)|#1]]
*[[Stranger Eons|#2]]
*[[Our Finest|#3]]
*[[Road's End|#4]]
*[[Assembly (Unicron)|#5]]
*[[Ceremony|#6]]
 <div class="list-header">Backup strips</div>
*"{{i|Ad Infinitum}}"
* "[[Last Stand (G.I. Joe)|Last Stand]]"
*"{{i|Reunion}}"
*"{{i|Transition}}"
*"{{i|A World and a Future}}"
}}

==Buildup==
When [[Simon Furman]] was first brought aboard to pitch his vision of IDW's then-nascent Transformers mythos, he explicitly chose to eschew the traditional [[Primus]] and Unicron mythology that he himself had put forth during his run on the original [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]], due in part to the oversaturation of the concept in the then-concurrent [[Unicron Trilogy]]. Though no concrete origin was put forth for the Cybertronian species in the IDW universe, various authors would occasionally reference the creator gods as abstract religious beliefs rather than concrete deities—Unicron, specifically was never addressed by name, only fleetingly referred to as the "opposite" of Primus, who himself was not conclusively confirmed to exist.

In 2017, IDW began a ramp-up of this mythos as the [[Hasbro Universe]] took shape; [[Origin Myths|issue #10]] of ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' would provide the most definite look into Cybertron's past, establishing a group of mythical [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s as warriors who had once battled against Primus's "opposite". Finally, in October of that year, Unicron made his first physical appearance on the final page of ''[[First Strike]]'', having been awakened by Cybertron itself after exposure to the [[magic]]al powers of the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]].

==Overview==
[[File:TFUnicron1 cvrA clean.jpg|thumb|left|200px|“I think you’ll find ''our'' will to be equal to ''yours''.”]]
''Unicron'' picks up in the immediate aftermath of "[[The Falling]]"; following the events of [[First Strike|Joe Colton's invasion of Cybertron]] and the subsequent clash between [[Transformers vs. Visionaries|Iacon and New Prysmos]], the mysterious Talisman has successfully awoken Unicron, who begins an attack on the galaxy by devouring the scattered [[Cybertronian colonies]]. This monstrous attack has been orchestrated by "[[Onyx Prime]]"—now revealed as [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]—in a gambit eons in the making; by unleashing Unicron to destroy Cybertronian civilization, Shockwave reasons, then he can rebuild Cybertronian society anew on [[Earth]].

[[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] leads a force to [[Rom]]'s homeworld of [[Elonia]] to try and evacuate the planet, discovering that each world has been targeted by Shockwave's old [[Regenesis]] project as part of his time-travelling exploits as Onyx Prime. Though Elonia is safely evacuated, the planet is not so lucky and is unceremoniously swallowed by Unicron. A subsequent attempt at stopping Unicron over the planet [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] sees Prime and a small group of allies unsuccessfully try to destroy the monster from within, though they discover an ancient relic in the process: a ruined [[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinel robot]]. On returning to Cybertron, Bumblebee links with [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] to learn the full story behind Unicron's creation: eons ago, during the reign of the [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]], "Onyx Prime" and his retinue led a colonization mission to the planet [[Antilla]], the first planet to be colonized by the Cybertronian race. The [[Antillan|native species]] fought back against Cybertron's imperialism, and a [[Unicron's creator|desperate scientist]] created a doomsday weapon designed to wreak ultimate vengeance upon Cybertron: the Talisman itself, the device twisting the fabric of reality to create Unicron and the monstrous [[Dire Wraith]]s.

This respite is short-lived, however; having devoured twelve of the colonies, Unicron—having merged with the [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]—approaches Cybertron in his new [[robot mode]], intent on finishing the planet. Having double-crossed [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]'s "[[Decepticon Vengeance Division]]", Shockwave's lackey [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] leads the mutated Decepticons and the bestial [[Maximal]]s into an orbital dogfight over Cybertron, successfully destroying [[Vigilem|Carcer]] and [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] with it. Though the Cybertronians fight their hardest, they are unable to prevent Unicron from beginning his attack on their homeworld.

Salvation comes from an unexpected source: the [[Spectral Knight]]s of [[New Prysmos]] are capable of using their own [[magic]] to activate the Talisman, projecting a beam of energy which teleports the population of Iacon to [[Earth]], with [[Blurr (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Blurr]] sacrificing himself to save as many people as possible before Unicron rips the planet in half.

[[File:TFUnicron3 cvrA clean.jpg|thumb|right|200px|“Alright, back up Sam, you’re gonna get your wings singed.”]]
Regrouping on Earth, Shockwave begins his final plan to transform [[Toronto]] into the capital of his "New Cybertron," believing that Unicron was felled by the Talisman when the Decepticon scientist tricked it into eating Cybertron. Little does he suspect that his plan has failed, and that Unciron now approaches Earth supported by Bludgeon and the Maximals, having turned on their former master for manipulating them over millennia.

Elsewhere on Earth, heroes and villains unite as Unicron's approach causes havoc, and as the Maximals descend on Earth to find and destroy the Talisman Optimus hatches a risky plan, recruiting Arcee and the three [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] for a mission to activate the Talisman in the heart of Unicron and destroy the monster from within. Events culminate in a massive battle for Earth as heroes and villains from across the [[Hasbro Universe]] join forces to repel the Maximal invasion, and as the battle reaches its zenith Starscream sacrifices himself to bring the Talisman online.

Within the black hole heart of Unicron, Optimus is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice, willingly throwing himself into [[infraspace]] in the hopes of bringing Unicron down from within. Bolstered by [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]]'s own suicide play, tapping into the afterlife to bolster Optimus with the souls of the departed, Optimus relies on their faith in ''him'' as he confronts the vengeful specter of Unicron's creator, eventually convincing the alien to let go of his hurt and move on. Renouncing his title as [[Prime (rank)|Prime]], recognizing that the title was flawed from the start, the alien and Orion Pax die together, collapsing Unicron into a new black hole and ending the threat for good.

In the aftermath, the characters take stock of their victory; Shockwave is arrested by [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] and brought into custody, [[Slide]] learns to let go of her anger at the Prime, [[Pyra Magna]] steps up to lead the Cybertronian refugees on Earth, and the Cybertronian species, freed from their dark past at last, settle into life on their new homeworld: Earth.

==Creative team==
[[File:Unicron-Bcovers-JamesRaiz.jpg|thumb|250px|"In time, you will know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail all the same. Dread it... Run from it... Destiny still arrives."]]

The series is written by [[John Barber]], with art by [[Alex Milne]], and colors by both [[Sebastian Cheng]] and [[David Garcia Cruz|David García Cruz]].<ref>[https://www.newsarama.com/37795-may-2018-free-comic-book-day-solicitations-updating.html May 2018 FCBD solicitations]</ref> [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]], [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Kei Zama]] provided art in addition to Milne for the series' double-size final issue, which also featured coloring by [[Joana Lafuente]]. Six connecting B-covers were done by ''Transformers'' veteran [[James Raiz]].

==Collections==
*'''''Transformers Unicron''''' ([[April 2]], [[2019]]) ISBN 1684054230 / ISBN 9781684054237
:Contains the Free Comic Book Day issue #0 and issues #1 to #6.
:Bonus material includes covers for each issue, as well as Hasbroverse tie-in comics and creator interviews originally published in the series' single issues.

==Notes==
*The series was originally solicited as '''''Transformers: Unicron: The Darkest Hour'''''. It was also initially scheduled biweekly from July to September, but delays forced the last issue to be rescheduled for October, with it finally seeing release in November.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://freecomicbookday.com/Article/207337-FCBD18-Interview-Transformers-Creators-Discuss-Comics-Unicron-and-the-End-of-a-Universe FCBD18 Interview: Transformers Creators Discuss Comics, Unicron, and the End of a Universe?!]
* {{i|Transformers: Unicron}} at the IDW Hasbro Wiki

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unicron}}
[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) comic series]]
[[Category:Unicron issues| ]]

Transformers I.Q. issue 6

2018-12-30T23:13:48Z

Minimusminor: /* Continuity notes */ typo.

{{comicstory|seriesissue=''[[Transformers I.Q.]]''
|prev=Transformers I.Q. issue 5
|next=Transformers I.Q. issue 7
|title=
|image=
|caption=
|publisher=[[Fun Publications]]
|published in=[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 48|''Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club'' #48]]
|date=December [[2012]]/January [[2013]]
|script=[[Jesse Wittenrich]]
|art= various
|continuity=''[[Transformers: TransTech|TransTech]]''
}}

'''I-QUEUE goes over Quintessons, while events are set into motion, changing things forever...'''

==Synopsis==
[[I-QUEUE]] recalls that Cybertronians have encountered the [[Quintesson]]s across the multiverse, with many of these encounters being extremely unpleasant. Now, he wishes to review some of these beings in greater depth:

1. Which of the following is not a face associated with Quintessons? A. Death B. Judgement C. War D. Conspiracy

2. This Quintesson General was tasked by Lord [[Kledji]] to conquer [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], and even briefly gained the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Who is he? A. Abin Al-Sur Rani B. [[Ghyrik]] C. [[Jolup]] D. [[In-Saba Nur]]

3. This "Red Wizard" was a banished Quintesson, sent to the realm of [[Menonia]], where he took the form of the [[Golden One]]'s [[Golden One's pupil|apprentice]]. Who is he? A. Uther Pendragon B. Mara Jade C. [[Mara-Al-Utha]] D. Aseem-Ul-Badder

4. [[Aquarius (SG)|Aquarius]] is a Quintesson from a negative polarity universe? His current whereabouts unknown, what was his last known objective? A. Prevent the [[Megatron (G1)|Megatherion]] from destroying the [[Planicron]]s B. Gather the remains of [[Star Saber (Prima)|sword]] with multiversal powers C. Defeat [[The Fallen]] D. Correct history when time goes wrong.

5. What did the Matrix mean when it said the Quintessons created the Transformers? A. They built the Transformers as consumer and military goods B. They modified [[Primus]]' children to fit their own needs C. The Matrix was speaking in allegories D. This only applies to [[Primax 984.17 Alpha]].

I-QUEUE's session is interrupted as Aquarius, having secretly entered [[Axiom Nexus]], admires the picture they used for him. He's interrupted when the [[Chifumi Takahashi|thief]] her hired returns with a sword shard from the vaults, which Aquarius reveals is part of the Star Saber he and [[Nexus Prime]] have been looking for. "Dorothy", as he calls her, asks that she only wants to go home, and Aquarius is all too happy to oblige.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|h1=Others
|c1=
*[[I-QUEUE]] (1)
*[[Aquarius (SG)|Aquarius]] (2)
*[[Chifumi Takahashi|"Dorothy"]] (3)
}}

==Notes==
* Characters mentioned but not seen include: the "[[Nexus Prime|big guy]]".

===Continuity notes===
* Aquarius and Nexus Prime haven't been seen since "[[The Coming Storm: Part 1]]", around the time the "Aligned" continuity started up and Hasbro restricted the use of the [[Thirteen]]. Their mission will lead into the next few years of storylines, concluding in 2015.

===Transformers references===
* The correct answer for question 1 is D. "Judgement" and "War" are alternate names for the "Doubt" and "Laughter" faces, created for ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]''. The question is illustrated with a screencap of the Quintesson judge from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* Ghyrik is the correct answer for question 2, appearing in Marvel UK's ''The Transformers'' issues [[Space Pirates!|#182-187]], illustrated her with cover for issue #187. Other answers include Jolup, another Quintesson general seen in those issues, and In-Saba Nur, a Quintessson executioner from "[[Wreckers: Finale Part II]]".
* Mara-Al-Utha is the correct answer for question 3, a Quintesson wizard seen in ''The Transformers'' episode "[[Madman's Paradise]]".
* Aquarius is illustrated in question 4 with his profile art from issue [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 27|#27]] of the Club Magazine. Megatherion (Megatron corrupted by the [[Hytherion]]) and the Planicrons both originate from the ''Alternity'' storyline.
* The answer to question 5 is cleverly covered up by Aqaurius' tentacle; the question is illustrated with a screencap of the "[[Primon|Ancient Robot]]" from ''The Transformers'' episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]". The idea that the Quintessons simply used Primus to create the Transformers comes from the 3H Productions ''Universe'' comics.

===Real-world references===
* Other options for question 3 include {{w|Uther Pendragon}}, father of [[King Arthur]] from legend, and {{w|Mara Jade}}, wife of [[Luke Skywalker]] from ''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe (now known as ''Legends''.)
* "Dorothy" is based on the pilot figure that came with the original ''Diaclone'' release of the toy that would become [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]].
* "Dorothy's" {{w|Dorothy Gale|nickname}}, along with the metaphors Aquarius mentions ({{w|ruby slippers}} and the {{w|yellow brick road}}) are all references to ''{{w|The Wonderful Wizard of Oz}}'', with the ruby slippers in particular coming from the 1939 MGM film {{w|The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|adaptation}}.

[[Category:TransTech issues]]

How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2

2018-12-14T22:40:42Z

Minimusminor: /* Soundtrack */ typo.

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|The Transformers: Lost Light]]'' #25
|prev=Crucible (Part 6): A Spark Among Embers
|next=
|image=LL25_cvrA.jpg
|title="How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2"
|caption=[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|They made something of it.]]
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 7]], 2018
|coverdate=October 2018
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|art by=[[Jack Lawrence]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}
'''After a final "lap of honor" it's time for the ''Lost Light'' crew to say goodbye and move on with their lives... until tragedy reunites them one last time.'''

==Synopsis==
{{note|This story is told in non-linear form. This synopsis reorders it for ease of reading.}}

Some time after the defeat of the [[Functionist Council]], [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] arrives on "Functionist Cybertron" to survey the situation. His visit is to be a short one; the planet is largely to be left to its own devices while the universe's native Cybertronian population begins their new lives on [[Earth]] following the apocalyptic attack of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], but the billion new [[spark]]s that have ignited from [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]]'s [[hot spot]] must be dealt with, and most importantly, with the [[Knights of Cybertron]] having been proven not to exist, [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] must stand trial once again, this time with the [[Galactic Council]] presiding. [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] objects, but Megatron himself agrees. Prowl also announces his intention to remove the ''[[Lost Light]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[quantum generator]]s and use them to double Functionist Cybertron's [[energon]] reserves, for use in bringing the sparks to term; again, Rodimus initially refuses, before finally giving in, on the condition that Prowl allows him and the crew to to take one final "victory lap" trip aboard the ship before it is decommissioned.

The crew are granted one day for their trip, and it passes without incident. [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] makes a complete recording of every corridor and room on the ship for posterity; in the process, he and [[Chromedome (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Chromedome]] come upon [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]'s old quarters, but tragically, they and the rest of the crew have already lost all their memories of the terminally-forgettable psychiatrist. The pair rejoin the rest of the crew on the bridge as the ''Lost Light'' turns to head back to Functionist Cybertron, and conversation turns to the inevitability to endings, and how to make the most of them; Rodimus remarks that he would ''rather'' see the ''Lost Light'' decommissioned than allowed to become a monument or "just another spaceship," so that its meaning can never be diminished. [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] announces one last party in [[Swerve's|his bar]], but just before everyone heads off, [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]], [[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]], and [[Perceptor (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Perceptor]] take Rodimus aside to propose one final, risky, complicated, ludicrous stunt for the ''Lost Light'' to pull: when they quantum jump back to Functionist Cybertron, there is the infinitesimally slim chance they can intentionally recreate the accident from the ship's original launch that caused the creation of a quantum duplicate of it and the crew, ''and'' shunt the duplicate into a parallel universe so that there will be no risk of its existence being cancelled out like the last one, thereby allowing the crew to continue adventuring on their own terms in a new world. Rodimus puts the idea to a vote, and the crew agrees.

Of course, there's no way for the crew to know if the idea succeeds, since from their point of view, all that happens is that they successfully quantum jump back to Cybertron, and settle in for one last night of drinks, singing, and stories at Swerve's. [[Anode]] and [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]] decide to give up adventuring and settle down on Luna 1; [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] makes peace with the [[Scavenger (group)|Scavengers]]; and [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]—now finally romantically involved—explain to the crew their theory that the "visions" that have been guiding Drift since the start of their quest were actually messages sent back through time via the [[Warren]] by the telepaths from [[Mederi]]. [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] hauls Rodimus's desk into the bar, and everyone pores over the map etched into its surface, reminiscing about the places they have been and the things they have seen and done on their quest. Inspired by the revelation that Megatron pseudonymously wrote his favorite poem, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] delivers a toast to the ship and its crew, and to the unexpected joy that he found when the crew turned from colleagues into true friends. Swerve tries to declare a lock-in, but, to punctuate the finality of the moment, construction cranes abruptly begin tearing into the ship as it sits on the spaceport runway, beginning its disassembly.

Thus does the parting of the ways begin. [[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]] and the Scavengers head back to [[Troja Major]], where [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]]—having taken [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]'s advice on love—plans to reunite with [[CONS4EVA]]. Chromedome and Rewind head off on a trip to [[Milnex]]; Nautica and [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] are taken to visit Earth by [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]]; Cyclonus places a tender kiss on Rodimus's cheek to thank him for everything. Prowl takes Megatron into custody, and Magnus goes with them, leaving Rodimus alone. After a moment, he hollers "[['Til all are one|Till All Are One]]" after Magnus, but his words go unheard.

Some time later, Megatron's trial is held. Magnus acts for his defense; Rodimus testifies and lies on the stand, claiming that ''Megatron'' was the one who was able to open the final [[Matrix of Leadership]] when he could not. While a jury is deliberating over "execution" or "infinite imprisonment," Rodimus visits Megatron in his cell for one last conversation, during which Megatron reveals that he still has the [[Rodimus Star]] Rodimus gave him, having held onto it for nearly a millennia, through all his centuries in the [[Functionist Universe]]. Presently, Megatron and Magnus are called in for sentencing; Megatron bids Rodimus farewell, and Magnus tells Megatron that he will take his advice and destroy the [[Magnus Armor]], living the rest of his life as his own 'bot.

Years pass.

Life goes on.

Many of the crew settle on Functionist Cybertron. Swerve successfully turns his bar into a franchise, but it eventually fails and he has to close all but one location. Nautica writes a memoir of the crew's quest. Rewind becomes obsessed with learning everything there is to know about the history of the Functionist Universe, but winds up overloading and corrupting his brain, contracting the neuro-degenerative disease [[Delta's Malady]]; he becomes trapped in data stick form when he forgets how to transform, but continues to live and love with Chromedome. Brainstorm injures himself in a lab accident, requiring him to use his [[time case|infamous briefcase]] as a mobile life support system. Magnus no more, Minimus Ambus helps with the resettlement of all the new "[[Lunarian]]" 'bots born from the sparks from Luna-1, totally unaware that they all resemble Rung. Bereft of direction, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] returns to his old troublemaking ways, and soon finds himself in and out of prison. Still eager for adventure, Rodimus signs onto the crew of Thunderclash's new ship, the ''[[Exitus]]''. And Ratchet and Drift become [[Conjunx Endura]]... until the day that Ratchet's advanced age finally catches up to him, and it is discovered that he is going to die of "age-related burnout."

Ratchet's peaceful passing brings the crew of the ''Lost Light'' together again for his funeral in [[Rivets Field]]; Drift arranges for Whirl to be granted day release from prison to attend. Cyclonus and [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] have been off-planet for an extended period of time and have been out of touch with their old friends, so after the ceremony, Swerve, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]], and Brainstorm bring them up to speed on what has been happening with everyone. Dismayed to discover what has become of Whirl, Cyclonus and Tailgate invite him to come and live with them when he is next released, and he happily accepts. Whirl is so moved by their act of compassion that he begins to find worth in himself again, and turns down a gift from Drift—Ratchet's hands, to replace his own, lost so long ago—on the basis that he is not broken and does not need to be fixed.

Rodimus arrives late, after the ceremony has already concluded, and places Megatron's Rodimus Star—entrusted to him when the ex-Decepticon was taken away to his unrevealed fate—among the other offerings by Ratchet's grave. Drift can tell that the haggard Rodimus has been drinking, and expresses concern for him, knowing that life as part of Thunderclash's crew can't possibly compare to the way things used to be. One by the one, the mourners take their leave, until only Drift and Rodimus are left, whereupon Drift raises the subject they swore they'd never speak of: does Rodimus think the attempt to recreate the accident worked? Rodimus doesn't believe they will ever know one way or the other... and he tells himself that that is good, because that way, they can always pretend it did. The pair promise to keep in touch, and Rodimus departs.

''Many years earlier, the ''Lost Light'' quantum jumps back to Functionist Cybertron... but instead, the ship and crew find themselves in uncharted space, further than they have ever traveled before, with no idea of where they are. Realizing that they have succeeded in blasting themselves into another universe, the crew celebrate, with Perceptor crediting their accomplishment to knowledge gained from Brainstorm's earlier time travel experiments. Brainstorm is thrilled to finally have Perceptor's recognition, and Perceptor admits that the pair are "simpatico" after all. With co-captains Rodimus and Megatron at the helm, the ''Lost Light'' sets course for adventure in a new universe.''

''[[Furmanism|It never ends]]!''
[[File:LL25 It Never Ends.jpg|thumb|400px|center|''*curtains close*'']]

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (1)
*[[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]] (2)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus/Minimus Ambus]] (3)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (4)
*[[Chromedome (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Chromedome]] (5)
*[[Rewind (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rewind]] (6)
*[[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] (7)
*[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] (8)
*[[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] (9)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (11)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (12)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (13)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (14)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (15)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Perceptor]] (16)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (17)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] (18)
*[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] (19)
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (20)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (21)
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] (22)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]] (23)
*[[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (25)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (28)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Xaaron]] (29)
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (30)
*[[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]] (33)
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Fortress Maximus]] (36)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]] (38)
*[[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] (40)
*[[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] (41)
*[[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (42)
*[[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] (43)
*[[Groove (G1)|Groove]] (44)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] (24)
*[[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] (27)
*[[Nickel]] (34)
*[[Fulcrum]] (35)
*[[Krok (G1)|Krok]] (37)
*[[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] (39)

|c4=
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] (10)
*[[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] (26)
*[[Anode]] (31)
*[[Lug (IDW)|Lug]] (32)
*[[Clicker]] (45)
}}

==Quotes==
"A week, a month, a year... what's the difference? There'll always be '''an ending'''—and if you're lucky, you get to see it coming."
:—'''Ratchet'''

"I'm grateful for one more day. Especially a day like this." 
"Er—literally nothing happened. We flew past some planets and '''talked.'''" 
"Yes. And I wouldn't have changed a thing."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Whirl'''

"Treat him well, Doc. He's a keeper."
:—'''Rodimus''' congratulates Ratchet on his new relationship

"'''That's''' how we should measure our lives. Not in distance traveled, or time passed, or worlds conquered, but in '''moments'''... and the rush of joy—of grace—that exists within them."
:—'''Megatron'''

"Rodimus. Whatever happens next—whatever my fate—I deserve worse."
:—'''Megatron'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s final words

"Megatron... before we go... I've been thinking a lot about what you said—about how I should let the world look me in the eyes—and yes, I'll do it. I'll destroy my armor." 
"Good. Because you're so much bigger without it."
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' and '''Megatron'''

"Turns out being at a '''loose end''' is bad for me—and even worse for '''society.'''"
:—'''Whirl'''

"WITHOUT LOVE THERE IS NO MEANING."
:—The inscription on Ratchet's grave marker

'''Rodimus:''' "Crankcase? Set a course for '''high jinks and mild peril!'''" 
'''Swerve:''' "I've just heard the best order that's ever been given." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "How long will it take us?" 
'''Rodimus:''' "What, to explore the '''entire universe?'''" 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "I will accept an estimate." 
'''Rodimus:''' "Well, if I had to guess... taking account of all known variables and allowing for every possible outcome... if I had to guess, I'd say it'll take us more or less... '''forever.''' What do you think, co-captain?" 
'''Megatron:''' "What do I think?" 
'''Rodimus:''' "Yeah." 
'''Megatron:''' "I think forever sounds about right."

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The title of this issue is taken from the [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|first issue of ''More than Meets the Eye'']], where the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s adventure began just shy of seven years ago.
*The concept of "age-related burnout"—the Transformer equivalent of dying of natural causes—is a very new concept for both the Cybertronian race, and Transformers stories in general, with essentially all past media having presented the [[spark]] as immortal. The idea was introduced back in [[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|''More than Meets the Eye'' #17]], in which Ratchet himself observed the first case had only been reported recently.
*Though deliberately and intentionally released first, this issue is the chronologically-final installment in the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity]], taking place in its entirety after the final issues of the [[Transformers: Unicron|''Unicron'' mini-series]] and ''Optimus Prime'' (thereby "spoiling" that Prowl, [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], and the planet Earth survived the apocalyptic events of that story, but if that last one surprises you, we don't know what to tell you). This highlights the continuity problem we previously pointed out in our notes for [[Crucible (Part 4): The Return of the King|issue #22]], which claimed that only a month had passed for Team Rodimus since the beginning of the series; the events of ''Unicron'' did not occur until "a few years" after the series began. Therefore we ''have'' to conclude that the team's trip through the [[Warren]] in [[The Everlasting Voices (1): Metastasis|issue #16]] involved them travelling through time as well as space (but it does still feel like an after-the-fact fix for what was initially a goof).
*Prowl proposes setting up the decommissioned ''Lost Light'' as a monument on the [[Mitteous Plateau]], a region of Cybertron introduced all that way back in ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1, adjacent to the ship's original launch site.
*The bottle of [[Nightmare Fuel]] Swerve serves up at the final party comes from the departed Trailcutter's private stash, which is where Swerve got the ''first'' bottle of it we ever saw, back in [[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|''More than Meets the Eye'' #11]]. The bottle is dated to 2012, the year that the series began.
*Ultra Magnus shows Brainstorm a piece of writing about a character named "Sprinklor"; this is the "sprinkler [[fan fiction|fan-fiction]]" Rodimus mentioned in [[Crucible (Part 2): Lūstrāre|issue #20]], which Swerve had told him Magnus writes. Magnus describes Sprinklor as "very by-the-book, very rule-driven," proving that even the ex-Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord isn't above creating "Self-Insert" fanfic.
*The figurines on the table during the crew's last night in Swerve's are from [[Ten|Ten's]] collection of hand-crafted figures, and are of the crewmembers who didn't make it: [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]], [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], and Ten himself.
*The figurines stand around a model Lost Light created by Rung back in [[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|''More Than Meets the Eye'' #37]].
*Bluestreak reminisces with Lug and Anode about how he tried to kill them (after being turned into a Sparkeater) on Mederi, which we saw in [[Crucible (Part 1): A Dance Before Dying|issue #19]].
*Nickel and Roller appear to have hit it off, flirting with each other in Swerve's. Nickel was shown surreptitiously "checking him out" back during a group scene in [[Crucible (Part 3): Farsickness|issue #21]]. It only makes sense that she'd be attracted to someone of Roller's build, considering he was a chief suspect among the fanbase for [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]]'s identity for a long time.
*Fortress Maximus makes peace with the Scavengers after their previous rather violent meeting in [[Animals|''More than Meets the Eye'' #46]]. As he does so, Misfire is seen marveling over the guns in his legs, an attribute of Max's that was previously the subject of some humorous focus in [[Interiors|''More than Meets the Eye'' #6]].
*Aside from Swerve's recollection of the crew's trip to [[Hedonia]] in [[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|''More than Meets the Eye'' #13]], the rest of the escapades the crew remember all happened "off-panel" and have never been mentioned before, but they are framed as happening "near" places we know the ship visited: [[Temptoria]] in [[Before & After|''More than Meets the Eye'' #12]], and [[Scarvix]] in [[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|''More than Meets the Eye'' #40]]. Notably, they laugh about an encounter with the "[[Improbability Police]]" that saw the ''Lost Light'' being impounded for "unlikely crimes" and Ultra Magnus getting them off by claiming the charges themselves were "too far-fetched"—a story that ''would'' have been told during the comic's third "season" had the decision not been made to end the IDW universe.
*The phrase "You flare, you flicker, you fade" was previously quoted by [[Shock (G1)|Shock]] in [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|''More than Meets the Eye'' #3]], and is here revealed to be a line from "[[Afterlight]]," a poem written by Megatron in his youth. Megatron wistfully notes the poem was also [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]'s favorite.
*Ultra Magnus isn't kidding when he opens his toast by saying "I never thought I'd say this... but it's been fun." He was incapable of saying the word "fun" in [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|''More than Meets the Eye'' #5]].
*Hot Spot, Blades, Streetwise, and Groove all appear along with First Aid during Magnus's toast, proving that they survived their rather fatal-looking injuries in [[The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|issue #12]].
*The Scavengers are presumably heading back to Troja Major because [[Crucible (Part 1): A Dance Before Dying|issue #19]] told us Grimlock left the [[Firstborn]] in the care of [[Agonizer|the Curator]] following the events of [[Kill All 'Cons|issue #15]].
*Taking Cyclonus's advice on love, Crankcase contacts CONS4EVA, the [[Dire Wraith]] he met online in ''[[Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again!|More than Meets the Eye: Revolution]]''.
*Nautica mistakenly refers to Earth as "[[Swearth]]," the name the crew gave the holomatter duplicate of the planet they visited in [[The One Where They Go to Earth|''More than Meets the Eye'' #43]].
*Minimus notes it's been years since he worked on "[[Terms of Peace]]," the rulebook he was established to be writing in [[Sardines|issue #13]].
*The harvest of Luna 1's hot spot is termed the "Bronze Harvest," after the [[Silver Harvest]], the population boom from around five million years ago first mentioned in [[Twenty Plus One|''More than Meets the Eye'' #31]].
*Ratchet makes good on the promise that Whirl could have his hands after he died, made in [[Under Cold Blue Stars|''More than Meets the Eye'' #15]].
*Both Whirl and Megatron spend time incarcerated in [[Garrus-10]], the newest in the "Garrus" series of prisons that you'd assume was only constructed after the fall of [[Garrus-9]] in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''.
*Rodimus and Megatron's final talk in the latter's cell mirrors their first, from back in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|''More than Meets the Eye'' #28]], with Rodimus no longer believing Megatron deserves the fate he is destined for.
*Megatron was revealed to have been given a Rodimus Star ("for abandoning his evil ways") in [[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|''More than Meets the Eye'' #38]]. Megatron's fate is not explicitly stated in the text of the comic, but the fact that Rodimus is in possession of the star in the future certainly seems intended to imply that the jury voted for "execution."
*Whirl and Cyclonus's final on-panel interaction is a mirror of one of their earliest, from [[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|''More than Meets the Eye'' #2]]; there, Cyclonus caught Whirl in a surprise hug, with two question marks hovering over the shocked Autobot; here it's Whirl who does the surprise hugging, while exclamation marks hover over Cyclonus.
*The crew encountered the original quantum duplicate of the ''Lost Light'' in [[slaughterhouse|''More than Meets the Eye'' #32]]-[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|33]]. Nautica calls replicating the accident a "magic trick," since [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|''More than Meets the Eye'' #28]] told us that "magic=science Rodimus doesn't understand."
*Perceptor finally admits that he and Brainstorm are "simpatico," tapping him on the forehead with his index finger in the same way Brainstorm did to him when he originally used the phrase, back in [[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|''More than Meets the Eye'' #24]]. Later, on twitter, James Roberts would confirm that this indicated the two were a couple. More interestingly though, it would seem Brainstorm has a [[Quark|type]].
* All the way back in [[The Transformers: Infiltration|''Infiltration'']], the very first story-arc of this continuity, Ratchet was the first Autobot to be introduced, when he rescues [[Hunter O'Nion]] and [[Verity Carlo]] from [[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Thundercracker]]. While not the last issue in terms of release, it is the last to happen chronologically, thanks to the scenes that take place during Ratchet's funeral years after the end of the quest. The entire continuity begins and ends with Ratchet.

===Transformers references===
[[File:LL25 RiD Museum Guard guarding Whirl.jpg|thumb|right|300px|"The guard gave him what could loosely be called an old-fashioned look. It was practically neolithic."]]
*The Garrus-10 guards who escort Whirl are based on the [[museum guard]]s seen in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'']] episode, "[[Pilot (Part 1)]]." Another appears later in the story to arrest Megatron, accompanied by a grey-blue robot based on the [[Kup (G1)/toys#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' Kup toy]], with a new head design.
*As the group parts ways, Chromedome and Rewind leave to visit the census center on the planet [[Milnex]]—a final tip of the hat to longtime regular ''More than Meets the Eye'' artist, [[Alex Milne]].
*Similarly, Rodimus arrives late because the ''Exitus'' was on the other end of the "[[Acklaw System]]", a reference to series artist J'''ack Law'''rence.
*The ''Exitus'' itself is likely a reference to writer James Roberts' exit from IDW comics.
*In one last final pair of references to James Roberts's signature recurring number, "[[113 (disambiguation)|113]]," Swerve is noted to have 113 locations in his "Swerve's" franchise, and Whirl refers to the Lunarian Transformer who performs Ratchet's funeral as "Lunarian 113."

===Real-world references===
*Nautica's book, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," is named after {{w|There Is a Light That Never Goes Out|The Smiths' song of the same title}}.
*On page 9, Cyclonus sings a line from "[[The Power of Love]]," which we previously saw in [[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|''More than Meets the Eye'' #38]] and [[The Frail Gaze|#42]] that he is fond of.
*Whirl's holo-avatar's shirt reads "ASK ME ABOUT MY FEMINIST AGENDA," a garment made famous by Marvel Comics character {{w|Mockingbird (comics)|Mockingbird}} when she wore it on the cover of [https://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Mockingbird_Vol_1_8 issue #8 of her self-titled series in 2016].
*Drift is shown to have started referring to Ratchet by the pet name of "Ratty" during their relationship. The name is a reference to ''{{w|The Wind in the Willows}}'' character Rat, who was known as "Ratty" to his friends.

===Errors===
*Among the mourners at Ratchet's funeral on page 1 is Bluestreak, coloured like Prowl. As this scene is set in the far future, of course, it is not ''impossible'' for this to actually be Prowl, having reverted at some point over the years to a Cybertronian body-design like Bluestreak (versus the Earth SUV design he has in the present-day segments), and indeed, Roberts claimed on Twitter that it ''was'' Prowl... but given that ''absolutely everybody else'' at the funeral is or was a ''Lost Light'' crewmember, and "Prowlstreak" is specifically standing with Bluestreak's fellow mutineers and recurring crew B-and-C-listers Hound, Blaster, and Perceptor, it really does feel like a goof that's being covered for.
*On page 9, panel 3, Rodimus is mistakenly colored in the purple and blue colors that he had for the majority of ''Lost Light''.
*On page 16, panel 2, Minimus Ambus says: "500 million sparks brought to term. 500 Lunarians given somewhere to live..." That ought to be "500 ''million'' Lunarians," a restatement of the previous sentence in different terms, rather than the implication that only 500 of the 500,000,000 sparks had been given homes and jobs.

===Soundtrack===
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4jR9P9YJGo Human]" by {{w|The Killers}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuYKUWM_o60 Here It Comes (The Road) Let's Go]" by {{w|Spiritualized}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNBjMRvOB5M Go West]" by {{w|Pet Shop Boys}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwixk2TOHbs Let's Get Out of this Country]" by {{w|Camera Obscura (band)|Camera Obscura}}; specifically envisioned as the "end credits" song of the series
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqmuaCSQuCs Lost Light]" by [https://retronymmusic.bandcamp.com/ Retronym], a fan-made song celebrating the series

===Other trivia===
*Originally announced for release in October, this issue arrives a little late, in the first week of November.
*Items from throughout the series seen on Cover B include: Anode's trowel, Tailgate's hoverboard, the replacement horn Tailgate made for Cyclonus in [[Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|''More than Meets the Eye'' #21]], a [[nudge gun]], a string of "signal boosters"/[[Christmas]] lights from [[Silent Light|''The Transformers Holiday Special'']], a bottle of Nightmare Fuel, a [[Great Sword]], Nightbeat's magnifying glass, a [[curly straw]], a datapad displaying "[[Towards Peace]]," Rewind's head camera, one of the Necrobot's spark-flowers, the Autobot symbol patch from Whirl's holomatter avatar's dungarees, a tray of drinks from Swerve's, Swerve's "[[My First Blaster]]," a [[sparkeater (creature)|sparkeater]] tentacle, the vial of [[innermost energon]] Cyclonus gave Tailgate in [[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|''More than Meets the Eye'' #49]], Nautica's wrench, the cannister of "[[Fool's Energon]]" from [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|''More than Meets the Eye'' #29]], Ultra Magnus's ridiculously long nameplate from [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|''More than Meets the Eye'' #5]], a photonic crystal, Rung's glasses, Brainstorm's briefcase, Rodimus's empty half of the Matrix casing, the keys to the ''Lost Light'' seen on the cover of [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|''More than Meets the Eye'' #30]], a Rodimus Star, and fluttering above it all, the "WE'VE ACHIEVED SOMETHING" banner from [[The Sensuous Frame|''More than Meets the Eye'' #41]]. Roche misspelled it "ACHIEIVED" and nobody noticed until the cover was revealed online; it was then corrected for the final release.
*The "Story So Far" recap on the inside front cover this issue simply reads: "You're joking, right?"
*The language used by Rodimus to describe the fate of the ''Lost Light'' is a metaphor for the comic itself, and the broader concepts of stories about ongoing licensed properties, changing creative teams, and the rarity of definitive endings in that industry in general. Were the ''Lost Light'' allowed to go on with someone else at the helm, Rodimus laments, over time, bit by bit, "they'd end up replacing it with (...) a bad copy," and he would rather see the ship get a "proper ending" from which there is "no going back."
*Similarly, the crew's discussion about the new universe they find themselves in at the end of the story alludes to the end of the current IDW universe and the impending launch of a brand new continuity from the company. "What [will it] be like?" wonders Misfire. "Too soon to say," replies Drift. "It could be virtually identical to ours, or it could be fantastically different."
*This final issue features 24 story pages instead of the usual 20, plus a three-page letter from James Roberts to close out the series, reflecting on it and ''More than Meets the Eye'' before it and thanking the audience and his many creative collaborators. Of particular note: Roberts once remarked in a [https://twitter.com/jroberts332/status/704107919369961472 tweet from February 2016] that "the last line of the last issue" of the series had already been written, but he explains in this letter that this final line was not used in the end. The line was "OVER TO YOU," to be scrawled graffiti-style on top of "THE END" on the final page, as both a handing-over of the reins of the IDW Transformers universe to the next creative team, and in another sense, the handing of the "alternate universe" ''Lost Light'' to the prolific community of fan writers and artists, who will produce works starring these incarnations of the characters long after the series is over, and to whom Roberts is implicitly giving his "blessing" with the gift of a universe where those adventures can happen, forever. Roberts doesn't elucidate, but it's easy to interpret the line being dropped due to the the fact that the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|current IDW universe]] is ending, and there ''is'' no next creative team, and this really is... ''*sniff*'' ...''the end'' for these characters.

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' Our happy crew together, by [[Jack Lawrence]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
*'''Cover B:''' A departing Rodimus casts a ''Lost Light''-shaped shadow, containing many artifacts from throughout the series (see "Other trivia," above), by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' [[Alex Milne]] returns to draw our heroes one last time, in an "updated" companion piece to [[:File:MTMTE vol1.jpg|his cover for the first ''More than Meets the Eye'' trade paperback]]; colours by [[Josh Perez]].
<gallery>
File:LL25 cvrA.jpg|''And we sailed out on orders from him but we found''
File:LL25 cvrB.jpg|''The maps he sent to us''
File:LL25 cvrRI.jpg|''Didn’t mention lost coastlines...''
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''[[Transformers: Bumblebee - Win If You Dare]]'' graphic novel
*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog|Team Sonic Racing]]'' one-shot

==External links==
*[https://graphicpolicy.com/2018/11/06/preview-transformers-lost-light-25/ Preview]

[[Category: Lost Light issues]]

Alex Milne

2018-11-27T07:33:16Z

Minimusminor: update to number of Unicron issues produced

{{disambig3|Alex}}
[[File:Alexmilne.jpg|300px|thumb|If Alex is going to ride, he's going to ride - in style!]]
'''Alex Milne''' (born [[October 13]], 1980) is a [[Canada|Canadian]] artist who has done pencils on numerous ''Transformers'' titles.

Milne's ''Transformers'' work started with an ill-fated run at the end of Dreamwave's tenure, during which he was ghosting for [[Pat Lee|Superstar Patrick "Pat The Transman" Lee]], and unfortunately, not being paid very much (or at all) for his work. Pat Lee owed him more than $4,330.00 as of February 2005 - and that was ''before'' he started ghosting for Pat.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14886# http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14886#]</ref>

After [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] folded, Milne was picked up by [[IDW Publishing|IDW]], who presumably pay him a living wage. He penciled a number of live-action movie spin-off books and other miscellaneous titles. In 2012, he became the primary artist on IDW's ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets the Eye]]'' series, drawing the bulk of its issues.

Milne's linework is noted for its high levels of detail, from complex backgrounds to precisely delineated mechanical greeblies on the Transformers themselves. Stylistically, Milne has shown the ability to emulate other artists' work, such as his Pat Lee-styled lines on ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron: Origin]]''. For ''More Than Meets the Eye'', Milne designed many of the series' characters and settings, and by extension, much of its distinctive overall look. His work on the book has garnered high praise among fans, owing to his detailed character designs, complex action scenes, and highly expressive characters.

{{bigquote|[F]rankly he was the best comic penciler on our roster at the time.|[[Pat Lee]] about Alex Milne during his stint at Dream Engine|[http://www.bleedingcool.com/2010/12/20/pat-lee-talks-to-bleeding-cool-via-a-dabel-brother/ Interview with Rich Johnston] at Bleeding Cool Comics, December 2010}}

==Comic book interior art==
===Dreamwave Productions===
*''[[Transformers: Energon (comic)|Transformers: Energon]]'' #26–29, #31 (the latter was unreleased)

===Devil's Due Press===
*''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers: The Art of War]]'' #4-5

===IDW Publishing===
====Interiors====
[[File:Megatronorigintpb.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|I told you, NOBODY gets MEGATRON'S milk money!]]
*''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin]]'' (all 4 issues; #2 pg. 1–11, 20–22 only)
*''[[Transformers: Movie Adaptation|Transformers Movie Adaptation]]'' (all 4 issues)
*''[[The Transformers: Spotlight]]: [[Spotlight: Arcee|Aecee]]''
*''[[Transformers: The Reign of Starscream]]'' (all 5 issues)
*''[[Transformers: Alliance]]'' (all 4 issues)
*''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Official Movie Adaptation]]'': [[Revenge of the Fallen issue 3|#3]]
*''[[Transformers: Tales of the Fallen]]'': [[Tales of the Fallen issue 5|#5]]-[[Tales of the Fallen issue 6|6]]
*''[[The Transformers: Drift]]'' (all 4 issues)
*''[[The Art of IDW's Transformers]]''
*''[[The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers]]'': #16-18, #22-23
*''[[Alex Milne Sketchbook: The Transformers]]''
*''[[Transformers: Jazz]]''
*''[[Transformers: Arcee]]''
*''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'': #2–5, #7–12, #14–15, #17–21, #27–30, #32–33, #35-38, #41-43, #45-46, #50 (for main story), #51-52, #53 (pg. 1-13, 19-20]), #54-55
*''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'': [[New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among the Shadows|#4]]
*''[[Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor]]'' (all 5 issues)
*''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|The Transformers: Lost Light]]'': [[Sardines|#13]]
*''[[Transformers: Unicron]]'': [[Our Darkest|#0]]-[[Ceremony|6]]

====Covers only====
*''[[The Transformers: Spotlight]]'': ''[[Spotlight: Kup|Kup]]'' (Cover B), ''[[Spotlight: Blaster|Bluster]]'' (RI Cover)
*''[[Transformers Animated: The Arrival]]'': [[Dispatches|#1]] (Cover A)
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers vol. 2]]'': [[Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|#36]] (30th Anniversary Cover), [[Conquerors Part 3: Helden|#48]]-[[The Transformers issue 50|50]] (RI Covers)
*''[[The Transformers: Windblade]]'': [[A Long Way Down|vol. 1 #2]] (Subscription Cover)
*''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers]]'': [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 1|#1]] (RI Cover)
*''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One]]'': #1 (RI Cover B and Transmissions Podcast exclusive cover), #3 (Subscription cover)

===Fun Publications===
*[[Dawn of Future's Past|''Transformers Timelines'' vol. 2 #1]] (with [[Dan Khanna]] and [[Marcelo Matere]])
*[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14|''Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club'' #14]] (Featured Artist)
*[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 17|''Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club'' #17]] (Featured Artist)
*[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 24|''Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club'' #24]] (Featured Artist)
*[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 26|''Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club'' #26]] (Featured Artist)
*[[Games of Deception|''Transformers Timelines'' #2]]
*''[[Transcendent]]'' Part 1-3
*[[Wings of Honor|''Transformers Timelines'' #4]] BotCon Edition Cover
*[[Generation 2: Redux|''Transformers Timelines'' #5]] Diamond Edition Cover
*[[The Stunti-Con Job|''Transformers Timelines'' #6]] BotCon Edition Cover

==Transformers packaging art==
===Alternators===
* [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Meister (original release)]]
* [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Alternators/Binaltech|Grimlock]]

==Storybooks==
* ''[[Transformers Mix & Match]]'' (with [[Rob Ruffolo]])
* ''[[Transformers Prime Time]]'' (with [[Joe Ng]] and Rob Ruffolo)
* ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Mix & Match]]'' (with Rob Ruffolo)
* ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Electronic Voice Changer]]'' (with Rob Ruffolo)
* ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon Mix & Match]]'' (with Rob Ruffolo)
* ''[[Dark of the Moon: Action Pop-ups!]]'' (with Rob Ruffolo)

==Convention appearances==

* [[BotCon 2006]]
* [[BotCon 2007]]
* [[BotCon 2008]]
* [[BotCon 2009]]
* [[BotCon 2010]]
* [[BotCon 2013]]
* [[BotCon 2015]]
* [[BotCon 2016]]
* [[Cybertron Con|Cybertron Con China 2016]]

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:BeforeAndAfter-DriftTailwindTentakil.jpg|
File:Onegenerationshattered.jpg|
File:ChaosTheory2 sorry bunch.jpg|
File:CyclonusMTMTE.jpg|
File:IDW16 magnus under fire.jpg|
File:Getawaymtmte.jpg|
File:HangersOn-Hoist.jpg|
File:HouseOfAmbus-Rodimuscar.jpg|
File:Minimus ambus rodimus this calamitous life.jpg|
File:MyFirstBlaster.jpg|
File:Nautica-mtmte-32-altmode.jpg|
File:ReignofStarscream5 Dreadwing.jpg|
File:RemembranceDay-Chromedome.jpg
File:Swerves bar life after the big bang.jpg
File:MegOrigin3 seekers.jpg
</gallery>

''[[:Category:Images by Alex Milne|Extended Alex Milne gallery]]''</center>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://markerguru.deviantart.com/ Alex Milne at deviantART]
*[https://twitter.com/markerguru Alex Milne's Twitter feed]
*[http://markerguru001.tumblr.com/ Alex Milne's Tumblr]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Milne, Alex}}
[[Category:Pencillers]]
[[Category:Colorists]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Productions]]
[[Category:IDW Publishing]]

Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2018-11-16T20:36:50Z

Minimusminor: New header image, more indicative of recent comics. (needs new caption)

{{faction|autobot|wreckers}}
{{featured}}
{{suite}}
[[File:TFRID11 CVRB Arcee Header.jpg|upright=1.7|thumb|Sexual violence hardens female character into skilled warrior -- the freshest idea in comics, everybody.]]

An ancient warrior from the dawn of Cybertronian history, '''Arcee''' arose from the ashes of her mysterious, traumatic past to become one of the most feared Transformers of her era and beyond. Cold and detached off the battlefield and utterly ruthless in combat, Arcee's single-minded bloodlust put her at odds with both the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s for most of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]].

But after finding a kindred spirit in [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] and making peace (or ''pieces'') with some of her demons, Arcee has turned over a new leaf. After a brief stint in the employ of [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], Arcee formally joined the Autobots and struck up a friendship with [[Sideswipe (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sideswipe]]. In her new role as one of [[Earth]]'s peacekeepers, her change of [[spark]] has allowed her to grow into a more compassionate being and a capable defender of [[human]]ity.

:*''First Appearance:'' [[Spotlight: Arcee]]

{{quote|But I know one '''universal rule'''—whatever the game, the easiest way to win is to kill all the other players.|Arcee sums up her pragmatic approach to problem-solving|"[[The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|The Hallowing]]"}}

==IDW Generation 1 continuity==
{{ongoing}}

===Out for blood===
[[File:OriginMyths-ArceeAndGalvatron.jpg|thumb|left|250px|I am Sparceetacus.]]

'''Arcee of the [[Darklands]]''' {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}} and her [[twin]] brother [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] were ancient, hailing from the barbaric age predating the rise of the [[Thirteen]]. In this ancient era, both "male" and "female" Cybertronians naturally coexisted, and the young Arcee originally identified herself as male; {{storylink|Origin Myths}} but would later muse that this old identity was a "lie [she] told herself." {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}}

In their youth, Arcee and Galvatron were slaves of [[Septimus Prime]] and his [[Supplicants of Arrius]]; forced to fight in the [[Gladiatorial combat|gladiatorial]] arenas of ancient [[Protihex|Protohex]], "The Twins," as they came to be known, carved out a fearsome reputation for themselves. But as the city's [[energon]] dwindled, their capricious master ordered them to fight between themselves until only one survived. Arcee soon gained the upper hand, but before she could finish Galvatron off, the city was invaded by the armies of [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]; the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] announced that he had annexed their city into his territory, the Darklands, and threw their former master into the ring for the twins to kill.

Having honed their fighting skills in the pits of Protohex, Arcee and Galvatron became the twin vanguards of the Darklander armies, and joined Megatronus as they marched on the neighboring village that would one day become the [[Crystal City]]. As battle broke out between the Darklanders and the bestial legions of [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Onyx Prime]], the twins led the charge, but the battle quickly ended when three [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]]s arose from beneath the surface of the planet. Taking advantage of both side's stunned silence, Onyx Prime cut his way through the armies of the Darklanders and quickly ratified a truce with his old student Megatronus {{storylink|Origin Myths}} — as "Onyx Prime," the time-travelling [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] had deliberately engineered the war to bring the Primes and their followers together, and the other Primes, unaware of "Onyx's" true nature, soon agreed to this unification. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}}

[[File:OurFinest-AntillanMission.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Kitbashers, grab your [[Galvatron (G1)/toys|Galvatron toys!]]]]

At the celebrations that followed in the evening, Arcee quickly grew skeptical of this alliance, correctly predicting that the remaining five Primes would join their banner, and worrying that the Primes would eventually grow drunk on their own superiority. [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] noted that it would be Arcee's job to keep himself and the other members of the Thirteen in their place. {{storylink|Origin Myths}} In the two million years of peace that followed, the surviving Primes formally rallied under a single banner and immortalized themselves as the [[Thirteen]]. Arcee and Galvatron remained Megatronus' trusted lieutenants, and when Onyx Prime encouraged an expansion to bring the "light" of Cybertronian civilization to lesser worlds, the twins joined their master aboard [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and his [[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinels]]. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} Along with Onyx Prime and Alpha Trion, the Cybertronian fleet set a course for the neighboring world of [[Antilla]] and began a bloody, protracted war with the native [[Antillan]]s — a devastating conflict that only came to an end when a desperate Antillan scientist constructed a [[Talisman (G1)|doomsday weapon]] that annihilated all life on the planet. Unlike her twin, Arcee would forever carry deep regret about her involvement in the Antillan war, being disgusted that Alpha Trion had chosen to blame the aliens for the conflict in the history books. {{storylink|Our Finest}}

By that time, however, the twins and their masters had already returned to Cybertron, and the fallout from this botched expedition ultimately snowballed into a larger conflict, the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]]. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} Arcee and Galvatron both survived the falling out of the Primes, but over the years the twins grew increasingly distant from one another, and Galvatron would eventually strike out on his own to lead a personal crusade against the forces of the Primes. {{storylink|The Crucible}} In the era that followed the disappearance of the Thirteen, Cybertron changed drastically; for reasons unknown, naturally-born [[female Transformer]]s had somehow vanished from Cybertron after the conclusion of the conflict and the departure of the Titans, and the remaining population had evolved into a society of asexual male-coded Transformers. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|ONoffON}}

[[File:Spotlight Arcee traumatic flashback.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"So, you're keen on music?"]]

Arcee, never entirely comfortable with her prior identity, {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}} fell in with the mad genius [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], who was trying to reintroduce gender to the species as part of his experiments to recreate the lost aspects of old Cybertronian civilization. Not seeing the mad scientist for what he truly was, Arcee apparently allowed Jhiaxus to experiment on her fundamental [[CNA]] as part of these experiments. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} Though Jhiaxus was able to successfully alter Arcee's physiology, Jhiaxus's experimentation also left her with a "maddening maelstrom of contradictory sensory input." 'Genderless' Cybertronians would sense a fundamental difference about Arcee and inadvertently refer to her with feminine pronouns. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

Ultimately, Arcee didn't live up to Jhiaxus's standards and was abandoned as a reject. Forever after, she'd be angry, distant, and distrustful of agendas and experiments done to people against their will. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} {{storylink|An Uneventful Night}}

Driven by an implacable homing instinct towards her creator's experiments, she cut a mech-fluid swath of carnage across several planets in her obsession with destroying everything Jhiaxus created. She was eventually taken down by [[Tyrest Accord]] enforcer [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and incarcerated on the Autobot penitentiary on [[Garrus-9]]. As was policy for threats of her level, Arcee's [[spark]] was separated from her body, and in this limbo, she found a kind of peace.

[[File:arceealtmodeidw.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Fast and the Furious: Cybertronian Drift]]

That peace was shattered when the [[Decepticon Secret Service]], led by [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzaitron]], attacked Garrus-9 to liberate the recently incarcerated [[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]], more of Jhiaxus's experiments. When the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] infiltrated the facility, warden [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Fortress Maximus]] freed Arcee as a last resort to stop them. She presented quite the frightening obstacle for the invaders, severely wounding [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] and [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]], but in the end they managed to escape with their target. [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] convinced Maximus to allow her to pursue them, {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} and she followed their trail to the Decepticon Battle Platform [[Zuska]], where she tortured a Decepticon for information on the escapees' location. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

[[File:SpotlightSideswipe Jhiaxus deathbecomeshim.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Those were the best days of our lives.]]

Using this intel to locate Banzaitron, Arcee found that the Transformers from the [[Dead Universe]]—Jhiaxus among them—had activated Monstructor and spirited him away, decimating the Banzaitron's team in the process. Arcee agreed to help Banzaitron in recovering Monstructor, on the basis that it would lead her to Jhiaxus. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} Tracking Monstructor to [[Rotan]], she and the Decepticons engaged him in battle until [[Skram (G2)|Skram]] arrived with information on Jhiaxus's location. Abandoning the fight, Arcee headed for [[Gorlam Prime]], where she murdered her way through a legion of [[Micromaster]]s before finally cornering him beneath the planet's surface. There, she was surprised and delighted to find that, as he came from the Dead Universe, and they were in a location close to its influence, Jhiaxus could not die. And that meant she could kill him over, and over, and over... {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

Arcee did just that for six years, and would later profess that the experience helped her straighten her head out. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} It had in fact been the only time she'd ever been truly happy. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}}

[[File:HeartofDarkness1-ArceeHardhead.jpg|thumb|right|200px|You know how the saying goes about wearing your spine on your stomach-- wait, that's not how the saying goes? ....scrap.]]

This demented "therapy" came to an end when Gorlam Prime's portal to the Dead Universe reactivated, hypnotically drawing the native [[Gorlamite]]s into it. Arcee also felt its lure but [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] held her back until the effect faded, and the two Autobots decided to investigate. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 2|Heart of Darkness #2}} A while later, they detected [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]], [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and Jhiaxus in the vicinity and attacked them. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 1|Heart of Darkness #1}} Discovering that her arch-enemy had been restored by Galvatron's [[Darkness (G1)|Heart of Darkness]], she vowed to destroy Jhiaxus all over again, but those plans had to be tabled when Galvatron powered himself up by tapping into the Dead Universe via the portal. Convinced by Hardhead to flee and warn the Autobots of Galvatron's return, Arcee was blasted into a chasm by her pursuers, but managed to survive. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 2|Heart of Darkness #2}}

Some time later, as Galvatron was in the process of assembling an army and preparing to enact his grand plan, Arcee and Hardhead came to the rescue of an Autobot escape pod full of survivors from the [[Kimia Facility]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} Bringing the survivors aboard, she and Hardhead had to explain at least five times to them all about the Dead Universe, the Heart of Darkness, [[D-Void]], and Galvatron's plans. The rag-tag group made it to Cybertron, by which time Galvatron infected [[Vector Sigma]] with the Heart of Darkness, which caused a maelstrom to break out on the planet's surface. Arcee suggested guiding the ship through an underground tunnel, crashing right on top of Galvatron himself, but this failed to take the super-powered villain out, and he quickly engaged and defeated Arcee and Hardhead. {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis|Genesis}}

===Under Prowl===
[[File:Arcee Ratbat WorldandEverythingInIt.jpg|thumb|left|200px|She never was one for politics.]]
[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] subsequently used the Matrix to purify Vector Sigma, but in the process reverted Cybertron to a primordial state. In this tumultuous new era, Arcee fell into the employ of [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], acting as his shadowy enforcer in an era of uneasy peace. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} She inaugurated her new role by assassinating [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] before the former senator could have [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] killed, but her vicious methods sat ill with Prowl. {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}} Later, Arcee watched with amusement from a high vantage point as a set of rockets [[Wheeljack (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Wheeljack]] had fired into orbit successfully drew away dangerous energies that would have caused an explosion on the planet's surface. {{storylink|Stick Together}}

Prowl soon called upon Arcee again to aid him in dealing with Decepticon malcontents, this time confronting [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] and his [[cerebro-shell]]-controlled minions. After Arcee killed the mind-controlled [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] against Prowl's wishes, the pair pursued Bombshell into underground tunnels, but ran into the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], whom Arcee took on solo, saving an unknowing [[Blurr (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Blurr]] in the process. Prowl, meanwhile, went after Bombshell, but succumbed to his newly improved method of mind control. Under Bombshell's sway, Prowl returned to Arcee's side and "destroyed" Constructicons by detonating their [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|I/D chips]], then sent her after [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who had witnessed the whole thing. Evidently suspecting that something was amiss with Prowl, she secretly allowed Dirge to escape. {{storylink|Devisive}} Deducing what had happened to Prowl, she met with him later, informing him she "knew his secret" and cautioning him to remember that she was not his killer to order around, {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} but continued to work towards whatever objectives Bombshell was manipulating Prowl for, allowing the Insecticon to think she was on his side so she could discover what he was up to and stop him. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}}

Arcee later secretly joined "Prowl" and the other Autobot security officers in tracking Dirge to the Decepticons' bolt-hole, but once again, she stood back and allowed him and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] to escape during the ensuing firefight. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} She would later be seen prowling the rooftops of the city, watching [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] and [[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]] through the sight of her weapon and graciously deciding not to snipe them. {{storylink|Night and the City}}

[[File:Arcee and Ravage The End of the Beginning of the World.jpg|thumb|right|250px|She didn't exactly have a knack for massages, either.]]
When the time came for the Decepticons to put the final stage of their plan into action, Bombshell directed Arcee, through Prowl, to exfiltrate [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]], [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] and their men from their present living quarters in the Decepticon pen. She chose to do so in the most violent way possible, of course, first attacking and killing the pen guards [[Triggerhappy (G1)|Triggerhappy]] and [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] and then detonating a shrapnel bomb that disabled all the other Decepticons present. Before departing with their unconscious bodies, she planted another explosive which Prowl then deliberately tripped while leading a "raid" on the pen, making it appear that the Decepticons within had been destroyed by their own booby-trap. Meanwhile, unaware of what had truly transpired, Starscream assumed that all of this had gone down as a result of his blackmailing Prowl with the knowledge he had gained from Dirge, so Arcee decided to drop in and rain on his parade, informing him she knew exactly where he had hidden Dirge, and could take away his "advantage" at any time. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}}

[[File:TheVerge-Arcee.jpg|thumb|left|250px|I'll cry when I'm done killing!]]

That, as it turned out, was exactly what she did when riots broke out upon the return of [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]. Recovering Dirge from his hideaway and informing him of "Prowl's" involvement with the Decepticons, she took him and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] to [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]], where a standoff with Blurr ensued. {{storylink|City on Fire}} Convincing him to listen to her by revealing that she was the one who had saved him from the Constructicons, Arcee handed Dirge and Swindle off to him and cut a path through the rioters for him so he could take them and the information to Bumblebee. {{storylink|The Verge}} Arcee proceeded to join Prowl, Bombshell, Megatron and the other Decepticons in the [[Black Room]], relaying a message from [[Turmoil]] and [[Skywarp (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Skywarp]] that they were in position. Following the information she had fed them via Dirge, Bumblebee and his team soon arrived; they were overpowered, and Arcee stabbed [[Sideswipe (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sideswipe]] through the torso, pinning his body to the wall (but avoiding doing any serious damage, cluing him in to her deception). Together, they all watched as the Decepticons' plan was enacted, and a perfected version of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] was formed, incorporating Prowl as its mind-controlled head. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} Calmly waiting until the most dramatic moment possible—when Bumblebee asked her what her place in the plot was—Arcee then promptly stabbed Bombshell through the head, cutting off his control of Devastator and shutting the combiner down. Calling on Sideswipe to open fire, Arcee armed Bumblebee and apologized for not acting sooner, explaining that she had had to wait until she was close enough to Bombshell to act. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} As the battle began to rage, with [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] busy with Prowl and Bumblebee busy with Megatron, Arcee and the Dinobots were put in charge of taking on the rest of the Decepticon army. Following Megatron's defeat, as Starscream took control, Arcee and the other Autobots were cast out into the wilderness. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

As the Autobots left the city, they were trailed by the Constructicons, who had become fans of Prowl after having combined with him. Arcee wanted to intervene when the Constructicons and the Dinobots came to blows, but Prowl restrained her while Bumblebee's worsening condition stopped the fighting for good. During Bumblebee's restoration, Arcee tried her best to comfort Prowl, who was visibly upset, but Arcee's emotional detachment made it difficult for her to connect. Her failure to empathize with Prowl sent her to Sideswipe next, whose love of violence she thought would give them common ground, but Sideswipe also shooed her away. The Constructicons picked a fight with her next, pointing out her lack of Autobot symbol as a sign that no one wanted her, and Arcee was all too happy to oblige. Their skirmish ended when Ironhide and the Dinobots broke them up, and Ironhide confided in Arcee that he was worried the night would bring madness to their camp as it did to the Aerialbots and Dinobots earlier. Arcee, confident that the madness wouldn't affect her, stayed up all night guarding Bumblebee, and when Bumblebee awoke the next morning in his new body, he found her outside with an Autobot symbol carved into her arm. But suddenly there was a weird glow over the horizon, and the sunrise wasn't for another few hours. Arcee immediately suspected Jhiaxus. {{storylink|Second Exodus}}

[[File:TheBecoming-Arcee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|Prowl thinks this is special, despite this being Arcee's fourth body in as many years.]]
Suddenly, an undead [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]], a [[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]], burst free from the ground before them. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} Arcee was happy to have a giant target to shoot at, though she wasn't hopeful of their odds of survival. Bumblebee insisted on caution rather than rash action, but before Arcee and the others could act, Soundwave's Decepticons were upon them. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} Their battle was interrupted by Starscream arriving overhead and landing on the inert Necrotitan's shoulder. Arcee offered to shoot him out of the sky, but before she could, the Necrotitan suddenly unleashed a strange, deadly wave that spread in all directions, and leaving Arcee without one of her arms and one of her legs. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} Arcee sat quietly as the others freaked out in the wake of the strange wave. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} She did not let her major limb damage deter her whatsoever once the Autobots chose to besiege Shockwave's lair (thought it probably helped that she'd somehow grown back her missing arm). {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|Finest Hour}} Still without one of her legs, she was forced to retreat with the others, leaving Megatron and Bumblebee behind. {{storylink|No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit}}

Arcee, the other Autobots, and Soundwave's Decepticons returned to the city, where the Necrotitan had recently advanced, reducing what was left to ashes. Prowl ordered anyone still able to fight (Arcee included herself) to attack the Necrotitan before it could do more damage, but there was little they could do. Thankfully, that was when [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and the ''[[Lost Light]]'' appeared over them via [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] and engaged the Necrotitan for them. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} With the surprising help of Megatron, Metroplex was able to defeat the Necrotitan, and the citizens of Cybertron and the crew of the ''Lost Light'' were reunited. Arcee approached and greeted the female Transformers the ''Lost Light'' had brought along. In the calm that followed, Arcee was rebuilt into a new body, and Prowl wondered if she was considering this a fresh start. Before too long, however, their calm was ended by the arrival of Shockwave's army of [[Ammonite]]s. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} She fought alongside her many comrades against the [[Ammonite]]s. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} and also got to talk with [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] about how he ended the Ammonite's war and started [[Cybertronian Civil Wars|their own]] war, leading her to reflect on how they should have hung out more. Later, after fighting was over, Arcee was in a crowd of bots watching Optimus and Megatron exit the Lost Light. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

During the following six months, Arcee attended Megatron's trial along with Whirl and [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]]. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} Following the trial, Arcee admitted to Prowl that [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and her party of female Transformers didn't evoke any particular feelings in her. After Sideswipe opened his big yap, Arcee asked Optimus about what had happened to Hardhead, and volunteered to join his crew for the trip to Earth to find Alpha Trion. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}}

===To Earth and beyond===
As soon as the ''[[Ark-7]]'' arrived in Earth's orbit, they were attacked by Earth Defense Command's orbital missiles. After they took cover on the far side of the Moon, Arcee joined Optimus's team heading down to the planet in [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and was assigned with Prowl to investigate who had fired the rockets at them. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} When Prime's team, investigating a Cybertronian life sign, were attacked by Galvatron's forces and the EDC, Prowl sent Arcee and Sideswipe to provide covering fire as the team retreated to nearby [[Poverty Flat]]. Prowl also brought Devastator to provide help, revealing the Cybertronian presence to the humans. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} Arcee and the other Autobots protected the panicking humans until the Decepticon were all teleported away on [[Marissa Faireborn]]'s orders. As the Autobots returned to ''Ark-7'', Arcee warned Optimus that more might be going on than they knew. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}}

The Autobots tracked the EDC's mind bomb signal to their base on island Bikini Atoll and Optimus opted for a frontal assault. On their way down, Arcee confided in Prowl that she'd seen [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] acting suspiciously. She was part of Prime's frontal assault, only to be surprised by the arrival of the [[Nemesis (G1)|Decepticon warship]]. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}} The Autobots fired at the ship until Prowl used the EDC's own defense system to shoot the ship down. As they departed with Alpha Trion, whom they'd recovered from the EDC base, Arcee helped the wounded Kup onto Sky Lynx. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}}

[[File:OFFonOFF-GalvatronArcee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|....fifth body in as many years.]]
Jetfire, Arcee and [[D.0.C.]] investigated an alarm in the ''Ark-7'' shuttlebay to find Prime and Trion had gone for a jaunt. {{storylink|The Crucible}} When Optimus left for Cybertron to learn more about the [[Enigma of Combination]], he left Prowl in charge and asked Arcee to keep an eye on Prowl. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches}} When Prowl took the Constructicons to intercept [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Spike Witwicky]] in [[Japan]], Arcee followed using Sideswipe's backpack and prevented Prowl from grabbing Spike and [[Jimmy Pink]]. The two humans fled and Arcee pursued them, only to end up being cornered by the Decepticons along with Jimmy Pink. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|Vs.}} Though Galvatron claimed they were after the same thing, Spike, Arcee opted to take Jimmy and leave the Decepticons and Constructicons to it, only to be tackled mid-air by Galvatron. During their fight which landed them in the [[Australia]]n outback, Galvatron lied to Arcee, claiming Prowl had killed Spike's father to draw Spike out, and persuaded her to join him in trying to destroy the Enigma of Combination. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|ONoffON}}

She, Jimmy, and the Decepticons arrived in [[Wanmu]] to find Devastator already attacking the [[Onyx]] facility there. She tried to reach Prowl, but Devastator was set on killing Spike and she was knocked flat by the discarded Enigma of Combination. After [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] left the planet with the Enigma, Arcee was finally able to reach Prowl and get him to disassemble Devastator. They left on Sky Lynx with a space bridge from the Onyx facility. {{storylink|The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati}}

Much later, Optimus contacted Arcee and filled her in on recent Combiner-related events on Cybertron. She had a clandestine meeting with Galvatron who wanted to use the spacebridge, and provided her with an Onyx tablet. Arcee returned to the ''Ark-7'' to get the tablet analyzed and gave [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] a mission to Jupiter. {{storylink|Now and On Earth}} He soon reported back on the Decepticon station being built there, and she met him on his return, however he fobbed her off with the promise of a report later and headed to a recharge slab. {{storylink|South of Heaven}}

[[File:AnUneventfulNight-WindbladeArcee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.6|...sixth...]]
Arcee returned to Cybertron in order to take the [[Enigma of Combination]] out of the hands of the Cybertronian government so that it couldn't be used to create any more "abominations" (as Galvatron had put it to her). However, her escape was complicated by Windblade and Chromia, who inadvertently corralled her into the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] where a Camien team of [[Torchbearer]]s was scouting. The Torchbearers fumed at not only Arcee's injuring of Windblade, a Cityspeaker, but also her intent to harm an artifact of the Primes, and further battling resulted in the Torchbearers exposed to the Enigma of Combination and reconfigured into the mighty combiner, [[Victorion]]. The newborn, confused Victorion singled out Arcee for punishment, and so Windblade and Chromia found themselves protecting her against the gestalt. Windblade, surprisingly, was able to calm Victorion down long enough for them to disassemble. Arcee explained that she hated the Enigma not because of Galvatron's thoughts on the matter, but because it changed people against their will, which rung sorely with her particular history. The Torchbearers, however, noted that while they were changed against their will, they had equal right to remain what they now were. Warming to Windblade's combination of diplomacy and willingness to bury the truth to promote lasting peace, Arcee agreed to return the Enigma of Combination and pretend the incident had never happened. {{storylink|An Uneventful Night}}

She briefly watched Starscream talk to himself before swapping notes with Optimus. When one of Starscream's [[Badgeless]] troops was about to stage a massacre at a bar, Arcee stepped in and took the Badgeless to confront Starscream himself, whom she suggested needed to win over those on Cybertron before he went conquering other worlds. {{storylink|The Transgressors}}

Back on Earth, to her pre-emptive satisfaction, she detected that Prowl was in [[Alaska]], ready to be taken in by her... and then suddenly ''wasn't''. She went looking for Kup for help and was perturbed to find he'd passed out while outside the ship, and this may have happened before. But she didn't have time to care when Prowl disappearing was a major security risk and she needed help finding him! They broke into Prowl's old quarters, with Arcee suspicious how easy Kup managed it, and found some fleshbag called [[Verity Carlo]] had been blackmailing the fugitive with a copy of Autobot war crime data! Arcee was livid, thinking Carlo might restart the war if she made such horrors public. She was ''more'' livid when a recorded message from Prowl was broadcast, saying to get ''Springer'' to look for him as only Springer was good enough. Screw you, Prowl!

The most sensible course of action was to knock out Kup, go to Earth, and violently threaten Verity Carlo into saying what she'd done to Prowl. Verity turned out to know nothing. When Springer and the [[Wrecker]]s showed up, {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 1|Sins of the Wreckers #1}} Arcee continued to insist it ''had'' to be this human anyway... which was round about the time the ''real'' culprits, [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]], attacked and Prowl ''broadcast through Kup'' to explain he was in the hands of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], at the [[Noisemaze]]. Arcee was horrified to realise Prowl had put a backdoor hack in Kup's brain in case he'd needed to manipulate suckers. This clearly meant... it was still Verity's fault! CONFESS, VERITY!! Springer pulled rank and led the Wreckers-plus-Arcee in battle against the Mayhems, where Arcee was amused to find Springer only got emotionally engaged when there was a fight on. After chopping limbs off [[Claw Jaw]] and joining the Wreckers on a raid inside [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Mayhem HQ]], Arcee crossed to the Noisemaze... {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 2|Sins of the Wreckers #2}}

[[File:SinsoftheWreckers3-Noisemaze.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2|...sev- no, wait, this is the fifth one again. Never mind!]]
...and immediately fell in screaming pain, unable to stand its sensory onslaught. Tarantulas had the Wreckers taken to his lab, where the guilt-extracting computer [[Impetus]] caused her to babble that it was "my fault" she'd not seen through Jhiaxus and not been "strong enough" to stop him, and the only time she'd ever known happiness was killing him. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}} Only Hubcap, Tarantulas' man on the inside, having second thoughts got her sprung from gaol. Arcee and the Wreckers ganged up on Tarantulas but he fought them all off, forcing Roadbuster to sacrifice himself so they could run. They regrouped and were talked by Prowl into destroying the villain's work first, but were confronted by said spider {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|Sins of the Wreckers #4}} and Arcee & Chums fared as well as before. Only a personal revelation got Tarantulas to cease his attack but, to fulfil the plan, Arcee joined Impactor in keeping the fight going anyway. The Noisemaze began to collapse around them and Arcee was left stunned when Springer, despite great personal risk, radioed to say he was sticking to the plan even if it killed him. Realising why Prowl had chosen him and not her for this, she then convinced Impactor to continue the plan. Though Prowl would risk his life at the last second to save Springer, this was still it: Arcee and Kup returned to the ''Ark-7'', ties to Prowl irrevocably severed. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 5|Sins of the Wreckers #5}}

[[File:Perihelion-BrawlShoulderTackleArcee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2|Brawl liked design number four better.]]
Back at the ''Ark-7'', she found Jetfire had examined the [[Onyx|human code]] Blackrock had created and it was communicating with other iterations of the code via a quantum signal. Arcee ordered her Autobots to track it down while she, Alpha Trion, and Sideswipe stayed on the ship. The mission went sour fast and Arcee had Sky Lynx return to the ''Ark'' where she could use its mighty guns to blow away his pursuers... at which point the Onyx code activated their deflector shields, causing all the firepower to rebound on the ship, and locked them out of their systems, leaving them trapped and on fire! {{storylink|The Nothing Man}} They found themselves fighting their way through their own compromised defences while Trion claimed they were facing Primal weapons that they could not stand against. (Arcee didn't think much of that claim) {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}} Her plan was to get to the spacebridge and call for reinforcements, but a sudden rush of Decepticons ''through'' the spacebridge put paid to that! {{storylink|Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|Lagrange}} Luckily, [[Conquerors Part 3: Helden|other actors]] caused the shield to drop and Arcee ordered her guys to fall back to the ship's bridge and crash it into the moon while she went to overload the engines. The plan failed when she failed to distract the Decepticons through ultraviolence, being battered into unconsciousness by [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion|Perihelion}} By the time she came round, the battle at [[Shanghai]] was almost over and she gladly fell back with the newly arrived Autobots.

Optimus asked her to run operations soon enough as part of his new strategy. She was up for that! And then, to her disgust, she learned his strategy was to ''help'' Earth by annexing it under his ''protection''. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}} While sitting in the med-bay of the ''[[Skyroller]]'', she casually mentioned that both she and Sideswipe were fine to a disinterested med-bay. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 2: Edge of the Earth|Edge of the Earth}} She later met, and tried to murder, Galvatron at the Copahua volcano where they pondered if Optimus' time as [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|a combiner]] could have allowed Prowl's personality to push Optimus towards drastic actions. She later revealed to Optimus that [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] had murdered [[Horri-Bull]] for the greater good allowing the Prime to blackmail the Decepticon. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}} In Monument Valley, she forced Prime to stay behind during the attack on the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' claiming he was too valuable before showing zero gratitude when [[Sunstreaker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sunstreaker]] gave her [[Sideswipe (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sideswipe's]] jetpack. During the attack, Galvatron managed to force Victorian apart before creating [[Galvatronus (Generations)|Galvatronus]] and [[Sky Reign]]. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] managed to turn the tide and rip open the ''Nemesis'', Arcee was ready to take[[G.B. Blackrock|Blackrock]] into her custody before she was fired on by [[Marissa Faireborn]] and [[Ayana Jones]]. She was ready to kill all three before [[Skywarp (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Skywarp]] teleported them out of her reach. She was later ordered by Optimus to pursue and terminate Galvatron. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|As Above...So Below}} Hitching a ride on [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], she caught up with the Decepticon in the upper atmosphere of [[Jupiter]]. After casually murdering [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], she engaged Galvatron. The fight was in his favour until Optimus and Soundwave arrived to back her up. The ancient warrior still managed to hold his ground before Soundwave shot him in the back allowing Arcee to destroy his [[fusion cannon]] taking him out of the fight. Galvatron mocked all three of them before agreeing to be their ally so as to fight off [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Onyx Prime]]. Arcee was horrified when Optimus shot Galvatron through the [[spark]]. She later accompanied him to see the [[President of the United States]] where he declared the threat over. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}} When they returned to Monument Valley, [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] the trio observed transformed to city mode, a form which Optimus dubbed [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. She then observed Metrotian fire a beam of data into space regarding Optimus' deeds. {{storylink|The Last Autobot}}

As it turned out, that beam attracted the attention of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] who was not only still alive but also a [[Titan Master]]. The Prime left his large [[Transtector]] body to fight Arcee while he attended to business causing the femme to protest a body without a head should be not be a good fighter. The fight spilled into a massive cache of [[Ore-13]] located beneath Autobot City. Sentinel then returned with Blackrock who was revealed to be [[Sovereign]]. The Titan Master duo tapped into the [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] to warp away Optimus Prime and Soundwave with them. Left behind, Arcee, at the end of her rope, contacted [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] and briefed him on what happened. He assured her he would take care of it. {{storylink|White Light}} She then hovered ominously in the background and off to the side during Soundwave's inspirational speech. {{storylink|White Heat}}

===Meeting the cosmic community===

[[File:ConcordeHymn-ArceeTransforms.jpg|thumb|upright=2|Perfect for a stealth mission into Barbie's Malibu Dream House.]]

Sent to aid relief efforts in [[Portland]], [[Oregon]] with [[Jazz (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jazz]], the two were subsequently attacked by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] forces. Relieved at the chance to blow off some steam, she quickly drove off to be greeted by a hailstorm of ineffective bullets. Unleashing her swords, she began cutting through G.I. Joe's war machines before demanding an explanation for the attack. She continued this until reinforcements arrived and Soundwave fired an EMP that destroyed all the Joes' equipment. Out of the blue, [[Rom|an alien]] arrived to atomize four humans. Jazz tried to tackle it only for [[Rock 'n Roll]] to fire into Jazz's open wound. Acree came to his aid as the alien flew off. She then carried off by [[Victorion]] as Optimus ordered the Autobots to pursue the alien. {{storylink|Concorde Hymn}} The Autobots tracked Rom to [[Umpqua National Forest]] where they forced him to make an emergency landing. When the alien responded with aggression, Arcee punched him in his open chest wound down to the ground while noting she enjoyed hitting her problems. {{storylink|The Divine Source of Liberty}}

[[File:TheDivineSourceOfLiberty-RomMeetsTheAutobots.jpg|thumb|left|upright=2]]

As she patrolled the halls of Autobot City, Arcee happened upon [[Snake-Eyes]] as he began to engage the ''[[Heliopolis]]''. She immediately tried to strike the ninja down but received a sword to her eye for the trouble. Though briefly blinded, she soon tried to get back at her attacker before she, Snake-Eyes, and the [[Micronauts]]' ship were disabled by a sonic strike from Soundwave in an attempt to calm the situation. After Snake-Eyes was apprehended, Arcee began trying to pick a fight with the ninja but backed off once Optimus Prime intervened to make peace with him. As [[M.A.S.K.]] and the [[Dire Wraith|Dire Wraiths]] began their assault on Autobot City, Arcee stood alongside her fellow Cybertronians as well as the Micronauts, Rom, and Snake-Eyes in opposition. {{storylink|The New Colossus}} When the combined form of [[Baron Karza]] and the Wraiths attempted to drag Optimus back into the soon-to-be-exploding mine of Ore-13 under the now levitating Autobot City, Arcee grabbed his arm and pulled him back to safety. {{storylink|Valley Forge}}

Not long afterwards, Arcee accompanied Jazz and Optimus back to [[Monument Valley]] where three were attacked by a vengeful [[Baron Karza]] wearing the body of [[Micronus Prime]]. After swatting the three Cybertronians aside, {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 1|Wrath of Karza #1}} Karza placed them in a special prison. The [[Microanut]]s later freed the Autobots who joined the attack on the {{i|Acroyear III}} army before the three fought Karza himself. The fighting was interrupted when [[Shazraella]] arrived wreathed in {{i|Time Traveler}} energy. {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 4|Wrath of Karza #4}} The three Autobots tried to use the distraction to sucker punch Karza before he again enerchanged with Micronus and resumed their duel. Shazraella used her newfound powers to cause the Autobots to shift through alternate modes until she lost control of her powers which prompted Karza to appeal to Optimus for an alliance. Though Optimus agreed, the unlikely alliance was unable to fell Shazraella until [[Oziron Rael]] arrived, now one of the Time Travelers himself, and ended the threat. Arcee stood by as Optimus pledged to help the refugees of Microspace. {{storylink|Wrath of Karza issue 5|Wrath of Karza #5}}

[[File:OptimusPrime4 NewCybertron Arcee spars.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2.5|At least he's not wearing a space diaper.]]
Arcee continued to work for Optimus but remained openly disgruntled with his new attitude and his acolytes, especially the new colonists who'd arrived wearing Optimus faceplates. While checking a potentially wounded [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] (and brusquely telling him he was fine) in [[Mexico]], she removed his faceplate and greatly upset him. Shortly after, she joined Prime's team at the [[Matterhorn]] as a vast spaceship descended onto Earth. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|To Walk Among the Chosen}} Once the ship's occupants, the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], disembarked, Arcee stood off to the side as their leaders [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Rum-Maj]] introduced themselves. Once Optimus' team returned to Autobot City to discuss what the Junkion's arrival meant, Arcee was again annoyed by the colonists' fawning over Optimus. Later, Arcee visited the still comatose Sideswipe and griped to him about the colonist recruits. As she began to tell him that she missed him, feeling that they had a similar way of looking at things, she was suddenly interrupted by Jetfire entering the room and asking if there had been any changes in Sideswipe's condition. As the two of them left the room, Arcee gave a worried glance back in as Jetfire talked with D.0.C about how none of their treatments were stopping Sideswipe's spark from corroding. As the Junkions arrived for a tour of Autobot City, Arcee attempted to stop Wreck-Gar from entering Sideswipe's chamber, asking Optimus to stop him from touching the injured Autobot. She looked decidedly unhappy as Wreck-Gar explained the Junkions possessed a [[positron core]] that could potentially save Sideswipe, {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}} but later expressed a cautious interest in the positron core's potential for saving Sideswipe, still feeling some responsibility for him being in his current condition. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 3: Behind My Bleeding Back|Behind My Bleeding Back}} She continued to spend time in Sideswipe's room to keep him company, passing the time by sparring with D.0.C. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among the Shadows|Dance Among the Shadows}} When the Junkions began invading, Arcee reflected on the cycle of history and her pragmatism before she told Sky Lynx to watch Sideswipe while she went to beat the positron core out of Wreck-Gar. She found him trying to flee the battle and emerged from the shadows, demanding the core prompting him to open his chest and reveal it to her. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|Future Glories Lost}} [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] suddenly appeared but opted to watch the fight instead of help Arcee. As she began beating Wreck-Gar for the core, rebellious [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] appeared to slay him much to her alarm. As the fighting moved outside however, a stray shot hit the positron core, destroying it. A stoic Arcee stood by as Optimus made peace with the Junkions before she mournfully collapsed by Sideswipe's CR Chamber as Optimus watched her from afar. {{storylink|New Cybertron End: Feel Safe Without Regrets|Feel Safe Without Regrets}} Aileron later visited Arcee where the latter shocked the former by revealing her true age. As Arcee insisted she was alone, Aileron disputed the notion. {{storylink|The Next Day, and the Next}} Arcee later spoke to Soundwave as the President visited Autobot City. {{storylink|What It's Really Like}}

[[File:SidesSwipeHugArcee.jpg|thumb|left|upright=2|The spelling error kinda takes the lump outta your throat once you spot it.]]
As time passed and Wreck-Gar proved unable to repair the positron core, Arcee and Sunstreaker decided to switch off Sideswipe's life support. To allow him to die happy, they hooked themselves up to a [[mnemopathis projector]] to create a simulated last day. In the dream, Arcee acted aloof when Sideswipe awoke before he followed her outside where she revealed that Sunstreaker had promised to be present. When Sideswipe annouched he was going to cut ties with Sunstreaker, Arcee discouraged the notion, remembering how she'd let Galvatron die (though leaving out his name). The two travelled to Cybertron where, after retrieving Bob from Sunstreaker's apartment, they made their way to the Decepticon ghetto where Sideswipe broke down the door and began shooting everyone before Sunstreaker arrived and stopped him and Arcee explained the relief effort that Sunstreaker was part of. The two brought Sideswipe outside where he marvelled at the beauty of post-War Cybertron before he figured out the truth of his situation. Thanking both his friend and brother, Sideswipe perished happy. Arcee excused herself following his death only for Aileron to follow her again and offer her some religious comfort. After a laugh that the many Arcee and Sideswipe killed might return, Arcee looked at the stars and said a final goodbye to Sideswipe. {{storylink|The Life of Sideswipe}}

She and Sunstreaker brought his body to Cybertron to be buried. At the same time, [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] revealed Arcee and Galvatron's fraternal relationship, something which Starscream had a hard time swallowing. {{storylink|Origin Myths}} When [[Marissa Faireborn]] was inducted into the [[Council of Worlds]] as [[Earth]]'s ambassador, Arcee flanked Optimus Prime before the ceremony began. {{storylink|First Strike issue 1|First Strike #1}}

===Against the Apocalypse===
{{Charfictionstub|{{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable}} {{storylink|Road's End}}}}

==Notes==
===Conceptual origins===
Simon Furman has traditionally not been a fan of [[female Transformer]]s or the idea of gendering Transformers at all, stating on several occasions that he doesn't understand why robots would have women.<ref>[https://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/arcee-a-go-go/ "Arcee-a-Go-Go"]: "Well, I’ve always been fairly outspoken about the redundancy of ‘female’ Transformers (or ‘fembots’). It’s not a sexist thing, it’s just that they’re robots."</ref> Arcee's [[Spotlight: Arcee|origin]] in the IDW continuity attempted "to apply a rationale to the whole issue"<ref>[https://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/arcee-a-go-go/ "Arcee-a-Go-Go"]</ref> by saying Jhiaxus had introduced gender to the race. You may read the results further up on this page.

Furman's insistence that Cybertronians are genderless, not male by default, extended to a post he wrote<ref>http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/response-to-mairghread-scott/</ref> in response to a blog post by [[Mairghread Scott]] discussing other female Transformers in IDW, wherein she stated that she understood that Arcee's origin could be seen as offensive to women, especially those who are transgender. The two authors later talked in private and settled the beef.

Arcee's origin story would later be revisited under the pen of [[John Barber]] following her increasing presence in the ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' and ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' comics. Following the introduction of the colony world of [[Caminus]], where male and female Transformers naturally coexisted, the series revealed that the concept of gender, and by extension female Transformers, ''was'' present on ancient Cybertron, but had disappeared sometime before the modern day. Later stories would make an attempt to retcon Arcee's earlier characterization: a conversation between Arcee and Galvatron in [[Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|''The Transformers'' #37]] revealed that Jhiaxus had been attempting to ''restore'' an element of ancient Cybertron, and internal narration from Arcee's point of view in [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|''Sins of the Wreckers'' #3]] implied that she had, at least to some extent, consented to his experiments because she did not see him "for what he was". Arcee would later hint that her prior identity was a "lie [she] told herself" <ref>[[New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|''Optimus Prime'' #5]]</ref> and recognize her current self as being "who she was always meant to be" <ref>[[All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|''The Transformers'' vol. 2 #52]]</ref>, suggesting that Arcee either used to feel, or only now recognizes post-transformation, that she was not truly "male" in the first place. If so, that would would mean that her unbalanced mental state following the experiment upon her was more the result of some other factor which has yet to be specified.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{i|Arcee}} at the IDW Hasbro Wiki

[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Autobots]]

File:TFRID11 CVRB Arcee Header.jpg

2018-11-16T20:23:50Z

Minimusminor:

{{IDWG1cover
|description=[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] deals with crowds.
{{art|lineart=[[Casey Coller]]|color=[[Joana Lafuente]]}}
|series=rid
|issueno=11
|cover=Cover B
|storytitle=The End of the Beginning of the World
|year=12}}

[[Category: Images by Casey Coller]]
[[Category: Images by Joana Lafuente]]

File:TFRID11 CVRB Arcee Header.jpg

2018-11-16T20:22:40Z

Minimusminor: {{IDWG1interior |description=Arcee deals with crowds. {{art|lineart=Casey Coller|color=Joana Lafuente |series=rid |issueno=11 |cover=Cover B |storytitle=The End of the Beginning of the World |year=12}}...

{{IDWG1interior
|description=[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] deals with crowds.
{{art|lineart=[[Casey Coller]]|color=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|series=rid
|issueno=11
|cover=Cover B
|storytitle=The End of the Beginning of the World
|year=12}}

[[Category: Images by Casey Coller]]
[[Category: Images by Joana Lafuente]]

Transformers: Unicron

2018-10-05T08:31:08Z

Minimusminor: /* Creative team */

{{disambig3|Unicron}}
[[File:UnicronTDH 0 regcvr.jpg|thumb|250px|"The entire time I knew him, he only ever had one goal: to wipe out half the universe."]]

'''''Transformers: Unicron''''' is a six part, biweekly crossover miniseries<ref>[http://ign.com/articles/2018/03/24/unicron-dwarfs-earth-in-this-amazing-transformers-art Unicron Dwarfs Earth in This Amazing Transfomers Art - IGN]</ref> by [[IDW Publishing]] which debuted in May [[2018]] with issue #0 available as part of the [[Free Comic Book Day]] promotion. The third part of a loose trilogy that began with 2016's ''[[Revolution]]'' and continued with 2017's ''[[First Strike]]'', the series serves as the grand finale to the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity]] in advance of a forthcoming reboot, introducing [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] as the ultimate threat to the [[Hasbro Universe]].

{{chapters|title=''Unicron'' issues|align=center|prev=Transformers vs. Visionaries|next=|content=
<div class="list-header">''Unicron''</div>
*[[Our Darkest|#0]]
*[[Unicron issue 1|#1]]
*[[Stranger Eons|#2]]
*[[Our Finest|#3]]
*[[Road's End|#4]]
*[[Unicron issue 5|#5]]
*[[Unicron issue 6|#6]]
 <div class="list-header">Backup strips</div>
*"{{i|Ad Infinitum}}"
* "[[Last Stand (G.I. Joe)|Last Stand]]"
*"{{i|Reunion}}"
*"{{i|Transition}}"
}}

==Buildup==
When [[Simon Furman]] was first brought aboard to pitch his vision of IDW's then-nascent Transformers mythos, he explicitly chose to eschew the traditional [[Primus]] and Unicron mythology that he himself had put forth during his run on the original [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]], due in part to the oversaturation of the concept in the then-concurrent [[Unicron Trilogy]]. Though no concrete origin has yet been put forth for the Cybertronian species in the IDW universe, various authors would occasionally reference the creator gods as abstract religious beliefs rather than concrete deities—Unicron, specifically was never addressed by name, only fleetingly referred to as the "opposite" of Primus, who himself was not conclusively confirmed to exist.

In 2017, IDW began a ramp-up of this mythos as the [[Hasbro Universe]] took shape; [[Origin Myths|issue #10]] of ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' would provide the most definite look into Cybertron's past, establishing a group of mythical [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]]s as warriors who had once battled against Primus's "opposite". Finally, in October of that year, Unicron made his first physical appearance on the final page of ''[[First Strike]]'', having been awakened by Cybertron itself after exposure to the [[magic]]al powers of the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]].

==Overview==
Awakened by [[Merklynn]]'s invasion of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Unicron begins an attack on the galaxy, swallowing up planets seeded by [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'s [[Regenesis]] project – most of them inhabited. Now it's up to the Transformers to discover why Unicron seeks to devour them and how to stop him.

==Creative team==
[[File:Unicron-Bcovers-JamesRaiz.jpg|thumb|250px|"In time, you will know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail all the same. Dread it... Run from it... Destiny still arrives." ]]

The series is written by [[John Barber]], with art by [[Alex Milne], and colors by both [[Sebastian Cheng]] and [[David Garcia Cruz]]. <ref>[https://www.newsarama.com/37795-may-2018-free-comic-book-day-solicitations-updating.html May 2018 FCBD solicitations]</ref> [[Andrew Griffith]] will provide art in addition to Milne for the series' double-size final issue. Six connecting B-covers were done by Transformers veteran [[James Raiz]].

==Collections==
*'''''Transformers Unicron''''' ([[March 12]], [[2019]] **''scheduled''**) ISBN 1684054230 / ISBN 9781684054237
:Contains issues #1 to #6.
:Bonus material CURRENTLY UNKNOWN

==Notes==
*The series was originally solicited as '''''Transformers: Unicron: The Darkest Hour'''''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://freecomicbookday.com/Article/207337-FCBD18-Interview-Transformers-Creators-Discuss-Comics-Unicron-and-the-End-of-a-Universe FCBD18 Interview: Transformers Creators Discuss Comics, Unicron, and the End of a Universe?!]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unicron}}
[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:Unicron issues| ]]

Transformers: Unicron

2018-10-05T08:30:37Z

Minimusminor: /* Creative team */ updated info regarding roster.

{{disambig3|Unicron}}
[[File:UnicronTDH 0 regcvr.jpg|thumb|250px|"The entire time I knew him, he only ever had one goal: to wipe out half the universe."]]

'''''Transformers: Unicron''''' is a six part, biweekly crossover miniseries<ref>[http://ign.com/articles/2018/03/24/unicron-dwarfs-earth-in-this-amazing-transformers-art Unicron Dwarfs Earth in This Amazing Transfomers Art - IGN]</ref> by [[IDW Publishing]] which debuted in May [[2018]] with issue #0 available as part of the [[Free Comic Book Day]] promotion. The third part of a loose trilogy that began with 2016's ''[[Revolution]]'' and continued with 2017's ''[[First Strike]]'', the series serves as the grand finale to the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity]] in advance of a forthcoming reboot, introducing [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] as the ultimate threat to the [[Hasbro Universe]].

{{chapters|title=''Unicron'' issues|align=center|prev=Transformers vs. Visionaries|next=|content=
<div class="list-header">''Unicron''</div>
*[[Our Darkest|#0]]
*[[Unicron issue 1|#1]]
*[[Stranger Eons|#2]]
*[[Our Finest|#3]]
*[[Road's End|#4]]
*[[Unicron issue 5|#5]]
*[[Unicron issue 6|#6]]
 <div class="list-header">Backup strips</div>
*"{{i|Ad Infinitum}}"
* "[[Last Stand (G.I. Joe)|Last Stand]]"
*"{{i|Reunion}}"
*"{{i|Transition}}"
}}

==Buildup==
When [[Simon Furman]] was first brought aboard to pitch his vision of IDW's then-nascent Transformers mythos, he explicitly chose to eschew the traditional [[Primus]] and Unicron mythology that he himself had put forth during his run on the original [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]], due in part to the oversaturation of the concept in the then-concurrent [[Unicron Trilogy]]. Though no concrete origin has yet been put forth for the Cybertronian species in the IDW universe, various authors would occasionally reference the creator gods as abstract religious beliefs rather than concrete deities—Unicron, specifically was never addressed by name, only fleetingly referred to as the "opposite" of Primus, who himself was not conclusively confirmed to exist.

In 2017, IDW began a ramp-up of this mythos as the [[Hasbro Universe]] took shape; [[Origin Myths|issue #10]] of ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' would provide the most definite look into Cybertron's past, establishing a group of mythical [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]]s as warriors who had once battled against Primus's "opposite". Finally, in October of that year, Unicron made his first physical appearance on the final page of ''[[First Strike]]'', having been awakened by Cybertron itself after exposure to the [[magic]]al powers of the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]].

==Overview==
Awakened by [[Merklynn]]'s invasion of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Unicron begins an attack on the galaxy, swallowing up planets seeded by [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'s [[Regenesis]] project – most of them inhabited. Now it's up to the Transformers to discover why Unicron seeks to devour them and how to stop him.

==Creative team==
[[File:Unicron-Bcovers-JamesRaiz.jpg|thumb|250px|"In time, you will know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail all the same. Dread it... Run from it... Destiny still arrives." ]]

The series is written by [[John Barber]], with art by [[Alex Milne], and colors by both [[Sebastian Cheng]] and [[David Garcia Cruz]]. [[Andrew Griffith]] will provide art in addition to Milne for the series' double-size final issue.<ref>[https://www.newsarama.com/37795-may-2018-free-comic-book-day-solicitations-updating.html May 2018 FCBD solicitations]</ref> Six connecting B-covers were done by Transformers veteran [[James Raiz]].

==Collections==
*'''''Transformers Unicron''''' ([[March 12]], [[2019]] **''scheduled''**) ISBN 1684054230 / ISBN 9781684054237
:Contains issues #1 to #6.
:Bonus material CURRENTLY UNKNOWN

==Notes==
*The series was originally solicited as '''''Transformers: Unicron: The Darkest Hour'''''.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://freecomicbookday.com/Article/207337-FCBD18-Interview-Transformers-Creators-Discuss-Comics-Unicron-and-the-End-of-a-Universe FCBD18 Interview: Transformers Creators Discuss Comics, Unicron, and the End of a Universe?!]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Unicron}}
[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:Unicron issues| ]]

Last Stand (Unicron)

2018-07-13T22:47:32Z

Minimusminor: /* Continuity notes */ added note about the Camien crew of the Vis Vitalis

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Unicron]]'' #1
|prev=Our Darkest
|next=Unicron issue 2
|image=TFUnicron1_cvrA.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[July 11]], [[2018]]
|coverdate=Early July, 2018
|written by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Sebastian Cheng]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}

'''As the Transformers defend Caminus against Unicron, Optimus Prime ventures into the planet-eater.'''

==Synopsis==
From [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]ian legend, it has come: [[Unicron]], the opposite of [[Primus]], banished in the primordial past by the Transformers' creator-god, but foretold to return, whereupon the [[The Arisen]], last of the [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]], would be there to destroy it. That time is now. Unicron has returned, and it has destroyed nine of Cybertron's thirteen colonies—[[LV-117]], [[Prion]], [[Gorlam Prime]], [[Velocitron]], [[Elonia]], [[Eukaris]], [[Arduria]], [[Tsiehshi]], and [[Devisiun]]—consuming the planets and adding their mass to its own body. Having been on the back foot and unable to stop Unicron thus far, this time, the Transformers are not caught by surprise; by tracking the movements of the [[Maximal]]s—the army of beast Transformers who previously followed [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]], but who now, for reasons unknown, serve Unicron—they have been able to deduce Unicron's next target is the colony of [[Caminus]], and rally to its defense in advance of the monster planet's arrival. With [[Rom]] the [[Space Knight]] at their side, the united forces of Cybertron strike back!

As battle erupts in the skies over Caminus, down on the planet's surface, [[Skyburst (G1)|Skyburst]] and [[Stormclash]] work feverishly to get the [[space bridge]] operational, in order to evacuate the populace to Cybertron. The [[Mistress of Flame]] calls for her people to have faith, but [[Pyra Magna]] is well past believing in higher powers and Primes.

In the midst of the space battle, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] observes as the Maximals' ship, the ''[[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]'', sets down on Unicron's surface. This moment has been prepared for; [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] zooms into action, piloting his small, one-man ship on a collision course with the ''Nemesis'', then bailing out just before it strikes the giant eyeball-ship dead center. [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] grabs 'Bee, and the pair join Prime in heading down, through the fresh hole that has just been punched in the ''Nemesis'', into the interior of Unicron.

Attempts to talk the Maximals down and convince them they are being led astray having failed, [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] now fights alongside Rom. Fearing that they will not make it out alive, Soundwave suggests the Space Knight return to Cybertron, that he may survive to aid his people; but Rom refuses to abandon his allies. Alas, the threat is too large to combat on every front; Rom can do nothing but watch as [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] comes to the aid of [[Lightbright (G1)|Lightbright]] and [[Sparkstalker]], only for a [[Rampage (BW)|a huge, clawed Maximal]] to slaughter him. Moments later, Unicron comes within range of Caminus and releases a beam of energy from its maw that begins the consumption of the planet. Skyburst and Stormclash successfully activate the space bridge and the evacuation begins, with [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] coordinating from Cybertron and the Mistress continuing to assure everyone that their faith will see them through...

Within Unicron, Arcee tracks a path towards the evil planet's center. A piece of debris Prime recognizes from LV-117, first of the colonies consumed, tells the group they are close... and soon, they have arrived at the chaotic core of Unicron, a mad blend of every world it has eaten, rocks and trees, waterfalls, machines, cities, even bits of [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]], organic and technological, all somehow blended together, all still "alive" in some form, as part of Unicron. Amidst it all, the trio are shocked to find the ruined form of an [[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinel]], one of the ancient defenders of Cybertron, which seems to suggest that there is truth to the legends that claim Cybertron and Unicron have clashed before. Before they can investigate any further, the group is attacked by Unicron's "immune system"—hideous, twisted, composite creatures made up of all the things it has absorbed! Unable to match the monsters' might and ferocity, Prime is wounded, and Bumblebee contacts Soundwave to teleport them back to the ''[[Ark-Zero]]''.

Concurrently, the Maximals succeed in breaking through the Transformers' resistance, and start flooding down to the surface of Caminus, perfectly happy to die with the planet if it means they can kill the Camiens before they can finish evacuating. Pyra Magna stands ready to bar the Maximals' way, poised to give up her life for her people, but the Mistress of Flame orders her to stand down, and takes up the task herself. As the Maximals descend, the Mistress incinerates one after another with beams of fire shot from her chest... but their numbers are too great, and soon, with a sad smile on her lips, the Mistress is overwhelmed. But her sacrifice is not in vain; all of the Camiens are successfully space bridged to Cybertron, even as Unicron feasts on their world.

Back on Cybertron, [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]], responding to a summons from the incarcerated Shockwave, has just blasted his way into his former comrade's jail cell and knocked out the guard, [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]. The pair watch as the Camiens and the Cybertronian fleet start arriving, and Shockwave explains his reason for calling on Starscream. Unicron will be coming to Cybertron next, but through Shockwave's millennia-long machinations, Cybertron has been ''poisoned''. Consuming it will kill Unicron, leaving the rest of the universe open to conquest by a new Decepticon empire Shockwave and Starscream can build together. But Starscream isn't interested in Shockwave's vision of the future; ''he'' has other plans...

Disembarking the ''Ark-Zero'', the wounded Optimus regretfully tells Windblade that he found no answers within Unicron. Prime solemnly states that Cybertron and the orbiting Titan colony of [[Vigilem|Carcer]] are now all that stand between Unicron and Earth... but Bumblebee, counting on fingers, realizes that only accounts for ''twelve'' colonies. Before the mystery of the unknown thirteenth colony can be discussed, Starscream's voice cuts in. Wearing his Decepticon insignia again for the first time in years, and waving a huge 'Con flag, Starscream addresses the Camiens, welcoming them all to Cybertron and declaring that ''he'' is here to save Cybertron and all their lives. Suffice to say, Optimus Prime is not happy...!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] (8)
*[[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] (10)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (11)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] (12)
*[[Pyra Magna]] (14)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (20)
*[[Javelin]] (21)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (23)
*[[Aileron]] (24)
*[[Stormclash]] (26)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Skyburst (G1)|Skyburst]] (27)
*[[Dust Up]] (34)
*[[Roadmaster]] (35)
*[[Proxima (G1)|Proxima]] (36)
*[[Rust Dust]] (37)
*[[Jumpstream]] (38)
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (39)
*[[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (42)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (6)
*[[Acid Storm]] (9)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] (13)
*[[Sparkstalker]] (30)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] (41)

|h3=[[Maximal]]s
|c3=
*"[[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]" (14)
*[[Saberback]] (15)
*[[Killer Punch]] (16)
*"[[Megatron (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Megatron]]" (17)
*[[Sea Clamp]] (18)
*[[Buzzclaw (BW)|Buzzclaw]] (19)
*[[Guiledart]] (22)
*[[Wolfang (Predacon)|Wolfang]] (28)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (31)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (33)

|c4=
*[[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] (1)
*''[[Primus]]'' (2)
*[[Prion]] (4)
*[[Ardurian roc]]s (5)
*[[Rom]] (7)
*[[Mistress of Flame]] (25)
*[[Lightbright (G1)|Lightbright]] (29)
*[[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinel]] (32)
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (40)
*[[Breakdown (IDW)|Breakdown]] (43)
*[[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] (44)
}}

==Quotes==
"Our '''true selves''' are forged in the pressure of '''action'''... 'heroes' are just the ones who get '''noticed.'''"
:—'''Optimus Prime'''

"Stop whining. Nobody's sick of you being back—yet."
:—'''Arcee''' rescues '''Bumblebee'''

"'''Sparkstalker'''—who was that?" 
"His name was '''Dirge.''' Once, we were '''Decepticons'''... but he died a '''Cybertronian.'''"
:—'''Lightbright''' and '''Sparkstalker''' eulogize Dirge

"Arcee... there's '''no one''' I'd rather follow into a '''malevolent planet''' bent on '''universal destruction.'''" 
"You really know how to '''flatter''' a 'bot."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Arcee'''

"I'll hold them off, Aileron. Tell Optimus... tell him this is all '''his''' fault.."
:—Oh, '''Pyra Magna'''...

"Things '''will''' get better, my children... but '''first''', I fear... first things will become '''much worse.'''"
:—The '''Mistress of Flame'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s final words

"In the eyes of all but the most '''deluded''' Cybertronians, the gods are '''dead.''' The '''Matrix of Leadership''' is gone; the Primes revealed to be '''false idols.''' '''Faith itself''' is a fiction I invented."
:—'''Shockwave'''

"I, '''Starscream''' the First, the '''Chosen One'''... have returned to '''light''' your '''darkest hour.''' The Autobots may have failed you... but I know '''exactly''' how to save Cybertron." 
"Over my dead body."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The events of ''Unicron'' spin straight out of "[[The Falling]]," the seven-part story told in ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' [[The Falling, Chapter 1: Surfeit of Primes|#15]]-[[The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable|21]]. While [[Our Darkest|''Unicron'' #0]] was ''supposed'' to come out over a month in advance of the conclusion of that story, to tease the storyline, ''this'' issue was not; some particularly bad delays in June and July led to this issue being released week in advance of the final chapter, ''Optimus Prime'' #21, hitting the stands. It manages to not spoil much, save for the fact that Shockwave was defeated and captured, that the Matrix "is gone," and that his Maximals now serve Unicron for unknown reasons.
*For the last seven years, IDW stories have made occasional reference to "Primus's opposite," an oblique way of referring to Unicron without ever saying his name. As this issue begins, Optimus Prime at last confirms explicitly that this "opposite" is Unicron, confirming that he is known by name in Cybertronian legend.
*The panel of Velocitron's destruction shows their capital city [[Delta]] flung about.
*Prion's planet being labeled as just "Prion" follows on from similar usage in the [[Starscream: The Movie (comic)|2018 ''Optimus Prime'' annual]], indicating that as with Caminus, the Titan and the planet share a name.
*During his opening narration, Optimus Prime mentions Cybertron's core being "corrupted by malignant energies," referring to the poisoning of the planet's [[energon]] by the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]] in ''[[First Strike]]''. Shockwave gloats later in this issue that this is all by his design, to make Cybertron a "poisoned chalice" for Unicron; indeed, the Talisman was revealed to be an instrument of [[Onyx Prime]]'s in [[The Iron Klaw|''Revolutionaries'' #4]], and Onyx Prime was revealed to be Shockwave in [[The Falling, Chapter 3: The Ground|''Optimus Prime'' #17]].
*Javelin, Proxima, and Roadmaster—all fellow members of the ''[[Vis Vitalis]]''' crew—make their first appearance since [[The Frail Gaze|''More than Meets the Eye'' issue 42]], with the ship itself visible in the double-page spread of the battle above Caminus.
*Soundwave's impassioned speech to the attacking Maximals, where he attempts to convince them to change sides, is reminiscent of his (successful) attempt to persuade the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s to do the same, back in ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' [[New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|#5]].
*Dirge (and by extension, Acid Storm) is once more in his design from ''[[Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor|Rom vs. Transformers]]''. Alex Milne clarified on Twitter that he thought for the scenario at hand Dirge would change back to an old wartime chassis intended for intense space combat.<ref>[https://twitter.com/markerguru/status/1015423804661641216 Tweet by Alex Milne (@markerguru), 2018/07/06]</ref>
*The piece of LV-117 rubble that Prime's team discovers within Unicron is the mysterious [[Quintesson]] mural originally seen when the planet was first introduced way, way back in ''[[Spotlight: Wheelie]]''. It's still never been expounded on...
*Bumblebee notes he's only ever met one Omega Sentinel, referring to [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. Omega is noted to be "accounted for" on Cybertron, reminding us that he's still alive, despite having been offline for years after injuries sustained in [[The End of the Beginning of the World|''Robots in Disguise'' #11]].
*The final page of Starscream arriving with a the Decepticon flag isn't a direct mirror of the final page of [[Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion|''The Transformers'' vol. 2 #49]], when Optimus Prime arrived on Earth with an Autobot flag, but it feels like it's evoking it either way.
*Starscream is once again wearing his Decepticon insignias, which he removed all the way back in [[Heavy Is the Head|''Robots in Disguise'' issue 16]].

===Transformers references===
*[[Alex Milne]]'s rendition of Primus on page 1 is largely based on his standard IDW appearance, as designed by [[Guido Guidi]] for [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|the 2012 ''More than Meets the Eye'' annual]], but rather than the glowing yellow he has been depicted in up to now, he is coloured in the reds and blues of the Primus design created in the early 2000s by [[Don Figueroa]], seen in ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]''. Milne has also added a glowing circle to his chest, a mark of the Figueroa design also reflected in the character's [[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|''Transformers: Cybertron'']] incarnation.
*On the same page, Unicron is drawn based on his classic Generation 1 [[character model]], as seen in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', with bit of the ol' Milne zazzing-up.
*Optimus Prime has outfitted himself with twin-barreled shoulder cannons reminiscent of those from his Generation 1 [[Powermaster]] body.
*The skies are alive with Maximals! Though many appear to be generic, numerous recognizable characters from ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' and its Japanese sequels appear among Unicron's hordes, some who are taking their first bow in IDW's pages, and others who have appeared in preceding issues of ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'', like [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. Stressing that these are really just crowdfiller goons, ''two'' Megatrons actually appear simultaneously—one in his original ''Tyrannosaurus'' body, and the other in his [[Transmetal 2]] dragon form.

===Errors===
*Confirming an implied error from issue #0, Gorlam Prime is seen being eaten by Unicron, when there was no planet left to eat, due to it collapsing into a portal to the [[Dead Universe]] in [[Homecoming (IDW)|''Robots in Disguise'' #19]].
*On page 2, panel 9, Devisiun is misspelled "Divisiun."

===Deathlist===
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]; bisected by Rampage
*[[Mistress of Flame]]; overwhelmed by Maximals then consumed by Unicron along with Caminus
{{--}}

===Other trivia===
*In the upper right corner of page 4, dinosaur Megatron is fighting a generic pink Camien, who has a design Alex Milne originally conceived for but did not utilize in [[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|''More than Meets the Eye'']].<ref>[https://twitter.com/markerguru/status/1017095694199345152 Tweet by Alex Milne (@markerguru), 2018/07/11]</ref>
*This issue also includes a four-page ''ROM'' back-up strip, "{{i|Ad Infinitum}}," by that book's creative team. Bumblebee appears, but mostly stands silently behind the Space Knight as he convinces his fellow knights to join the fight against Unicron.
*Other backmatter includes the first installment in a series of interviews with creators from IDW's past. This issue, it's [[Simon Furman]] and [[E. J. Su]], the creative team who launched the IDW universe back in 2005 with ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration]]''.

===Covers (8)===
*'''Cover A:''' Our heroes, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Sebastian Cheng]]
*'''Cover B:''' The ladies of the [[Hasbro Universe]]—Windblade, Arcee, Pyra Magna, Aileron, [[Livia]], and [[Phenolo-Phi]]—by [[James Raiz]] and [[David Garcia Cruz]]
*'''Retailer incentive Cover A:''' Optimus Prime carries the weight of Unicron on his shoulders, by [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Thomas Deer]]
*'''Retailer incentive Cover B:''' Optimus Prime by [[Francesco Francavilla]]
*'''Retailer incentive Cover C:''' Homage to [[Bill Sienkiewicz]]'s cover to [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (issue)|''The Transformers'' #1]], by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]

<gallery>
File:TFUnicron1_cvrA.jpg
File:TFUnicron1_cvrB.jpg
File:TFUnicron1_cvrRIA.jpg
File:TFUnicron1_cvrRIB.jpg
File:TFUnicron1_cvrRIC.jpg
</gallery>

*'''Stadium Comics exclusive cover:''' Our heroes in a recreation of the poster for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]; available only from Ontario retailer Stadium Comics
*'''San Diego Comic Con exclusive cover:''' Unicron, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Sebastian Cheng]]; available only from IDW Publishing at San Diego Comic Con 2018
*'''Diamond retailer exclusive cover:''' black and white lineart version of Milne's SDCC cover

<gallery>
File:TFUnicron1_stadiumcvr.jpg
File:TFUnicron1_SDCCcvr.jpg
File:TFUnicron1_diamondcvr.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*[[Unicron issue 2|''Transformers: Unicron'' #2]]
*''[[Transformers: Unicron]]''
*''Optimus Prime'' #21
*''Lost Light'' #21
*''Unicron'' checklist (amended from issue #0)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2018/07/preview-of-transformers-unicron-1/ Preview]

[[Category:Unicron issues]]

Transformers: Unicron

2018-03-24T23:35:18Z

Minimusminor: recent IDW press releases confirm the title is Transformers: Unicron.

[[File:UnicronTDH 0 regcvr.jpg|thumb|250px|This is the end; hold your breath and count to ten...]]
'''''Transformers: Unicron''''' is a six part, biweekly crossover miniseries<ref>[http://ign.com/articles/2018/03/24/unicron-dwarfs-earth-in-this-amazing-transformers-art Unicron Dwarfs Earth in This Amazing Transfomers Art - IGN]</ref> by [[IDW Publishing]] set to debut in [[2018]] with issue #0 available as part of the [[Free Comic Book Day]] promotion. The third part of a loose trilogy that began with 2016's ''[[Revolution]]'' and continued with ''[[First Strike]]'', the series sees the long-awaited debut of [[Unicron]] in the [[Hasbro Universe]].

{{chapters|title=''The Darkest Hour'' issues|align=center|prev=Transformers vs. Visionaries|next=|content=
<div class="list-header">''The Darkest Hour''</div>
*[[Our Darkest|#0]]
*[[Unicron issue 1|#1]]
*[[Unicron issue 2|#2]]
*[[Unicron issue 3|#3]]
*[[Unicron issue 4|#4]]
*[[Unicron issue 5|#5]]
*[[Unicron issue 6|#6]]
}}

==Buildup==
When [[Simon Furman]] was first brought aboard to pitch his vision of IDW's then-nascent Transformers mythos, he explicitly chose to eschew the traditional [[Primus]] and Unicron mythology that he himself had put forth during his run on the original [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]], due in part to the oversaturation of the concept in the then-concurrent [[Unicron Trilogy]]. Though no concrete origin has yet been put forth for the Cybertronian species in the IDW universe, various authors would occasionally reference the creator gods as abstract religious beliefs rather than concrete deities—Unicron, specifically was never addressed by name, only fleetingly referred to as the "opposite" of Primus, who himself was not conclusively confirmed to exist.

In 2017, IDW began a ramp-up of this mythos as the [[Hasbro Universe]] took shape; [[Origin Myths|issue #10]] of ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' would provide the most definite look into Cybertron's past, establishing a group of mythical [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]]s as warriors who had once battled against "Primus' opposite." Finally, in October of that year, Unicron made his first physical appearance on the final page of ''[[First Strike]]'', having been awakened by Cybertron itself after exposure to the [[magic]]al powers of the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]].

==Overview==
Awakened by [[Merklynn]]'s invasion of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Unicron begins an attack on the galaxy—beginning with [[Rom]]'s homeworld of [[Elonia]]. Now it's up to the Transformers to discover why Unicron has targeted this planet.

==Creative team==
The series will be plotted by [[John Barber]], writer of [[Optimus Prime (comic)|''Optimus Prime'']], with [[Alex Milne]] providing art and colors by [[Sebastian Cheng]].<ref>[https://www.newsarama.com/37795-may-2018-free-comic-book-day-solicitations-updating.html May 2018 FCBD solicitations]</ref>

==Collections==
* TBD

==Interview and Preview==
* [https://freecomicbookday.com/Article/207337-FCBD18-Interview-Transformers-Creators-Discuss-Comics-Unicron-and-the-End-of-a-Universe| FCBD18 Interview: Transformers Creators Discuss Comics, Unicron, and the End of a Universe?!]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Crossovers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]
[[Category:Unicron: The Darkest Hour issues| ]]

Sardines

2018-01-29T02:38:54Z

Minimusminor: /* Synopsis */ syntax revision, some uneccessarily long sentences revised.

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|The Transformers: Lost Light]]'' #13
|prev=The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End
|next=
|image=LL13_cvrA.jpg
|title="Sardines"
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[January 24]], [[2018]]
|coverdate=December 2017
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]]
|assistant editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}
'''Cramped inside Skip, can Team Rodimus share a confined space without driving each other crazy?'''

==Synopsis==
[[Fortress Maximus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Fortress Maximus]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], [[Outrigger]], and [[Beak]] successfully track the "last will and testament" message sent by [[Team Rodimus]] back to its source, arriving on [[Necroworld]]. There, they find themselves confronted by the forces of the "[[Disappeared]]" [[Decepticon]]s. While Maximus rescues Outrigger from [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]], Red and Cerebros liberate the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s fortress, taking out any Decepticons they find, with [[Rapidfire (G1)|Rapidfire]] being the last to fall when he makes the mistake of threatening [[Scrounge (G1)|one]] of the surviving [[Autobot]]s. Searching for any Cybertronian tech littering the planet, Fort Max discovers the [[isolation chamber]] containing [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] and summons the others to analyze the situation. While Cerebros studies [[Kaput]]'s notes and learns about Tailgate's condition, Red Alert shows off what ''he'' has found: the Necrobot's tattered cape, which turns out to be a "window" through space, focused on the [[Benzene Cluster]]. Red observes that something is not right about the cluster's appearance, but Max interrupts, tabling the subject until they have helped Tailgate. With the aid of Beak's x-ray optics, they peer inside the chamber, and are shocked at what they see...

Off in space, the oversized, [[size changing|mass-displaced]] body of the dead Decepticon [[Skip]] serves as spaceship for [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and his crew as they chase after the ''[[Lost Light]]''. Unfortunately, the cramped quarters aren't conducive to a peaceful environment, and the signs of boredom and trouble are starting to brew, beginning with a prank war that has kicked off between [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] and [[Anode]]. Swerve convinces [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] to tell Anode that, during a medical examination, she has found a vestigial head growing out of her butt. As revenge, Anode attempts to stick Swerve to the ship's [[recharge slab]] with [[magnetizing spray]], but he wakes up and catches her in the act. His crowing is curtailed when the recharge slab overheats and bursts into flames, triggering the sprinkler system. Anode legs it, leaving Swerve to shut the sprinklers off, but after doing so he starts to feel woozy and has [[Ten]] call [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]] to examine him. The old medic is having problems of his own, his hands having begun to shake again, but he dutifully examines Swerve—and finds a bomb inside his head! Swerve assumes that [[Killmaster]] teleported it in during their last encounter, but as he grumbles about it, Ratchet slaps a hand over his mouth to shut him up... because the bomb's ticking detonator isn't measured in units of time, but in ''words''. Swerve must stop talking or die, and as if ''that'' wasn't alarming enough, Swerve's now-wordless grunts alert Ratchet to something else that has just happened: Ratchet's entire body has turned grey, in the same manner as it would if he had died!

The pair return to the main room, where [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] is alarmed to realize that the colorless Ratchet's "aura" has disappeared. Nearby, as [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] stares off into space through a porthole, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] slides in beside him to make use of the windowsill as a desk. The pair talk about what they will do when they reach [[Cyberutopia]]; Magnus is thrilled at the prospect of all the paperwork that awaits, and hopes to finish "[[Terms of Peace]]," a set of rules he has been working on for millions of years that he thinks will legally ensure peace and happiness. Cyclonus, on the other hand, is unsure of what he will do, having always expected he and Tailgate would reach Cyberutopia together, and Magnus, ever uncomfortable with "feelings," can say nothing to make him feel better, and excuses himself to work elsewhere. No sooner is Magnus settled, however, than Anode interrupts him, with Swerve having used up a few of his remaining words to tell her that the Magnus wanted to see her. As Magnus looks up, Anode is suddenly dragged through the air by magnetic force and stuck to his body! Perfectly willing to expend even more of his limited opportunities for speech to gloat, Swerve explains that he loaded the magnetizing spray into the sprinkler system, and staged the recharge slab "fire" so he could douse Anode in it!

Up in the cockpit, Rodimus fields a dispute between [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] and [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]], the latter two having crawled inside the former's alternate mode while he was sleeping for some "privacy." Rodimus isn't very interested, though, more concerned about the fact that their lock on the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s location has just been lost. A moment later, a call from Fortress Maximus comes through, and Rodimus ushers the other three out so he can take it. Maximus shares what he has discovered about Tailgate: the inside of the isolation chamber was empty, marked with a scorch pattern that indicates Tailgate's unstable [[spark]] spontaneously combusted, atomizing his body. Rodimus calls Cyclonus in to give him the bad news, and the mournful howl of anguish that Cyclonus unleashes turns the heads of everyone on the ship. He stalks from the cockput in the grip of rage...

...''just'' as [[Lug (IDW)|Lug]] manages to pull Anode free from her magnetic bond with Magnus, accidentally sending her flying backward into Cyclonus. All the tensions that have built up in the cramped quarters suddenly explode: out of control with grief and fury, Cylconus whirls around, [[Great Sword]] in hand; Swerve uses up his final few words to yell a warning that alerts Anode in time for her to duck, causing the sword to instead rake Rewind, severing his primary fuel line. As Velocity springs to action to tend to Rewind's wounds, Chromedome and Cylconus begin fighting, each mocking the other over the validity of their relationship. Ratchet attempts to get between the two, only to discover that he has become immaterial when Chromedome's fist passes harmlessly through his body. [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] instead breaks up the fight, realizing that something has happened to Tailgate, and the heartbroken Cyclonus sinks into his arms. Swerve, meanwhile, is shocked to discover that he ''hasn't'' exploded because the bomb was a fake that Anode had Whirl put in his head while recharging. The pranksters argue while chaos continues around them; the increasingly intangible Ratchet starts to sink through the floor, just as the mass displacement override used on Skip begins to wear off and he starts shrinking around the crew, threatening to crush them. It's absolute pandemonium until a voice silences them—the voice of Ten, and he declares that the fate of the universe rests on the crew doing exactly as he tells them!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Fortress Maximus]] (4)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (5)
*[[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] (6)
*[[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]] (8)
*[[Kaput]]'s remains (9)
*[[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] (11)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (14)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (17)
*[[Chromedome (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Chromedome]] (18)
*[[Rewind (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rewind]] (19)
*[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] (21)
*[[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]] (22)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (23)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]] (24)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (25)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (26)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (27)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] (28)
{{!}}}

|c2=
*[[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]] (3)
*[[Rapidfire (G1)|Rapidfire]] (7)
*[[Skip]] (10)

|c4=
*[[Outrigger]] (1)
*[[Beak]] (2)
*[[Anode]] (12)
*[[Lug (IDW)|Lug]] (13)
*[[Ten]] (15)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] (16)
*[[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] (20)
}}

==Quotes==
"What will you do when we reach Cyberutopia?" 
"Well, my '''immediate''' priority will be the paperwork."
:—'''Cyclonus''' and '''Ultra Magnus'''

"Once you've created '''paradise''', how do you decide who's allowed to live there? After all, there's only a finite amount of room. As I see it, the only way the '''Knights of Cybertron''' can manage the population without damaging their reputation for '''compassion''' and '''civility''' — is to create a '''visa system''' so '''gruesomely complex''' it deters every prospective applicant except those with a '''passion for bureaucracy''' that borders on the '''fetishistic'''. I can't wait."
:— '''Ultra Magnus''' on Cyberutopia

"Is [''Terms of Peace''] a poem?" 
"It's a '''set of rules'''—a set of rules that covers every conceivable aspect of Cybertronian behaviour in every conceivable scenario. Provided everybody follows every rule to the letter, two things are guaranteed: '''perpetual peace''' and a life of '''eternal joy and contentment.'''" 
"So it's not a poem." 
"It's a self help-book. A self-help book with strict penalties for non-compliance."
:—'''Cyclonus''' and '''Ultra Magnus'''

"Cyclonus, I... my deep-seated distrust of '''intimate conversation''' and my unwillingness to reflect upon—let alone disclose—my '''own''' feelings usually makes it impossible for me to offer '''meaningful advice''' when those around me '''open up.'''" 
... 
"So I'm just going to sit over there."
:—'''Ultra Magnus'''

"I don't appear to be dead. And I'd know. I'm a doctor."
:—'''Ratchet'''

"Oh. Oh, I know what this is about. I know '''exactly''' what this is about. You're '''jealous.'''" 
"Of?" 
"Me and Rewind. We have what you '''don't''' have. What you'll '''never''' have." 
"You have '''nothing.''' You think you do, but it's not real. Because when it's real, it '''hurts.'''"
:—'''Chromedome''' and '''Cyclonus'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Outrigger, Beak, Fort Max, Red Alert, and Cerebros were all introduced as living together on [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]] in [[Ten to Midnight|''More than Meets the Eye'' #56]] (but see "Errors"). The [[Last Light|subsequent issue]] noted that Red was trying to track the location of the ''Lost Light'' after they received the "last will and testament" transmission the Rod Squad sent out in [[The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|issue #50]].
*Fortress Maximus quips that he "normally loves animals" as he pummels Fangry, alluding to his fondness for the [[Roboid]]s from [[Animals|''More than Meets the Eye'' #46]].
*The "Disposable" Rapidfire threatens to execute is [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]], a luckless character from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Generation 1 comic]] who has made a few appearances dotted through IDW history before (once under this writer and artist, specifically, back in [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|''More than Meets the Eye'' #9]]). His appearance on Luna 1 means he must be one of the "[[Disappeared]]," thought to have died during the war but actually saved by the Necrobot; it seems safe to assume the "apparent death" he was rescued from was seen in ''[[Spotlight: Metroplex]]'', in which he wound up on the wrong side of [[Sixshot]].
*Tailgate was left locked in the isolation chamber after Fangry killed Kaput in [[After Megatron (A Dissolution Epilogue)|issue #7]], in which the rest of Team Rodimus departed Necroworld in Skip. In their absence, it very much appears that the Decepticon members of the "Disappeared" have killed most or all the Autobot ones, so we guess leaving a planet full of Decepticons pulled through time fresh out of the war with no context or desire for peace unsupervised wasn't the ''best'' idea Rodimus could have had.
*The Necrobot's cape was left after his body crumbled to dust in ''More than Meets the Eye'' #50. It can't be a coincidence it's trained on the Benzene Cluster; recent issues have established the cluster as an area of interest for the [[Galactic Council]] and [[Black Block Consortia]], and that ''someone'' has taken control of its resources.
*Anode starts the prank war as revenge for the phony survey Swerve had her answer, back in [[Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|issue #1]].
*Anode notes that she, Lug, Velocity, and Nautica are not long back from their trip to [[Troja Major]], as seen in [[An Axe to Break the Ice|issues #8]]-[[Chasing the Infinite|9]].
*Brainstorm has rebuilt his [[Early Early Warning System]], seen before in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|''More than Meets the Eye'' #30]]. It now "does famous voices"; we hear "Peace through--OH MY GOD, LOOK OUT!" and "Freedom is the right of all sentient--WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!", obviously [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]], quoting their famous mottos—except Nautica thinks the first is [[Nautilator]] (who was previously established to sound just like Megatron in [[Before & After|''More than Meets the Eye'' #12]]), and the second is [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] (who, as established in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', suffers from [[primus apotheosis]] and tries to imitate Optimus in all things).
*Whatever's going on with Ratchet, it begins with the return of his unsteady hands, a problem the character was facing back at the [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|very start]] of ''More than Meets the Eye'' but which he apparently fixed with acquisition of a [[Pharma (G1)|new pair]] of hands in [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|issue #5]].
*Anode notes the magnetizing spray is used to give [[magnawheels]] their capabilities. We saw these devices in action back in ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]''.
*Swerve thinks Killmaster placed the bomb in his head during their recent encounter in [[Dissolution Part 3: A World Misplaced|issue #3]] (the footnote references [[Dissolution Part 4: Bad Moon Rising|issue #4]] as the one in which Killmaster was "zapped," but Swerve wasn't in that one, having been zapped himself in #3).
*The story makes a point of having Swerve note that the bomb's timer is "very large". Given that Anode later reveals Whirl put the bomb in Swerve's head, we can conclude that Whirl actually ''built'' the timer with this clock-making skills, and that it's "very large" because his claws prohibit him from carrying out small, delicate work. Whirl was established to be revisiting his old craft in [[The Lopsided Triangle|''More than Meets the Eye'' #47]].
*When Velocity notes that Rewind will survive his wounds, Cyclonus darkly remarks "he always does," referring to Rewind's previous miraculous escapes from death, in ''More than Meets the Eye'' #12 and [[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|#33]].

===Transformers references===
*Cerebros's design has been tweaked a bit from his last appearance to add elements of (and portions of blue coloration from) his ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' toy. It's not a complete reformat; he still retains the vehicular alternate mode he had in ''More than Meets the Eye'' #56-57, with wheels on his shoulders.

===Real-life references===
*The title of this issue refers to the idiom "be squashed (in) like sardines," which means to be very tightly or snugly squashed together, especially in a small space.

===Errors===
*''More than Meets the Eye'' #57 established that Beak and Outrigger had left Red and Max behind and left Luna 1 with the rest of the Roboids. What, did they just... come back?
*The "radio muffle" speech bubble effect is inconsistently colored this issue. It's blue for Cerebros and Swerve's transmissions on pages 2 and 6, turquoise for the Early Early Warning Device and Fortress Maximus transmisson on pages 7, 13, and 14, and blue again for the Early Early Warning Device on page 20. That's assuming that the last page isn't the only error, and that Maximus's transmission sharing the turquoise effect with the warning device isn't supposed to ''mean'' something, because ''come on'', if you believe Tailgate exploded off-panel, we've got a space bridge to sell you.
*On page 11, panel 7, James Roberts's British spelling of "behavio'''u'''r" slips by the editors!
*On page 14, Max's transmission says "This it's Fortress Maximus" instead of "This '''''is''''' Fortress Maximus."

===Other trivia===
[[File:LL13 rung altmode.jpg|right|thumb]]
*Originally solicited for release in December 2017, this issue arrives noticeably late, in the final stages of January 2018.
*It's mostly obscured by speech bubbles in the retail release, but uncolored pages show that [[:File:LL13-uncolored-skids.jpg|the plinth]] Fortress Maximus uses to take out Fangry is [[Skids (G1)|Skids']].
*Red Alert receives a new design in this issue, an [[Alex Milne]] original to update the [[Nick Roche]] design he sported during ''More than Meets the Eye''.
*Rapidfire is revealed to have been a member of a Decepticon sub-group called the [[Guncon]]s, which also included a 'bot named [[Zooka]].
*Did you spot Rung on page 7? He's tucked away in the top right corner in his rarely-seen alternate mode, probably trying to take up a little less space (right). The design of his alternate mode doesn't really match the more ornate appearance artist Alex Milne gave it the only previous time he drew it, in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|''More than Meets the Eye'' #29]]; he seems to have hybridized his design with the simpler look [[James Raiz]] gave it when it first appeared in [[Little Victories|''More than Meets the Eye'' #22]].
*Ratchet gives a medical name to the long-established history of Transformers' bodies rapidly fading to grey upon their deaths: "[[aggressive depigmentation]]."

===Soundtrack===
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so-L12LFRR8 Your Silent Face]" by {{w|New Order (band)|New Order}}
*"[https://open.spotify.com/track/5FDTVIaJdEQGiPSyCwPh0a Bored to Hear Your Heart Still Breaks]" by {{w|Tullycraft}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSIPg3iLSbk Good Fruit]" by {{w|Hefner (band)|Hefner}}

===Covers (4)===
*'''Cover A:''' Cyclonus tries to retain his calm amid the cramped chaos, by [[Jack Lawrence]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
*'''Cover B:''' Swerve and Anode plot explosive pranks, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
*'''Cover C:''' Rodimus tries to keep the peace, by [[Alex Milne]]; part of IDW's "Artist's Edition" theme for December
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Rodimus by [[J.N. Wiedle]]; one of [[The Chosen One#Covers (2)|a pair]] of variant covers by Wiedle for December's ''Transformers'' titles
<gallery>
File:LL13 cvrA.jpg|
File:LL13 cvrB.jpg|
File:LL13 cvrC.jpg|
File:LL13 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''Lost Light'' #14
*[[The Chosen One|''Till All Are One'' Annual 2017]]
*''[[Transformers vs. Visionaries]]''
*''{{i|Rom & The Micronauts}}''
*''[[Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook]]'' hardcover
*''[[Micronauts: Wrath of Karza]]'' TPB
*''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade: The Last City]]'' hardcover
*''Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures: The Flying She-Devils in Raid on Marauder Island'' TPB
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Rogue One: A Star Wars Story]]'' graphic novel adaptation

==External links==
*[https://www.newsarama.com/38256-meet-necroworld-s-inhabitants-in-transformers-lost-light-13-preview.html Preview]

[[Category: Lost Light issues]]

The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)

2017-11-30T07:14:11Z

Minimusminor: /* Continuity notes */ update following new info surrounding Stardrive's colours following ROM vs TF #5's release

{{Comicstory
|series=op|issueno=13
|prev=Primeless, Part 2
|next=The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)
|prev2=Unification Day: Dusk
|caption=
|image=OP13 cvrA.jpg
|title="The Dead Come Home" Part 1 (of 2)
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 22]], 2017
|coverdate=November 2017
|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 leads a team into the wilderness to search for the first new life born on Cybertron in four million years, and its guardians, the Dinobots.'''

==Synopsis==
Years ago, following their [[Spotlight: Metroplex|encounter]] with [[Sixshot]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] on the planet [[Salvvatan VIII]], the surviving [[Throttlebot]]s—[[Goldbug (IDW)|Goldbug]], [[Chase (G1)|Chase]], [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]] and [[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]]—were attempting to depart in the shuttle Metroplex provided them when Sixshot struck back. Though the Throttlebots believe they were able to kill the already-wounded Sixshot in the ensuing battle, he succeeded in crippling their shuttle, and they crashed on a strange plant-world that Searchlight eventually named "[[Botanica (planet)|Botanica]]." Attempts to radio for assistance met with failure; the [[Decepticon]] uprising known as the [[Surge (event)|Surge]] was in full effect across the galaxy, sweeping over all [[Autobot]] installations and cutting the Throttlebots off from any potential rescue. Left to believe the Autobots had lost the war and that one day the Decepticons would arrive to kill them all, the four have eked out a meager existence on the planet ever since. That all ends today... on the day the attack they have long been expecting finally comes, not from the skies above, but from below, as monstrous animal-form Transformers emerge from within the planet!

On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], in the wake of [[Joe Colton]]'s attack on the planet, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] presides over [[Sideswipe (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sideswipe]]'s delayed funeral. Afterward, he and [[Sunstreaker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sunstreaker]] make peace; the recent chaos has led Sunstreaker to understand why Prime could not be there when Sideswipe died. Prime turns introspective, made aware once more of how much suffering those under his command have been through as an indirect consequence of the things he asks of them—yet they remain willing to do those things all the same. He attempts to vocalize these emotions to [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] and thank her for her service, but she blindsides him with the revelation that [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] was her twin brother—a brother she stood by and let Optimus kill, because, once again, it was the "right" thing he had to do. Disarmed by this, and unsettled by the growing crowd of admirers who have come to watch him, Prime attempts to withdraw, but finds his way barred by [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]], who has some troubling news of his own to share. Blackrock explains the half-human/half-Cybertronian [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] has been reawakened from [[stasis lock]] by the recent planetary energy surge caused by the alien wizard [[Garrison Kreiger|Merklynn]], and has since disappeared into the wilderness outside [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. But Blackrock has just received a transmission from Centurion containing the image of a [[protoform]]—something that, to Prime and Arcee's knowledge, has not existed on Cybertron for millions of years. Overhearing their conversation, repentant Decepticon [[Swift (G1)|Swift]] corrects them: she and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] recently discovered an active [[hot spot]] from which such a protoform could have emerged... a hot spot that subsequently vanished, but which [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] also knows about.

Prime and Blackrock approach Starscream to discuss the matter just as he is getting out of a meeting with the [[Council of Worlds]], during which tempers have flared over the fact Cybertron has suddenly found itself reliant on [[Earth]] to provide it with [[energon]], after Merklynn's schemes have left the planet's own fuel supply tainted and unusable. Starscream takes Prime to former Dinobot leader [[Slag (G1)|Slug]], who has been convalescing in his care after recent injuries, and who agrees to help track down the Dinobots and the protoforms—though none but Starscream are aware that Slug was not merely injured, but ''killed'' on Starscream's orders by [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], then reanimated by Starscream using technology acquired from the captured [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]...

Arcee approaches [[Pyra Magna]], [[Stormclash]], and [[Skyburst (G1)|Skyburst]] in the middle of the battle-blasted plaza that was ground zero for Colton's attack, inviting them to join the mission into the wilderness. The group politely turn down the offer, their [[combiner]] physiology necessitating that they soon return to Earth to be close with their sister [[Torchbearer]]s again—but the subject of combiners allows Pyra to switch the topic to [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], and the need for more robots like him who are willing to act as a check and balance to Optimus Prime. Pyra is not asking Arcee to side with her against Optimus... but suggests that, in her search for a role in a post-war world, perhaps Arcee could serve as the one who keeps both her ''and'' Optimus in check.

Presently, Optimus, Arcee, Blackrock, and Slug head out into the wilderness, the trail leading them back to the site of Arcee and the [[Revolutionaries]]' recent battle with the [[Red Shadows]]. It is there that they are approached by Centurion and his new allies: the Dinobots and Sandstorm. Though the Dinobots made a reluctant peace with Sandstorm after they battled Bludgeon together, the sight of his old comrades allied with his killer sends Slug into a rage, and pandemonium breaks loose... but the chaos is not as random and emotionally-driven as it seems, as it has in fact, been orchestrated from afar by Bludgeon, still Starscream's captive, using his [[Void Scepter]] to manipulate the Dinobots' minds and push them into fighting one another. With Starscream nowhere to be seen, the "ghost" of [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] invisibly watches as Bludgeon urges the Dinobots to destroy one another, all in preparation for the coming of his "master"...

Back on "Botanica," Rollbar and Searchlight fall before the beasts, and when Chase tries to carry the wounded Goldbug to safety, he too is cut down. As [[Cicadacon|one of the attackers]] looms over him, Goldbug tells him to tell "his boss, [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]" that they fought to the end... but the fact that the mystery 'bot doesn't know who Megatron ''is'' suggests these are ''not'' the Decepticons Goldbug thought they were. If there are answers to be had, however, they will not come from his attacker, who is suddenly blasted in the back... but from the one one who has just fired the shot, Goldbug's surprise saviour, Prowl, now with a giant cannon in place of his left arm, and accompanied by [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], [[Garnak]], and [[Stardrive]]!

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Chase (G1)|Chase]] (1)
*[[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]] (2)
*[[Goldbug (IDW)|Goldbug]] (3)
*[[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] (10)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sunstreaker]] (11)
*[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] (13)
*[[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] (14)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Wheeljack]] (15)
*[[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] (16)
*[[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] (18)
*[[Gimlet]] (19)
*[[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] (20)
*[[Bump]] (21)
*[[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock/Sovereign]] (22)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (26)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slug]] (30)
*[[Stormclash]] (31)
*[[Skyburst (G1)|Skyburst]] (32)
*[[Pyra Magna]] (33)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (34)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (35)
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (37)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]]'s "ghost" (41)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (43)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (46)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Swift (G1)|Swift]] (17)
*[[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (40)

|c3=
*[[Marissa Faireborn]] (28)

|h4=Other [[Transformer|Cybertronians]]|c4=
*[[Sharp Edge]] (5)
*[[Drancron]] (or [[Sky Shadow (BW)|Sky Shadow]]?) (6)
*[[Hydra (BWN)|Hydra]] (7)
*? (8)
*? (9)
*[[Bob (IDW)|Bob]] (12)
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (23)
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (24)
*[[Mistress of Flame]] (25)
*[[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (27)
*[[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] (29)
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] (38)
*[[Strafe (IDW)|Strafe]] (39)
*[[Cicadacon]] (42)
*[[Stardrive]] (45)

|h6=Others|c6=
*[[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] (36)
*[[Garnak]] (44)
}}

==Quotes==
"'''Blackrock!''' Did no one ever teach you it's '''dangerous''' to stand in the middle of a '''street?'''" 
"Well, seeing as all my memories are '''data constructs''' implanted in my neocortex by '''Onyx Prime''', probably '''not.'''"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' takes some sass from '''Blackrock'''

"It took, what? '''Forty-seven humans''' to nearly destroy this planet... imagine what the other '''six and a half billion''' of us could do if we put our minds to it."
:—'''Marissa Faireborn''' shuts down Elita One's talk of aggression against Earth

"A tiny '''normal''' person with a '''flesh face?''' Appalling."
:—'''Starscream''' is grossed out by Blackrock

"You've seen more of these than I have. '''Battlefields,''' I mean." 
"I've killed a lot of people, if that's what you mean. And I '''think''' they all deserved what they got, but then... '''I'd''' deserve it, too. If the war's really going to end, there's not going to be a '''place''' for someone like '''me.'''"
:—'''Pyra Magna''' and '''Arcee'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
<nowiki>*</nowiki>cracks knuckles*
*The Throttlebots were last seen eight years ago in ''[[Spotlight: Metroplex]]'', the events of which Goldbug recaps in narration. It was not explicit in the issue itself, but this story confirms that [[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]] and [[Wideload (G1)|Wideload]] died as a result of the injuries they sustained on-panel. The issue also contained the last appearance of Sixshot, who, as the stinger ending of that issue indicated, is revealed to have survived the stomping Metroplex gave him. Goldbug believes they were able to kill him when he came after them as they were leaving, but let's be honest, if he turned up alive some time in the future, you wouldn't be surprised, would you?
*Goldbug refers to [[G'th Semane]], the Cybertronian spaceport previously mentioned in "[[Zero Point]]" and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]].''
*Rollbar thinks Chase is "going binary," a little-heard Cybertronian insult used to refer to failing mental faculties, previously heard in [[All Hail Megatron issue 14|''All Hail Megatron'' #14]] and [[The End of the Beginning of the World|''Robots in Disguise'' #11]].
*When describing the events of the Surge, Goldbug mentions the fall of [[Garrus-9]], as seen in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', and the defeat of the Autobots on Earth, chronicled in [[All Hail Megatron issue 7|''All Hail Megatron'' #7]].
*Given that the creatures who come to attack the Throttlebots are characters from the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' franchise (see "Transformers references," below), there can be no doubt that these are the beast-hordes of [[Onyx Prime]], who has been shown to have recognizable or implied ''Beast Wars'' cast members among his hordes before, in both [[Origin Myths|issue #10]] and [[Ghost Stories|the 2017 ''Transformers'' annual]].
*Sideswipe died in [[The Life of Sideswipe|issue #9]]; his funeral has been delayed by the events of the ''[[First Strike]]'' crossover, which Cybertron is recuperating from in this issue. Sunstreaker was badly wounded in [[First Strike issue 4|issue #4]] of that story, to the point that it wasn't clear if he was even still alive, but he's already on the mend in this issue, noting that he's "been through worse." He really has, too, including vivisection by the [[Machination]] way back in ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'', and being eaten alive by the [[Insecticon swarm]] post-''All Hail Megatron''.
*At Sideswipe's funeral, Optimus Prime says that "someone" once said "loss of life is only a tragedy without purpose." That "someone" was [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], who delivered that quote at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]] in [[Megatron Origin issue 3|''Megatron Origin'' #3]], the attending crowd of which included an Orion-Pax-lookin' robot that we might now infer was canonically the young Optimus himself. Given Sentinel's [[Titans Return (comic)|recent history]], Optimus is wise not to mention him by name.
*Arcee reveals to Optimus Prime for the first time that Galvatron was her twin brother, a fact ''we'' learned in issue #10, and recalls how Optimus killed him in front of her, in [[All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|''The Transformers'' #55]].
*A murmured voice among the crowd is heard to doubt that Optimus Prime will attend [[Antagony (BW)|Antagony]]'s funeral, confirming for the first time the identity of the Transformer [[Shazraella]] fused with during ''First Strike'', and revealing that she did not survive the experience.
*Another voice in the crowd hopes Optimus will sign his "[[Covenant of Primes]] datapad." This holy book was first mentioned in [[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|''More than Meets the Eye'' #23]], a sort-of IDW stand-in for the more famous [[Covenant of Primus]].
*Centurion went into stasis lock in the [[Unification Day: Dusk|''Transformers: First Strike'' one-shot]], following the events of the ninja battle and [[Dragon X]] explosion that Arcee summarizes in this story (Arcee is also relieved to hear that [[Action Man]] has returned to Earth, following his romantic advances on her in that issue). Much as it seemed like it was taking the character off the table, it is here revealed that Centurion was brought back on-line very soon after the events of that story, by the "light show" that took place in [[First Strike issue 6|''First Strike'' #6]].
*Said "light show" was Merklynn seizing control of the planet's energon. Blackrock notes Kup is going to investigate the effects of the wizard's scheme on the planet's core, with a footnote directing readers towards next month's [[Transformers vs. Visionaries issue 1|''Transformers vs. Visionaries'' #1]] to follow that plotline.
*Swift and Arcee clash over the Decepticon attack the former was part of against the ''[[Ark-7]]'', during which Sideswipe sustained the injuries that ultimately claimed his life, as seen in [[Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|''The Transformers'' #47]]-[[Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion|49]].
*Swift and the Dinobots' discovery of a new hot spot took place in the [[The Transformers: Redemption|''Redemption'' one-shot]], in which the Dinobots also committed the murders for which Starscream notes they are wanted, in order to protect said sparks. Swift told Starscream about the hot spot off-panel, leading into the events of the follow-up one-shot ''[[The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation]]'', in which many of the events the factor into this issue's plot took place, including: Sandstorm killing Slug, then joining with the rest of the other Dinobots; the Dinobots relocating the sparks, which then formed protoforms; and the crippled Bludgeon being captured by Starscream. The story ended with the implication that Starscream was about to reanimate the dead Slug using a mutated [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]-[[spark]] from Bludgeon's lab, and evidently, he went through with it. Slug believes Sandstorm was working for Bludgeon, when in actuality he was employed by Starscream, so ''that'll'' be a whole thing...
*Starscream refers to the [[Solstar Order]]'s blockade of Cybertron, which took place in [[First Strike issue 2|''First Strike'' #2]]. He lets slip, but quickly covers up, his knowledge of the fact they have experience in synthesizing energon, which he learned about during the ''[[Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor]]'' mini-series.
*Marissa measures the human population of Earth as "six and a half billion." In the real world, there are ''seven'' and a half billion humans on Earth, but Marissa's figure accounts for the billion humans killed during ''All Hail Megatron'', a figure originating in ''[[Ride-Along|Spotlight: Prowl]]'' and reiterated in [[All Hail Optimus Part 2: Edge of the Earth|''The Transformers'' #51]].
*Starscream grumbles that "discovering Earth" was the biggest mistake he ever made; a simplification, since Transformers had been active on the planet at various times in its history, but it ''was'' Starscream's Decepticon infiltration team who were the first Transformers to arrive on the planet in the 21st century, kicking off the Transfomers' IDW adventures.
*Starscream refers to the invasion of Cybertron by undead [[Titan (IDW)|Titans]], as seen in [[Ping|''Till All Are One'' issues #5]]-[[Rubicon|8]].
*Optimus refers to waking up in the untamed wilderness of Cybertron years prior, referring to the opening of ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]''.
*Bludgeon created his Void Scepter in ''Salvation'' to control [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Evidently, the Dinobots' connection to Trypticon—his corrupted energon blood was revealed in ''Redemption'' to be what gave them their uncontrollable beast forms in ''[[The Transformers: Monstrosity|Monstrosity]]''—makes them susceptible to it as well.
*It's been implied for some time now that the "ghost" of Bumblebee who has been haunting Starscream since before [[The Transgressors|''The Transformers'' #44]] is not just a figment of his imagination, most clearly in the 2017 ''Transformers'' annual and [[If I Know You|''Till All Are One'' #11]]. This issue marks the first time the "ghost" has appeared without Starscream around, furthering that.
*Prowl was last seen chilling out on [[Moonbase One|Luna-1]] in [[Last Light|''More than Meets the Eye'' #57]]. Not looking so chill now.
*The cannon on Prowl's arm appears to be a [[vamparc ribbon]], part of the arsenal used by [[Zeta Prime]] during ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]''. In the [[Endgame|final issue of ''Autocracy'']], Optimus Prime ordered Prowl to destroy all the weapons, but as Optimus left the room, the shot lingered on Prowl's face, implying that, true to form, he was going to disobey Prime for the "greater good." Looks like we know whether he went through with it or not...
*Wheelie and Garnak were last seen during the ''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]'' event, left waiting aboard Optimus Prime's ship the ''[[Skyroller]]'' out in space as Prime himself headed through a portal into the [[Dead Universe]]. We had no idea what happened to them, but Prime had the ''Skyroller'' back in his possession six months later, as seen in [[The Crucible|''Robots in Disguise'' #34]] and several subsequent issues.
*And lastly, Stardrive is a [[Caminus|Camien]] Transformer raised by the Solstar Order, introduced in the ''Shining Armor'' mini-series, which was still one issue away from concluding when this story was released. She appears in her original blue, purple, and green color scheme seen in [[Shining Armor issue 1|''Shining Armor'' #1]], having shed her Solstar armour at the series' conclusion.

===Transformers references===
*The planet-plant "Botanica" is named after the [[Botanica (BM)|''Beast Machines'' character of the same name.]]
*The creatures who attack the Throttlebots are characters from the ''Beast Wars'' franchise. On page 4, ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' sawshark [[Sharp Edge]] is easily identifiable, and the silver wings on the pterodactyl in the center peg him as another ''Neo'' character, [[Hydra (BWN)|Hydra]] (rather than his near-identical ''Beast Wars'' counterpart [[Lazorbeak]]). The coloring makes it hard to tell if the claw-handed beastie in the top right of the same panel is ''Beast Wars'' [[Sky Shadow (BW)|Sky Shadow]] or his ''Neo'' counterpart [[Drancron]]; the colors seem like a mix of the two and the patterns on his beast most head visible on page 19 don't specifically match either, but we'd err toward the latter given the presence of other ''Neo'' characters. Later, on page 19, the 'bot who menaces Goldbug is ''Beast Wars'' [[Cicadacon]]. The other two creatures on page 4, however, are not immediately identifiable; one of them is a spiky rhino similar to one seen in the 2017 ''Transformers'' annual. Mayhaps it's [[Rhino (BW)|Rhino]]?

===Errors===
*Optimus reacts with shock to the revelation that Arcee and Galvatron are twins yet was told this by Alpha Trion in [[Origin Myths|issue #10]]. Considering what happened since then, we can forgive him forgetting that detail or he's just putting on an act to respect Arcee's privacy.
*Marissa counters Elita's criticisms by saying: "Rogue humans attacked, which is exactly how every single other colony joined the Council of Worlds." It's... what? No it's not. Each of the other colonies joined when they were individually and peacefully approached by Starscream and Windblade and their teams of representatives. Even if Marissa's not being literal, and just referring to "attacks" as the reason, she's still not right: it was the battle between [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] that brought the colonies into contact with Cybertron for the first time, during ''[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]]'', but that's the ''opposite'' of what Marissa's saying, as it was Cybertron responsible for bringing combat to them, rather than the colonies themselves doing the attacking, as with Earth.
*Prowl is once again missing his left eye, when the final scenes of ''More than Meets the Eye'' #57 showed it intact. It's not clear if the error lies with this issue or that one yet, or if he managed to lose the same eye ''again'' between issues (a theory to which the presence of the weapon in place of his left hand would lend a little credence) — but Luna 1 would definitely have had the facilities to finally fix the dang thing, unless he's keeping it as some kind of perverse badge of pride.

===Covers (4)===
*'''Cover A:''' Optimus Prime, Sovereign, Arcee, and Trypticon, by [[Kei Zama]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
*'''Cover B:''' The Throttlebots—even the dead ones!—by [[Casey Coller]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]
*'''Cover C:''' Slug by [[Andrew Griffith]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Optimus Prime by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
<gallery>
File:OP13 cvrA.jpg|
File:OP13 cvrB.jpg|
File:OP13 cvrC.jpg|
File:OP13 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''Optimus Prime'' #14
*''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]: The Quintessential Collection''
*''[[My Little Pony]]: Legends of Magic'' TPB
*IDW ''DuckTales'' comic
*''Helena Crash''
*''The Powerpuff Girls: The Bureau of Bad''
*''Sword of Ages''
*''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2''

==External links==
*[https://www.cbr.com/optimus-prime-13/ Preview]

[[Category:Optimus Prime issues]]

Shining Armor issue 5

2017-11-30T06:44:04Z

Minimusminor: /* Transformers references */ note about Arks. Might need revised wording.

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor]]'' #5
|prev=Shining Armor issue 4
|next=
|image=RomvsTF5 cvrA.jpg
|title=
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 29]], [[2017]]
|coverdate=November 2017
|written by=[[John Barber]] and [[Christos Gage]]
|art by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Josh Perez]] (pg. 1-16), [[Priscilla Tramontano]] (pg. 17-20)
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Mid-19th century]]
}}

'''As the Dire Wraiths turn on their Decepticon allies, Ultra Magnus makes a fatal decision, and Stardrive faces a final choice about her future.'''

==Synopsis==
The [[Dire Wraith]]s began swarming over the [[Decepticon]]s, while the fused [[Vekktral]]/[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] hybrid prepares to infect [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]]—a horrifying fate that, deep down, even the real Magnus believes Starscream deserves, which makes it even harder for him to fight Vekktral's possession. The [[Space Knight]]s spring into action, but the hybrid's fusion of Wraith and Cybertronian biology proves resistant to their [[Neutralizer]] blasts, so [[Stardrive]] takes a more direct approach; grabbing [[Sata]], she instructs her to extend her energy blade to its fullest, then, wielding her fellow knight's body like a sword, Stardrive lops off Vekktral-Magnus's arm, freeing Starscream from his grip. Allegiances forgotten for the moment in the face of a greater threat, [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Livia]], and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] help blast the Wraiths off the other 'cons to prevent any more hybrids from being created, but no sooner are all the Decepticons safe than Starscream calls an immediate retreat, determined to snatch the [[energon synthesizer]] and leave the rest of the group to their fate.

While Bumblebee, [[Rom]], and Sata contend with Vekktral-Magnus—the little [[Autobot]] trying to talk his comrade down, while the Knights focus fire on his chest, seeking to damage his [[spark]]—Stardrive takes off after the Decepticons, catching up to Starscream just as he is recovering the synthesizer. Knowing this his silver-tongued skullduggery isn't going to work on the [[Caminus|Camien]] any longer, Starscream just blasts her, but before he can finish her off, Livia comes to her rescue, hitting Starscream with a blast of her own. Livia then stands back to watch as the furious Stardrive physically overpowers Starscream, pounding on him and even ripping his wings off so he cannot fly away. Knowing he is now out of options, Starscream calls the other Decepticons in to pull him out. To cover their escape, Starscream blasts the energon synthesizer, triggering a chain reaction that will soon end in planet-scouring explosion. Stardrive desperately seeks solutions, but Livia forces her to accept that this must be allowed to happen, to burn the Wraith infection out of [[Xetaxxis]].

Concurrently, within Vekktral and Magnus's shared mind, Magnus struggles to fight against Vekktral's possession, but all seems lost, with Vekktral wholly confident that his studies of [[Sky Blast (G1)|Sky Blast]] have taught him all he needs to know about taking over a Cybertronian's body. But that boast gives Magnus the inspiration he needs to fight back... for Vekktral is unaware that Ultra Magnus's body is ''not'' like that of other Cybertronians! Fighting his control just long enough, Magnus is able to open his chest armor, exposing his spark, and screams for the Knight to open fire on him, killing both him and his tormentor. Despite Bumblebee's pleas, Rom blasts Magnus in the spark, ending his life and his threat. Inspecting the remains, Rom is confused to find a smaller dead body inside Magnus; Bumblebee explains that this is [[Convoy (G1)|Convoy]], the latest in a line of robots who have worn the [[Magnus Armor]] and carried the Ultra Magnus identity.

Unfortunately, Vekktral himself is still alive, having separated from Magnus just before he perished, and he now heads towards the exploding synthesizer, determined to ensure Stardrive dies along with the rest of his people on Xetaxxis. Stardrive instinctively transforms to jet mode and outraces the building explosion; Vekktral clings to her wing, but cannot hold on, and soon falls off, consumed in the expanding energon fireball. With no recourse, Stardrive and her fellow Knights and Cybertronians all retreat to orbit and can only watch as the energon explosion burns its way across half of Xetaxxis, killing everything in its path, both Wraiths and innocent Xetaxxans alike. Having sought this outcome all along, Livia is content to tell herself that his loss of life is in the name of the greater good, a conclusion that Rom begrudgingly accepts, even if he does not agree with it. Stardive, however, will accept it no longer—before the stunned eyes of those around her, her Cybertronian physiology allows her to do what is believed impossible and ''remove'' her metallic Solstar armor, which she hands over to Rom, declaring herself a Space Knight no longer. Stardrive takes off, disappearing among the stars, a depressing final beat in an adventure that has ended without winners, which seems to have proven the worst qualities of Cybertronians and Knights to be true.

Starscream returns to the Decepticons' current base of operations, reporting to [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] that Dire Wraiths are too dangerous to ever consider allying with. The Wraiths have learned a similar lesson; in their hive on another world, they vow never to meddle with technology again and dedicate themselves only to their magicks.

The Magnus Armor's recall switch returns it to the Autobot fleet, and Bumblebee hitches a ride home with it, delivering his grim report to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] upon arrival. The Magnus Armor's previous wearer, [[Minimus Ambus]], is called back into active duty, and the downhearted Bumblebee keeps the existence of the energon synthesizer a secret, fearing that if the Autobots were to learn that the [[Solstar Order]] possessed the ability to create such a valued object, they would only once again verify every awful thing the Order believes about them in pursuit of it.

Wishing to be no part of each other's wars, the Solstar Order and the [[Galactic Council]] formally decide not to ally and to keep to their own sectors of space. Rom takes no joy in this decision, and the sight of Livia and Sata addressing a new batch of Space Knight cadets only depresses him ever further, as the young warriors are warned that once they don the armor of a knight, they can never remove it.

Somewhere else in the galaxy, Stardrive touches down on a beautiful, unspoilt planet. Born into war and shaped by prejudices, her whole life has been defined by others—but now, it's time for her to start living for herself. But as she takes in her surroundings, shadowy tendrils of Dire Wraith infection darken the corner of her eye...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]/[[Convoy (G1)|Convoy]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] (8)
*[[Minimus Ambus]] (file photo, 24)
*[[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]] (file photo, 25)
*[[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] (26)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] (27)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (28)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]] (29)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (5)
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (6)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (7)
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (13)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (14)
*[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] (16)
*[[Acid Storm]] (17)
*[[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (18)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] (19)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (20)
*[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] (21)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Thundercracker]] (22)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (23)

|h3=[[Solstar Order]]|c3=
*[[Rom]] (9)
*[[Sata]] (10)
*[[Stardrive]] (11)
*[[Livia]] (12)
*[[Orphion]] (30)
|c4=
*[[Vekktral]] (3)
*Assorted [[Dire Wraith]]s (4)
*[[Xetaxxis|Xetaxxans]] (15)
*Various [[Galactic Council]] representatives (31)
}}

==Quotes==
"Hey, Astrotrain—you changing into a big disgusting '''tentacle-thing''' would be an '''improvement'''... but I '''like''' having somebody to '''push around.'''" 
"You're a real '''pal''', Blitzwing."
:—'''Blitzwing''' rescues '''Astrotrain''' from the Wraiths

"I'm not '''like''' other Cybertronians. And I'm not just '''worthy''' of the badge—the badge '''makes me''' what I '''am!'''"
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' goes out with honor

"Sacrifices '''must''' be made for the '''greater good.''' This was the '''only''' option." 
"Perhaps. But nonetheless, we '''failed.''' And if, every time we fail, we convince ourselves there was '''no other option...''' outcomes such as these will become '''common.''' We will be no better than the '''Wraiths."'''
:—'''Livia''' and '''Rom'''

"They were '''right''' about me. The organics; the machines. They '''knew''' who I was. I was '''born''' into '''death''' and '''destruction'''. And '''war''' became my '''life. They''' decided who I was, so their decision '''shaped''' me. But '''no more.''' I am '''me. Stardrive.''' Not who '''they''' see me as. Not who they '''think''' I am. But who I '''choose''' to be. And the day I '''realized''' I could be '''more''' than Cybertronian... more than a Solstar '''Knight'''... was the day I was '''reborn.'''
:—'''Stardrive''' closes out the series

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*In addition to Bumblebee (who says he only knows about it because "people always tell him their secrets"), Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ironhide, and Ratchet are shown to be aware that "Ultra Magnus" is a title passed down from 'bot to 'bot, rather than an individual. Ratchet and Prowl having this knowledge this was previously established, in [[The Sound of Breaking Glass|''More than Meets the Eye'' #21]] and [[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#27]], respectively.
*The decision to label Minimus as a former wearer of the Magnus Armor who is only ''returning'' to the role after Convoy's death feels like the belated patching of a plot hole, potentially inserted into the dialogue after the fact. As we observed in our notes for [[Shining Armor issue 2|issue #2]], working on the presumption that Minimus was the next bearer chosen after the death of Convoy, less than 200 years has always seemed like it would not be enough time for Minimus to have been operating as Ultra Magnus, based on previous stories that have identified him as one of the longest-serving Magnuses in a timeline that has seen Magnus exist for ''millions'' of years. By revealing that he had worn the armor for an indeterminate amount of time prior to Convoy—and was then badly damaged and ceded the job to Convoy for "about a century"—that discontinuity is fixed.
*The fact that Stardrive would shed her Solstar armor was revealed a week early when she turned up on the last page of [[The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|''Optimus Prime'' #13]] back in her original purple, green, and blue colors (as seen originally in [[Shining Armor issue 1|issue #1]]).
*The beehive-cum-spider-web structure the Dire Wraiths gather in during their epilogue is presumably a {{i|Wraith Hive}}, a structure the Wraiths were said to construct in {{i|Earthfall: Part One|''ROM'' #1}} — though not during their invasion of [[Earth]]!
*The Dire Wraith disdain for science was first established in ''{{i|Micronauts: First Strike}}''.

===Transformers references===
*Ultra Magnus's "thought bubbles" for his conversation with Vekktral inside their shared mind, are rendered in the style of Transformers speech balloons from the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Generation 1 Marvel comic]]—rectangular with "starbursts" at the corners.
*The "floor" of Ultra Magnus's mental landscape—a grid pattern in various shades of red, turning to yellow around the figure of Magnus himself—is styled after the package design of the [[The Transformers (toyline)|original Generation 1 toyline]] used between 1987 and 1988.
*"Convoy" was Optimus Prime's Japanese name, which was derived from the name of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' toy on which he was based, "Battle Convoy." Ultra Magnus's toy, meanwhile, shares the same cab robot as Optimus Prime's, because the original ''Diaclone'' version of the Magnus toy was an upgraded version of "Battle Convoy" named "Powered Convoy." So its use here is a reference to like three things at once!
*The Decepticon base which appears on page 17—shaped like a Decepticon [[insignia]], carved into a mountain on some unknown alien world—is a bulked-up and heavily armed version of [[Temporary Decepticon base|the temporary base]] used by the villains in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[Enter the Nightbird]]", complete with an entry/exit portal in the gap between the symbol's "forehead crest" and "face."
*On page 18, on a screen behind Optimus Prime, an image of the Decepticon warship [[Nemesis (G1)|''Nemesis'']] is visible, drawn to match its appearance in the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' animated series.
*On the same page, the smaller starships surrounding the command craft are various [[Ark (disambiguation)|Arks]], previously in use by various Autobot teams during [[Simon Furman]]'s run.

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' Our heroes and villains, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Cover B:''' Ultra Magnus, Stardrive, Bumblebee, Starscream, and Rom, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
*'''Cover C:''' Bumblebee and Rom by [[David Messina]]
<gallery>
File:RomvsTF5 cvrA.jpg|
File:RomvsTF5 cvrB.jpg|
File:RomvsTF5 cvrC.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''{{i|ROM & the Micronauts}}''
*''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]: The Quintessential Collection''
*''[[My Little Pony]]: Legends of Magic'' TPB
*IDW ''DuckTales'' comic
*''Helena Crash''
*''The Powerpuff Girls: The Bureau of Bad''
*''Sword of Ages''
*''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters 2''

==External links==
*[https://www.cbr.com/rom-vs-transformers-shining-armor-5 Preview]

[[Category: Shining Armor issues]]

Convoy (G1)

2017-11-30T06:36:04Z

Minimusminor: profile image added.

{{disambig3|Convoy}}
{{factions|autobot}}
:''Convoy is an [[Autobot]] from the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:ROMvsTF5 Convoy death.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|No more truckin' through the night for you, mate.]]
One of the many load-bearing [[Point One Percenter]]s that operated the [[Magnus Armor]] during the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the reckless, hotheaded '''Convoy''' would briefly lend his... ''distinct'' personality to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]].

==Fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{main|Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity#Xetaxxis and back}}

Chief Justice [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]] chose Convoy to keep alive the legend of the immortal lawman [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], Duly Appointed Enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]], {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}} taking over from an injured [[Minimus Ambus]] for about a century, despite Convoy's short temper and general prejudice against organics. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}

Some two hundred years ago, Ultra Magnus and [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] were dispatched to the [[Zugzwang Cluster]] to investigate the disappearance of a [[Galactic Council]] delegate; tracking the wreckage to the planet [[Xetaxxis]], they discovered that the Decepticons had formed an alliance with the alien [[Dire Wraith]]s to menace the Cybertronian orphan [[Stardrive]]. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}} The adventure would see the Autobots team up with [[Rom]] the [[Space Knight]] to prevent the Decepticons from stealing Stardrive's [[energon synthesizer]]. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 3|Shining Armor #3}}

As the battle reached its zenith, however, the Magnus Armor was targeted by Dire Wraith leader [[Vekktral]] for assimilation, briefly transforming the outer armor into a monstrous fused creature. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 4|Shining Armor #4}} Realizing that there was no other way out, Convoy opened the Magnus Armor and shouted for Rom to kill him. Rom did so, ending the threat of the fusion for good.

Following Convoy's passing, Minimus Ambus donned the Magnus Armor once more and returned to active duty. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}

{{magnusarmor nav}}

[[Category:Comic-only Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Point One Percenters]]
[[Category:Law enforcement]]

File:ROMvsTF5 Convoy death.jpg

2017-11-30T06:29:59Z

Minimusminor: Convoy is revealed as the bearer of the Magnus Armor following his death at the hands of the Dire Wraiths.

[[Convoy (G1)|Convoy]] is revealed as the bearer of the [[Magnus Armor]] following his death at the hands of the [[Dire Wraith]]s.

Riptide (G1)

2017-11-19T01:54:45Z

Minimusminor: /* Fiction */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 Autobot|the ''Armada'' Autobot|Riptide (Armada)}}
:''Riptide is an [[Autobot]] [[Hydrobot (G1)|Hydrobot]] from the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:RiptideR.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|Lady, running down to the riptide, taken away to the dark side]]
'''Riptide''' has never really been particularly smart or studious. Preferring to enjoy the simpler things in life, such as drinking at [[Swerve's]] and pulling pranks on his fellow 'bots, Riptide fits perfectly into the ''[[Lost Light]]<nowiki>'s</nowiki>'' already dysfunctional crew. He's also a bit of a chatterbox, especially when worried or scared.

==Fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
Riptide was [[Reproduction|constructed cold]] as a [[M.T.O.]] in response to the [[Simanzi Massacre]], specifically to combat the [[Forced Flood]]. Back then, the ten-step program for new 'bots had been shortened to eight steps and never mind Simanzi, his big past trauma was the download packs he had to study and the revision and the pressure and oh god the exam which ''everyone else'' found easy. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}}

During the war, he became friends with [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] (and may or may not have known that he was Pipes' "type"). {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}} Hydrobot comrades included [[Aquabat]]. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} At some point in the war, he became moderately [[Chirolinguistics|chirolingual]], a Transformer 'sign language' of sorts. By the end of it, he'd developed an unreliable [[transformation cog]]. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}}

[[File:mtmte31 attention grieving masses.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|I wanna be your left hand man]]
Riptide was present when [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] and [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] purchased the ''[[Lost Light]]'' from a pair of [[NAIL]]s in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s religious quarter. Suspicious of the original owners, Riptide offered to go back to get a receipt of sale but found the NAILs laughing about how they had sold a ship that contained a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]. In response Riptide attacked them but was instead knocked out for two days, preventing him from joining the original ''Lost Light'' crew. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}} Pipes would die thinking Riptide just hadn't been bothered to turn up after all. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}}

He finally got a second chance to join up a few years later when the ''Lost Light'' briefly returned to Cybertron. As the ship prepared to get back to its mission, a disinterested Riptide was roped into helping [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] and [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]] with his fake new crewmember interviews. He was also present for [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]'s trial at [[Raskol Arena]]. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}}

Once on the ship, Crosscut gave him and fellow newbies [[Mirage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Mirage]] and [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] a tour that ended with [[Swerve's]]. Riptide took a bunch of photos of the place. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}} He fell in with [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and Nautica, and, wanting to set goals for himself, even risked the horrors of exams by going to Megatron's classes on the Knights. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} Those classes didn't make him like or trust Megatron any further, though five months in Riptide bet twenty [[shanix]] that Megatron would pretend to be reformed for at least another month. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}}

[[File:Nautica-mtmte-33-notagoodthing.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|I love you when you're singing that song and]]
Reading the ''[[Lost Light Insider]]'' at Swerve's, Riptide managed to convince [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]] to break into the Medbay and steal Megatron's "super fuel". When communications with the Forcefield Specialist broke down, Riptide brushed off Skids' concerns. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} Riptide began attending lectures held by Megatron, and when he was warned by Swerve that it was all a distraction while ol' Megs devised plans to conquer the universe, just responded that he needed that sort of life goals too. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} Not long afterwards when it became apparent that the ''Lost Light'' was disappearing around them, Riptide abandoned the ship along with twenty other 'bots aboard the [[Rodpod]], though his fellow escapees continued to vanish. As the crew tried to keep their minds off things, Riptide talked with Ammo about the terrible M.T.O. exams. After [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] worked out that those left behind were ''not'' part of the ''Lost Light'''s crew at launch, the Rodpod arrived at [[Ofsted XVII]] to find their ship, apparently broken in half. {{storylink|Twenty Plus One}}

Upon boarding the shattered remains, the Lost Lighters were stunned to recognise their landing zone as Swerve's bar. Megatron enlisted the aid of stowaway [[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]] to help look for survivors, and in response Riptide took to mocking the Decepticon feline, getting a few digs in when Ravage claimed to smell [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] but instead turned up Minimus Ambus instead. Megatron chastised him for being so flippant in front of a dead body and Riptide felt sufficiently ashamed enough to apologise. He was later teamed with Skids and [[Getaway]] as they searched for clues, and was the first to discover a room full of dead Lost Lighters, all in their altmodes and missing their [[transformation cog]]s. When both Skids and Megatron reached the conclusion the Lost Light they were aboard had been attacked by the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], Riptide helped explain the group to Nautica, and hurriedly informed the team he'd repaired the Rodpod as the ''Lost Light'' shook. {{storylink|slaughterhouse}}

After Nautica mentioned the Lost Light's [[quantum drum]]s floating in space, Riptide suggested that the profession just involved placing the word 'quantum' before other words. Nautica responded with a badly-executed joke, prompting him to remark on her failed effort. He later ended [[Rewind (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rewind's]] tale about the DJD's attack by noticing that the quantum foam outside of the ship was beginning to spread. {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}

[[File:riptide floats his boat.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7|I got a lump in my throat 'cause you're gonna sing the words wrong]]
When [[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]] set out to change history, Riptide joined a team who followed him back through time to prevent this. Their first stop was in [[Alyon]] just before the war, where they helped [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] defend a [[hot spot]] from the [[Senate]]. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}} On their next stop further back in history, Riptide was assigned to patrol waterways in search of Brainstorm, but found nothing (and was very vocal about how boring it was). Moving on, the team was present at [[Maccadam's Old Oil House|Maccadam's]] for the bar brawl that led to Megatron's fateful arrest, during which Riptide saved [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] by throwing the [[time case]] at a guard trying to shoot him. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}} They finally reached Brainstorm at his true goal—preventing the war by killing Megatron early on—and convinced him to stand down. Before returning to their own time, the team sent a message to their future selves to try to prevent other tragedies, with Riptide's contribution being a warning not to trust Brainstorm, but it didn't arrive in time. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}}

Riptide then attended the [[Lost Light Internal Legal Affairs Committee]]'s hearing to discuss what Brainstorm's punishment would be. When Brainstorm sarcastically asked who else had built a time machine, Riptide stood up with his hand raised before realising Brainstorm had said ''time'' machine. {{storylink|Our Steps Will Always Rhyme}}

During the "EarthDance" party held at [[Swerve's]], Riptide questioned if he'd choose Megatron or [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]], though the context of the question is unclear. {{storylink|The Frail Gaze}} He came along on the trip to the [[Necroworld]], where he chatted with the [[Censere|Necrobot]] about his holographic flowers. {{storylink|The Not Knowing}} At some point, Riptide became a keyholder for [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], occasionally locking up the [[Swerve's|bar]]. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 1): Full Circle|Full Circle}}

[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-LostLightmutiny.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|I love you when you're singing that song and I got a lump in my throat 'cause you gone and sank the world's wolf]]
[[Froid]] got Riptide to take him to Rung. ''[[Sunder (G1)|Thanks]]'', bro. {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}}

Sometime over the course of the journey, Riptide began to take Megatron's discussion classes; he was an enthusiastic if average student. He was ''also'' asked by [[Getaway]] if he'd join a hypothetical mutiny against Megatron and Rodimus, and answered yes. On the same day he was told Megatron was ''very'' impressed with the work he'd put into a history essay (he'd still failed but Megs would explain why later!), that mutiny kicked off. Megatron, Rodimus, and assumed sympathisers, including Riptide's friends like Nautica, were tricked off ship and when Getaway wanted to rub in how big the mutiny was in a broadcast, a somber Riptide stood with him. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

Eventually Riptide would come to regret his decision. When the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] broke into ''Swerve's'' to discuss the crew's unusual behaviour, Riptide confessed the truth about the mutiny and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]]'s condition. When they were discovered, Riptide suckerpunched [[Powerflash]] and told the Protectobots to escape the ''Lost Light'' and contact [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 1): Full Circle|Full Circle}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:RiptideV.jpg|thumb|I just wanna, I just wanna know If you're gonna, if you're gonna stay]]
*Riptide's robot and vehicle modes were revealed by [[Alex Milne]] on Twitter on [[March 29]], [[2014]].
*Milne partially based Riptide's color scheme on the clothing of the Water Tribe from television series ''{{w|Avatar: The Last Airbender}}''.
*[[James Roberts]] said the mutineers shown in "The Dying of the Light (1)" were deliberately "B-listers you know and like and trust" for impact, and singled Riptide out as someone chosen because he'd once been a 'main' guy.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 54:15 to 55:11]</ref>
*[[Twenty Plus One|''More than Meets the Eye'' #31]] gives him a vitreous-positive sparktype.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Comic-only Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]

G.B. Blackrock

2017-09-29T21:44:03Z

Minimusminor: /* IDW Generation 1 continuity */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 human|the ''Shattered Glass'' human|R.J. Blackrock}}
:''G.B. Blackrock is a [[human]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Gbblackrock.jpg|thumb|300px|He's definitely not [[Iron Man|Tony Stark]]! Not even when he's got a flying robot guy alter ego! Definitely, especially not then!]]
'''G.B. Blackrock''' is a shrewd businessman—he's built his company, [[Blackrock Enterprises]], into a global success and is himself worth millions of dollars. Despite this, he also knows that people are more important than money, and his first concern, even before making money, is the safety and welfare of his workers. The fact that [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Josie Beller]] was injured defending his oil rig continues to haunt him.

With the arrival of the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s on Earth, Blackrock is one of the few humans with power to actually distinguish between the two sides, and his loyalties lie firmly with the Autobots. Perhaps he can convince more people to listen to him.

Sometimes his first name is '''Garrison''' but his true birth name is '''[[Sovereign]]'''.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:WorseOfTwoEvils-Blackrock.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|Clearly you need ''four'' medallions to fend off this invasion, G.B.!]]
Blackrock Enterprises unveiled a new highly efficient [[oil-drilling platform]] to the public. Interviewed by [[Charlene Welles]], G.B. Blackrock gave the credit for the rig's design to employee [[Circuit Breaker (G1)|Josie Beller]]. Their broadcast was seen by the newly arrived [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|The New Order}} Less than an hour later, Shockwave attacked the rig. Blackrock sounded the alarm. Though the rig's defenses, controlled by Beller, were formidable, Shockwave overcame them all, and Blackrock ordered the evacuation of the rig. Josie, however, was knocked out by an electrical malfunction, and as Blackrock carried her out of the rig, Shockwave appeared in front of him, telling him to take the message back to the other humans that resistance was useless. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

[[File:WarriorSchool-Blackrock.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Goes from Disco Stu to Clark Kent overnight.]]
Blackrock had the security beefed up at his other installations, adding artillery cannons and a private army to [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]], but even this wasn't enough to stop [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] infiltrating it by tricking [[Ferdy and Gabe|a worker]]. Blackrock learned about it from a news bulletin and announced he wasn't beaten yet. He visited the now-paralyzed Josie in her hospital bed at [[Blackrock Chronic Care Institute]], delivering her the printed circuit design equipment she'd asked for. Though he felt the loss of the assembly plant meant that he'd failed her, he promised that the evil robots would be stopped. {{storylink|Warrior School!}} Enlisting the aid of [[Hawthorne|Colonel Hawthorne]] and his men, Blackrock intended to take back the assembly plant. When Shockwave turned up at the plant, and the army opened fire, Blackrock was forced to tell them to stop, as the ricocheting shells were endangering his workers. He glared with silent anger while the reporter continued to try to question him. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

[[File:Ames.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Blackrock can grow a mustache ''quick''.]]
''In order to counter the robots, Blackrock began building an [[Anti-Robot Photonic Multi-Cannon]]. {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}'' [[Ames (G1)|Ames]] interrupted Blackrock's motor racing at [[Blackrock Motor Speedway]] to introduce him to [[Capshaw|General Capshaw]], who warned him about unleashing the new superweapon he was building on the mysterious robots. Blackrock was dismissive of the General, worrying only about the safety of his workers and the security of his business. He instead visited Josie, who was keen to help, but Blackrock was determined to keep her out of harm's way. Later that night, Blackrock was visited in his office by Josie, now in a circuit exoskeleton she'd built for herself, and calling herself Circuit Breaker. Though Blackrock was impressed, he insisted she should keep out of the conflict and instead return to the clinic. She responded by storming out of his office.

The next day at the race track, Blackrock encountered [[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]], who took him for a ride and explained about the [[Autobot]]/[[Decepticon]] conflict. The pair struck a deal—Blackrock would supply the Autobots with [[Transformer fuel|fuel]] in exchange for them protecting his factories. Later, Blackrock attempted to unveil the [[Anti-Robot Photonic Multi-Cannon]] at the speedway, only for it to malfunction during the test firing. Circuit Breaker revealed that she'd sabotaged it so that he would have to unveil ''her'' as the secret weapon instead. When [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] attacked, Jazz transformed to defend the humans, only to be zapped by Circuit Breaker despite Blackrock's protests that Jazz was on their side. When she zapped [[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]] as well, Blackrock pleaded with her to stop and look at what she was doing. She acceded, but promised next time Blackrock wouldn't stop her from destroying the robots, and Blackrock realized that her experiences had turned her into a cold, inhuman killer. {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}} {{storylink|Christmas Breaker!}}

''Unknown to Blackrock, Professor [[Peter Anthony Morris]] once accused him of masterminding the Transformers war to his superiors (and Blackrock's chief competitors) at [[Roxxon Oil]]. {{storylink|The Icarus Theory}}''

[[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] showed Blackrock around the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], visiting Jazz in [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]]'s medical bay while Prowl assured him that the Autobots were committed to staying hidden as much as possible. Blackrock suddenly remembered that all the phones at the aerospace plant were bugged, and he and Prowl used them to listen in on Shockwave talking to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime's]] head. {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} This information would later aid the Autobots in rescuing Optimus and liberating the plant, though Blackrock himself didn't get involved. {{storylink|Prime Time!}} Blackrock went to check out the navy blockade surrounding the oil rig the Decepticons had captured, and talked to [[Walter Barnett (G1)|Walter Barnett]]. Though Blackrock was keen to recapture the rig, Barnett said that would run the risk of a catastrophic oil leak. He was further unimpressed by the navy's fruitless efforts to stop the Decepticons coming and going as they pleased. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

[[File:IRobotMaster-Blackrock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Seriously, Blackrock's upper lip, make up your mind.]]
As Blackrock had had the most contact with the alien robots, Barnett invited him along to the [[Intelligence and Information Institute]]. He told them about the fact that there were two factions, but was abruptly dismissed, and the I.I.I. decided to treat all of the invaders as enemies anyway. When "[[Donny Finkleberg|Robot Master]]" subsequently appeared on television to claim all of the robots were under his control, Blackrock quickly concluded that I.I.I. were behind it and told [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] as much when the Autobot met with him later. However a comment he made to reporters resulted in a rumor that Robot Master was a fraud, and Burnett demanded he take back what he'd said. Blackrock refused, suggesting the Decepticons might soon get sick of Finkleberg claiming to be their leader and kill him. When the Autobots arrived a short time later and were attacked by the military, Blackrock demanded Burnett stop the humans. After the Autobots were forced to retreat, and the nearby [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] was restored to life, Blackrock watched as the Decepticons abducted Finkleberg. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!}}

''As promised, Blackrock would continue to deliver specially-treated fuel to the Autobots, though they used a lot in battling the Decepticons. During one delivery, the [[Blackrock's chemical plant|plant]] was attacked by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] and only quick work from [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] saved Blackrock from the resulting inferno.'' {{storylink|The Gift}}

Blackrock was enjoying some time off on a cruise ship when an aerial battle broke out overhead between [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and [[Cobra]] over control of [[Power Station Alpha]]. [[Serpentor]] used the cruise ship as a bargaining chip by threatening to sink it if the Joes didn't let them get a way with the power station. [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] agreed to let Cobra get away with the power station, but Serpentor ordered the cruise ship sunk anyway. While G.I. Joe evacuated the cruise ship, Blackrock overheard [[Crankcase (G.I. Joe)|Crankcase]] talking about their problems with giant robots and offered his assistance. {{storylink|Power Struggle}} He was taken back to [[Fort Lewis]] where [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]] and Crankcase were inspecting the remains of the [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|yellow robot]] the Joes blew up earlier. Blackrock explained how the robots were aliens in a civil war and the robot they killed was one of the good guys. He was surprised when Mainframe told him that it might be possible to salvage the robot's life essence from the wreckage. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

[[File:CraterCritters-BlackrockFelicia.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|If only Blackrock were wearing three medallions.]]
While out on a date with [[Felicia]], Blackrock was approached by Goldbug who insisted on interrupting the date for a talk. Felicia was very unhappy about being driven home in a Volkswagen, leaving Blackrock in a less than agreeable mood. At a Blackrock gas station, Goldbug and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] told him they'd deserted the Autobot army now that [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] was in charge and they needed help in finding the Decepticons. They eventually persuaded Blackrock to help them, and he told them about a strange meteorite that had recently crashed. As they prepared to roll out, he quickly asked for a ride home. {{storylink|Crater Critters}} The meteorite turned out to be harboring [[Scraplet]]s, parasites deadly to all mechanical life. When it transpired that the cure to Scraplets was water, Goldbug rang up Blackrock and arranged a couple of tanker trucks full of the stuff to be hauled in at the crash site. Blackrock accompanied the trucks to [[Death Valley]], and was dismayed when the Scraplets merged into a giant monster and trashed one of his vehicles. Following the defeat of the Scraplets, [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] surreptitiously used a hypnotic device on Blackrock. {{storylink|The Cure!}}

Under the Decepticons' influence, Blackrock set up a franchise of [[Wash and Roll]] car washes. After holding a press conference to tout the venture's success, Blackrock returned to his office where [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] congratulated him on his work. The car washes contained [[stroboscopic opticon]]s, which temporarily hypnotized users into taking their cars to a [[Blackrock Oil Storage Facility]] and siphoning their fuel for Decepticon use. Soon, he was unveiling to his franchise holders the Wash and Roll mark II, which would have permanent effects. When [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] caused a neon sign to smash, the flash of light broke Blackrock and the other humans present out of their hypnosis and they chased Ratbat and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] away. Blackrock later thanked Buster and [[Jesse (G1)|Jesse]], promising his company would dismantle the Wash and Rolls and refund everyone's money, as well as use the profits from the stolen fuel to help the poor. {{storylink|Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom}}

[[File:HumanFactor-CircuitBreaker.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67]]
Following the collapse of [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]], Blackrock set about assembling a new group of superhuman defenders dubbed the [[Neo-Knights]]. After recruiting [[Thunderpunch]] and [[Rapture]], he gained footage of a mysterious man fighting Decepticons at an oil refinery in [[Louisiana]]. Blackrock took his recruits to find [[Dynamo|Hector Dialonzo]], though neither of them seemed to enjoy the gaudy superhero costumes Blackrock made them wear. They arrived at Dialonzo's location to find Starscream fighting Circuit Breaker. Blackrock sent out his recruits to fight and defeat Starscream while he tried to reason with Circuit Breaker. She was as uninterested as always initially. Then, Dialonzo forced everyone else to cease fighting and instead pitch their offers at him, so that he could judge for himself who he wanted to join up with. Blackrock offered him a place to belong, as well as training so he could master his powers. Once Hector accepted Blackrock's offer of membership in the Neo-Knights, Blackrock made the same offer to Circuit Breaker, and she was finally swayed by his words. After blasting Starscream into the nearby surf, the group took off together. {{storylink|The Human Factor!}} Blackrock and his new team arrived on the scene as Optimus Prime was trying to arrange a truce with [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]] so the Autobots and Decepticons could fight [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] together. {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} During the Neo-Knights' fight with Scorponok, Circuit Breaker was shot by Shockwave and naturally assumed the nearby Autobots were to blame. Blackrock tried fruitlessly to stop her from blasting the Autobots in retaliation, until he spotted Shockwave nearby, and managed to switch Circuit Breaker's attention to the Decepticon who had originally paralyzed her. In the aftermath of the battle, Blackrock and the Neo-Knights were mistakenly transported to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] by [[Primus]]. {{storylink|Out of Time!}}

[[File:Blackrockwomanbeater.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|I think we all wanted to do this, but geez!]]
With Circuit Breaker's sanity quickly breaking down as a result of being surrounded by robots, Blackrock told Optimus to ask Primus to send the Neo-Knights back to [[Earth]]. Primus unfortunately vanished before Optimus could do so. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} As Unicron attacked, the humans sought shelter. But after Rapture pointed out there was no running from an enemy that was destroying the planet itself, Thunderpunch urged the others to help the Transformers against Unicron. Thinking the very notion absurd, Blackrock asked Thunderpunch if he had lost his mind. The burly super-human pointed out that the Neo-Knights' very purpose was to fight against "evil robots," and they now found themselves facing off against the evilest one of them all; a last stand against such opponent was the logical conclusion for their group. When the other Neo-Knights sided with Thunderpunch, Blackrock felt ashamed for his initial cowardice, and joined them as they charged into the fray. Unfortunately, Thunderpunch, Rapture, and Dynamo proved ineffective against Unicron. Blackrock found himself forced to slap Josie in an attempt to snap her out of her stupefied state. It worked, and with him goading her on, she blasted Unicron long enough for Optimus to grab the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] and finish off the planet-eater. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

After the destruction of Unicron, Blackrock and the Neo-Knights were stuck in a room somewhere to await transport back to Earth. Blackrock blamed himself for Circuit Breaker's current condition, believing his bullying to get her into action had cost her what little sanity she had left. In the next room was [[Hi-Q]], whose personality had been fused with that of Optimus Prime and now believed himself to be the Autobot leader. {{storylink|Exodus!}} Hi-Q insisted they had to stay on Cybertron and find the [[Last Autobot]]. Blackrock wondered what the six of them could do against a dying planet, but then Thunderpunch defeated him with logic, pointing out he'd been as pessimistic about their chances against Unicron. {{storylink|A Savage Circle}} Convinced, Blackrock and the Neo-Knights stayed on Cybertron after the Autobots left, but soon found themselves regretting their decision. Blackrock and Thunderpunch both blamed themselves for getting roped into this quest by Hi-Q, reverting to their prior opinions that the Nebulan was completely bonkers. But a glimmer of hope emerged when Dynamo's powers began behaving erratically; it seemed that, in his attempt to tap into Cybertron's power, Dynamo had managed to establish a rapport with the alien world. With him guiding the group, the Neo-Knights uncovered the Last Autobot's hiding place within some ancient ruins. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}} After the Last Autobot resurrected Optimus Prime, Blackrock and the Neo-Knights helped defeat a group of Decepticons on [[Klo]], and were returned to Earth by the Autobots. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}

====''Transformers Comic-Magazin''====
A team from J.B. Blackrock's company helped the Autobots prevent the Decepticons from taking over an oil refinery in an event whose recording was used in a wayward simulation experienced by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 15|Memories of Bumblebee}}

====''Classics''====
[[File:Lastautobotnewworld.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|He likes to watch.]]
{{noteclassics}}
Before leaving Cybertron, Blackrock looked on as the Last Autobot created [[Modus Prime]], part of a new race of [[Transformer]] called the [[Mini-Con]]s whose task it was to restore [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|The New World}}

{{note|Blackrock did not appear in the story itself, just this illustration in the "[[Games of Deception]]" Diamond Edition prologue.}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{noterg1}}
[[File:Gb blackrock loose ends.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.5]]
After Megatron conquered Earth in [[1995]], Blackrock led a small band of humans to [[Argus Base]], an abandoned military base. It was there that Blackrock used his knowledge of Circuit Breaker's neural-cybernetic technology to revive [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], who had been comatose since his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] partner [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus's]] death, as Circuit Smasher.

In [[2012]], Blackrock met the [[Wrecker]]s as Circuit Smasher brought them to the base, and asked them where Optimus Prime was. Unfortunately, the Autobot Commander wasn't with the troupe. With the allies on-hand, Blackrock later helped devise a plan to shut down the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], Megatron's seat of power. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}}

After Optimus Prime and reinforcements arrived from Cybertron, Megatron was destroyed and the Ark was deactivated. Nevertheless, Blackrock and Witwicky insisted the Autobots get off their planet, as Cybertronians were no longer welcome on Earth. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

Along with Spike's wife and commanding officer [[Linda Chang]], they began a settlement called [[Little America]], [[Wyoming]], and were less than thrilled to discover Prime remained behind despite their wishes. Still, Prime's proposal of a [[space bridge]] connecting them and [[Nebulos]] in order to pool resources had merit. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}}

After Cybertron's [[Star Chamber]] connected them to Nebulos, Blackrock and the humans met at their constructed space bridge in [[Oklahoma]] to greet their new "neighbors". Instead, a possessed Fortress Maximus emerged from the nexus, kidnapped Spike, and seriously beat Optimus. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} G.B. did his best to get Prime functioning again in order to discover what their enemy was. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}} After the [[Dark Matrix (G1)|Dark Matrix]]'s machinations ended, Blackrock went ahead and established the expected relations with Nebulos. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
Long ago, [[Onyx Prime]] sent a sleeper agent to Earth, a [[Titan Master]] named '''[[Sovereign]]'''. {{storylink|White Light}} Augmented with human flesh and conditioned to believe he had always been a human, he became known as '''Garrison Blackrock'''. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 3: Helden|Helden}} Blackrock remembered this as a childhood visit from a "black angel" who gave him visions of a [[Antilla|rust desert]], {{storylink|Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|Lagrange}} and went looking for the ancient [[Enigma of Combination]] on Onyx's behalf. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 3: Helden|Helden}}

Unsure of his true heritage, Blackrock believed himself to be a descendant of [[Gilgamesh]]. He had indeed found Cybertron's lost Enigma, along with many other relics from after the Transformers officially appeared on Earth, and he began hunting their stuff down. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|ONoffON}} EDC leader [[Marissa Faireborn]] knew that there were no records of Blackrock existing at ''all'' before three years ago. {{storylink|South of Heaven}}

[[File:OnyxInterfacePart2-BlackrocksOrigins.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

In public, Blackrock was best known as the eccentric CEO of [[Onyx]], a technology corporation using reverse-engineered Cybertronian technology to make people's life easier... on the surface, at least. Behind closed doors he was also in the business of war, building advanced weaponry based off Cybertronian designs, manufacturing an army of [[Combiner|combining]] [[Seeker clone]]s for the [[Earth Defense Command]] {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches}} {{storylink|The Nothing Man}} while simultaneously supplying [[China]]'s [[People's Liberation Army Mecha Force]] with transforming mechs of their own. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}} When [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] returned to Earth and proposed an alliance with the humans, Onyx secretly funded the construction of [[Sanctuary Station]], a "commune" for the Decepticons to call home. {{storylink|South of Heaven}}

Some months after the Decepticons secretly returned to Earth, Blackrock prepared to unveil his latest invention, the [[Onyx Interface]], supposedly the hottest new kit. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches.}} In actual fact, it used Enigma code to see right into the data of every device that used the Interface... and right into the souls of every human on Earth! What worried Blackrock was he couldn't see ''his'' soul when he used the device on himself. {{storylink|The Nothing Man}}

During the public launch of the Onyx Interface, Blackrock was interrupted by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Spike Witwicky]] hacking the conference to reveal the connection between Onyx and the EDC to the world. He tried to spin the interruption as a mistimed video game announcement as he awaited the arrival of [[Marissa Faireborn|Director Faireborn]], then was annoyed she'd only brought one other agent to the scene, as more troops would have increased the insecurity among the population and allowed him to sell more weapons ''and'' distractions. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches.}} After a clash between Autobots, Decepticons, and Witwicky in [[Tokyo]], Blackrock saw fit to reveal to Faireborn that Onyx was in possession of the [[Enigma of Combination]], the ancient Cybertronian artifact that he believed once built human society. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|Vs.}} After flying them to his [[Wanmu]] facility, he grandly proclaimed his ancestry, that the Enigma had constantly shaped our world, and that his family were always there to reap the riches. When the facility came under attack by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl's]] [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], Blackrock also revealed he could remotely activate and control the EDC's drone army! {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|ONoffON}}

[[File:nothing man Blackrock and Spike.jpg|upright=1.5|left|thumb|]]

Cybertronian intervention took out that army and saw the Enigma, and a [[space bridge|spacebridge]] he'd acquired, taken from him, but the Onyx Interface had sold so it wasn't a total loss. He quietly activated the "Earth Enigma" function to start a-spying. {{storylink|The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati}}

Shortly after, Blackrock finally revealed Sanctuary Station to Soundwave and Galvatron's Decepticons. The visiting [[Ayana Jones]] and Faireborne were weirded out by his calm demeanour. {{storylink|South of Heaven}}

Blackrock began to make his move from within the EDC's own base, all while talking to Spike: he hoped the dodgy geezer would be able to help him work out who and what the hell he ''was''. While talking Spike through his big plans with Onyx, Blackrock used the operating system to take control of the ''Ark-7'' and trap it within a forcefield; other Autobots were captured by drones. {{storylink|The Nothing Man}} Even ''Spike'' found it disturbing when Blackrock began slowly dissolving the captive Autobots so he could convert them into [[lonsdaleite]]! {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}} However, Blackrock was keeping the prisoners in the EDC base, unknown to his human allies, and the jig was swiftly up when [[D.0.C.]] and [[Buster (IDW)|Buster]] broke them loose!

[[File:Helden-BlackrocksBadDay.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]

Unfortunately for all concerned, that was when Galvatron attacked: he'd worked out Blackrock was a Cybertronian made to do Onyx's dirty work and then summon him to Earth, but the Decepticon had other plans! {{storylink|Conquerors Part 3: Helden|Helden}} Blackrock was kidnapped by Galvatron and [[Skywarp (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Skywarp]], who brought him to Shanghai, China where the invasion was set to begin. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion|Perihelion}} Galvatron forced Blackrock to give the Onyx source code to [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], using his mental powers to counter the effects of an EDC [[mindbomb]]. When Galvatron learned that [[Wheeljack (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Wheeljack]] had shielded ''all'' the Autobots from the EDC's weaponry, the vastly outnumbered Galvatron teleported away, taking Blackrock with him. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}}

[[File:NewWorldsOrder mindwipe and blackrock.jpg|upright=1.5|left|thumb|He's a synth! Kill him!]]

Back aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', Mindwipe vivisected Blackrock to confirm Galvatron's theory: Blackrock was, indeed of Cybertronian heritage, a synthetic human indistinguishable from the genuine article. Blackrock was more than a little upset to have his suspicions confirmed so viscerally, but Galvatron insisted that this revelation was a boon for all parties involved — especially since Blackrock had handed the Decepticon leader access to the Onyx source code on a silver platter. {{storylink|New Worlds Order}} Still getting used to his robotic body, Blackrock had only been partially reassembled when Galvatron left to take care of an "appointment". With Galvatron out of the way, Blackrock struck a deal with the miserable Skywarp, offering to help him return to tangibility if he did the ex-CEO a favour... {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}}

Galvatron was delighted with his access to the Onyx code, using it to spy on Optimus and Soundwave's combined forces while Blackrock underwent another examination at the hands of Mindwipe. In the name of self-preservation, Garrison reluctantly took Galvatron's side as they prepared for the upcoming conflict. That moment came sooner than expected, and the combined forces brought their full might to bear on Galvatron's underwater base. Several Onyx assets were deployed over the course of the fight, but none were as powerful or game-changing as Galvatron's experiments with the Enigma code, which allowed him to forcibly combine or separate ''any'' Transformers, turning the Autobots into loyal combiners. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] fought back against the deleterious effects of the Onyx code, he wound up smashing the base entirely, and Blackrock, no longer needing to breathe, made his escape. Although [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]]'s team attempted take in Blackrock, Faireborn and Jones, arrived to extract their asset, responding to a secret signal Blackrock had hid in the transmission Galvatron had earlier sent to the EDC. Skywarp finally made good on his end of the deal as he teleported Faireborn, Jones, and Blackrock to safety. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|As Above...So Below}}

[[File:WhiteLight-Sovereign.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"No one will ever manipulate me again! Or draw my robot body consistently!"]]

Having teleported to the [[White House]], Blackrock assured the [[President of the United States|President]] that he could avert another war against the Cybertronians after Optimus Prime raised a slumbering [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]] from Earth's soil. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}} The President opted to send Blackrock to an undisclosed location via military convoy, overseen by [[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] and [[Scarlett]]. Things were uneventful until the convoy stumbled across the severed head of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]... and the head of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], who had hijacked the old sage's body! Shrugging off the human's counterattack, Sentinel abducted Blackrock, telling the hapless CEO that he needed his skills, taking him back to the new [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. Blackrock was thoroughly exasperated by his constant kidnappings, but things quickly took a turn when Sentinel Prime "initiated" Blackrock—forcing him out of his human configuration, Blackrock's body shed its human augmentations, revealing his original Titan Master body and name, Sovereign. Tapping into his innate knowledge of Titans, Sovereign manipulated [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]]'s body to open a spacebridge portal, and after returning to his main body Sentinel took Sovereign and Optimus and Soundwave to places unknown. {{storylink|White Light}} The Titan Master duo brought to the remains of the Titan [[Prion]] where Sovereign assumed his head mode to control Trion's body while Sentinel monologued. At Sentinel's cue, Sovereign stabbed Soundwave through the chest with Alpha Trion's sword before Optimus shoved him off the Decepticon. As Optimus and Sentinel fought, Soundwave restored Sovereign's natural "Blackrock" persona before Sentinel grabbed the diminutive robot and fled through Prion's spacebridge. {{storylink|White Heat}}

[[File:TenToMidnight-BlackrocksReallyBadDay.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|left|"Yup, that's me. You're probably wondering how I ended up in this situation..."]]

Shanghaied into Sentinel's mad scheme to "cleanse" the post-war Cybertron, Blackrock was taken to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where Sentinel planned to awaken the hundreds of Titans that had been interred there. Sentinel took down [[Outrigger]], and then ordered Blackrock to devour his [[Spark]] to fuel his Titan Master physiology. Blackrock refused, and in the interim Outrigger escaped. As retribution, Sentinel forcefully hardwired Blackrock into a Titan's [[brain module]], using Blackrock to puppeteer the Titan and make a beeline for the moon's thrusters. {{storylink|Ten to Midnight}} Thanks to the efforts of [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Fortress Maximus]], and [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] he managed to the brain module while Sentinel was distracted. Blackrock then managed to influence the coordinates of Sentinel's massive spacebridge for deep space sparing Cybertron from a Titan apocalypse. In the aftermath, he was returned to Earth by Prowl. {{storylink|Last Light}}

When [[Marissa Faireborn]] was called in to speak to the President after [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] had been infiltrated by [[Dire Wraith]]s, the President accused the EDC agent of letting Blackrock infiltrate her organization. Marissa pointed out that unlike G.I. Joe, she at least knew what race Blackrock was and figured it out beforehand while G.I. Joe had lost custody of Blackrock almost immediately after putting him under their protection. {{storylink|Thundercracker & Buster Save the World}}

[[File:CrisisIntervention-BlackrockTransforms.jpg|thumb|right|200px|One-ups Tony Stark by literally turning into his armor.]]

After returning to Earth, Blackrock headed to the small European country of [[Schleteva]] in search of a [[Talisman (G1)|mysterious obelisk]] that had been unearthed by the [[Adventure Team]] and stored away by the [[Secret Intelligence Service|SIS]], hoping to use it to learn more about his Cybertronian heritage. {{storylink|Crisis Intervention}} As a result of this, G.I. Joe were unable to call him for a consultation on Cybertronian technology. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}}

In a bunker beneath Schleteva's capital of [[Verenya]], Blackrock discovered the Talisman and investigated it; he was unaware that his tampering had activated the Talisman, causing it to mutate the inhabitants of the city above into [[Dire Wraith]]s. The anomalous energy readings prompted the [[Action Man Programme]] to intercede by deploying [[Action Man]]. Misunderstanding the situation, Blackrock battled the super-spy, but their fight was interrupted by the arrival of [[Rom]] and his old "ally" [[Ayana Jones|Mayday]], who intervened before the [[Oktober Guard]] interfered. Taking a moment to question if Rom was Cybertronian (he wasn't), Blackrock joined the Space Knight in the fight before he was knocked back against the obelisk by a missile, causing it to unleash another energy wave. Once Bludd had been defeated (and teleported away with Action Man), Blackrock reassumed his human form, explained his reasons for going after the obelisk in the first place, dismissed Rom, and offered some [[Micronaut|small thoughts]] on what to do next. {{storylink|Crisis Intervention}}

[[File:EnterTheShadow-blackrockflies.jpg|thumb|left|200px|After IDW won the rights to use Marvel's Dire Wraiths, they started getting a little cocky...]]

Blackrock, Mayday, and [[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] tracked down the Micronauts to the [[Pacific Science Center]] in [[Seattle]], where—having recently escaped human captivity—the tiny aliens interpreted the heroes as a threat. Blackrock took to the air to engage their the ''[[Heliopolis]]'' and managed to convince the Micronauts that their intentions were pure. [[Larissa]] recognized Blackrock's photographs of the Talisman; hoping to find a way off Earth and back to [[Microspace]], the Micronauts joined forces with Blackrock's team to find the Talisman, using the ''Heliopolis''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s sensors to track the artifact to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Blackrock used his Onyx connections to equip Kup with a set of booster wings; on arriving, they discovered the Talisman–along with [[Doctor X]], [[Joe Colton|Baron Ironblood]], and [[Storm Shadow]]. Blackrock and Larissa managed to extricate the Talisman before the base's supplies of [[Ore-13]] detonated. {{storylink|Enter The Shadow}} Blackrock then sent the Talisman to his tower in [[Buenos Aires]] for study. {{storylink|When Eagles Scream}}

On Action Man's suggestion, the team headed to [[Hollywood]] to meet with [[Bulletman|Richard Ruby]], who had been "Bulletman" on the [[Adventure Team]] when humanity first discovered the Talisman. They learned from Ruby's story that [[Garrison Kreiger]] had also been involved in the Talisman, and headed off to investigate his successor in [[I.R.O.N.]], [[Iron Klaw|Count van Rani]]. {{storylink|The Secret of the Mummy's Tomb}} The group arrived in Kalistan and met up with G.I. Joe ninja [[Snake-Eyes]], who helped them infiltrate the castle by posing as [[Tomax and Xamot|Tomax Paoli]]. The disguised Snake Eyes smuggled Blackrock into the castle by claiming that he had taken him prisoner. Hoping to learn more about Blackrock's Cybertronian capabilities, Kreiger and Baron Ironblood strapped Blackrock into a reverse-engineered Talisman of their own creation. While hooked into the machine, Blackrock experienced a vision of Onyx Prime, which prompted him to realize that the Talisman had connections to ancient Cybertron. He remained trapped until Snake Eyes, his cover blown, freed Blackrock from his restraints. Hoping defeat the combined [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]]s van Rani had recruited, Blackrock searched for a way to interface with the castle's computers without reactivating his "Sovereign" persona... only for Snake-Eyes to simply smash the device. The group escaped the castle thanks to its built-in teleporter and rematerialized just outside the grounds, whereupon Kup rescued them from a messy impact. {{storylink|The Iron Klaw}}

[[File:StrangeVisitors-CenturionMeetsTheAutobots.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"Do I even weigh anything to you?" "No. It's like holding a couple of grapes."]]

Now armed with the knowledge of the ''real'' Tomax's activities, the heroes headed to [[I.R.O.N.]]'s corporate headquarters in [[San Francisco]] to investigate. They discovered that Tomax, forewarned of their arrival, had donned a [[Cobra Commander]] uniform; when the team pressed their attack, Tomax's limousine revealed itself as a Transformer named [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]]. While the other members of the team grappled with their foes, Blackrock hacked into the I.R.O.N. database to learn about this anomalous Transformer. Learning of Centurion's history and their shared heritage as servants of Onyx Prime, Blackrock managed to convince Centurion to stand down, peacefully ending the battle. Having learned of Kreiger's base of operations in [[Brasnya]], the team made tracks for the remote country after dropping Centurion off at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Strange Visitors}}

Arriving in Brasnya, the team investigated Kreiger's base, which had been built in the crater left behind by [[Axalon (BW)|Centurion's old starship]]. Kup and Blackrock were sent to investigate the base with Action Man, but accidentally tripped anti-Cybertronian defenses in the base and were subsequently knocked out. When the two rebooted, they were met by the time lost [[Sgt. Savage]] prompting Blakcrock to ask if they'd missed anything. {{storylink|Power and Glory}}

The group travelled to the [[Onyx]] tower in Buenos Aires so as to transfer custody of the Talisman and Kreiger to [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. Blackrock passed the time by studying the Talisman with [[Camila]]. When G.I. Joe was due to land at any moment, Blackrock tried to do one last scan of the ancient device only for "Camila" to perform the wrong scan. As he scolded her, Camila revealed herself to be [[Storm Shadow]] and stabbed him through the chest. {{storylink|When Eagles Scream}}

{{spoiler|Ghost in the Machine (IDW)|October 27}}

As Blackrock lay dying, Mayday arrived to fight Storm Shadow while the Titan Master's consciousness was transferred to [[infraspace]] via the Talisman. Within the realm, he encountered [[Onyx Prime]] who revealed that that Talisman was inoculation against an oncoming threat before attempting to destroy Blackrock. Blackrock's salvation came in the unexpected form of Mike Power who convinced Blackrock to make good on his second chance at life. Blackrock took his words to spark and used his abilities to summon [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] before the two departed for the living plane, leaving behind an enraged Onyx. Reawakening in the physical world, Blackrock recapped his strange encounter before he revealed he could use Storm Shadow's DNA and his connection to the Talisman's software in combination with his Titan Master powers and Metrotitan to reverse engineer and transmit a healing wave to cure the Dire Wraith mutates. After the villains had teleported the Talisman away and Centurion revealed himself to now be a combination of his and Mike Power's minds, Blackrock suggested he talk to Optimus to sort things out before the group was approached by a woman looking for her boyfriend. Realizing that the boyfriend was killed by G.I. Joe before they had realized the true nature of the Wraith creatures, the Revolutionaries agreed that next time, they would have to work even harder and be even better. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (IDW)|Ghost in the Machine}}
{{-}}

===''Kre-O'' comic===
G.B. Blackrock was minding his own business at Metroplex when Earth's most wanted criminals attacked the Autobots' base! The villains nearly managed to take off with Metroplex's brain (downloaded onto a floppy disk) but [[Carzap (BT)|Carzap]] snatched it out of the [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster's]] grip. G.B. Blackrock then used his [[Circuit Smasher (Kre-O)|Circuit Smasher]] to separate the Headmaster from [[Sentinel Prime (Kre-O)|Sentinel Prime's]] body, forcing the villains to flee empty-handed. {{storylink|The Brick List: Earth's Most Wanted}}

==Toys==
===''Timelines''===
*'''Carzap''' ([[2015]])
**''TFSS3 number'': '''1'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 blasters, gas pump/laser blaster block set

:A [[retool]] of ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]] [[Thrilling 30]]'' Deluxe Class [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Deluxe|Bumblebee]], Carzap sports a new head based on the Windbreaker mold, and a deco based on the cancelled ''Block Town'' Carzap toy. He transforms into a muscle car, and wields a pair of blasters that can be combined into one, larger weapon.

:In homage to ''Block Town'', Carzap includes a small gas pump building set which can turn into a cannon, and a G.B. Blackrock [[Kreon]]. He was available only as part of the [[Transformers Figure Subscription Service#Series 3.0 (2015)|Transformers Figure Subscription Service 3.0]].

===Generations===
[[File:Generations TitansReturn Sovereign.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|If only this guy came with a Blackrock [[Power of the Primes (toyline)|pretender shell]]...]]
*'''Autobot Sovereign & Alpha Trion''' (Voyager, [[2016]])

:Available with ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' [[Alpha Trion (G1)#Generations|Alpha Trion]], Sovereign transforms into a head compatible with any Deluxe-or-larger ''Titans Return'' figure.

:Sovereign was [[retool]]ed into ''Titans Return'' [[Blunderbuss#Generations|Blunderbuss]] and [[Tidal Wave (Armada)#Generations|Tidal Wave]]'s Titan Master partner.

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[File:Blackrockmustache.jpg|thumb|Clockwise from upper left: [[The Worse of Two Evils!|issue #6]], [[Repeat Performance!|issue #8]], [[DIS-Integrated Circuits!|issue #9]], [[The Next Best Thing to Being There!|issue #10]].]]
*G.B. Blackrock was named after writer [[Bob Budiansky]]'s friend Gary Bennett Schwartz. It is presumed that this is what his initials stand for. (Note also that the name "Schwarz", without a "t", means "black" in German.)
*Within Blackrock's first several appearances, he seems unable to decide whether he wants a mustache or not. He's got one up through issue 6, then in 7 and 8 he doesn't have one, then in 9 he has a mustache again, and then it's gone in issue 15. After that, he always has the mustache. Perhaps he decided to keep it to physically distinguish himself from his Chief of Staff, [[Ames (G1)|Ames]], who is otherwise his perfect double.
*Blackrock was going to become part of the [[Simon Furman|Furman]]/[[Andrew Wildman|Wildman]] ''Techno-X'' series, a reworked Neo-Knights in the early '90s; the Transformers would have been just a simulation to train them against ''real'' robots. He was going to have a deep, dark secret and fight Tony Stark (probably not over who had the best 'stache).<ref>[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 41|''Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club'' #41]]</ref> The series fell through, however.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{i|Garrison Blackrock}} at the IDW Hasbro Wiki

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackrock, G.B.}}
[[Category:Classics humans]]
[[Category:Comic-only humans]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 humans]]
[[Category:Kre-O humans]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 humans]]
[[Category:Regeneration One humans]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]

Talk:2005 IDW continuity

2017-09-13T08:12:55Z

Minimusminor:

== Avengers crossover? ==

It's my understanding that while this is portrayed at a specific point in both New Avengers and IDW's Transformers, it's actually in continuity for neither. So perhaps this needs to be a special note rather than sandwiched between Infiltration and Escalation.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]] 17:03, 1 November 2007 (UTC)
: I know nothing about it aside from what I've been told here and there, which was just "it goes between Infiltration and Escalation." Is this in an official source somewhere? -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 17:52, 1 November 2007 (UTC)
: It's definitely part of IDW continuity, but not Marvel continuity. Spotlight: Ramjet spins off from one of its threads. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 18:33, 1 November 2007 (UTC)
: I think that when it comes to this issue, we might be best to wait for Spotlight: Ramjet and see if it addresses the continuity wierdness at all. - Chris McFeely (not signed in)

== Alternate Modes list ==
Hot Rod should be added to this list, if anybody knows what he's supposed to be. And Blitzwing and Megatron. Astrotrain, Hardhead and Nightbeat too, I suppose, though we haven't seen them transform. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 19:36, 2 November 2007 (UTC)
:Oh, easily. I was just lifting it from Infiltration's page, as it doesn't belong there.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]] 19:51, 2 November 2007 (UTC)
::Megatron's entry there seems to imply that he's still a Walther P38. I don't think that's true. If I knew what model gun he is now, I'd've changed it myself. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 21:24, 2 November 2007 (UTC)
:::Megatron's own character entry identifies his altmode as a P99:

Megatron stayed to guide the second stage of the Decepticons' plans, wishing to try out his new Earth-inspired handgun (Walther P99) altmode. {{storylink|The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation}}

:::[[:Image:Massdisplacement.jpg|This image]] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_P99 some real-life references] can support this assertation, as best as I can make out the comic scan. The details are difficult to be certain of in the final iteration of Megs in that scan, though, and many pistols have similar details. It would have to be a pretty exact match, I think, to certainly say it's any particular gun. --[[User:Sntint|Sntint]] 22:12, 2 November 2007 (UTC)

== New evidence that IDW is not G1 ==

[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=143991#143991 DonFig]: "...and the thing is, I don't consider IDW's take as 'G1'. the stories are not a continuation of the ones from the 80's cartoon or the Marvel stuff. they didn't crash on earth 4 millions years ago and get lodged in a volcano, it doesn't even fit into Beast wars.

sure it's got the same names and elements from G1, but that can also be said with every other series that came and went since G1.

Armada, Energon, Cybertron, Animated, the Movie.. All have elements of G1 in them, all have an Optimus who's a red truck and there's a Yellow car that younger people can relate to. references to Matrixes, Unicrons..etc, but they're not G1." - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 21:46, 24 July 2009 (EDT)
:That's not "evidence," that's an opinion, and not one that is related to the wiki's classification system. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 21:55, 24 July 2009 (EDT)
::Agreed. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 02:29, 27 July 2009 (EDT)
:::The redesigns for the ongoing would also indicate to me that it isn't G1. Also, it may be a small point, but the differing origin for characters and gimmicks—that don't match G1 bios—would seem to indicate that it isn't G1. Scourge, Goldbug, Micromasters, Dropshot. Even Nightbeat never being a headmaster. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 18:33, 16 January 2010 (EST)
::::The original cartoon didn't match the G1 bios! Their Shockwave wasn't a calculating betrayer, their Sludge wasn't born on Cybertron, their Galvatron wasn't the City Commander. And it had differing origins from other continuities. Were the Dinobots born on Earth or Cybertron? Were the Constructions built on Earth or were they one of the other two origins also presented by the cartoon? Were the Aerialbots brought to life by Vector Sigma or the Creation Matrix? Was Blaster a brooding anti-hero or a hip-hop deejay? These things you bring up in favor of IDW not being part of G1 can be applied to every other aspect of what we all agree is G1. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 18:51, 16 January 2010 (EST)
:::::Are you proposing that the IDW comics are a franchise independent of the G1 franchise, Starfield? Because that's kind of silly. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 18:55, 16 January 2010 (EST)
::::::'Too Late' is never a reason to do, or not do, something. However, by just about any meaningful definition that I can think of, IDW is a 'G1' continuity. Virtually every Transformer is recognizably based on one of the original G1 toys. Their personalities draw broadly from these sources. The mechanics of the universe seem far more in keeping with prior G1 incarnations than other continuities. (By which I mean - no minicons or cyberkeys or energon weapons, no Magnus as the Autobot head-honcho, etc.) I just don't see it, at all. Even a little bit. Even the War for Cybertron, which is being touted as a continuity reboot, may prove to be 'G1,' so I'm gonna have to say I just don't see a case here. --[[User:Jimsorenson|Jimsorenson]] 19:33, 16 January 2010 (EST)
::::::That is what "DonFig" is proposing. "I don't consider IDW's take as 'G1'.... sure it's got the same names and elements from G1, but that can also be said with every other series that came and went since G1." Maybe it is silly, but it can't be ''that'' far off. I was just posting some evidence in favor of it being a different franchise. For posterity? In case it splits more? It wouldn't entirely surprise me if it retroactively tied into a new "War for Cybertron" continuity. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 19:51, 16 January 2010 (EST)
:::::I admit the bio mismatch is a small thing. But I think the Micromasters take that to a new level. They aren't even Autobots and Decepticons. Are they even Cybertronian Transformers or were they from Gorlam Prime? I wasn't clear on that. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 19:51, 16 January 2010 (EST)
:As noted... that's an opinion, not evidence. And really, within context, he's talking about it not being a very SPECIFIC iteration of G1. Splitting it would be pointlessly stupid, especially since now we'd have what, an extra hundred-plus pages of characters with (IDW) now or someshit, when they're pretty much just G1 and are better served within the G1 character articles? Or are we going to split out all the guys who appeared in "Hearts of Steel" too? --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 20:43, 16 January 2010 (EST)
::Ticking the 'not G1' box would still be a bold move, but I think it ''is'' worth mentioning that the IDWniverse doesn't mind bringing 'incarnations' of non-G1 characters into the mix. --[[User:MissRatbat|MissRatbat]] ([[User talk:MissRatbat|talk]]) 05:47, 24 May 2015 (EDT)

==Recommended reading order==
For a long time, I've been thinking that this wiki should provide the service to our readers of untangling all the IDW-G1 mini-series, maxi-series, and stand-alones into one "recommended reading order". I've given it quite a bit of thought, and I've come up with this: [[:User:Jackpot/Sandbox/IDW-G1 recommended reading order]] I explain my rationales on its [[:User talk:Jackpot/Sandbox/IDW-G1 recommended reading order|talk page]]. While I admit that some subjectivity had to come into play, I have the hope that the community can either accept the list as-is or come to its own alternate consensus. And, ultimately, I would love to see it incorporated into the navigation, maybe in a similar fashion to how we have parallel navs for the Marvel US and UK comics. The reader really ''should'' be able to just click-click-click through the entire IDW-G1 series in a simple and linear way the way they can with almost any other. We editors are as smart and obsessed as they come - IDW's capricious marketing schemes should be no obstacle for the likes of us. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 02:29, 27 July 2009 (EDT)

==-ations Cast==
Call me slow but, is the cast list for the Ations series the full cast? Because its made unclear. If not..is there a place I can see every Autobot and Decepticon that appears in said series? Because I'm curious to know who all shows up in them and to me the list seems too small to be ALL of the Transformers who show up in them. (Or at least the ones that have more than just minor appearances)--[[User:Chipmonk328|Chipmonk328]]
:No, there isn't really a list. It would be nice to have something. As the "-ation" story went on, there isn't really a core cast of main characters to list, so the list would be large. But we have large cast lists in other places. I agree an "-ations" cast list would be nice. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 19:07, 24 January 2010 (EST)

==Character-centric miniserieseses...es==
Since IDW seem to be launching more of these, would it be worthwhile agreeing a standard way in which they're listed on here? So far we have [[The Transformers: Bumblebee]], [[The Transformers: Ironhide]] and [[The Transformers: Drift]] listed. It looks a bit messy, but my attempt to remove the The from the (still red link) Ironhide one was undone. Yeah? YEAH - [[User:Guntrip|Guntrip]] 17:09, 16 March 2010 (EDT)

== Argle Bargle alt mode changes! ==

The intermittent lists of what altmodes folks have... these seem really odd on this page. The AHM section of them seems to be mostly there to be petty about AHM. It's not like we have a section about bellyaching that everyone's in WFC bodies in the RID ongoing. IDW's comics clearly aren't ones that keep bodies consistent for year after year like the original comics and cartoons. This should be expressed generally, instead of snarking about it in specifics when it gets our goat. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 20:45, 24 July 2012 (EDT)
:To be fair, it was there when AHM hit because it was the first time this was happening. Now that these spontaneous redesigns have become a more regular thing, yeah. We can do away with that section. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 21:15, 24 July 2012 (EDT)

==Post-Revolution page structure==
Feels like the overview of events post-Hasbroverse needs to either be reformatted and condensed into one section or deleted, as it makes the complete list of titles in the subsequent section feel redundant, like they're restating the above.

Talk:2005 IDW continuity

2017-09-13T08:12:37Z

Minimusminor: suggestion of edits to page format that I don't feel qualified to do without asking first

== Avengers crossover? ==

It's my understanding that while this is portrayed at a specific point in both New Avengers and IDW's Transformers, it's actually in continuity for neither. So perhaps this needs to be a special note rather than sandwiched between Infiltration and Escalation.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]] 17:03, 1 November 2007 (UTC)
: I know nothing about it aside from what I've been told here and there, which was just "it goes between Infiltration and Escalation." Is this in an official source somewhere? -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 17:52, 1 November 2007 (UTC)
: It's definitely part of IDW continuity, but not Marvel continuity. Spotlight: Ramjet spins off from one of its threads. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 18:33, 1 November 2007 (UTC)
: I think that when it comes to this issue, we might be best to wait for Spotlight: Ramjet and see if it addresses the continuity wierdness at all. - Chris McFeely (not signed in)

== Alternate Modes list ==
Hot Rod should be added to this list, if anybody knows what he's supposed to be. And Blitzwing and Megatron. Astrotrain, Hardhead and Nightbeat too, I suppose, though we haven't seen them transform. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 19:36, 2 November 2007 (UTC)
:Oh, easily. I was just lifting it from Infiltration's page, as it doesn't belong there.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]] 19:51, 2 November 2007 (UTC)
::Megatron's entry there seems to imply that he's still a Walther P38. I don't think that's true. If I knew what model gun he is now, I'd've changed it myself. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 21:24, 2 November 2007 (UTC)
:::Megatron's own character entry identifies his altmode as a P99:

Megatron stayed to guide the second stage of the Decepticons' plans, wishing to try out his new Earth-inspired handgun (Walther P99) altmode. {{storylink|The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation}}

:::[[:Image:Massdisplacement.jpg|This image]] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_P99 some real-life references] can support this assertation, as best as I can make out the comic scan. The details are difficult to be certain of in the final iteration of Megs in that scan, though, and many pistols have similar details. It would have to be a pretty exact match, I think, to certainly say it's any particular gun. --[[User:Sntint|Sntint]] 22:12, 2 November 2007 (UTC)

== New evidence that IDW is not G1 ==

[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=143991#143991 DonFig]: "...and the thing is, I don't consider IDW's take as 'G1'. the stories are not a continuation of the ones from the 80's cartoon or the Marvel stuff. they didn't crash on earth 4 millions years ago and get lodged in a volcano, it doesn't even fit into Beast wars.

sure it's got the same names and elements from G1, but that can also be said with every other series that came and went since G1.

Armada, Energon, Cybertron, Animated, the Movie.. All have elements of G1 in them, all have an Optimus who's a red truck and there's a Yellow car that younger people can relate to. references to Matrixes, Unicrons..etc, but they're not G1." - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 21:46, 24 July 2009 (EDT)
:That's not "evidence," that's an opinion, and not one that is related to the wiki's classification system. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 21:55, 24 July 2009 (EDT)
::Agreed. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 02:29, 27 July 2009 (EDT)
:::The redesigns for the ongoing would also indicate to me that it isn't G1. Also, it may be a small point, but the differing origin for characters and gimmicks—that don't match G1 bios—would seem to indicate that it isn't G1. Scourge, Goldbug, Micromasters, Dropshot. Even Nightbeat never being a headmaster. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 18:33, 16 January 2010 (EST)
::::The original cartoon didn't match the G1 bios! Their Shockwave wasn't a calculating betrayer, their Sludge wasn't born on Cybertron, their Galvatron wasn't the City Commander. And it had differing origins from other continuities. Were the Dinobots born on Earth or Cybertron? Were the Constructions built on Earth or were they one of the other two origins also presented by the cartoon? Were the Aerialbots brought to life by Vector Sigma or the Creation Matrix? Was Blaster a brooding anti-hero or a hip-hop deejay? These things you bring up in favor of IDW not being part of G1 can be applied to every other aspect of what we all agree is G1. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 18:51, 16 January 2010 (EST)
:::::Are you proposing that the IDW comics are a franchise independent of the G1 franchise, Starfield? Because that's kind of silly. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 18:55, 16 January 2010 (EST)
::::::'Too Late' is never a reason to do, or not do, something. However, by just about any meaningful definition that I can think of, IDW is a 'G1' continuity. Virtually every Transformer is recognizably based on one of the original G1 toys. Their personalities draw broadly from these sources. The mechanics of the universe seem far more in keeping with prior G1 incarnations than other continuities. (By which I mean - no minicons or cyberkeys or energon weapons, no Magnus as the Autobot head-honcho, etc.) I just don't see it, at all. Even a little bit. Even the War for Cybertron, which is being touted as a continuity reboot, may prove to be 'G1,' so I'm gonna have to say I just don't see a case here. --[[User:Jimsorenson|Jimsorenson]] 19:33, 16 January 2010 (EST)
::::::That is what "DonFig" is proposing. "I don't consider IDW's take as 'G1'.... sure it's got the same names and elements from G1, but that can also be said with every other series that came and went since G1." Maybe it is silly, but it can't be ''that'' far off. I was just posting some evidence in favor of it being a different franchise. For posterity? In case it splits more? It wouldn't entirely surprise me if it retroactively tied into a new "War for Cybertron" continuity. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 19:51, 16 January 2010 (EST)
:::::I admit the bio mismatch is a small thing. But I think the Micromasters take that to a new level. They aren't even Autobots and Decepticons. Are they even Cybertronian Transformers or were they from Gorlam Prime? I wasn't clear on that. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 19:51, 16 January 2010 (EST)
:As noted... that's an opinion, not evidence. And really, within context, he's talking about it not being a very SPECIFIC iteration of G1. Splitting it would be pointlessly stupid, especially since now we'd have what, an extra hundred-plus pages of characters with (IDW) now or someshit, when they're pretty much just G1 and are better served within the G1 character articles? Or are we going to split out all the guys who appeared in "Hearts of Steel" too? --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 20:43, 16 January 2010 (EST)
::Ticking the 'not G1' box would still be a bold move, but I think it ''is'' worth mentioning that the IDWniverse doesn't mind bringing 'incarnations' of non-G1 characters into the mix. --[[User:MissRatbat|MissRatbat]] ([[User talk:MissRatbat|talk]]) 05:47, 24 May 2015 (EDT)

==Recommended reading order==
For a long time, I've been thinking that this wiki should provide the service to our readers of untangling all the IDW-G1 mini-series, maxi-series, and stand-alones into one "recommended reading order". I've given it quite a bit of thought, and I've come up with this: [[:User:Jackpot/Sandbox/IDW-G1 recommended reading order]] I explain my rationales on its [[:User talk:Jackpot/Sandbox/IDW-G1 recommended reading order|talk page]]. While I admit that some subjectivity had to come into play, I have the hope that the community can either accept the list as-is or come to its own alternate consensus. And, ultimately, I would love to see it incorporated into the navigation, maybe in a similar fashion to how we have parallel navs for the Marvel US and UK comics. The reader really ''should'' be able to just click-click-click through the entire IDW-G1 series in a simple and linear way the way they can with almost any other. We editors are as smart and obsessed as they come - IDW's capricious marketing schemes should be no obstacle for the likes of us. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 02:29, 27 July 2009 (EDT)

==-ations Cast==
Call me slow but, is the cast list for the Ations series the full cast? Because its made unclear. If not..is there a place I can see every Autobot and Decepticon that appears in said series? Because I'm curious to know who all shows up in them and to me the list seems too small to be ALL of the Transformers who show up in them. (Or at least the ones that have more than just minor appearances)--[[User:Chipmonk328|Chipmonk328]]
:No, there isn't really a list. It would be nice to have something. As the "-ation" story went on, there isn't really a core cast of main characters to list, so the list would be large. But we have large cast lists in other places. I agree an "-ations" cast list would be nice. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 19:07, 24 January 2010 (EST)

==Character-centric miniserieseses...es==
Since IDW seem to be launching more of these, would it be worthwhile agreeing a standard way in which they're listed on here? So far we have [[The Transformers: Bumblebee]], [[The Transformers: Ironhide]] and [[The Transformers: Drift]] listed. It looks a bit messy, but my attempt to remove the The from the (still red link) Ironhide one was undone. Yeah? YEAH - [[User:Guntrip|Guntrip]] 17:09, 16 March 2010 (EDT)

== Argle Bargle alt mode changes! ==

The intermittent lists of what altmodes folks have... these seem really odd on this page. The AHM section of them seems to be mostly there to be petty about AHM. It's not like we have a section about bellyaching that everyone's in WFC bodies in the RID ongoing. IDW's comics clearly aren't ones that keep bodies consistent for year after year like the original comics and cartoons. This should be expressed generally, instead of snarking about it in specifics when it gets our goat. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 20:45, 24 July 2012 (EDT)
:To be fair, it was there when AHM hit because it was the first time this was happening. Now that these spontaneous redesigns have become a more regular thing, yeah. We can do away with that section. --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 21:15, 24 July 2012 (EDT)

Post-Revolution page structure
Feels like the overview of events post-Hasbroverse needs to either be reformatted and condensed into one section or deleted, as it makes the complete list of titles in the subsequent section feel redundant, like they're restating the above.

Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor

2017-09-12T05:57:57Z

Minimusminor: /* Creative team */

[[File:RomvsTF1 cvrA clean.jpg|thumb|right|250px|]]
'''''Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor''''' is a currently running five-issue crossover comic series that debuted in [[Calendar|July]] [[2017]]. It centers on characters from [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''Transformers'' titles meeting characters from IDW's ''{{i|ROM (comic)|ROM}}''. The series take place in the little-explored post-ancient pre-modern era, after the {{i|Cold Fire|2017 ''ROM'' Annual}} but before ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]''.

{{chapters|title=''Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor'' issues|align=center|prev=|content=
*[[Shining Armor issue 1|#1]]
*[[Shining Armor issue 2|#2]]
*[[Shining Armor issue 3|#3]]
*[[Shining Armor issue 4|#4]]
*[[Shining Armor issue 5|#5]]
}}

==Overview==
During the mid-19th century, the [[Solstar Order]] has begun expanding outside their home territory in their ongoing war against the villainous [[Dire Wraith]]s. When a [[Galactic Council]] warship shoots down a lost [[Caminus|Camien]] vessel, [[Space Knight]] [[Rom]] discovers and rescues an orphaned [[protoform]] named [[Stardrive]], who is subsequently raised as a member of the Order and eventually joins the Space Knights.

However, the Solstar Order comes into conflict with the Cybertronians when [[Decepticon]] officer [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] learns of Stardrive and her unique [[energon synthesizer]].

==Creative team==
[[John Barber]], writer of ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' and ''[[Revolutionaries]]'', and [[Christos Gage]], co-writer of ''ROM'', jointly write ''Shining Armor'' while art duties are handled by frequent collaborators [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]].<ref>[http://www.cbr.com/exclusive-transformers-rom-crossover-new-character-hasbro/ EXCL: IDW Introduces Hasbro’s First Transformers/Rom Hybrid Character]</ref>

==Collections==
*TBA

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]
[[Category:Rom properties]]
[[Category:Shining Armor issues| ]]

Optimus Prime (comic)

2017-09-06T08:00:03Z

Minimusminor: /* Creative team */art style.

{{disambig3|Optimus Prime}}

[[File:OP1_regcvr.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Comic book titles with originality are the right of all sentient beings, so don't let me stop you or anything.]]

'''''Optimus Prime''''' is an ongoing comic series from [[IDW Publishing]]. It is a sequel to and rebranded version of ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise]]''. Beginning in [[Calendar|December]] [[2016]], it runs alongside sister titles ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]''.

{{chapters|style=3|title=''Optimus Prime'' issues|align=center|prev=The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|align=left|content=
*[[New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|#1]]
*[[New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|#2]]
*[[New Cybertron Part 3: Behind My Bleeding Back|#3]]
*[[New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among the Shadows|#4]]
*[[New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|#5]]
*[[New Cybertron End: Feel Safe Without Regrets|#6]]
*[[The Next Day, and the Next|#7]]
*[[What It's Really Like|#8]]
*[[Ghost Stories|Annual]]
*[[The Life of Sideswipe|#9]]
*[[Origin Myths|#10]]
*[[Optimus Prime: First Strike|First Strike]]
*[[Optimus Prime issue 11|#11]]
}}

==Overview==
''Optimus Prime'' picks up where its predecessor left off: though [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]], [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], and [[Baron Karza]] have all been defeated, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] is still dealing with the fallout of his controversial choice to annex [[Earth]] into the [[Council of Worlds]]. His recent adventures have proved inspirational enough to recruit a slew of next-generation Autobots from across the [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]] colonies; their blind devotion to their leader, combined with the religious fanaticism of [[Pyra Magna]] and her [[Torchbearer]]s, causes friction with the old guard from the days of the Great War – including Prime's former enemy [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]], now reluctantly working alongside the Autobots from within their living base [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]].

The uneasy status quo on Earth is thrown into chaos by the arrival of the [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s: ramshackle refugees seeking to repair their destroyed homeworld using supplies of [[Ore-13]]. A newly international [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] taskforce cordons off the landing site; attempting to mediate between Joe commander [[Zilong Qian|Talon]], Cybertronian ruler and Council leader [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] and Junkion leaders [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Rum-Maj]], Optimus enacts a dangerous diplomatic gamble in an attempt to force Earth to join the Council in the hopes of helping [[human]]s and Junkions alike.

==Creative team==
[[John Barber]] returns as the writer, joined by [[Kei Zama]] as main artist<ref>[http://www.forcesofgeek.com/2016/07/sdcc-idw-announces-post-revolution-debuts.html SDCC – IDW Announces Post-Revolution Debuts!]</ref> and returning colourist [[Josh Burcham]]. Zama employs heavy use of blacks and shadows in her artwork, while Burcham's usual warm palette and bright colours are turned up to eleven to create an eye-searing spectacle reminiscient of Generation 2.

==Notes==
* The book is the rare ''Transformers''-related thing not to have the [[Transformers brand]] appear on its front cover. In trade format however, it is ''Transformers: Optimus Prime, Volume 1''.
* Optimus has been redesigned again, eliminating the gap between his window boobs and making him more like a stylized version of his original toy.

==Collections==
*'''''Optimus Prime''''' Vol. 1 TPB ([[June 21]], [[2017]]) ISBN 1631409697 / ISBN 978-1631409691
:Contains issues #1 to #6.
:Bonus material includes art from most covers.

*'''''Optimus Prime''''' Vol. 2 TPB ([[February 20]], [[2018]] **''scheduled''**) ISBN 1684051312 / ISBN 978-1684051311
:Contains issues #7 to #10 and the [[Ghost Stories|2017 Transformers Annual]].
:Bonus material CURRENTLY UNKNOWN
<gallery>
File:OP_V1_TPB.jpg|Volume one cover by [[Kei Zama]] and [[David Garcia Cruz]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:Optimus Prime issues| ]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]

Shining Armor issue 1

2017-07-22T05:07:39Z

Minimusminor: /* Real-life references */ cameos in crowd scenes.

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor]]'' #1
|prev=
|next=Shining Armour issue 2
|image=RomvsTF1 cvrA.jpg
|title=
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[July 19]], [[2017]]
|coverdate=July 2017
|written by=[[John Barber]] and [[Christos Gage]]
|art by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Josh Perez]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Mid-19th century]]
}}

'''Stardrive is a 'bot of two worlds, orphan from a Cybertronian colony planet raised by the Solstar Order. But when the Decepticons team up with the order's ancient enemies the Dire Wraiths, on which side of the conflict will Stardrive fall?'''

==Synopsis==
In the [[Gray Area]], the border region of space between the areas of the galaxy governed by the [[Galactic Council]] and the [[Solstar Order]], a [[Galactic Council]] vessel pursues a fleeing ship from a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] colony world. The Cybertronian ship is shot down by the Council and crashes on an asteroid, but the scene is witnessed by the Solstar Order's [[Rom]] the Space Knight, who demands the Council explain themselves. Uninterested in justifying their hatred of Cybertronians to the Space Knight, but nevertheless unwilling to risk conflict with the Order, the Council ship warps away when Rom is distracted by signs of life from the Cybertronian wreckage. Picking through the debris, he discovers a lone still-functional [[protoform]], still in the process of taking shape.

At the insistence of Rom, doctors of the Solstar Order repair the protoform, which is kept fueled and healthy by [[energon]] the Order is able to synthesize based on a sample recovered from the wreckage of the ship. The protoform takes the form of a female Cybertronian and is enrolled in school, where she is taught the destructive history of her own race, and is dubbed "[[Stardrive]]" by her classmates for her car [[alternate mode]]. One day, on a class field trip to the planet [[Mato Grosso (planet)|Mato Grosso]], Stardrive is attacked by a [[Dire Wraith]], one of the shape-shifting alien wizards who are the Solstar Order's greatest enemies. Once more, she is saved by Rom and a team of Space Knights, and though the Wraith is able to escape, the encounter convinces Stardrive to join the ranks of the Space Knights.

Five years later, Rom, fellow knight [[Livia]], and cadets [[Auxin]] and [[Sata]] arrive on [[Mining Colony 25-6-41]] in the [[Farouko Cluster]]. Though they inform the colony personnel that they are on a routine visit, Rom privately notes that the mission is a dangerous one, and orders Sata to stay with their ship (about which the young knight-in-training is not happy). Using their Analyzers, the Knights soon locate numerous Dire Wraiths hiding amongst the populace of the colony; as battle breaks out, Auxin takes off alone after a Wraith that attempts to escape, only to be lured into an ambush in an alleyway. Unfortunately for the Wraiths, they have overlooked the unattended car sitting nearby—which reveals itself to be Stardrive in disguise as she transforms and takes them all out! Despite the fact Stardrive has likely just saved his life, Auxin is angry at being deprived of the honor of his first Wraith-kill, but Stardrive just about manages to restrain her own annoyance at his attitude. However, she fails to hold her tongue when Livia proposes that they destroy the entire colony to ensure the Wraith infestation has been wiped out, and speaks out against the idea. Rom agrees with her, and orders the Knights to withdraw.

With Stadrive now joining them aboard their ship, the Knights head off on their next mission, but it is not a pleasant journey for Stardrive; she has never been truly accepted by any of the Knights besides Rom, and as Livia and Rom argue (the former fearing the latter has been softened by Stardrive's naive idealism, the latter believing the former has become too bloodthirsty), Sata and Auxin badmouth her behind her back. Presently, the group arrives on Solstar Order station [[Orchid Crossing]], orbiting the planet [[Xetaxxis]]. As Stardrive recharges, Rom and Livia explain to her the full reason for their presence on the station. As the Solstar Order pushes them back further and further, the Dire Wraiths are increasingly likely to flee into Galactic Council, or even Cybertronian space. As the Knights must be free to pursue them, the Order intends to open negotiations with the Galactic Council after years of avoidance, in order to secure passage for the Knights into Council space, and to prevent potential interference from them in any dealings that may become necessary with Cybertronians. Representatives of the Council will be arriving at the station he next morning, and Stardrive is there to serve as proof of the fact that the Solstar Order is capable of keeping Cybertronians "in their place."

When the Council representatives arrive the next morning, pleasantries are short and they immediately begin pouring scorn upon Stardrive and the very notion of working peacefully with Cybertronians. But disrespect for one of their Knights soon proves to be the least of the Order's worries when the Council representatives reveal that they are, in fact, Dire Wraiths, and that their ship is the Cybertronian [[Decepticon]] [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]! As Auxin perishes under an onslaught on Astrotrain's firepower, a team of Decepticons led by [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] comes blasting through the station walls, and joins the Wraiths in assaulting the Knights. Stardrive appears to be the reason for this alliance of evil, as the Wraith leader [[Vekktral]] points her out to Starscream; Stardrive in turn recognizes the Wraith as the one who attacked her on Mato Grosso, and fights to overcome her fear. Before she can get her wits together, she is seized by Starscream, who quickly realizes that she has never seen another Cybertronian in person before, and tries to tempt Stardive over to their side. When she refuses, Starscream kicks her through a wall, revealing the true object of his interest on the other side: the [[energon synthesizer]] Stardrive uses to recharge, which Starscream had deduced the Order must possess. Before anyone can make another move, however, another hole is blasted in the station's hull as [[Autobot]]s [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] arrive to stop Starscream's plans!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (21)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] (22)

|c2=
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (13)
*[[Ursa Major (G1)|Ursa Major]] (14)
*[[Doomwings (G1)|Doomwings]] (15)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] or [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (16)
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (17)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] or [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (18)
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (19)
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (20)

|h3=[[Solstar Order]]|c3=
*[[Rom]] (4)
*[[Stardrive]] (5)
*[[Nikomi]] (7)
*[[Livia]] (8)
*[[Orphion]] (9)
*[[Sata]] (10)
*[[Auxin]] (11)

|c4=
*Cybertronian colonists (1)
*[[Galactic Council]] captain (2)
*Galactic Council ship's crew (3)
*[[Vekktral]] (6)
*Assorted [[Dire Wraith]]s (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"You've been '''enchanted''' by a '''machine woman''' as '''soft''' as you. You cling to '''emotions''' we should '''rise above.'''" 
"A hard heart does not elevate us, it '''lowers''' us. We must not become like the '''Wraiths''' we fight."
:—'''Livia''' and '''Rom'''

"There, Starscream! There is the Cybertronian, as promised!" 
"You what, '''Vekktral?''' I could actually '''tell''' which one wasn't '''six feet tall''' and made of '''flesh.'''"
:—'''Vekktral''' and '''Starscream'''

"Organics live but a '''fleeting moment,''' then fade away. But '''we''' have eternity."
:—'''Starscream''' extols the virtues of Cybertronians in an attempt to sway Stardrive

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This story takes place "around 175, 180 years in the past," according to Christos Gage. This places it in the little-explored period of time after Cybertron was rendered uninhabitable and the Transformers scattered to the stars, devoid of any sources of true energon, as originally explored in ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'', but before significant modern-day Transformer activity on Earth. Starscream and Bumblebee both appear here before their eventual relocation to Earth, where they were stationed in ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]''. It's not immediately clear if the Ultra Magnus in this story is [[Minimus Ambus]] inside the armor, but it seems fairly likely, as [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]] claimed in "[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]" that Minimus was the longest-serving "Ultra Magnus".
*Which of the multiple known Transformer colony worlds Stardive hails from is left unsaid in the story, though John Barber clarified on Twitter<ref>[https://twitter.com/TheJohnBarber/status/887466438033686528 Twitter post] by John Barber</ref> that it was [[Caminus]], which is supported in-story by her energon being blue (a distinction from normal, pink-purple Cybertronian energon originally made in the [[The Last Autobot|''Titans Return'' one-shot]]). The dictates of continuity necessitate that she is from a colony world rather than Cybertron itself, because a) she's female, and female Transformers do not exist on Cybertron at this point in time, per lore originally laid down in ''[[Spotlight: Arcee]]'', and b) she starts out as a protoform, a "natural" Cybertronian birth, the like of which has most recently been described as not occurring on Cybertron since over four million years ago, per [[Ghost Stories|the 2017 ''Transformers'' annual]].
*The Galactic Council captain in this issue at first appears to be of the same race as [[K'gard]], another Galactic Council captain introduced in [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|the 2012 ''More than Meets the Eye'' annual]], which was also the first appearance of the Council itself. However, [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/rom-vs-transformers-shining-armor-1-ibooks-preview.1114693/page-2#post-14804901/ per Alex Milne], they're actually a related-but-distinct species: K'gard towered over Ultra Magnus in the annual, while the captain here is small enough that Astrotrain is capable of transforming into a shuttle for him and his crew.
*As members of the species are quite hard to tell apart, it's not clear if the captain of the Galactic Council vessel who shoots down the ship carrying Stardrive's protoform at the beginning of the story, and the being whose form Vekktral has stolen years later, are one and the same individual, or different members of the same race. But that said, the Council ship warps off for the sinister-sounding "Shadow System" after their run-in with Rom; could they have encountered and been taken over by Wraiths there?
*The masked bear and snake-like knight who are present when Rom and Livia rescue Stardrive from Vekktral go unnamed here, but they are [[Nikomi]] and [[Orphion]], pre-existing characters from IDW's ''ROM'' series.
*Livia mentions the death of Rom's family at the hands of the Dire Wraiths, a story told in {{i|Cold Fire|the 2017 ''Rom'' annual}}.
*Like the other knights, Stardrive dons crystalline armor, which becomes bonded to her. The ''Rom'' annual explained this armor is formed from a symbiotic ore, and given that ''[[Revolution]]'' implied a connection between the armor and [[Ore-13]], the implication is that it is one of [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'s other [[Regenesis]] ores.

===Transformers references===
*The planet Xetaxxis originally appeared in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[The Quintesson Journal]]."
*Blitzwing has a pair of "goggles" on his helmet that evoke the design of his [[Blitzwing (Animated)|''Animated'' counterpart]].
*The two other Decepticons accompanying the more famous squad of Starscream, the Triple Changers, and the [[Conehead]]s are, in fact, ''not'' [[generic]]s, but a pair of characters from the defunct Chinese MMO [[Transformers Online (2012 video game)|Transformers Online]]. The green one, [[Ursa Major (Prime)|Ursa Major]] is identified by name when he is quickly killed by Livia; the other, in purple and peach, is [[Doomwings (Prime)|Doomwings]]. They had Chinese-language names in the game, but were later given these English ones by "[[Ask Vector Prime]]"—a rare, if not the actual first, example of something from that feature crossing over into "mainstream" Transformers fiction.

===Real-life references===
*The planet Mato Grosso is named after the {{w|Mato Grosso|real-life Brazilian state}}. Its name means "thick bushes" in Portuguese.
*Stop us if you think we're reaching on this one, but it seems like Mining Colony 25-6-41 is named in reference to June 25, 1941, the date on which {{w|Executive Order 8802}} was signed into law by [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|President Roosevelt]]. The order prohibits racial discrimination in the military-industrial complex, which sure seems relevant to Stardrive and the obvious racism she is a victim of while serving in the Solstar Order's equivalent of the military.
*The "W" logo of the [http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/Weyland-Yutani_Corporation Weyland-Yutani Corporation] from the {{w|Alien (franchise)|''Alien'' film series}} can be seen on the side of a building on the colony on page 7. Among the ships docked at the colony is the ''{{w|Discovery One}}'' from the movie ''{{w|2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey}}''.
*In keeping with Rom's name being derived from {{w|read-only memory}}, Stardrive's fellow cadets also have names taken from computer terminology: Sata from {{w|Serial ATA|SATA connections}} and Auxin from "aux-in" electrical connectors.
*Trinkets and toys on Stardrive's "bedside table" include two ''Enterprise'' starships from ''[[Star Trek]]'', Super [[GoBots|GoBot]] action figure [[Zeemon]], and a kabuki mask that looks rather like the one worn by the villain Amon from the ''{{w|The Legend of Korra|Legend of Korra}}'' animated series.
*Among the crowd in Stardrive's flashbacks are figures coloured like a Stormtrooper, X-Wing pilot, and Kamen Rider.

===Covers (5)===
*'''Cover A:''' Space Knights, Autobots, and Wraiths, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Cover B:''' Starscream and the Dire Wraiths versus the lone Rom, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
*'''Cover C:''' Rom and Stardrive, by [[Paolo Villanelli]] and [[Alessandra Alexakis]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Rom versus Bumblebee, by [[David Lafuente]] and [[Lovern Kindzierski]]
*'''Convention exlusive cover:''' Partially black-and-white version of Cover C, available from IDW's booth at various 2017 conventions
<gallery>
File:RomvsTF1 cvrA.jpg|
File:RomvsTF1 cvrB.jpg|
File:RomvsTF1 cvrC.jpg|
File:RomvsTF1 cvrRI.jpg|
File:RomvsTF1 concvr.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''Shining Armor'' #2
*"The Hasbro Tribune" editorial page promoting July's [[Hasbro Universe]] titles, including this issue, [[G.I. Joe vol. 5 issue 8|''G.I. Joe'' #8]], [[Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook issue 3|''Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook'' #3]], [[The Life of Sideswipe|''Optimus Prime'' #9]], ''Revolutionaries'' #8, ''Lost Light'' #8, and ''Till All Are One'' #12.
*''[[G.I. Joe vol. 5|G.I. Joe]]'' Vol. 1 TPB
*''[[Revolutionaries]]'' Vol. 1 TPB
*IDW ''Clue'' comic
*''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo'' one-shot

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.cbr.com/rom-vs-transformers-shining-armor-1-exclusive-preview/ Preview]

[[Category: Shining Armor issues]]

The Transformers: Lost Light

2017-06-07T09:48:49Z

Minimusminor: /* Creative team */ Changed details regarding creative team as Milne will likely not be returning.

{{disambig2|the comic series|the titular starship|Lost Light}}

[[File:LL1_regcvr.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|His light died]], so Rodimus decided to get this [[Black Rodimus Convoy|cool bad guy deco]].]]

'''''The Transformers: Lost Light''''' is an ongoing comic series, a rebranded version of and sequel to ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]''. Debuting in [[Calendar|December]] [[2016]], it runs alongside sister titles ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]''.

{{chapters|title=''The Transformers: Lost Light'' issues|align=center|prev=The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|content=
*[[Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|#1]]
*[[Dissolution Part 2: Anomie|#2]]
*[[Dissolution Part 3: A World Misplaced|#3]]
*[[Dissolution Part 4: Bad Moon Rising|#4]]
*[[Dissolution Part 5: Modes of Production|#5]]
*[[Lost Light issue 6|#6]]
*[[Lost Light issue 7|#7]]
*[[Lost Light issue 8|#8]]
}}

==Overview==
In the wake of the confrontation with the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] on [[Necroworld]], the marooned [[Team Rodimus]] attempts to return to the ''[[Lost Light]]''. Naturally, this does not go as planned.

The story is basically 'Season 3' of ''More Than Meets The Eye'' and leading up to "the grand finale" over two years. <ref>[https://boroughcon.com/2017/04/revealing-greatness-with-james-roberts/ Interview with Boroughcon]</ref>

==Creative team==
[[James Roberts]] returns as the writer. Due to IDW editorial wanting a fresh artistic start, UK artist [[Jack Lawrence]] replaces previous MTMTE mainstay [[Alex Milne]], with Milne providing alternate covers for issues. <ref>[http://www.forcesofgeek.com/2016/07/sdcc-idw-announces-post-revolution-debuts.html SDCC – IDW Announces Post-Revolution Debuts!]</ref>

==Soundtrack==
Continuing the tradition started in ''MTMTE'', Roberts posts songs on his Twitter as an unofficial soundtrack for each issue leading up to their release. As its predecessor's third "season", it gets its own theme song.
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxHRXFFigZ0 Graycoated Morning]" by {{w|David & the Citizens}}

==Collections==
* TBA

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles|Lost Light]]
[[Category:Lost Light issues| ]]

Rung (G1)

2017-03-23T07:58:01Z

Minimusminor: Captions, where previously there were none.

{{factions|autobot}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig2|the Generation 1 Autobot|the ''Animated'' Autobot|Rung (Animated)}}
:''Rung is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:IDW Rung.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"Tell me again about your mother."]]
The Autobots have this, you know, psy-ops specialist. He's red, right? Orangey-red? And tiny? Basically defenseless? Does anyone remember his name? It's something like... Ring? Rong? Rang? Dang. It's on the tip of my tongue. He files these reports, you know, for [[Autopedia]]? He's written entries for each Autobot, from [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] to [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] to Red Alert again. As part of his duties, he performs the mental assessments of potential [[Wrecker]]s-to-be. He's very important. He's got... these huge eyebrows. You gotta know who this is describing, right? Collects and builds model spacecraft? Seriously. What's his name?

Oh, right! '''Rung'''! Thanks.

Or maybe Wrung. Who knows, really.

==Fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{ongoing}}
'''Rong of the Pious Pools (sic)''' {{storylink|Little Victories}} may be a quiet, unassuming guy in the background but he's managed to meet almost every post-war surviving Autobot you care to name! [[Rewind (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rewind]] has called him a historical constant. {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}} He thinks his backgrounder status is because [[Mode attachment|he's always kept his original design]], leaving everyone to get used to him; that and those ''gits'' in rival disciplines damaging his reputation as a psychiatrist. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}} Sporting the "impressive" serial code of 100000000, Rung's precise age is unknown. In his youth, he lived near the [[Vinvissius Canals]], before they were eventually redeveloped into the Vinvissisus Heights. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}} Rung was established in his field as early as the launch of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark-1]]'', with his eponymous "Rungian analysis" being in common parlance. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} He was called back from serving on the ''Ark-1'' at the last second, as the [[Senate]] allegedly needed him. Some time later, he picked up a hobby of making models of every ship he'd been part of. {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}}

Upon the rise of the [[Functionist Council]], Rung presented them a unique problem: no-one, not even Rung himself, knew the purpose of his altmode. This threatened to undermine the Functionists' [[functionism|entire philosophy]] and their Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy itself, so the psychiatrist was subjected to repeated and rigorous tests and in the meantime, to "reassure" other Cybertronians, he was forced to wear a false wheel on his back. Eventually, even the Functionists found themselves stumped as to what Rung's purpose could be and so the problem was neatly sidestepped by creating a new entry in the [[Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy]] specifically for Rung's altmode: they classified him as an "[[Ornament class|ornament]]". {{storylink|Little Victories}}

[[File:Stet-Rungwhistle.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|They see me rolling...]]
Rung was subsequently employed by the [[Senate]] as a patho-psychologist, equal in rank to his professional rival [[Froid]]. {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}} Rung and Froid were once such good friends that Rung felt able to tell his fellow psychotherapist his deepest, darkest secret: the fact that Rung had been disbarred by practising medicine by a tribunal on the ship ''[[Fateful Archetype]]'', after they'd learned he'd become too close to a patient, but that the entire crew save for himself had died in a crash and nobody knew. {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}} Unfortunately, over time, their professional rivalry superseded their friendship. They clashed over the proper use of personality adjustment treatment {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}} and in later times, Froid actually ''stole'' the [[Froidian Classification System]] of personality types from Rung. The dark secret he knew was always held over Rung. {{storylink|The Sensuous Frame}} {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}}

In 4th Cycle 499, Rung was returning to his wellbeing clinic when a time-traveling [[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]] attacked him with electric knuckledusters, knocking the psychiatrist unconscious. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}}

In 51st Cycle 500, Rung travelled to [[Mining Outpost C-12|Croteus 12]] after a secret Senate session amended the law to require two signatures on requests for [[shadowplay|personality adjustments]]. His arrival interrupted the use of the procedure on the exiled revolutionary [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]], which had been approved by Froid. However, before Rung could assess whether he would countersign the operation, an underground energy surge prompted a complete evacuation of the facility. {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}}

Once Zeta Prime rose to power, Rung served as a psychotherapist under the new Autobot regime. He provided literature and adjustment assistance to bots undergoing body augmentation or retrofitting, including the New Senate operative [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]]. {{storylink|Omega's Conundrum}} After Zeta's death and the outbreak of full-scale war, Rung was present during a battle that saw [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] clash. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}}

As the war continued, [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] became one of Rung's patients. He'd stay one of Rung's patients for six centuries, his paranoia so bad it took ninety-seven sessions before he let Rung see his face, two hundred eighty-eight sessions before he told Rung his '''real''' name, and three hundred thirty-two sessions before he stopped recording their conversations. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}

Rung did a psychological evaluation of [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] before his trial for [[Squadron X|unlawful executions]]. He ended up being physically assaulted and threatened with extreme violence if he tried 'putting ideas' in Impactor's head, but managed to calm the situation down. In the end, Rung was left questioning whether Autobot High Command shared the blame for Impactor's crimes for turning a blind eye to the robot's growing psychopathy. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Impactor's Autopedia entry}}

Over time, Froid and other rivals inflicted irreparable damage on Rung's reputation. Long after their deaths, Rung would write papers but never distribute them. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}} With his reputation wrecked, Rung left Cybertron. {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}}

Rung later performed a pre-mission psych-screening on new Wreckers [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]], [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]], [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]], and [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] to estimate if they were suited to be put on the [[Garrus-9]] case. Rung was unimpressed by Rotorstorm's unrelenting bragging and joking, and found himself cutting through the charade when he mentioned [[Simanzi Massacre|Simanzi]]. Taking note of his dual personality, Rung declared him cleared for mission. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Rotorstorm's Autopedia entry}} With Pyro, he diagnosed the robot as an extreme sufferer of [[Primus apotheosis]] and noted with sadness that the robot was suppressing his own engaging personality for a copy of another's. He cleared Pyro with reservations, noting that apotheosis sufferers were known for sacrificing themselves. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Pyro's Autopedia entry}} With Guzzle, he cleared the 'bot as having personality flaws but no real psychological flaws, though he was unnerved by his disturbing habit of playing with his gun's safety. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Guzzle's Autopedia entry}}

When screening Ironfist, he was impressed by his enthusiasm and knowledge, but not so much by his actual combat experience and mentality. Rung advised against Ironfist's participation, but retracted his negative conclusion when he received 'unsolicited advice' from [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|an undisclosed party]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Ironfist's Autopedia entry}}

[[File:Chaos3-KimiaSurvivors.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|At least Rung's right there to treat any outbreaks of claustrophobia.]]
Rung treated the shell-shocked Autobot [[Flattop (Autobot)|Flattop]]. He discovered Flattop was a survivor of the [[Babu Yar]] atrocity, but that was not his immediate problem. What pushed him over the edge this time was an encounter with the [[Shimmer]]. Rung tried to give rational explanations for the appearance of Shimmer, but Flattop died right there in his office. {{storylink|Bullets}}

[[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]], one of Rung's oldest friends, asked him to examine [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] after a [[zero point]] affliction had left him in a coma. Believing that certain emotional triggers could cause Springer's subconscious to force his [[spark]] across the zero point, Rung asked [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] to read ''[[Wreckers: Declassified]]'' datalogs to him in hopes that the memories would have some effect. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

Rung was among the survivors of [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]'s attack on [[Kimia Facility]]. He and the others drifted in a cramped escape pod for some time until they were rescued by [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis|Genesis}}

[[File:LiarsAtoD3-RungSkids.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.67|This large panel is the source of 80% of Transformers-related shipping on Tumblr.]]
After Cybertron was reborn in the wake of the [[D-Void]]'s defeat, Rung joined [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]]'s crew on the ''[[Lost Light]]'' in search for the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. Before he could get on the ship, his arm was detached by a wildly flying Cyclonus. {{Storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} After getting his arm repaired in [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]]'s care, Rung was choked by an irrational and unresponsive [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]. The psychiatrist managed to get him to release his grip when he reminded Whirl that he would go back to prison, forever, if he didn't stay in line. When [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] joined the crew, Rung informed him of their quest. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} Rung later had a close call with a [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]], but was saved by Skids. Rodimus used the two to lure the Sparkeater so he could defeat it. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|The Chaos of Warm Things}}

As a result of his almost never using it, the nature of Rung's [[alternate mode]] became the subject of a 100 [[shanix]] wager between [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] and [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]. A early blow in this "war" came when Swerve repeatedly threw a hand grenade at the back of Rung's head, hoping to trigger an involuntary mode change. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], previously thought cured, returned to therapy shortly after the launch of the ''Lost Light''. Rung was concerned that all the progress they had made on Red Alert's rampant paranoia over the years was coming undone. Red Alert informed Rung that he was hearing noises coming from a crack in the floor of the Sparkeater's chamber. He gave him a recording of the noise which Rung vaguely recognized as a voice, albeit tremendously slowed-down. When they sped the sound up, the words "kill...me" could be identified. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}

Rung held a session with the newly returned [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], whose mental state had been called into question after he had suffered torture and humiliation at the hands of [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] for three years. Rung urged him to open up and explore his trauma, to no avail. Maximus later snapped and went on a rampage across the ''Lost Light'', gunning down Autobots that reminded him of Overlord. Rung was in the middle of a session with [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] when Max broke in and took them both hostage. Rung was bound to his chair and Whirl was overpowered and pinned to the ground. Rung tried to reason with Maximus, while simultaneously recording and broadcasting what was happening in his office through the microphone in his thumb. When Maximus noticed it, he tore Rung's thumb off.

[[File:Rung FortMax Interiors.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"Wait! I'm starting to come down with Stockholm syndrome...handsome!"]]
As the situation dragged on, Rung continued to try and break through to Maximus. Max kept dodging the issue, pinning the reason for his actions on [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]'s delay in sending help to [[Garrus-9]], instead of acknowledging that Overlord was at the root of his psychosis. Maximus then confronted Whirl, who told Maximus about his life. Rung expressed wonder at this, as there were details that Whirl told Maximus that he had never told Rung. Whirl replied that Rung had never threatened any of his friends, to Rung's visible surprise. When a holo-image of Overlord torturing him was projected into the room by Rewind, Maximus froze up and crumbled to his knees. Rung tenderly comforted him and the hostage situation appeared to be at an end. Unfortunately, a shot from Swerve meant to disable Fortress Maximus instead hit Rung in the head. A memorial service was later held for Rung, which Rodimus presided over. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Surprisingly, Rung's spark and [[brain module]] ''survived'' and the medical staff believed he might pull through: something Ratchet said was akin to a miracle. Later, after a visit by [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and a horrified Swerve, Red Alert came to see the comatose psychiatrist. Believing that Rung's near-death was a result of the recording he had played to Rung, the paranoid security officer said he couldn't tell anyone else the truth he'd discovered — the voice was Overlord's, the sadistic Decepticon "strung up and sedated" in the bowels of the ''Lost Light''. Expecting to be killed himself, he left a [[data slug]] of his findings in Rung's hand and said goodbye. Unfortunately, a [[Diagnostic Drone]] had recorded Red Alert's confession, and summoned a mysterious figure who removed the slug... {{storylink|Rules of Disengagement (issue)|Rules of Disengagement}} After the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s encounter with a [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]], Swerve explained his religious interpretation of events to the comatose Rung. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

[[File:CybertronianHomesickBlues-SkidsRung.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|How much is the bill?]]
After Rung's head was rebuilt, it took hours of patient work from [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] to get Rung to be able to distinguish between people and objects. Then it took Swerve talking for ''147 hours straight'' to get Rung to move again (placing a finger over Swerve's mouth). With Rung still locked into the fog of his own thoughts, {{storylink|Signal to Noise}} Rewind decided that they could help repair the psychiatrist's brain by telling him a story: hearing stories required the brain to use its cognitive functions. He assembled a group of Autobots who'd all been part of interlinked events and tried to use the story to kick-start Rung's brain. And then he tried again. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} Not knowing when to try a different tack and intending to finally talk to Rung about [[Dominus Ambus]] {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}}, he then tried a third time with a group of 'Bots who had been involved in a chain of events during the [[Clampdown (event)|Clampdown]] and prompted them to talk about it. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} Rewind checked Rung again during the story later and still found no mental signs in him {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}} and he still showed no signs when the story was finished. Seeing that Rewind was on the wrong track, Skids tried a simpler idea, drawing from the sheer number of connections the psychiatrist had made during his lifespan without leaving an impact on many. He deliberately got his name wrong several times in front of him, and an irritated Rung immediately said his name was "Rung. Forever." {{storylink|Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|An Intimate Beheading}}

After being fully repaired and helping Brainstorm develop [[Holomatter|holomatter avatars]] that could reflect an Autobot's inner psyche, he went down to [[Hedonia]] for shore leave with Swerve, Skids, Tailgate, Rewind and Cyclonus, Whirl, and Ultra Magnus, who just tagged along. The group spent the evening between a bar {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} and a gift shop, where the sight of a memory stick caused the psychiatrist to remember his last conversation with Red Alert. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}} After a violent outburst from Cyclonus saw the group leave the bar, Rung helped bring an unconscious Ultra Magnus back to the shuttle. {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} Back aboard the ''Lost Light'', Rung shared Red Alert's concerns with Rodimus, but the ship's captain claimed to have greater priorities than immediately investigating. {{storylink|Signal to Noise}}

[[File:MTMTE22 Rung's alternate mode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|Maybe he turns into a Playstation Move.]]
As part of the ongoing bet, Tailgate attempted to have Rung transform as part of an "alt-mode party", although the psychiatrist wound up simply bemused. When the ''[[Vis Vitalis]]'' contacted the ''Lost Light'', Rung was excited at the prospect of meeting its captain, the superlative [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]]. However, the famous Autobot wound up held at gunpoint by his First Officer [[Paddox]], who had been revealed as an [[Ammonite]] spy. Rung was instrumental in saving the day, allowing Swerve to wield his "ornamental" alt mode as a blunt instrument with which to bludgeon the aggressor. Rung was also interviewed by Rewind, as part of the documentary the archivist was producing. {{storylink|Little Victories}}

Rung visited Fortress Maximus in the ship's brig, where he forgave the ex-warden for the events surrounding the psychiatrist's near-death. Their moment was interrupted, however, by an alarm signaling Overlord's escape into the ship. In the battle that followed, Rung mostly watched helplessly from the sidelines. {{storylink|Under Cold Blue Stars}}

After Overlord's defeat, Rodimus was left despondent and angry, and made angrier when Rung, correctly, realised his problem was that ''others'' had stopped Overlord and not him. At the funerals, Rung's stern, silent glance got Rodimus to admit that others, including the poor, dead Rewind, had saved the day. {{storylink|The Gloaming}} Speaking truth to power got Rung drafted for a mission to the legendary [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], in pursuit of the missing Ultra Magnus: Rodimus needed someone who was willing to say things he didn't want to hear. After reaching the moon's surface, the group encountered a newly ignited [[hot spot]], but they were quickly chased away by a [[Titan Hunter|gang of mercenaries]] {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} in the employ of [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]].

[[File:HouseofAmbus-Rung&Minimus.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Given his history, Rung should really know better now than to get involved in situations with angry poets.]]
The group was charged with "crimes against creation", and shoved into a cell with a guy called Minimus Ambus. Rung swiftly picked up that Ambus had the same mannerisms, nervous tics, and speech patterns as Ultra Magnus. Keeping his suspicions to himself at first, Rung tested his theory by wearing his Autobot badge at an angle and deliberately making a mess. Before long, Ambus relented and confirmed his identity, {{storylink|Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|House of Ambus}} explaining that "[[Magnus Armor|Ultra Magnus]]" was an identity passed down through the ages. Confused by the charges against the ''Lost Light'' crew, Ambus left to confront Tyrest, whilst Skids, Swerve, and [[Getaway]] were dumped into the cell. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}}

Getaway revealed that he and the amnesiac Skids had been dispatched by Prowl to alter the unstable Tyrest's memories, and used his escapology skills to break the entire group out. Rung and the others confronted Tyrest, his deranged plan to kill all cold-constructed [[Transformer]]s and reach [[Cyberutopia]] revealed. Immobilizing the ''Lost Light''ers, the Chief Justice activated his [[universal killswitch]], {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}} but was defeated by Tailgate and Minimus Ambus. Whilst Rodimus and Perceptor used the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to disable the killswitch, Rung comforted First Aid, who had been goaded into killing Tyrest's accomplice [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]]. When a final order from Tyrest brought his [[Legislator]] robots back to accost Rung and the others, Tailgate saved the day by amending the law at the Chief Justice's computer console. {{storylink|Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|This Calamitous Life}} In the aftermath of the battle, Rung met with Fortress Maximus in Swerve's, and the ex-warden revealed that he had been offered the role of Duly Appointed Enforcer of the [[Tyrest Accord]] by Rodimus and Ultra Magnus. {{storylink|The Sound of Breaking Glass}}

When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] and the crew of the ''[[Skyroller]]'' came aboard the ''Lost Light'', Rung was present for the 'welcome aboard' party at Swerve's. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} Shortly afterwards, the ship quantum jumped beneath the seas of [[Hydrophena]] in search of Metroplex, and Rung was one of the crew members who disembarked to battle the [[Ammonite]]s who set upon the ''Lost Light''. The psychiatrist was able to split apart one "Minicon" combiner by striking its weak spot, but was immediately shoulder-barged by another. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} Eventually the ship's crew was able to rescue Metroplex and jump the Metrotitan and the ''Lost Light'' back to Cybertron. Rung was among the crew who met up with the contingent of Autobots and Decepticons fighting against [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'s machinations. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}} With the scientist's [[Necrotitan]] defeated by Metroplex, the psychiatrist and several other Autobots took some time to relax at Swerve's, where Rung watched the bar's owner freak out over [[Blurr (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Blurr]]'s presence. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}}

The festivities were cut short, however, by the materialization of seventy billion Ammonites in the planet's skies, and Rung mostly spent the battle that followed looking on in horror. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} After the dust settled, Rung was present to see Optimus Prime and Megatron stand side-by-side, the Decepticon leader having declared his new faction during the climactic confrontation with Shockwave. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

[[File:WordsHangInTheAir-Nightbeat.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Nightbeat's wondering why Raiz drew it differently.]]
In the days that followed, Rung was in the crowd on [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]] observing Megatron stand trial for his crimes during the war. By the trial's resolution, Megatron was declared co-captain of the ''Lost Light'', and six months later, after the ship had resumed its quest, the former Decepticon attended a therapy session with the Autobot psychiatrist. Megatron spent much of the session evading Rung's inquiries, at one point changing the subject to the first time he encountered the psychotherapist, at [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] in 4th Cycle 496. Unable to remember this incident, Rung took the opportunity to segue into discussing a first-edition copy of Megatron's original autobiography, ''Towards Peace'', that he had been given by new crew member [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]]. Of interest was a dedication to 'Terminus' that the ex-Decepticon removed from all subsequent copies. The session was then interrupted by a brief black-out, and Megatron took the chance to end the meeting. As he left, Megatron revealed that Terminus was somebody who taught him "not to get attached." {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} Later that day, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] examined a schematic of Rung's enigmatic alt-mode, {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} whilst the psychiatrist himself attended a screening of the [[Earth]] film ''{{w|Zulu (1964 film)|Zulu}}'' at Swerve's. The event was interrupted, however, when the ''Lost Light'' began disappearing piece by piece, and Rung escaped onto a shuttle. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} Eventually Rung and every other original crew member disappeared, with the remaining ''Lost Light''ers discovering that the ship's initial quantum jump had caused it and its passengers to duplicate. The other ship's Rung, they learned, was "lost" during the explosive jump. Eventually, the ''Lost Light'' and its crew were restored and its duplicate vanished. {{storylink|slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}

Not long after the ship's reappearance, Rung was at [[Swerve's]] when Brainstorm activated an electro-sensitive poison, knocking everybody who'd been drinking from the spiked engex vats unconscious. As a teetotaler, Rung merely wound up buried under a pile of his collapsed crewmates. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}} When Brainstorm, apparently revealed as a Decepticon, travelled back in time, Rung was recruited to the team pursuing the engineer into the past. Materializing in [[Alyon]] in 1st Cycle 502, the group encountered a team of insurgents and [[Outlier]]s, led by Orion Pax, trying to protect a hot spot from Senate forces. Whilst the two teams rested, Rung was startled to discover that [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] was taking [[circuit speeder]]s to keep up with his Outlier teammates, and warned of their health risks. After helping save the hot spot's newborn sparks, the ''Lost Light'' team followed Brainstorm further into the past, {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|All Our Parlous Yesterdays}} to 4th Cycle 501, during the Clampdown.

[[File:Rung Ongoing 22.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7|"Hey, I didn't order that!"]]
Rung was assigned to survey Maccadam's New Oil House in [[Rodion]], where he passed the time building a model of the ''Lost Light''. Unbeknownst to him, he was observed by both Brainstorm, who realized that he had been pursued into the past, {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}} and [[Quark]] and Nightbeat, who bickered over whether the psychiatrist was a Senate spy or just a billy-no-mates. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} After Brainstorm time-jumped again, Rung's crewmates regrouped at Maccadam's to be sent even further into the past, to 4th Cycle 499. When the group split up, Rung was in the contingent that stayed at the bar, and was dispatched to fetch a [[curly straw]] for Tailgate. In doing so, however, he spilled a Senate cadet's drink. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}} After refusing to clean up the spill, the poor 'bot was tossed across the bar, right onto [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] and Megatron's table. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory Part 1}} A barfight quickly ensued, away from which Rodimus dragged the unconscious Rung. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}}

Having realized that Brainstorm intended to kill Megatron, Rung and the ''Lost Light''ers pursued the engineer back to 1st Cycle 012, where the Decepticon-to-be had just been created in a cold construction facility. After Brainstorm was hit with a "grenado", Rung checked the facility's computer's and found that the rogue engineer had already wiped Megatron's batch code, and then spent ten minutes pointing his gun at the newborn. When Brainstorm pulled a pistol again, Rung was able to talk him down, realizing that the engineer was still conflicted. A short time later, the crew used Rodimus's "time phone" to send a warning message for their past selves, and Rung chipped in with instructions to not visit [[Delphi]] (though the message failed to reach its intended recipients). After the group returned to the present day, Rung visited Perceptor, who revealed that their actions in the past were pre-destined, already part of established history, and that tampering with the time machine might have lead to a multitude of alternate realities being created. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}}

[[File:MTMTE48 skids and rung.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.9|Let's face it, Rung isn't Robert's self-insert; he's ''ours''.]]

As well as helping on the ''Lost Light'', Rung was remotely providing aid to Fortress Maximus. The new enforcer of the Tyrest Accord admitted to him how he'd been thrown to discover some Decepticons had been a bunch of damaged guys and not complete monsters. Rung gently steered him towards changing his ultraviolent approach, as many Decepticons may be like that now. {{storylink|Animals}}

While assisting Skids with reclaiming his lost memories, Rung was surprised to find ''Froid'' (who was supposed to be [[death|dead]]) visiting the ''Lost Light''! [[File:MTMTE48 creepy froid.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.0|Aaaaaand this panel is the source of the other 20%.]] His rival wrangled a private chat with his "old friend" and began to mock, cajole, intimidate, and outright blackmail Rung to hand over all his patient notes. Even the threat of revealing he shouldn't be practicing therapy anymore wouldn't break Rung. Instead, Rung ran a sting and asked if he could 'help' with anything else while quietly alerting Skids to show up loaded for bastard. Unfortunately, it turned out Froid wanted the patient information as a way of feeding his "prisoner": monstrous serial killer and memory-eating [[Mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]], [[Sunder (G1)|Sunder the Tetraxian Ripper]]!

Sunder remotely accessed Rung's memories of the patients and broke out to have this all-you-can-eat buffet of repressed memories, starting with Skids. {{storylink|Speak, Memory: Part 1}} Rung had been recording the event and transmitted everything to Megatron, who declared the ship on lockdown. As Sunder prowled the ship, attacking anyone who hadn't locked themselves away, Rung was carrying Skids in a search for Chromedome, hoping the mnemosurgeon could stop the guy's memory surge. Froid tagged along and was brutally killed by Sunder before Thunderclash and Megatron could drive him back; when the monster proved too much, Rung saved Megatron with his ''ship collection'', all capable of flight and shooting!

Once the Ripper was finally stopped, Rung resigned as therapist: the transmission meant Megatron knew he had been struck off. When the captain tried to talk him out of this, Rung snapped that the only way you could defend what he'd done is if you thought his work was unimportant.{{storylink|Speak, Memory! (Part 2)}}

The crew found a shrinking 'time window' in [[Swerve's]] that could allow you to look back in its past. Rung and Chromedome both went to look back at Rewind's attempt to fix his brain-damaged self, and Rung would have to gently remind Chromedome when it was time to go. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}}

Rung had been asked (and his mind wiped) by Getaway if he'd be willing to mutiny against Megatron. As he wasn't, the mutiny tricked Rung into leaving the ship with the other Megatron 'loyalists': a transmission was sent from the Necrobot's planet to draw them in. (A dying Necrobot, corrupting it in the hope of scaring people away, made it terrify them; Rung heard something he refused to discuss) The group followed the transmission to the planet and came under immediate, violent attack from the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] and [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] before learning the ''Lost Light'' was abandoning them. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}} The Autobots holed up in the Necrobot's old house and Rung helped Rodimus run through their assets. Which were none.

Others found there were dozens of slumbering organics underneath the base and that there was a long-range teleporter, but using the latter meant abandoning the former. Rung listened with weariness as Brainstorm argued for abandoning the organics as they could do far more good for the world if they escaped but, after Megatron spoke in favour of staying, Rung stayed to protect the helpless. While preparing for battle, he and the others realised [[Ten]] had been trying to alert them they could create a forcefield. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|The Sun in Flight}}

[[Image:mtmte50 rung's funeral request.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|]]

Three weeks after the mutiny, the crew's last messages, including Rung's, were received by several parties on Earth and Cybertron. Rung begged them to dismantle him if he died in alt mode and "put me beyond use" .{{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|At Close of Day}} {{storylink|The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|Do Not Go Gentle}} {{storylink|Last Light}} {{storylink|Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|Some Other Cybertron}} {{storylink|Dissolution Part 2: Anomie|Anomie}}}}

{{-}}

====The Functionist Universe====
[[File:Rung predestination an experts guide.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|We told you he was an ornament.]]
In a [[Functionist Universe|divergent timeline]], no one could figure out the exact purpose of Rung's alternate mode, so he was locked up in [[Cog (base)|The Cog]] and regularly tortured for two million years by the scientist [[Quark]] to try and discern the mystery. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}} His unique position in a purely functionist society caused a cult to develop around him. He was hailed as the "Useless One", with his "[[Female protester|followers]]" openly defying the government and being met with [[Death|a reminder of the status quo]]. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}} Eventually while he was cleaning Rung's cell [[Sweep (IDW)|Sweep]] (a ''janitor'', not a scientist) figured out what he turned into and the purpose of his alternate form. Whatever it was, [[One-of-Twelve]] did not like it, labelling it a massive threat to the [[Functionist Council]] and society. One-of-Twelve greeted the "Useless One" (which Rung commented was ironic given that One-of-Twelve didn't even '''have''' an alt-mode) and pulled a gun to his head. Rung warned him that if he took the shot, the Functionist world would be destroyed and then proceeded to goad him into firing. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|Predestination: An Expert's Guide}}

[[File:AWorldDisplaced-RungAlternateMode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|His is the drill that will pierce the heavens.]]

Years later, the Functionist Council announced [[Revelation Day]]: at the end of the countdown, they'd disprove this whole "Useless One" anti-functionist talk by revealing exactly what Rung was for. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 2: Anomie|Anomie}}

Supposedly Rung turned into a colossal mining tank with a very conspicuous crystalline drill, something which Team Rodimus found suspicious. According to [[Six-of-Twelve]], the point of Rungs' alternate mode was to drill through the [[Ununtrium|ununtrium]] wall that surrounded [[Vector Sigma]]. {{storylink|Dissolution Part 3: A World Misplaced|A World Misplaced}}

{{-}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
[[File:KreO-webcomic-6-Rung.jpg|75px|thumb|right|Insert appropriate Doc Brown sound here.]]
Rung directed a crane hauling a load of energy blocks into [[Metroplex (Kre-O)|Scramble City]] when the [[Devastator (Kre-O)|Constructicons]] attacked. {{Storylink|A New Menace! The Giant Soldier Devastator Appears!}}

{{-}}

===Transformers Facebook page===

Rung managed to get his own TV show, ''[[Rung Up with Rung]]'', in which he analyzes a weekly Cybertronian guest.
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Fictional toys===
[[File:Mtmte22-coverb-rung-toy.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|Quite articulated for a G1 dude.]]
*'''Rung'''
**''Accessories:'' Data Journal, "ARK-1" Model, Tech Specs Decoder

:In some time-lost continuity, Swerve tried to figure out a Rung toy. Its features included moveable eyebrows to alter the robot's expression, and a "Listening Mode". {{storylink|Little Victories}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*A psychoanalyst named Rung was referenced in the unofficial Transformers novel ''Eugenesis'', written by [[James Roberts]].
*The name "Rung" is a reference to {{w|Carl Jung}}, founder of analytical psychology.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/comics-16/tfw2005-interviews-james-roberts-175563/ TFW2005.com interview with James Roberts]</ref> The mention of "Rungian analysis" in [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|''More Than Meets the Eye'' #1]] is a further play on this.
*Incidentally, the above reference to "Rungian analysis" came from [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] on his way to the original Ark. This means Rung was an established psychotherapist as far back as six million years ago, in the times of [[Nova Prime]], making him one of the few ''identified'' survivors of that era. His age was also hinted on in "[[Zero Point]]" which established him as one of the oldest friends of [[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]], whose entire shtick is being really old.
*Rung's longest suffering patient was [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]].
*[[Alex Milne]] modeled Rung's appearance on actors {{w|Brent Spiner}} and {{w|David Hyde-Pierce}}.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/notes/transformers/transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-vol-2-alex-milne-interview/395646703838863 Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye vol. 2 Alex Milne interview]</ref>
*More than a few hints have been dropped indicating that Rung is, well, more than meets the eye:
**Red Alert cites his "impressive" serial number of 1,000,000 in [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|''More Than Meets the Eye'' #1]].
**He has an utterly unique [[alternate mode]] (a plot point in the [[Functionist Universe]], where a protester "dressed" as Rung cries out "All hail the useless one!" in apparent reference to his alternate form). Whatever his alternate mode is, it was apparently ominous enough that the Functionist Council believed that it could completely upset Cybertron's social order.
**The Sparkeater apparently seeks him out as having the brightest Spark on the ship in [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|''More Than Meets the Eye'' #3]].
**He somehow manages to stay (mostly) out of harm's way throughout millions of years of war and remain in like-new condition, as commented on by Ratchet in [[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|''More Than Meets the Eye'' #2]].
**He rather miraculously survives having his head destroyed.
**Despite all this, he remains curiously forgotten, unknown and overlooked by others.
**He is mentioned as having been "lost" in the explosion that created a quantum duplicate of the ''Lost Light''—a curious choice of words.
**He was apparently slated to travel aboard the ''Ark-1'', but was recalled at the last moment by the Senate for reasons unknown.
**When facing death, he requests to have his body torn apart and "put beyond use", "just in case".
**Fortunately, James Roberts has clarified the issue by explicitly pointing out that there is nothing special about Rung whatsoever, and that we should not pay any attention to Rung, his various quirks, or any of his future adventures.<ref>James Roberts Q&A panel at TFCon 2015</ref> Would James Roberts lie to us?
*In his many Roberts-penned appearances, Rung tends to avoid being identified by his name while he's around others and conscious. In his comic appearances, his name is mispronounced or he's only described, only able to be named by others when they're not in his vicinity or when he's unconscious. In prose stories, others can name him directly while he's around. Rung's dismay at being unidentified and his general inability to be noticed likely tie in to the promo image for ''More Than Meets the Eye'' #1, where Rung was identified as wanting "to be remembered."
*Rung's Holomatter avatar is named {{w|Mary Sue}}, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the literary term of the same name and a wink at fans who consider Rung to be Roberts's own alter-ego.
*In [[Speak, Memory: Part 1|''More Than Meets the Eye'' #48]] we learn Rung collects models of ships he's served on. His collection has all the Arks from 1 to 9, as we know from [[Little Victories|''More Than Meets the Eye'' #22]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://markerguru.deviantart.com/art/rung-colour-guide-253698917 Rung concept art at Alex Milne's deviantART]
*[http://markerguru.deviantart.com/gallery/?q=rung#/d471m8d More Rung design art, featuring an unused alternate mode concept]

[[Category:Fiction-only Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Scientists]]

Mike Costa

2017-03-21T06:27:58Z

Minimusminor: amended wording relating to previous record for most published material.

[[Image:Mike Costa.jpg|right|thumb|200px|He still prefers writing humans, despite having interacted with our fandom. Man has an indomitable spirit.]]

'''Mike Costa''' is a comic book writer for [[IDW Publishing]], and was the main ''Transformers'' scribe from November 2009 to December 2011. Costa followed [[Shane McCarthy]] as the predominant ''Transformers'' writer, and his work preceded two ongoing titles by [[John Barber]] and [[James Roberts]]. His work focused on the Transformers' relationship with humanity, via a "decompressed" style of storytelling. He also liked to do different genres in different stories (calling the space opera story "Space Opera" is a bit of a giveaway here).

He has stated that during his first year, he found himself burning out on the job and finding it "not as fun" as he'd thought, because the immortal, robotic nature of the characters difficult to get a handle on. Aside from the general ''oddness'' of the concept, he felt they lacked the usual motivations of an action-adventure character and he didn't see how they ''could'' realistically have personalities like humans, and the need to have them act human-esque was a big logical flaw. "They don't have all of the basic things that humans have that motivate them and give them motivation for drama for a story. They don't really get [[energon|hungry]], they don't [[Survival Run|get tired]], they don't have [[Female Transformer|women]] or [[Transformer romance|relationships]] like that [which] they value because they don’t have females [[Conjunx_Endura|that they can love]]; maybe brotherly love, but how — they don’t have parents? They don't have [[Primus|religion]] or [[Allspark|spirituality]]... you have to manufacture [these things] and that makes it very incoherent." That, and the restrictions from the [[to sell toys|toy-centric]] nature of the premise (like Optimus only turning into a truck all the time), caused him major problems. The final storyline, ''Chaos'', energised him after it was turned into a big event and brought in [[James Roberts]] as a co-writer. <ref name=Underbase>[http://moonbase2.libsyn.com/webpage/the-underbase-reviews-ongoing-31 The Underbase podcast interview with Mike Costa ("Special Guest")]</ref>

Taking his two ''All Hail Megatron'' coda stories as one, Costa has written a total of thirty-five issues across his two-year run. This remained the largest output of comics by a single writer in IDW's history of Transformers comics until [[John Barber]] and [[James Roberts]] exceeded this in 2014.

The [[fandom]] has caused Costa to be alternately amazed, baffled, and annoyed. He's admitted he wasn't prepared for the intense dedication of the fandom and the multiple demands from the fandom — "I have no idea who's going to like what!" — but in the end he finds it "pretty cool" that people are talking about what he's doing. He's claimed there's "probably only a hundred active posters" on the message boards.<ref name=Underbase />

In addition to ''Transformers'', he has also written for ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' and ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles''.

==Comic bibliography==
===IDW Publishing===
====Writer====
* ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|#13 ("Uneasy Lies the Head")]], [[All Hail Megatron issue 16|#16 ("The Man of Steel")]]
* ''[[The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers]]'' ongoing series #1–21, 24–31
* ''[[Ride-Along|Spotlight: Prowl]]''
* ''[[The Transformers: Ironhide]]''

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Costa, Mike}}
[[Category:IDW Publishing]]
[[Category:Writers]]

Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2017-02-25T02:44:50Z

Minimusminor: /* On Earth */ Added information on recent OP issue. Also in process of condensing overly specific synopsis in previous paragraphs.

{{faction|autobot}}
{{suite}}
[[File:SpotlightArcee-ArceeWillBurnJhiaxusDown.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|Sexual violence hardens female character into skilled warrior -- the freshest idea in comics, everybody.]]
This is ''not'' the '''Arcee''' you knew in your childhood, unless your childhood happened around [[2008]] or later and your mum bought you [[IDW Publishing|IDW comics]].

==IDW Generation 1 continuity==
{{ongoing}}

===Out for blood===
[[File:Spotlight Arcee traumatic flashback.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|left|Jhiaxus is big into Rule 63.]]
Over six million years ago, Arcee was a follower of the mad genius [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], who was trying to reintroduce gender to the species after the extirpation of female Transformers on Cybertron. We don't know the full story but Arcee would forever after feel guilt and self-loathing that she didn't realise what Jhiaxus really was, and that (she believes) she 'let him' experiment on her very CNA. Against her will, her fundamental [[CNA]] was altered, giving her a "maddening maelstrom of contradictory sensory input", and when she didn't live up to Jhiaxus' standards she was abandoned as a reject. Forever after, she'd be angry, distant, and distrustful of agendas and experiments done to people against their will. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} {{storylink|An Uneventful Night}}

Forever after too, the 'genderless' Cybertronians would sense a fundamental difference about her and inadvertently use feminine pronouns around her: a constant reminder of what happened. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

Driven by an implacable homing instinct towards her creator's experiments, she cut a mech-fluid swath of carnage across several planets in her obsession with destroying everything Jhiaxus created. She was eventually taken down by [[Tyrest Accord]] enforcer [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and incarcerated on the Autobot penitentiary on [[Garrus-9]]. As was policy for threats of her level, Arcee's [[spark]] was separated from her body, and in this limbo, she found a kind of peace.

That peace was shattered when the [[Decepticon Secret Service]], led by [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzaitron]], attacked Garrus-9 to liberate the recently incarcerated [[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]], more of Jhiaxus's experiments. When the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] infiltrated the facility, warden [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Fortress Maximus]] freed Arcee as a last resort to stop them. She presented quite the frightening obstacle for the invaders, severely wounding [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] and [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]], but in the end they managed to escape with their target. [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] convinced Maximus to allow her to pursue them, {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} and she followed their trail to the Decepticon Battle Platform [[Zuska]], where she tortured a Decepticon for information on the escapees' location. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

[[File:arceealtmodeidw.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Fast and the Furious: Cybertronian Drift]]
Using this intel to locate Banzaitron, Arcee found that the Transformers from the [[Dead Universe]]—Jhiaxus among them—had activated Monstructor and spirited him away, decimating the Banzaitron's team in the process. Arcee agreed to help Banzaitron in recovering Monstructor, on the basis that it would lead her to Jhiaxus. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} Tracking Monstructor to [[Rotan]], she and the Decepticons engaged him in battle until [[Skram (G2)|Skram]] arrived with information on Jhiaxus's location. Abandoning the fight, Arcee headed for [[Gorlam Prime]], where she murdered her way through a legion of [[Micromaster]]s before finally cornering him beneath the planet's surface. There, she was surprised and delighted to find that, as he came from the Dead Universe, and they were in a location close to its influence, Jhiaxus could not die. And that meant she could kill him over, and over, and over... {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

[[File:SpotlightSideswipe Jhiaxus deathbecomeshim.jpg|upright=1.34|thumb|Those were the best days of our lives.]]
Arcee did just that for six years, and would later profess that the experience helped her straighten her head out. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} It had in fact been the only time she'd ever been truly happy. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}}

This demented "therapy" came to an end when Gorlam Prime's portal to the Dead Universe reactivated, hypnotically drawing all life on the planet into it. Arcee also felt its lure but [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] held her back until the effect faded, and the two Autobots decided to investigate. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 2|Heart of Darkness #2}} A while later, they detected [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]], [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and Jhiaxus in the vicinity and attacked them. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 1|Heart of Darkness #1}} Discovering that her arch-enemy had been restored by Galvatron's [[Darkness (G1)|Heart of Darkness]], she vowed to destroy Jhiaxus all over again, but those plans had to be tabled when Galvatron powered himself up by tapping into the Dead Universe via the portal. Convinced by Hardhead to flee and warn the Autobots of Galvatron's return, Arcee was blasted into a chasm by her pursuers, but managed to survive. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 2|Heart of Darkness #2}}

[[File:HeartofDarkness1-ArceeHardhead.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|You know how the saying goes about wearing your spine on your stomach-- wait, that's not how the saying goes? ....scrap.]]
Some time later, as Galvatron was in the process of assembling an army and preparing to enact his grand plan, Arcee and Hardhead came to the rescue of an Autobot escape pod full of survivors from the [[Kimia Facility]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} Bringing the survivors aboard, she and Hardhead had to explain at least five times to them all about the Dead Universe, the Heart of Darkness, [[D-Void]], and Galvatron's plans. The rag-tag group made it to Cybertron, by which time Galvatron infected [[Vector Sigma]] with the Heart of Darkness, which caused a maelstrom to break out on the planet's surface. Arcee suggested guiding the ship through an underground tunnel, crashing right on top of Galvatron himself, but this failed to take the super-powered villain out, and he quickly engaged and defeated Arcee and Hardhead. {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis|Genesis}}

===Under Prowl===
[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] subsequently used the Matrix to purify Vector Sigma, but in the process reverted Cybertron to a primordial state. In this tumultuous new era, Arcee fell into the employ of [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], acting as his shadowy enforcer in an era of uneasy peace. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} She inaugurated her new role by assassinating [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] before the former senator could have [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] killed, but her vicious methods sat ill with Prowl. {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}} Later, Arcee watched with amusement from a high vantage point as a set of rockets [[Wheeljack (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Wheeljack]] had fired into orbit successfully drew away dangerous energies that would have caused an explosion on the planet's surface. {{storylink|Stick Together}}

[[File:Arcee Ratbat WorldandEverythingInIt.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|She never was one for politics.]]
Prowl soon called upon Arcee again to aid him in dealing with Decepticon malcontents, this time confronting [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] and his [[cerebro-shell]]-controlled minions. After Arcee killed the mind-controlled [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] against Prowl's wishes, the pair pursued Bombshell into underground tunnels, but ran into the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], whom Arcee took on solo, saving an unknowing [[Blurr (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Blurr]] in the process. Prowl, meanwhile, went after Bombshell, but succumbed to his newly improved method of mind control. Under Bombshell's sway, Prowl returned to Arcee's side and "destroyed" Constructicons by detonating their [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|I/D chips]], then sent her after [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who had witnessed the whole thing. Evidently suspecting that something was amiss with Prowl, she secretly allowed Dirge to escape. {{storylink|Devisive}} Deducing what had happened to Prowl, she met with him later, informing him she "knew his secret" and cautioning him to remember that she was not his killer to order around, {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} but continued to work towards whatever objectives Bombshell was manipulating Prowl for, allowing the Insecticon to think she was on his side so she could discover what he was up to and stop him. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}}

Arcee later secretly joined "Prowl" and the other Autobot security officers in tracking Dirge to the Decepticons' bolt-hole, but once again, she stood back and allowed him and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] to escape during the ensuing firefight. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} She would later be seen prowling the rooftops of the city, watching [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] and [[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]] through the sight of her weapon and graciously deciding not to snipe them. {{storylink|Night and the City}}

[[File:Arcee and Ravage The End of the Beginning of the World.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|She didn't exactly have a knack for massages, either.]]
When the time came for the Decepticons to put the final stage of their plan into action, Bombshell directed Arcee, through Prowl, to exfiltrate [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]], [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] and their men from their present living quarters in the Decepticon pen. She chose to do so in the most violent way possible, of course, first attacking and killing the pen guards [[Triggerhappy]] and [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] and then detonating a shrapnel bomb that disabled all the other Decepticons present. Before departing with their unconscious bodies, she planted another explosive which Prowl then deliberately tripped while leading a "raid" on the pen, making it appear that the Decepticons within had been destroyed by their own booby-trap. Meanwhile, unaware of what had truly transpired, Starscream assumed that all of this had gone down as a result of his blackmailing Prowl with the knowledge he had gained from Dirge, so Arcee decided to drop in and rain on his parade, informing him she knew exactly where he had hidden Dirge, and could take away his "advantage" at any time. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}}

[[File:TheVerge-Arcee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'll cry when I'm done killing!]]
That, as it turned out, was exactly what she did when riots broke out upon the return of [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]. Recovering Dirge from his hideaway and informing him of "Prowl's" involvement with the Decepticons, she took him and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] to [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]], where a standoff with Blurr ensued. {{storylink|City on Fire}} Convincing him to listen to her by revealing that she was the one who had saved him from the Constructicons, Arcee handed Dirge and Swindle off to him and cut a path through the rioters for him so he could take them and the information to Bumblebee. {{storylink|The Verge}} Arcee proceeded to join Prowl, Bombshell, Megatron and the other Decepticons in the [[Black Room]], relaying a message from [[Turmoil]] and [[Skywarp (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Skywarp]] that they were in position. Following the information she had fed them via Dirge, Bumblebee and his team soon arrived; they were overpowered, and Arcee stabbed [[Sideswipe (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sideswipe]] through the torso, pinning his body to the wall (but avoiding doing any serious damage, cluing him in to her deception). Together, they all watched as the Decepticons' plan was enacted, and a perfected version of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] was formed, incorporating Prowl as its mind-controlled head. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} Calmly waiting until the most dramatic moment possible—when Bumblebee asked her what her place in the plot was—Arcee then promptly stabbed Bombshell through the head, cutting off his control of Devastator and shutting the combiner down. Calling on Sideswipe to open fire, Arcee armed Bumblebee and apologized for not acting sooner, explaining that she had had to wait until she was close enough to Bombshell to act. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} As the battle began to rage, with [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] busy with Prowl and Bumblebee busy with Megatron, Arcee and the Dinobots were put in charge of taking on the rest of the Decepticon army. Following Megatron's defeat, as Starscream took control, Arcee and the other Autobots were cast out into the wilderness. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

As the Autobots left the city, they were trailed by the Constructicons, who had become fans of Prowl after having combined with him. Arcee wanted to intervene when the Constructicons and the Dinobots came to blows, but Prowl restrained her while Bumblebee's worsening condition stopped the fighting for good. During Bumblebee's restoration, Arcee tried her best to comfort Prowl, who was visibly upset, but Arcee's emotional detachment made it difficult for her to connect. Her failure to empathize with Prowl sent her to Sideswipe next, whose love of violence she thought would give them common ground, but Sideswipe also shooed her away. The Constructicons picked a fight with her next, pointing out her lack of Autobot symbol as a sign that no one wanted her, and Arcee was all too happy to oblige. Their skirmish ended when Ironhide and the Dinobots broke them up, and Ironhide confided in Arcee that he was worried the night would bring madness to their camp as it did to the Aerialbots and Dinobots earlier. Arcee, confident that the madness wouldn't affect her, stayed up all night guarding Bumblebee, and when Bumblebee awoke the next morning in his new body, he found her outside with an Autobot symbol carved into her arm. But suddenly there was a weird glow over the horizon, and the sunrise wasn't for another few hours. Arcee immediately suspected Jhiaxus. {{storylink|Second Exodus}}

[[File:TheBecoming-Arcee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|Prowl thinks this is special, despite this being Arcee's fourth body in as many years.]]
Suddenly, an undead [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]], a [[Necrotitan]], burst free from the ground before them. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} Arcee was happy to have a giant target to shoot at, though she wasn't hopeful of their odds of survival. Bumblebee insisted on caution rather than rash action, but before Arcee and the others could act, Soundwave's Decepticons were upon them. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} Their battle was interrupted by Starscream arriving overhead and landing on the inert Necrotitan's shoulder. Arcee offered to shoot him out of the sky, but before she could, the Necrotitan suddenly unleashed a strange, deadly wave that spread in all directions, and leaving Arcee without one of her arms and one of her legs. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} Arcee sat quietly as the others freaked out in the wake of the strange wave. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} She did not let her major limb damage deter her whatsoever once the Autobots chose to besiege Shockwave's lair (thought it probably helped that she'd somehow grown back her missing arm). {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|Finest Hour}} Still without one of her legs, she was forced to retreat with the others, leaving Megatron and Bumblebee behind. {{storylink|No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit}}

Arcee, the other Autobots, and Soundwave's Decepticons returned to the city, where the Necrotitan had recently advanced, reducing what was left to ashes. Prowl ordered anyone still able to fight (Arcee included herself) to attack the Necrotitan before it could do more damage, but there was little they could do. Thankfully, that was when [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and the ''[[Lost Light]]'' appeared over them via [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] and engaged the Necrotitan for them. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} With the surprising help of Megatron, Metroplex was able to defeat the Necrotitan, and the citizens of Cybertron and the crew of the ''Lost Light'' were reunited. Arcee approached and greeted the female Transformers the ''Lost Light'' had brought along. In the calm that followed, Arcee was rebuilt into a new body, and Prowl wondered if she was considering this a fresh start. Before too long, however, their calm was ended by the arrival of Shockwave's army of [[Ammonite]]s. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} She fought alongside her many comrades against the [[Ammonite]]s. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} and also got to talk with [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] about how he ended the Ammonite's war and started [[Cybertronian Civil Wars|their own]] war, leading her to reflect on how they should have hung out more. Later, after fighting was over, Arcee was in a crowd of bots watching Optimus and Megatron exit the Lost Light. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

During the following six months, Arcee attended Megatron's trial along with Whirl and [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]]. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} Following the trial, Arcee admitted to Prowl that [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and her party of female Transformers didn't evoke any particular feelings in her. After Sideswipe opened his big yap, Arcee asked Optimus about what had happened to Hardhead, and volunteered to join his crew for the trip to Earth to find Alpha Trion. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}}

===On Earth===
As soon as the ''[[Ark-7]]'' arrived in Earth's orbit, they were attacked by Earth Defense Command's orbital missiles. After they took cover on the far side of the Moon, Arcee joined Optimus's team heading down to the planet in [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and was assigned with Prowl to investigate who had fired the rockets at them. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} When Prime's team, investigating a Cybertronian life sign, were attacked by Galvatron's forces and the EDC, Prowl sent Arcee and Sideswipe to provide covering fire as the team retreated to nearby [[Poverty Flat]]. Prowl also brought Devastator to provide help, revealing the Cybertronian presence to the humans. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} Arcee and the other Autobots protected the panicking humans until the Decepticon were all teleported away on [[Marissa Faireborn]]'s orders. As the Autobots returned to ''Ark-7'', Arcee warned Optimus that more might be going on than they knew. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}}

The Autobots tracked the EDC's mind bomb signal to their base on island Bikini Atoll and Optimus opted for a frontal assault. On their way down, Arcee confided in Prowl that she'd seen [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] acting suspiciously. She was part of Prime's frontal assault, only to be surprised by the arrival of the [[Nemesis (G1)|Decepticon warship]]. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}} The Autobots fired at the ship until Prowl used the EDC's own defense system to shoot the ship down. As they departed with Alpha Trion, whom they'd recovered from the EDC base, Arcee helped the wounded Kup onto Sky Lynx. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}}

[[File:OFFonOFF-GalvatronArcee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|....fifth body in as many years.]]
Jetfire, Arcee and [[D.0.C.]] investigated an alarm in the ''Ark-7'' shuttlebay to find Prime and Trion had gone for a jaunt. {{storylink|The Crucible}} When Optimus left for Cybertron to learn more about the [[Enigma of Combination]], he left Prowl in charge and asked Arcee to keep an eye on Prowl. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches}} When Prowl took the Constructicons to intercept [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Spike Witwicky]] in [[Japan]], Arcee followed using Sideswipe's backpack and prevented Prowl from grabbing Spike and [[Jimmy Pink]]. The two humans fled and Arcee pursued them, only to end up being cornered by the Decepticons along with Jimmy Pink. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|Vs.}} Though Galvatron claimed they were after the same thing, Spike, Arcee opted to take Jimmy and leave the Decepticons and Constructicons to it, only to be tackled mid-air by Galvatron. During their fight which landed them in the [[Australia]]n outback, Galvatron lied to Arcee, claiming Prowl had killed Spike's father to draw Spike out, and persuaded her to join him in trying to destroy the Enigma of Combination. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|ONoffON}}

She, Jimmy, and the Decepticons arrived in [[Wanmu]] to find Devastator already attacking the [[Onyx]] facility there. She tried to reach Prowl, but Devastator was set on killing Spike and she was knocked flat by the discarded Enigma of Combination. After [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] left the planet with the Enigma, Arcee was finally able to reach Prowl and get him to disassemble Devastator. They left on Sky Lynx with a space bridge from the Onyx facility. {{storylink|The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati}}

Much later, Optimus contacted Arcee and filled her in on recent Combiner-related events on Cybertron. She had a clandestine meeting with Galvatron who wanted to use the spacebridge, and provided her with an Onyx tablet. Arcee returned to the ''Ark-7'' to get the tablet analyzed and gave [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] a mission to Jupiter. {{storylink|Now and On Earth}} He soon reported back on the Decepticon station being built there, and she met him on his return, however he fobbed her off with the promise of a report later and headed to a recharge slab. {{storylink|South of Heaven}}

[[File:AnUneventfulNight-WindbladeArcee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.6|...sixth...]]
Arcee returned to Cybertron in order to take the [[Enigma of Combination]] out of the hands of the Cybertronian government so that it couldn't be used to create any more "abominations" (as Galvatron had put it to her). However, her escape was complicated by Windblade and Chromia, who inadvertently corralled her into the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] where a Camien team of [[Torchbearer]]s was scouting. The Torchbearers fumed at not only Arcee's injuring of Windblade, a Cityspeaker, but also her intent to harm an artifact of the Primes, and further battling resulted in the Torchbearers exposed to the Enigma of Combination and reconfigured into the mighty combiner, [[Victorion]]. The newborn, confused Victorion singled out Arcee for punishment, and so Windblade and Chromia found themselves protecting her against the gestalt. Windblade, surprisingly, was able to calm Victorion down long enough for them to disassemble. Arcee explained that she hated the Enigma not because of Galvatron's thoughts on the matter, but because it changed people against their will, which rung sorely with her particular history. The Torchbearers, however, noted that while they were changed against their will, they had equal right to remain what they now were. Warming to Windblade's combination of diplomacy and willingness to bury the truth to promote lasting peace, Arcee agreed to return the Enigma of Combination and pretend the incident had never happened. {{storylink|An Uneventful Night}}

She briefly watched Starscream talk to himself before swapping notes with Optimus. When one of Starscream's [[Badgeless]] troops was about to stage a massacre at a bar, Arcee stepped in and took the Badgeless to confront Starscream himself, whom she suggested needed to win over those on Cybertron before he went conquering other worlds. {{storylink|The Transgressors}}

Back on Earth, to her pre-emptive satisfaction, she detected that Prowl was in [[Alaska]], ready to be taken in by her... and then suddenly ''wasn't''. She went looking for Kup for help and was perturbed to find he'd passed out while outside the ship, and this may have happened before. But she didn't have time to care when Prowl disappearing was a major security risk and she needed help finding him! They broke into Prowl's old quarters, with Arcee suspicious how easy Kup managed it, and found some fleshbag called [[Verity Carlo]] had been blackmailing the fugitive with a copy of Autobot war crime data! Arcee was livid, thinking Carlo might restart the war if she made such horrors public. She was ''more'' livid when a recorded message from Prowl was broadcast, saying to get ''Springer'' to look for him as only Springer was good enough. Screw you, Prowl!

The most sensible course of action was to knock out Kup, go to Earth, and violently threaten Verity Carlo into saying what she'd done to Prowl. Verity turned out to know nothing. When Springer and the [[Wrecker]]s showed up, {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 1|Sins of the Wreckers #1}} Arcee continued to insist it ''had'' to be this human anyway... which was round about the time the ''real'' culprits, [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]], attacked and Prowl ''broadcast through Kup'' to explain he was in the hands of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], at the [[Noisemaze]]. Arcee was horrified to realise Prowl had put a backdoor hack in Kup's brain in case he'd needed to manipulate suckers. This clearly meant... it was still Verity's fault! CONFESS, VERITY!! Springer pulled rank and led the Wreckers-plus-Arcee in battle against the Mayhems, where Arcee was amused to find Springer only got emotionally engaged when there was a fight on. After chopping limbs off [[Claw Jaw]] and joining the Wreckers on a raid inside [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Mayhem HQ]], Arcee crossed to the Noisemaze... {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 2|Sins of the Wreckers #2}}

[[File:SinsoftheWreckers3-Noisemaze.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2|...sev- no, wait, this is the fifth one again. Never mind!]]
...and immediately fell in screaming pain, unable to stand its sensory onslaught. Tarantulas had the Wreckers taken to his lab, where the guilt-extracting computer [[Impetus]] caused her to babble that it was "my fault" she'd not seen through Jhiaxus and not been "strong enough" to stop him, and the only time she'd ever known happiness was killing him. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}} Only Hubcap, Tarantulas' man on the inside, having second thoughts got her sprung from gaol. Arcee and the Wreckers ganged up on Tarantulas but he fought them all off, forcing Roadbuster to sacrifice himself so they could run. They regrouped and were talked by Prowl into destroying the villain's work first, but were confronted by said spider {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|Sins of the Wreckers #4}} and Arcee & Chums fared as well as before. Only a personal revelation got Tarantulas to cease his attack but, to fulfil the plan, Arcee joined Impactor in keeping the fight going anyway. The Noisemaze began to collapse around them and Arcee was left stunned when Springer, despite great personal risk, radioed to say he was sticking to the plan even if it killed him. Realising why Prowl had chosen him and not her for this, she then convinced Impactor to continue the plan. Though Prowl would risk his life at the last second to save Springer, this was still it: Arcee and Kup returned to the ''Ark-7'', ties to Prowl irrevocably severed. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 5|Sins of the Wreckers #5}}

[[File:Perihelion-BrawlShoulderTackleArcee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2|Brawl liked design number four better.]]
Back at the ''Ark-7'', she found Jetfire had examined the [[Onyx|human code]] Blackrock had created and it was communicating with other iterations of the code via a quantum signal. Arcee ordered her Autobots to track it down while she, Alpha Trion, and Sideswipe stayed on the ship. The mission went sour fast and Arcee had Sky Lynx return to the ''Ark'' where she could use its mighty guns to blow away his pursuers... at which point the Onyx code activated their deflector shields, causing all the firepower to rebound on the ship, and locked them out of their systems, leaving them trapped and on fire! {{storylink|The Nothing Man}} They found themselves fighting their way through their own compromised defences while Trion claimed they were facing Primal weapons that they could not stand against. (Arcee didn't think much of that claim) {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}} Her plan was to get to the spacebridge and call for reinforcements, but a sudden rush of Decepticons ''through'' the spacebridge put paid to that! {{storylink|Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|Lagrange}} Luckily, [[Conquerors Part 3: Helden|other actors]] caused the shield to drop and Arcee ordered her guys to fall back to the ship's bridge and crash it into the moon while she went to overload the engines. The plan failed when she failed to distract the Decepticons through ultraviolence, being battered into unconsciousness by [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion|Perihelion}} By the time she came round, the battle at [[Shanghai]] was almost over and she gladly fell back with the newly arrived Autobots.

Optimus asked her to run operations soon enough as part of his new strategy. She was up for that! And then, to her disgust, she learned his strategy was to ''help'' Earth by annexing it under his ''protection''. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}} While sitting in the med-bay of the ''[[Skyroller]]'', she casually mentioned that both she and Sideswipe were fine to a disinterested med-bay. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 2: Edge of the Earth|Edge of the Earth}} She later met, and tried to murder, Galvatron at the Copahua volcano where they pondered if Optimus' time as [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|a combiner]] could have allowed Prowl's personality to push Optimus towards drastic actions. She later revealed to Optimus that [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] had murdered [[Horri-Bull]] for the greater good allowing the Prime to blackmail the Decepticon. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}} In Monument Valley, she forced Prime to stay behind during the attack on the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' claiming he was too valuable before showing zero gratitude when [[Sunstreaker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sunstreaker]] gave her [[Sideswipe (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sideswipe's]] jetpack. During the attack, Galvatron managed to force Victorian apart before creating [[Galvatronus (Generations)|Galvatronus]] and [[Sky Reign]]. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] managed to turn the tide and rip open the ''Nemesis'', Arcee was ready to take[[G.B. Blackrock|Blackrock]] into her custody before she was fired on by [[Marissa Faireborn]] and [[Ayana Jones]]. She was ready to kill all three before [[Skywarp (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Skywarp]] teleported them out of her reach. She was later ordered by Optimus to pursue and terminate Galvatron. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|As Above...So Below}} Hitching a ride on [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], she caught up with the Decepticon in the upper atmosphere of [[Jupiter]]. After casually murdering [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], she engaged Galvatron. The fight was in his favour until Optimus and Soundwave arrived to back her up. The ancient warrior still managed to hold his ground before Soundwave shot him in the back allowing Arcee to destroy his [[Fusion cannon|fusion cannon]] taking him out of the fight. Galvatron mocked all three of them before agreeing to be their ally so as to fight off [[Onyx Prime]]. Arcee was horrified when Optimus shot Galvatron through the [[Spark]]. She later accompanied him to see the [[President of the United States]] where he declared the threat over. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}} When they returned to Monument Valley, [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] the trio observed transformed to city mode, a form which Optimus dubbed [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. She then observed Metrotian fire a beam of data into space regarding Optimus' deeds. {{storylink|The Last Autobot}}

As it turned out, that beam attracted the attention of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] who was not only still alive but also a [[Titan Master]]. The Prime left his large [[Transtector]] body to fight Arcee while he attended to business causing the femme to protest a body without a head should be not be a good fighter. The fight spilled into a massive cache of [[Ore-13]] located beneath Autobot City. Sentinel then returned with Blackrock who was revealed to be [[Sovereign]]. The Titan Master duo tapped into the [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] to warp away Optimus Prime and Soundwave with them. Left behind, Arcee, at the end of her rope, contacted [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] and briefed him on what happened. He assured her he would take care of it. {{storylink|White Light}} She then hovered ominously in the background and off to the side during Soundwave's inspirational speech. {{storylink|White Heat}}

===Revolution===
Sent to aid relief efforts in [[Portland]], [[Oregon]] with [[Jazz (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jazz]], the two were subsequently attacked by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] forces. Relieved at the chance to blow off some steam, she quickly drove off to be greeted by a hailstorm of ineffective bullets. Unleashing her swords, she began cutting through G.I. Joe's war machines before demanding an explanation for the attack. She continued this until reinforcements arrived and Soundwave fired an EMP that destroyed all the Joes' equipment. Out of the blue, [[Rom|an alien]] arrived to atomize four humans. Jazz tried to tackle it only for [[Rock 'n Roll]] to fire into Jazz's open wound. Acree came to his aid as the alien flew off. She then carried off by [[Victorion]] as Optimus ordered the Autobots to pursue the alien. {{storylink|Concorde Hymn}} The Autobots tracked the alien to [[Umpqua National Forest]] where they forced it to make an emergency landing. When the alien responded with aggression, Arcee punched in its open chest wound down to the ground while noting she enjoyed hitting her problems. {{storylink|The Divine Source of Liberty}}

As she patrolled the halls of Autobot City, Arcee happened upon [[Snake-Eyes]] as he began to engage the ''[[Heliopolis]]''. She immediately tried to strike the ninja down but received a sword to her eye for the trouble. Though briefly blinded, she soon tried to get back at her attacker before she, Snake-Eyes, and the [[Micronauts]]' ship were disabled by a sonic strike from Soundwave in an attempt to calm the situation. After Snake-Eyes was apprehended, Arcee began trying to pick a fight with the ninja but backed off once Optimus Prime intervened to make peace with him. As [[M.A.S.K.]] and the [[Dire Wraith|Dire Wraiths]] began their assault on Autobot City, Arcee stood alongside her fellow Cybertronians as well as the Micronauts, Rom, and Snake-Eyes in opposition. {{storylink|The New Colossus}} When the combined form of [[Baron Karza]] and the Wraiths attempted to drag Optimus back into the soon-to-be-exploding mine of Ore-13 under the now levitating Autobot City, Arcee grabbed his arm and pulled him back to safety. {{storylink|Valley Forge}}

===Meeting the cosmic community===
[[File:OptimusPriem4 NewCybertron Arcee spars.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2.5|At least he's not wearing a space diaper.]]
Arcee continued to work for Optimus but remained openly disgruntled with his new attitude and his acolytes, especially the new colonists who'd arrived wearing Optimus faceplates. While checking a potentially wounded [[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] (and brusquely telling him he was fine) in [[Mexico]], she removed his faceplate and greatly upset him. Shortly after, she joined Prime's team at the [[Matterhorn]] as a vast spaceship descended onto Earth. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|To Walk Among the Chosen}} Once the ship's occupants, the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]], disembarked, Arcee stood off to the side as their leaders [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Rum-Maj]] introduced themselves. Once Optimus' team returned to Autobot City to discuss what the Junkion's arrival meant, Arcee was again annoyed by the colonists' fawning over Optimus. Later, Arcee visited the still comatose Sideswipe and griped to him about the colonist recruits. As she began to tell him that she misses him, feeling that they had a similar way of looking at things, she was suddenly interrupted by Jetfire entering the room and asking if there had been any changes in Sideswipe's condition. As the two of them left the room, Arcee gave a worried glance back in as Jetfire talked with D.0.C about how none of their treatments were stopping Sideswipe's spark from corroding. As the Junkions arrived for a tour of Autobot City, Arcee attempted to stop Wreck-Gar from entering Sideswipe's chamber, asking Optimus to stop him from touching the injured Autobot. She looked decidedly unhappy as Wreck-Gar explained the Junkions possessed a [[Positron core|positron core]] that could potentially save Sideswipe. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}}, but later expressed a cautious interest in the positron core's potential for saving Sideswipe, still feeling some responsibility for him being in his current condition. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 3: Behind My Bleeding Back|Behind My Bleeding Back}} She continued to spend time in Sideswipe's room to keep him company, passing the time by sparring with D.0.C.{{storylink|New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among The Shadows|Dance Among The Shadows}}

==Notes==
===Conceptual origins===
Simon Furman has traditionally not been a fan of [[female Transformer]]s or the idea of gendering Transformers at all, stating on several occasions that he doesn't understand why robots would have women.<ref>[https://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/arcee-a-go-go/ "Arcee-a-Go-Go"]: "Well, I’ve always been fairly outspoken about the redundancy of ‘female’ Transformers (or ‘fembots’). It’s not a sexist thing, it’s just that they’re robots."</ref> Subsequently in the 1980s he attempted to explain it in Marvel UK (which inherited [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] from [[The Transformers: The Movie|the 1986 film]]) and at IDW, but both stories have been pretty awkward. "[[Prime's Rib!]]" for Marvel said she was built after a [[feminist mob]] had protested about a lack of female Cybertronians, while Arcee's [[Spotlight: Arcee|origin]] in the IDW continuity attempted "to apply a rationale to the whole issue"<ref>[https://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/arcee-a-go-go/ "Arcee-a-Go-Go"]</ref> by saying Jhiaxus had introduced gender to the race. You may read the results further up on this page.

His insistence that Cybertronians are genderless, not male by default, extended to a post he wrote<ref>http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/response-to-mairghread-scott/</ref> in response to a blog post by [[Mairghread Scott]] discussing other female Transformers in IDW, wherein she stated that she understood that Arcee's origin could be seen as offensive to women, especially those who are transgender. The two authors later talked in private and settled the beef.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Autobots]]

File:OptimusPrime4 NewCybertron Arcee spars.jpg

2017-02-25T02:37:28Z

Minimusminor:

[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] spars with [[D.0.C.]] while keeping a comatose [[Sideswipe (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sideswipe]] company.

File:OptimusPrime4 NewCybertron Arcee spars.jpg

2017-02-25T02:36:18Z

Minimusminor: Arcee spars with D.0.C. while keeping a comatose Sideswipe company.

[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] spars with [[D.0.C.]] while keeping a comatose Sideswipe company.

Optimus Prime (comic)

2017-01-09T22:06:00Z

Minimusminor: /* Creative team */

{{disambig3|Optimus Prime}}

[[File:OP1_regcvr.jpg|thumb|right|250px|It's a comic book about that truck guy (not the tape guy) from that eighties cartoon... red, blue... you know the one...]]

'''''Optimus Prime''''' is an ongoing comic series from [[IDW Publishing]]. It is a sequel to and rebranded version of ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise]]''. Beginning in [[Calendar|December]] [[2016]], it runs alongside sister titles ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]''.

{{chapters|title=''Optimus Prime'' issues|align=center|prev=The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|content=
*[[New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|#1]]
*[[New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|#2]]
*[[New Cybertron Part 3|#3]]
*[[Optimus Prime issue 4|#4]]
}}

==Overview==
In the wake of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s controversial annexation of [[Earth]] into the [[Council of Worlds]], the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] now conducts relations with [[human]]kind. Based out of his living base [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] in [[Monument Valley]], he faces a new status quo, not one which everyone likes.

==Creative team==
[[John Barber]] returns as the writer, joined by [[Kei Zama]] as main artist<ref>[http://www.forcesofgeek.com/2016/07/sdcc-idw-announces-post-revolution-debuts.html SDCC – IDW Announces Post-Revolution Debuts!]</ref> and returning colourist [[Josh Burcham]].

==Notes==
*The book is the rare ''Transformers''-related thing not to have the [[Transformers brand]] wordmark appear on its front.

==Collections==
* TBA

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:Optimus Prime issues| ]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]

The Transformers: Lost Light

2017-01-08T22:17:00Z

Minimusminor: added theme song for LL from Roberts' twitter.

{{disambig2|the comic series|the titular starship|Lost Light}}

[[File:LL1_regcvr.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|His light died]], so Rodimus decided to get this [[Black Rodimus Convoy|cool bad guy deco]].]]

'''''The Transformers: Lost Light''''' is an ongoing comic series, a rebranded version of and sequel to ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]''. Debuting in [[Calendar|December]] [[2016]], it runs alongside sister titles ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]''.

{{chapters|title=''The Transformers: Lost Light'' issues|align=center|prev=The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|content=
*[[Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|#1]]
*[[Lost Light issue 2|#2]]
*[[Lost Light issue 3|#3]]
}}

==Overview==
In the wake of the confrontation with the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] on [[Necroworld]], the marooned [[Team Rodimus]] attempts to return to the ''[[Lost Light]]''. Naturally, this does not go as planned.

==Creative team==
[[James Roberts]] returns as the writer, whilst art duties are to be shared between the returning [[Alex Milne]] and [[Jack Lawrence]], with Lawrence on the debut issue.<ref>[http://www.forcesofgeek.com/2016/07/sdcc-idw-announces-post-revolution-debuts.html SDCC – IDW Announces Post-Revolution Debuts!]</ref>

==Soundtrack==
Continuing the tradition started in ''MTMTE'', Roberts posts songs on his Twitter as an unofficial soundtrack for each issue leading up to their release. As its predecessor's third "season", it gets its own theme song.
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxHRXFFigZ0 Graycoated Morning]" by {{w|David & the Citizens}}

==Collections==
* TBA

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]
[[Category:Lost Light issues| ]]

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2016-12-19T23:12:51Z

Minimusminor: changed tense of article intro to match release of LL#1.

{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
[[File:MTMTE1 cvrE.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|All of your favorite childhood heroes... and Drift.]]
'''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye''''' is an ongoing comic series published by [[IDW Publishing]], starting in January [[2012]]. This series follows the adventures of [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and his team as they travel through space, hunting for the legendary [[Knights of Cybertron]] and having adventures along the way. But mostly it's about lonely nobodies hanging out pretending they have friends.

The series picks off from "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", the epilogue to the previous [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing]], and takes place at the same time as a second ongoing series, ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', which together form the fourth major "act" of IDW's ongoing [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|Generation 1 continuity]].

In 2014, it was nominated for three True Believer Awards (formerly the Eagle Awards): Favourite American Comic Book: Colour, Favourite Single Story ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|#13]]), and Favourite Continued Story (Remain in Light).<ref>[http://www.truebelieverscomicawards.com/nominees.html True Believers Comic Awards nominees]</ref>

The series concluded with issue #57, followed by a ''[[Revolution]]''-branded one-shot, before relaunching with a new artistic creative team as ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light]]'' in December 2016.

{{quote
|"Everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' is '''cracked in the head!'''"

"Yeah, '''dysfunctional''' isn't the word! There isn't a '''normal''' 'bot among you!"

"And that wouldn't be so bad if you actually '''made progress'''—but as far as I can make out, all you do is '''argue''', crack jokes, and get '''sidetracked''' doing pointless, silly things that only you find amusing!"
|Various members of the '''Circle of Light'''
|"[[Little Victories]]"
|noquote=true
|center=true
}}

{{chapters|series=mtmte|style=3 |prev=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|next=The Transformers: Lost Light|align=left|content=
*[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|#2]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]]
*[[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]
*[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]]
*[[Interiors|#6]]
*[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]
*[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|Annual 2012]]
*[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|#10]]
*[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|#11]]
*[[Before & After|#12]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 13|#13]]
*[[Remembrance Day|#14]]
*[[Under Cold Blue Stars|#15]]
*[[The Gloaming|#16]]
*[[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|#17]]
*[[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|#18]]
*[[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|#19]]
*[[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|#20]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 21|#21]]
*[[Little Victories|#22]]
*[[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#23]]
*[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#24]]
*[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#25]]
*[[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#26]]
*[[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#27]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|#29]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|#30]]
*[[Twenty Plus One|#31]]
*[[Slaughterhouse|#32]]
*[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|#33]]
*[[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|#34]]
*[[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|#35]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|#37]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|#38]]
*[[The Permanent Revolution|#39]]
*[[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|#40]]
*[[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]
*[[The Frail Gaze|#42]]
*[[The One Where They Go to Earth|#43]]
*[[The Not Knowing|#44]]
*[[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]
*[[Animals|#46]]
*[[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*[[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]
*[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|#51]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|#53]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|#54]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]]
*[[Ten to Midnight|#56]]
*[[Last Light|#57]]
*[[Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again!|Revolution]]
}}

==Overview==
In contrast to the Cybertron-based setting of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' is set predominantly within the walls of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the spaceship captained by [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] that carries his crew on their expedition to locate the [[Knights of Cybertron]], a mythical group who left the planet ten million years prior to the present day to spread peace and enlightenment across the universe. The book features an ensemble cast, who come and go from the spotlight with each passing issue, made up in large part of characters who have been overlooked by past fiction.

The "main cast" at the series outset includes Rodimus himself, a daredevil egotist who could not be more ill-suited to command; his officious second-in-command [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], whose obsessive-compulsive traits make life on the ship difficult for everyone; third-in-command [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], now with a relentlessly positive outlook on life following a near-death experience; the talkative [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], who immediately became a fan favorite; ship's doctor [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], now feeling his age and looking for something new in life; dangerously unhinged ex-[[Wrecker]] [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], who soon forms a murderous enmity with disillusioned ancient Cybertronian [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]; ship's security officer [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], even more paranoid then ever; timid psychiatrist [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who slowly seems to be more than he appears; and diminutive archivist [[Rewind (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rewind]] and [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], who would come to draw much attention as the first truly official "gay" romantic couple in Transformers fiction.<ref>Quote marks around "gay" 'cause IDW has previously established that Transformers are genderless in their continuity, but let's not kid ourselves here.</ref> In short order, the crew is joined by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], a naive Transformer who has been offline for the duration of the war and finds himself forced to choose a side, and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], a long-missing Autobot who reappears with amnesia and a bad attitude. As the series progresses, more Autobots come into focus on the fringes of the story, like the over-eager, luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and resentful, boozy, one-trick-pony [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. ''More than Meets the Eye'' uses its "quest" backdrop to tell multiple smaller adventures, throughout which are threaded many, ''many'' seeds for future stories, together forming a grand tapestry that has clearly been planned out ''very'' far in advance.

[[File:MTMTE28 subcvr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|All of your favorite childhood heroes... wait, what's ''he'' doing there?]]
===Season 1===
Following an unexpected [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] upon launch, the ''Lost Light'' is hurled off into the depths of space, where the crew is joined by Skids and contends with a stowaway [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]. A visit to [[Delphi]] by Ratchet to help cure a plague introduces the threat of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], who then feature in a Decepticon-dedicated story menacing a [[Scavenger (group)|band of misfit Decepticons]], and also brings the facility's surviving patients and staff onto the ship—including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], whose post-traumatic stress causes him to snap and nearly kill Rung. Hoping to cure Rung's damaged brain, Rewind gathers a small group together to recount a shared story from their past about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] foiling a [[Senate]] plot to discredit the burgeoning Decepticon movement in the days of Functionism. Unfortunately, the little archivist is soon badly wounded in battle, sending Chromedome into a grief spiral that allows Drift to manipulate him into carrying out a plan laid out by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]: using his mnemosurgery skills to tap the memories and learn the secrets of mass-murdering Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], secretly hidden on board the ''Lost Light''. Unfortunately, Chromedome accidentally allows Overlord to escape, and Rewind has to sacrifice himself to jettison the monster from the ship. Ultra Magnus is also fatally wounded in the battle, but when his body disappears from the ship's Medibay, the crew track it to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where they discover and foil a twisted plot by [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] to wipe out all those Transformers he sees as tainted by original sin.

The book then moves into the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crossover with ''Robots in Disguise''. The ''Lost Light'' crew initially investigate a previous find that leads them to the Titan Metroplex, and Orion Pax's investigation into the Dead Universe's involvement in Shockwave's overall plot. The casts of both series finally meet again in [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|''Robots in Disguise'' #26]].

[[File:MTMTE40 Ten's mural.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|All of [[Ten]]'s favorite adulthood heroes.]]

===Season 2===
Following ''Dark Cybertron'''s conclusion, The cast undergoes a reshuffle, as tertiary crew members like [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]], as well as several newcomers, become the story's focus; [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], recently-resurrected detective; Skids' escapologist partner [[Getaway]], who takes an immediate shine to Tailgate; [[Caminus|Camien]] bibliophile and quantum mechanic [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]]; and [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]], a neurotic [[M.T.O.]] Aquabot. The season kicks off with Megatron's trial and the events that lead to him captaining the ''Lost Light'' set in the six months between ''Dark Cybertron'' and Season 2. In the present day, the resumed voyage does not start well, with the arrival of a [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|coffin]], disappearing objects on the ship, and a chilling addendum to [[The Gloaming|Rewind's Message]]. Answers to the mysteries revolving around the coffin lead to the [[time travel|time-traveling]] "Elegant Chaos" arc, as the ''Lost Light''ers scramble after [[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]], who has gone back in time, bent on changing the future. Along the way, the gang inadvertently answers some of the series's longest-standing questions, including the events foreshadowed in season 1's ominous message from the future.

In the aftermath, several characters depart for other comics while new people [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] join the crew. The ''Lost Light'' discovers a message from [[Dominus Ambus|a dead spy]] within the DJD while helping Swerve with his self-worth issues, in a madcap adventure on a holomatter Earth. Following its directions to the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]], they are met with a sobering reminder that all of them are killers and would one day have to face it. Megatron was particularly shaken by the visual representation of the billions of deaths he was responsible for. Meanwhile, the Scavengers return for another two-parter, feeling stagnant and dealing with a mentally disabled [[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]] in a post-Great War world.
[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-LostLightmutiny.jpg|thumb|left|250px|All of your childhood's favourite heroes betraying your childhood's other favourite heroes.]] Back aboard the ''Lost Light'', Getaway and [[Atomizer]]'s true agenda for Tailgate comes to light, and so do Skids' repressed memories — which had left him with deep scars and extinguished his previous faith. Elsewhere, the Decepticon Justice Division learn Megatron had called for an end to Decepticon warfare; they double down and join forces with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s splinter faction, determined to kill Megatron for heresy.

The fiftieth issue begins the season finale arc, "The Dying of the Light". Megatron, Rodimus, and the main cast are tricked into going to Necroworld, only to learn the entire Lost Light crew have mutinied under Getaway's lead. Sick of Megatron's presence and Rodimus' incompetent leadership, they intend to continue the Knightquest without them, having informed the [[Galactic Council]] of Megatron's location. Unfortunately, the Decepticon Justice Division was also there to hunt Megatron. Shocking revelations are had, a bunch of old friends and an old enemy return, and a fierce battle is waged. Though the Decepticons are beaten, none of the crew escape unscathed—and some pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, beneath Necroworld's hollow shell, Nightbeat and Rung discover the true purpose of the unusual planet...

And elsewhere in space, ''Light'' alumni [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], the ''Light'''s constant shadow in [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], and just-got-here [[Cerebros]] face a threat from the past as [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] comes for Luna 1's dormant Titan army!

The finale issue, a ''[[Revolution]]'', tie-in eclipses them all in stakes as [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] has an awkward first date with someone he met on the internet.

{{--}}

==Creative team==
[[File:Milne roberts.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Series artist [[Alex Milne]] (left) and writer [[James Roberts]] (right)]]
The series is written by [[James Roberts]], fresh from the critical success of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. Roberts had already been assigned the series when he wrote the two-part "Chaos Theory" in issues [[Chaos Theory Part 1|#22]] and [[Chaos Theory Part 2|#23]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], and seeded many early plot points for the series into those two issues, including [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] as the prison guard. Also furthering the link between the ongoing and ''More than Meets the Eye'', when Roberts co-plotted "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" with [[Mike Costa]], Costa let him script all of the Kimia escape shuttle scenes, populated with characters who would be aboard the [[Lost Light]].<ref name="Everything">From the 'Everything You Didn't Realize You Needed To Know About More Than Meets The Eye' section of the TPB</ref>

[[Alex Milne]] serves as the series regular artist, with colors by [[Josh Burcham]]. The visual "look" of ''More than Meets the Eye'' that the pair have created is very unique, with slightly exaggerated, cartoonishly stylized character models unlike anything in Milne's past work, cel-shaded with a textured, muted color palette that combines to create something quite unlike any modern Transformer comic. So key is this "visual identity" to the book that almost all other contributors who have worked on the title have striven to emulate it, adapting their own lineart and coloring styles to match the expected look and tone of the book. Frequent Roberts collaborator [[Nick Roche]] provided art for issues #1 and #6, as well as "B" covers for every issue, while [[Brendan Cahill]] co-pencilled #12, [[Guido Guidi]] stepped in for #13, [[Agustin Padilla]] filled in last-minute for #16, and [[James Raiz]] drew the lineart for #22. [[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Josh Perez]] have also lent their colors to the book, while [[Marcelo Matere]] regularly provides retailer incentive variant covers for the series. Following the "Dark Cybertron" crossover event, Burcham stepped down as the book's regular colorist, and Lafuente took his place, bringing a new palette and gradiated shading to the series.
{{--}}

==Soundtrack==
[[File:Nautica-MTMTE42covercropped.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pick up the latest issue of ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Indie Disco!'']]
In a unique touch, writer James Roberts would visit the [http://boards.idwpublishing.com/3/index.php IDW Publishing forums] shortly before the release of each issue and offer up a "teaser" post containing one or more songs that served as a "soundtrack" that would set the tonal and/or emotional stage for the upcoming issue, usually tending toward the independent- and folk-rock genres. This began at issue #2, with the songs for #1 being provided later; TFWiki lists these songs on each issue's respective article. Non-issue-specific songs for the series and its characters in general include:

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmZRO8XzyY "Lost Coastlines"] by [[Wikipedia:Okkervil River|Okkervil River]] — an overall anthem for the series
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLs3aLq8quw "I've Got a Plan"] by [[Wikipedia: My Friend the Chocolate Cake|My Friend the Chocolate Cake]] — [[theme song]] for Rodimus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maZZOQ_hKA "I Would Fix You"] by [[Wikipedia:Kenickie|Kenickie]] — theme song for Chromedome and Rewind
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYbgWDA2U-M "Hello Cruel World"] by [[Wikipedia:Mark Oliver Everett|Mark Oliver Everett]] — theme song for Tailgate
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcX_JleLsbk "True Men"] by [[Wikipedia:Jon DeRosa|Jon DeRosa]] — theme song for Ultra Magnus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ae0TfhK8M "Let's Make This Precious"] by [[Wikipedia: Dexys Midnight Runners|Dexys Midnight Runners]] — anthem for the series' second season
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpDxT2q9QE "The Old Man's Back Again"] by [[Wikipedia: Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker]] — theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY "Irish Blood, English Heart"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — another theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLkwnM0BJR4 "Speedway"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — yet ''another'' theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcQFidfA9rU "Left to My Own Devices"] by [[Wikipedia:Pet Shop Boys|Pet Shop Boys]] — theme song for Brainstorm 
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmdWgU "Chicago"] by [[Wikipedia:Sufjan Stevens|Sufjan Stevens]] — theme song for Cyclonus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CETTzv3fTG0 "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)"] by [[Wikipedia:James (band)|James]] — theme song for Whirl
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mimLpZCO5k8 "I Spy"] by [[Wikipedia:Pulp (band)|Pulp]] — theme song for Getaway

==Collections==
*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' ([[June 13]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772351 / ISBN 978-1613772355 
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' one-shot.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, 12 promotional images, "Meet the Crew" page, design sketches from [[Alex Milne]] for various characters and ship locations, and a 2-page editor's comment with "behind the scenes" information about the series.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 2''''' ([[October 17]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613774982 / ISBN 978-1613774984 
:*Contains issues #4 to #8.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, "Meet the Crew" and "Meet the 'Cons" pages.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[March 27]], [[2013]]) ISBN 161377592X / ISBN 978-1613775929 
:*Contains Annual 2012 and issues #9 to #11.
:*Bonus material includes "Meet the Crew", variant covers, and designs for the [[Guiding Hand]].

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 4''''' ([[July 17]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613776918 / ISBN 978-1613776919 
:*Contains issues #12 to #16.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[Signal to Noise]]''.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' ([[November 13]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029 
:*Contains issues #17 to #22.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]''.

*'''''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|The Transformers: Dark Cybertron]] Volume 1''''' ([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913
:*Contains issues #23 to #25, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23 and #24.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' (reissue) ([[May 21]], 2014) ISBN 1613779658 / ISBN 978-1613779651
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''The Death of Optimus Prime'' one-shot.
:*New cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
:*Bonus material UNKNOWN

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' ([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989
:*Contains ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–#27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–#27, and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1]]''''' ([[September 3]], 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
:*Includes "The Death of Optimus Prime", ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1–5 and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' #1–6.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6''''' ([[December 10]], 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
:*Contains issues #28 to #33.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' ([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728
:*Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–#27 and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' ([[May 13]], 2015) ISBN 1631403273 / ISBN 978-1631403279
:*Contains issues #34 to #38
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2]]''''' ([[August 12]], 2015) ISBN 1631403648 / ISBN 978-1631403644
:*Includes ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'', ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' #6–8, ''Robots in Disguise'' #7–9 and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8''''' ([[October 21]], 2015) ISBN 1631404520 / ISBN 978-1631404528
:*Contains issues #39 to #44
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], 2015) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
:*Includes ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye'' Volumes 1 to 5
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
:*Includes ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012 and #9–13, ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 and #10–11, "[[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Spotlight: Thundercracker]]", "[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]", "[[Spotlight: Megatron]]" and "[[Signal to Noise]]"
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], 2016) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
:*Contains issues #45 to #49
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 10''''' ([[October 5]], 2016) ISBN 1631407163 / ISBN 978-1631407161
:*Contains issues #50 to #55
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 4|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 4]]''''' ([[October 12]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631407155 / ISBN 978-1631407154
:* Includes the ''[[The Transformers: Monstrosity|Monstrosity]]'' series, ''Robots in Disguise'' #12–18 and ''More than Meets the Eye'' #14–16

*'''''The Transformers: Titans Return''''' ([[January 14]], 2017) ISBN 1631408216 / ISBN 978-1631408212
:*Contains the ''[[The Last Autobot|Titans Return]]'' one-shot, ''The Transformers'' issues #56–#57, and ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #56–#57.
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol1.jpg|Volume 1 cover by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:MTMTE vol2.jpg|Volume 2 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol3.jpg|Volume 3 cover by Alex Milne and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:MTMTE vol4.jpg|Volume 4 cover by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol5.jpg|Volume 5 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:DC vol1.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 1 cover by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
File:MTMTE vol1 reissue.jpg|Volume 1 reissue cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 2 cover by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:IDWCollectionP2V1.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 1 cover by [[Sarah Stone]]
File:MTMTE vol6.jpg|Volume 6 cover by [[Casey Coller]] and Joana Lafuente
File:DC HC.jpg|Dark Cybertron Hardcover cover by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol7.jpg|Volume 7 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:IDWCollectionP2V2.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 2 cover by Sarah Stone
File:MTMTE vol8.jpg|Volume 8 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE boxset.jpg|Box Set cover by [[Marcelo Matere]]
File:IDWCollectionP2V3.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 3 cover by Marcelo Matere and [[Tom B. Long]]
File:MTMTE vol9.jpg|Volume 9 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol10.jpg|Volume 10 cover by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:IDWCollectionP2V4.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 4 cover by Marcelo Matere and Tom B. Long
</gallery>

==In fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:MTMTE43_subcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Your childhood's hero you pretended was your favourite after your gran bought it and not that Ultra Magnus you wanted.]]
{{quote|...I didn't say I didn't '''like''' it—I just don't understand all of the words, and it presumes a '''familiarity''' with the Autobot/Decepticon war that I '''still''' don't have...|[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]|"[[The One Where They Go to Earth]]"}}

After being exposed to [[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]]'s [[Metafictional bomb|meta-bomb]] and [[Time case|briefcase]], the Autobot [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] somehow created a reiterative time-loop inside him, allowing his [[holomatter]] generator to create a life-sized replica of the planet [[Earth]] to which his mind retreated when he was dying from a rust infection. The only literature on "[[Swearth]]", as it was swiftly dubbed, was a comic book series called ''More than Meets the Eye'' that detailed the adventures of the ''[[Lost Light]]'''s crew up until that point, which [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] read in order to gain clues as to Swerve's location. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

==Recognition==
* #85 on [http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-100-76#85 Comic Book Resource's top 100 Comics of 2015].
* Winner of Comics Alliance's [http://comicsalliance.com/comics-alliance-best-of-2015-continued-excellence-in-serial-comics/ Best of 2015: Continued Excellence in Serial Comics].

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:More than Meets the Eye, The Transformers}}
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2016-11-22T06:58:51Z

Minimusminor: /* Soundtrack */ added Getaway's theme song from Roberts.

{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
[[File:MTMTE1 cvrE.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|All of your favorite childhood heroes... and Drift.]]
'''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye''''' is an ongoing comic series published by [[IDW Publishing]], starting in January [[2012]]. This series follows the adventures of [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and his team as they travel through space, hunting for the legendary [[Knights of Cybertron]] and having adventures along the way. But mostly it's about lonely nobodies hanging out pretending they have friends.

The series picks off from "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", the epilogue to the previous [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing]], and takes place at the same time as a second ongoing series, ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', which together form the fourth major "act" of IDW's ongoing [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|Generation 1 continuity]].

In 2014, it was nominated for three True Believer Awards (formerly the Eagle Awards): Favourite American Comic Book: Colour, Favourite Single Story ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|#13]]), and Favourite Continued Story (Remain in Light).<ref>[http://www.truebelieverscomicawards.com/nominees.html True Believers Comic Awards nominees]</ref>

The series concluded with issue #57 (a ''[[Revolution]]''-branded one-shot still upcoming) and will relaunch as ''[[Transformers: Lost Light]]'' in December 2016.

{{quote
|"Everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' is '''cracked in the head!'''"

"Yeah, '''dysfunctional''' isn't the word! There isn't a '''normal''' 'bot among you!"

"And that wouldn't be so bad if you actually '''made progress'''—but as far as I can make out, all you do is '''argue''', crack jokes, and get '''sidetracked''' doing pointless, silly things that only you find amusing!"
|Various members of the '''Circle of Light'''
|"[[Little Victories]]"
|noquote=true
|center=true
}}

{{chapters|series=mtmte|style=3 |prev=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|next=Transformers: Lost Light|align=left|content=
*[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|#2]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]]
*[[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]
*[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]]
*[[Interiors|#6]]
*[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]
*[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|Annual 2012]]
*[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|#10]]
*[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|#11]]
*[[Before & After|#12]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 13|#13]]
*[[Remembrance Day|#14]]
*[[Under Cold Blue Stars|#15]]
*[[The Gloaming|#16]]
*[[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|#17]]
*[[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|#18]]
*[[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|#19]]
*[[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|#20]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 21|#21]]
*[[Little Victories|#22]]
*[[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#23]]
*[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#24]]
*[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#25]]
*[[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#26]]
*[[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#27]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|#29]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|#30]]
*[[Twenty Plus One|#31]]
*[[Slaughterhouse|#32]]
*[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|#33]]
*[[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|#34]]
*[[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|#35]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|#37]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|#38]]
*[[The Permanent Revolution|#39]]
*[[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|#40]]
*[[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]
*[[The Frail Gaze|#42]]
*[[The One Where They Go to Earth|#43]]
*[[The Not Knowing|#44]]
*[[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]
*[[Animals|#46]]
*[[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*[[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]
*[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|#51]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|#53]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|#54]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]]
*[[Ten to Midnight|#56]]
*[[Last Light|#57]]
*[[Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again!|Revolution]]
}}

==Overview==
In contrast to the Cybertron-based setting of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' is set predominantly within the walls of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the spaceship captained by [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] that carries his crew on their expedition to locate the [[Knights of Cybertron]], a mythical group who left the planet ten million years prior to the present day to spread peace and enlightenment across the universe. The book features an ensemble cast, who come and go from the spotlight with each passing issue, made up in large part of characters who have been overlooked by past fiction.

The "main cast" at the series outset includes Rodimus himself, a daredevil egotist who could not be more ill-suited to command; his officious second-in-command [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], whose obsessive-compulsive traits make life on the ship difficult for everyone; third-in-command [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], now with a relentlessly positive outlook on life following a near-death experience; the talkative [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], who immediately became a fan favorite; ship's doctor [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], now feeling his age and looking for something new in life; dangerously unhinged ex-[[Wrecker]] [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], who soon forms a murderous enmity with disillusioned ancient Cybertronian [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]; ship's security officer [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], even more paranoid then ever; timid psychiatrist [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who slowly seems to be more than he appears; and diminutive archivist [[Rewind (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rewind]] and [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], who would come to draw much attention as the first truly official "gay" romantic couple in Transformers fiction.<ref>Quote marks around "gay" 'cause IDW has previously established that Transformers are genderless in their continuity, but let's not kid ourselves here.</ref> In short order, the crew is joined by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], a naive Transformer who has been offline for the duration of the war and finds himself forced to choose a side, and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], a long-missing Autobot who reappears with amnesia and a bad attitude. As the series progresses, more Autobots come into focus on the fringes of the story, like the over-eager, luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and resentful, boozy, one-trick-pony [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. ''More than Meets the Eye'' uses its "quest" backdrop to tell multiple smaller adventures, throughout which are threaded many, ''many'' seeds for future stories, together forming a grand tapestry that has clearly been planned out ''very'' far in advance.

[[File:MTMTE28 subcvr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|All of your favorite childhood heroes... wait, what's ''he'' doing there?]]
===Season 1===
Following an unexpected [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] upon launch, the ''Lost Light'' is hurled off into the depths of space, where the crew is joined by Skids and contends with a stowaway [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]. A visit to [[Delphi]] by Ratchet to help cure a plague introduces the threat of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], who then feature in a Decepticon-dedicated story menacing a [[Scavenger (group)|band of misfit Decepticons]], and also brings the facility's surviving patients and staff onto the ship—including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], whose post-traumatic stress causes him to snap and nearly kill Rung. Hoping to cure Rung's damaged brain, Rewind gathers a small group together to recount a shared story from their past about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] foiling a [[Senate]] plot to discredit the burgeoning Decepticon movement in the days of Functionism. Unfortunately, the little archivist is soon badly wounded in battle, sending Chromedome into a grief spiral that allows Drift to manipulate him into carrying out a plan laid out by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]: using his mnemosurgery skills to tap the memories and learn the secrets of mass-murdering Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], secretly hidden on board the ''Lost Light''. Unfortunately, Chromedome accidentally allows Overlord to escape, and Rewind has to sacrifice himself to jettison the monster from the ship. Ultra Magnus is also fatally wounded in the battle, but when his body disappears from the ship's Medibay, the crew track it to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where they discover and foil a twisted plot by [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] to wipe out all those Transformers he sees as tainted by original sin.

The book then moves into the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crossover with ''Robots in Disguise''. The ''Lost Light'' crew initially investigate a previous find that leads them to the Titan Metroplex, and Orion Pax's investigation into the Dead Universe's involvement in Shockwave's overall plot. The casts of both series finally meet again in [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|''Robots in Disguise'' #26]].

[[File:MTMTE40 Ten's mural.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|All of [[Ten]]'s favorite adulthood heroes.]]

===Season 2===
Following ''Dark Cybertron'''s conclusion, The cast undergoes a reshuffle, as tertiary crew members like [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]], as well as several newcomers, become the story's focus; [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], recently-resurrected detective; Skids' escapologist partner [[Getaway]], who takes an immediate shine to Tailgate; [[Caminus|Camien]] bibliophile and quantum mechanic [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]]; and [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]], a neurotic [[M.T.O.]] Aquabot. The season kicks off with Megatron's trial and the events that lead to him captaining the ''Lost Light'' set in the six months between ''Dark Cybertron'' and Season 2. In the present day, the resumed voyage does not start well, with the arrival of a [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|coffin]], disappearing objects on the ship, and a chilling addendum to [[The Gloaming|Rewind's Message]]. Answers to the mysteries revolving around the coffin lead to the [[time travel|time-traveling]] "Elegant Chaos" arc, as the ''Lost Light''ers scramble after [[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]], who has gone back in time, bent on changing the future. Along the way, the gang inadvertently answers some of the series's longest-standing questions, including the events foreshadowed in season 1's ominous message from the future.

In the aftermath, several characters depart for other comics while new people [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] join the crew. The ''Lost Light'' discovers a message from [[Dominus Ambus|a dead spy]] within the DJD while helping Swerve with his self-worth issues, in a madcap adventure on a holomatter Earth. Following its directions to the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]], they are met with a sobering reminder that all of them are killers and would one day have to face it. Megatron was particularly shaken by the visual representation of the billions of deaths he was responsible for. Meanwhile, the Scavengers return for another two-parter, feeling stagnant and dealing with a mentally disabled [[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]] in a post-Great War world.
[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-LostLightmutiny.jpg|thumb|left|250px|All of your childhood's favourite heroes betraying your childhood's other favourite heroes.]] Back aboard the ''Lost Light'', Getaway and [[Atomizer]]'s true agenda for Tailgate comes to light, and so do Skids' repressed memories — which had left him with deep scars and extinguished his previous faith. Elsewhere, the Decepticon Justice Division learn Megatron had called for an end to Decepticon warfare; they double down and join forces with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s splinter faction, determined to kill Megatron for heresy.

The fiftieth issue begins the season finale arc, "The Dying of the Light". Megatron, Rodimus, and the main cast are tricked into going to Necroworld, only to learn the entire Lost Light crew have mutinied under Getaway's lead. Sick of Megatron's presence and Rodimus' incompetent leadership, they intend to continue the Knightquest without them, having informed the [[Galactic Council]] of Megatron's location. Unfortunately, the Decepticon Justice Division was also there to hunt Megatron. Shocking revelations are had, a bunch of old friends and an old enemy return, and a fierce battle is waged. Though the Decepticons are beaten, none of the crew escape unscathed—and some pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, beneath Necroworld's hollow shell, Nightbeat and Rung discover the true purpose of the unusual planet...

And in the final issues, ''Light'' alumni [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], the ''Light'''s constant shadow in [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], and just-got-here [[Cerebros]] face a threat from the past as [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] comes for Luna 1's dormant Titan army!

{{--}}

==Creative team==
[[File:Milne roberts.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Series artist [[Alex Milne]] (left) and writer [[James Roberts]] (right)]]
The series is written by [[James Roberts]], fresh from the critical success of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. Roberts had already been assigned the series when he wrote the two-part "Chaos Theory" in issues [[Chaos Theory Part 1|#22]] and [[Chaos Theory Part 2|#23]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], and seeded many early plot points for the series into those two issues, including [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] as the prison guard. Also furthering the link between the ongoing and ''More than Meets the Eye'', when Roberts co-plotted "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" with [[Mike Costa]], Costa let him script all of the Kimia escape shuttle scenes, populated with characters who would be aboard the [[Lost Light]].<ref name="Everything">From the 'Everything You Didn't Realize You Needed To Know About More Than Meets The Eye' section of the TPB</ref>

[[Alex Milne]] serves as the series regular artist, with colors by [[Josh Burcham]]. The visual "look" of ''More than Meets the Eye'' that the pair have created is very unique, with slightly exaggerated, cartoonishly stylized character models unlike anything in Milne's past work, cel-shaded with a textured, muted color palette that combines to create something quite unlike any modern Transformer comic. So key is this "visual identity" to the book that almost all other contributors who have worked on the title have striven to emulate it, adapting their own lineart and coloring styles to match the expected look and tone of the book. Frequent Roberts collaborator [[Nick Roche]] provided art for issues #1 and #6, as well as "B" covers for every issue, while [[Brendan Cahill]] co-pencilled #12, [[Guido Guidi]] stepped in for #13, [[Agustin Padilla]] filled in last-minute for #16, and [[James Raiz]] drew the lineart for #22. [[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Josh Perez]] have also lent their colors to the book, while [[Marcelo Matere]] regularly provides retailer incentive variant covers for the series. Following the "Dark Cybertron" crossover event, Burcham stepped down as the book's regular colorist, and Lafuente took his place, bringing a new palette and gradiated shading to the series.
{{--}}

==Soundtrack==
[[File:Nautica-MTMTE42covercropped.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pick up the latest issue of ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Indie Disco!'']]
In a unique touch, writer James Roberts would visit the [http://boards.idwpublishing.com/3/index.php IDW Publishing forums] shortly before the release of each issue and offer up a "teaser" post containing one or more songs that served as a "soundtrack" that would set the tonal and/or emotional stage for the upcoming issue, usually tending toward the independent- and folk-rock genres. This began at issue #2, with the songs for #1 being provided later; TFWiki lists these songs on each issue's respective article. Non-issue-specific songs for the series and its characters in general include:

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmZRO8XzyY "Lost Coastlines"] by [[Wikipedia:Okkervil River|Okkervil River]] — an overall anthem for the series
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLs3aLq8quw "I've Got a Plan"] by [[Wikipedia: My Friend the Chocolate Cake|My Friend the Chocolate Cake]] — [[theme song]] for Rodimus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maZZOQ_hKA "I Would Fix You"] by [[Wikipedia:Kenickie|Kenickie]] — theme song for Chromedome and Rewind
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYbgWDA2U-M "Hello Cruel World"] by [[Wikipedia:Mark Oliver Everett|Mark Oliver Everett]] — theme song for Tailgate
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcX_JleLsbk "True Men"] by [[Wikipedia:Jon DeRosa|Jon DeRosa]] — theme song for Ultra Magnus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ae0TfhK8M "Let's Make This Precious"] by [[Wikipedia: Dexys Midnight Runners|Dexys Midnight Runners]] — anthem for the series' second season
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpDxT2q9QE "The Old Man's Back Again"] by [[Wikipedia: Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker]] — theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY "Irish Blood, English Heart"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — another theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLkwnM0BJR4 "Speedway"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — yet ''another'' theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcQFidfA9rU "Left to My Own Devices"] by [[Wikipedia:Pet Shop Boys|Pet Shop Boys]] — theme song for Brainstorm 
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmdWgU "Chicago"] by [[Wikipedia:Sufjan Stevens|Sufjan Stevens]] — theme song for Cyclonus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CETTzv3fTG0 "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)"] by [[Wikipedia:James (band)|James]] — theme song for Whirl
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mimLpZCO5k8 "I Spy"] by [[Wikipedia:Pulp (band)|Pulp]] — theme song for Getaway

==Collections==
*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' ([[June 13]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772351 / ISBN 978-1613772355 
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' one-shot.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, 12 promotional images, "Meet the Crew" page, design sketches from [[Alex Milne]] for various characters and ship locations, and a 2-page editor's comment with "behind the scenes" information about the series.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 2''''' ([[October 17]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613774982 / ISBN 978-1613774984 
:*Contains issues #4 to #8.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, "Meet the Crew" and "Meet the 'Cons" pages.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[March 27]], [[2013]]) ISBN 161377592X / ISBN 978-1613775929 
:*Contains Annual 2012 and issues #9 to #11.
:*Bonus material includes "Meet the Crew", variant covers, and designs for the [[Guiding Hand]].

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 4''''' ([[July 17]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613776918 / ISBN 978-1613776919 
:*Contains issues #12 to #16.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[Signal to Noise]]''.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' ([[November 13]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029 
:*Contains issues #17 to #22.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]''.

*'''''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|The Transformers: Dark Cybertron]] Volume 1''''' ([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913
:*Contains issues #23 to #25, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23 and #24.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' (reissue) ([[May 21]], 2014) ISBN 1613779658 / ISBN 978-1613779651
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''The Death of Optimus Prime'' one-shot.
:*New cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
:*Bonus material UNKNOWN

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' ([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989
:*Contains ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–#27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–#27, and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1]]''''' ([[September 3]], 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
:*Includes "The Death of Optimus Prime", ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1–5 and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' #1–6.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6''''' ([[December 10]], 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
:*Contains issues #28 to #33.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' ([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728
:*Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–#27 and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' ([[May 13]], 2015) ISBN 1631403273 / ISBN 978-1631403279
:*Contains issues #34 to #38
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2]]''''' ([[August 12]], 2015) ISBN 1631403648 / ISBN 978-1631403644
:*Includes ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'', ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' #6–8, ''Robots in Disguise'' #7–9 and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8''''' ([[October 21]], 2015) ISBN 1631404520 / ISBN 978-1631404528
:*Contains issues #39 to #44
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], 2015) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
:*Includes ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye'' Volumes 1 to 5
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
:*Includes ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012 and #9–13, ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 and #10–11, "[[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Spotlight: Thundercracker]]", "[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]", "[[Spotlight: Megatron]]" and "[[Signal to Noise]]"
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], 2016) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
:*Contains issues #45 to #49
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 10''''' ([[October 5]], 2016) ISBN 1631407163 / ISBN 978-1631407161
:*Contains issues #50 to #55
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 4|The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 4]]''''' ([[October 12]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631407155 / ISBN 978-1631407154
:* Includes the ''[[The Transformers: Monstrosity|Monstrosity]]'' series, ''Robots in Disguise'' #12–18 and ''More than Meets the Eye'' #14–16

*'''''The Transformers: Titans Return''''' ([[January 14]], 2017) ISBN 1631408216 / ISBN 978-1631408212
:*Contains the ''[[The Last Autobot|Titans Return]]'' one-shot, ''The Transformers'' issues #56–#57, and ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #56–#57.
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol1.jpg|Volume 1 cover by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:MTMTE vol2.jpg|Volume 2 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol3.jpg|Volume 3 cover by Alex Milne and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:MTMTE vol4.jpg|Volume 4 cover by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol5.jpg|Volume 5 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:DC vol1.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 1 cover by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
File:MTMTE vol1 reissue.jpg|Volume 1 reissue cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 2 cover by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:IDWCollectionP2V1.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 1 cover by [[Sarah Stone]]
File:MTMTE vol6.jpg|Volume 6 cover by [[Casey Coller]] and Joana Lafuente
File:DC HC.jpg|Dark Cybertron Hardcover cover by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol7.jpg|Volume 7 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:IDWCollectionP2V2.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 2 cover by Sarah Stone
File:MTMTE vol8.jpg|Volume 8 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE boxset.jpg|Box Set cover by [[Marcelo Matere]]
File:IDWCollectionP2V3.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 3 cover by Marcelo Matere and [[Tom B. Long]]
File:MTMTE vol9.jpg|Volume 9 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol10.jpg|Volume 10 cover by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:IDWCollectionP2V4.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 4 cover by Marcelo Matere and Tom B. Long
</gallery>

==In fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:MTMTE43_subcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Your childhood's hero you pretended was your favourite after your gran bought it and not that Ultra Magnus you wanted.]]
{{quote|...I didn't say I didn't '''like''' it—I just don't understand all of the words, and it presumes a '''familiarity''' with the Autobot/Decepticon war that I '''still''' don't have...|[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]|"[[The One Where They Go to Earth]]"}}

After being exposed to [[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]]'s [[Metafictional bomb|meta-bomb]] and [[Time case|briefcase]], the Autobot [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] somehow created a reiterative time-loop inside him, allowing his [[holomatter]] generator to create a life-sized replica of the planet [[Earth]] to which his mind retreated when he was dying from a rust infection. The only literature on "[[Swearth]]", as it was swiftly dubbed, was a comic book series called ''More than Meets the Eye'' that detailed the adventures of the ''[[Lost Light]]'''s crew up until that point, which [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] read in order to gain clues as to Swerve's location. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

==Recognition==
* #85 on [http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-100-76#85 Comic Book Resource's top 100 Comics of 2015].
* Winner of Comics Alliance's [http://comicsalliance.com/comics-alliance-best-of-2015-continued-excellence-in-serial-comics/ Best of 2015: Continued Excellence in Serial Comics].

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:More than Meets the Eye, The Transformers}}
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]

Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

2016-10-19T23:11:52Z

Minimusminor: /* IDW Generation 1 continuity */

{{suite}}
[[File:SpotlightArcee-ArceeWillBurnJhiaxusDown.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|Sexual violence hardens female character into skilled warrior -- the freshest idea in comics, everybody.]]
This is ''not'' the '''Arcee''' you knew in your childhood.

==IDW Generation 1 continuity==
{{ongoing}}

===Maniac===
[[File:Spotlight Arcee traumatic flashback.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|left|Jhiaxus is big into Rule 63.]]
Over six million years ago, Arcee was an early test subject of the mad genius [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], who was trying to reintroduce gender to the species after the extirpation of female Transformers on Cybertron. Her fundamental [[CNA]] was altered, something that she loathes, giving her a "maddening maelstrom of contradictory sensory input" and causing all other Transformers to sense a fundamental difference about her and inadvertently use feminine pronouns around her. Arcee failed to live up to Jhiaxus's standards and was abandoned, but, driven by an implacable homing instinct towards her creator's experiments, she cut a mech-fluid swath of carnage across several planets in her obsession with destroying everything Jhiaxus created. She was eventually taken down by [[Tyrest Accord]] enforcer [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and incarcerated on the Autobot penitentiary on [[Garrus-9]]. As was policy for threats of her level, Arcee's [[spark]] was separated from her body, and in this limbo, she found a kind of peace.

That peace was shattered when the [[Decepticon Secret Service]], led by [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzaitron]], attacked Garrus-9 to liberate the recently incarcerated [[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]], more of Jhiaxus's experiments. When the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] infiltrated the facility, warden [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] freed Arcee as a last resort to stop them. She presented quite the frightening obstacle for the invaders, severely wounding [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] and [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]], but in the end they managed to escape with their target. [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] convinced Maximus to allow her to pursue them, {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} and she followed their trail to the Decepticon Battle Platform [[Zuska]], where she tortured a Decepticon for information on the escapees' location. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

[[File:arceealtmodeidw.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Fast and the Furious: Cybertronian Drift]]
Using this intel to locate Banzaitron, Arcee found that the Transformers from the [[Dead Universe]]—Jhiaxus among them—had activated Monstructor and spirited him away, decimating the Banzaitron's team in the process. Arcee agreed to help Banzaitron in recovering Monstructor, on the basis that it would lead her to Jhiaxus. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} Tracking Monstructor to [[Rotan]], she and the Decepticons engaged him in battle until [[Skram (G2)|Skram]] arrived with information on Jhiaxus's location. Abandoning the fight, Arcee headed for [[Gorlam Prime]], where she murdered her way through a legion of [[Micromaster]]s before finally cornering him beneath the planet's surface. There, she was surprised and delighted to find that, as he came from the Dead Universe, and they were in a location close to its influence, Jhiaxus could not die. And that meant she could kill him over, and over, and over... {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

[[File:SpotlightSideswipe Jhiaxus deathbecomeshim.jpg|upright=1.34|thumb|Those were the best days of our lives.]]
Arcee did just that for six years, and would later profess that the experience helped her straighten her head out. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} It had in fact been the only time she'd ever been truly happy. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}}

This demented "therapy" came to an end when Gorlam Prime's portal to the Dead Universe reactivated, hypnotically drawing all life on the planet into it. Arcee also felt its lure but [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] held her back until the effect faded, and the two Autobots decided to investigate. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 2|Heart of Darkness #2}} A while later, they detected [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]], [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and Jhiaxus in the vicinity and attacked them. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 1|Heart of Darkness #1}} Discovering that her arch-enemy had been restored by Galvatron's [[Darkness (G1)|Heart of Darkness]], she vowed to destroy Jhiaxus all over again, but those plans had to be tabled when Galvatron powered himself up by tapping into the Dead Universe via the portal. Convinced by Hardhead to flee and warn the Autobots of Galvatron's return, Arcee was blasted into a chasm by her pursuers, but managed to survive. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 2|Heart of Darkness #2}}

[[File:HeartofDarkness1-ArceeHardhead.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|You know how the saying goes about wearing your spine on your stomach-- wait, that's not how the saying goes? ....scrap.]]
Some time later, as Galvatron was in the process of assembling an army and preparing to enact his grand plan, Arcee and Hardhead came to the rescue of an Autobot escape pod full of survivors from the [[Kimia Facility]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} Bringing the survivors aboard, she and Hardhead had to explain at least five times to them all about the Dead Universe, the Heart of Darkness, [[D-Void]], and Galvatron's plans. The rag-tag group made it to Cybertron, by which time Galvatron infected [[Vector Sigma]] with the Heart of Darkness, which caused a maelstrom to break out on the planet's surface. Arcee suggested guiding the ship through an underground tunnel, crashing right on top of Galvatron himself, but this failed to take the super-powered villain out, and he quickly engaged and defeated Arcee and Hardhead. {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis|Genesis}}

===Under Prowl===
[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] subsequently used the Matrix to purify Vector Sigma, but in the process reverted Cybertron to a primordial state. In this tumultuous new era, Arcee fell into the employ of [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], acting as his shadowy enforcer in an era of uneasy peace. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} She inaugurated her new role by assassinating [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] before the former senator could have [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] killed, but her vicious methods sat ill with Prowl. {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}} Later, Arcee watched with amusement from a high vantage point as a set of rockets [[Wheeljack (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Wheeljack]] had fired into orbit successfully drew away dangerous energies that would have caused an explosion on the planet's surface. {{storylink|Stick Together}}

[[File:Arcee Ratbat WorldandEverythingInIt.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|She never was one for politics.]]
Prowl soon called upon Arcee again to aid him in dealing with Decepticon malcontents, this time confronting [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] and his [[cerebro-shell]]-controlled minions. After Arcee killed the mind-controlled [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] against Prowl's wishes, the pair pursued Bombshell into underground tunnels, but ran into the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], whom Arcee took on solo, saving an unknowing [[Blurr (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Blurr]] in the process. Prowl, meanwhile, went after Bombshell, but succumbed to his newly improved method of mind control. Under Bombshell's sway, Prowl returned to Arcee's side and "destroyed" Constructicons by detonating their [[Inhibitor/deterrence chip|I/D chips]], then sent her after [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who had witnessed the whole thing. Evidently suspecting that something was amiss with Prowl, she secretly allowed Dirge to escape. {{storylink|Devisive}} Deducing what had happened to Prowl, she met with him later, informing him she "knew his secret" and cautioning him to remember that she was not his killer to order around, {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} but continued to work towards whatever objectives Bombshell was manipulating Prowl for, allowing the Insecticon to think she was on his side so she could discover what he was up to and stop him. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}}

Arcee later secretly joined "Prowl" and the other Autobot security officers in tracking Dirge to the Decepticons' bolt-hole, but once again, she stood back and allowed him and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] to escape during the ensuing firefight. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}} She would later be seen prowling the rooftops of the city, watching [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] and [[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]] through the sight of her weapon and graciously deciding not to snipe them. {{storylink|Night and the City}}

[[File:Arcee and Ravage The End of the Beginning of the World.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|She didn't exactly have a knack for massages, either.]]
When the time came for the Decepticons to put the final stage of their plan into action, Bombshell directed Arcee, through Prowl, to exfiltrate [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]], [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] and their men from their present living quarters in the Decepticon pen. She chose to do so in the most violent way possible, of course, first attacking and killing the pen guards [[Triggerhappy]] and [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] and then detonating a shrapnel bomb that disabled all the other Decepticons present. Before departing with their unconscious bodies, she planted another explosive which Prowl then deliberately tripped while leading a "raid" on the pen, making it appear that the Decepticons within had been destroyed by their own booby-trap. Meanwhile, unaware of what had truly transpired, Starscream assumed that all of this had gone down as a result of his blackmailing Prowl with the knowledge he had gained from Dirge, so Arcee decided to drop in and rain on his parade, informing him she knew exactly where he had hidden Dirge, and could take away his "advantage" at any time. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}}

[[File:TheVerge-Arcee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'll cry when I'm done killing!]]
That, as it turned out, was exactly what she did when riots broke out upon the return of [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]. Recovering Dirge from his hideaway and informing him of "Prowl's" involvement with the Decepticons, she took him and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] to [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]], where a standoff with Blurr ensued. {{storylink|City on Fire}} Convincing him to listen to her by revealing that she was the one who had saved him from the Constructicons, Arcee handed Dirge and Swindle off to him and cut a path through the rioters for him so he could take them and the information to Bumblebee. {{storylink|The Verge}} Arcee proceeded to join Prowl, Bombshell, Megatron and the other Decepticons in the [[Black Room]], relaying a message from [[Turmoil]] and [[Skywarp (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Skywarp]] that they were in position. Following the information she had fed them via Dirge, Bumblebee and his team soon arrived; they were overpowered, and Arcee stabbed [[Sideswipe (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sideswipe]] through the torso, pinning his body to the wall (but avoiding doing any serious damage, cluing him in to her deception). Together, they all watched as the Decepticons' plan was enacted, and a perfected version of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] was formed, incorporating Prowl as its mind-controlled head. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} Calmly waiting until the most dramatic moment possible—when Bumblebee asked her what her place in the plot was—Arcee then promptly stabbed Bombshell through the head, cutting off his control of Devastator and shutting the combiner down. Calling on Sideswipe to open fire, Arcee armed Bumblebee and apologized for not acting sooner, explaining that she had had to wait until she was close enough to Bombshell to act. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} As the battle began to rage, with [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] busy with Prowl and Bumblebee busy with Megatron, Arcee and the Dinobots were put in charge of taking on the rest of the Decepticon army. Following Megatron's defeat, as Starscream took control, Arcee and the other Autobots were cast out into the wilderness.{{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

As the Autobots left the city, they were trailed by the Constructicons, who had become fans of Prowl after having combined with him. Arcee wanted to intervene when the Constructicons and the Dinobots came to blows, but Prowl restrained her while Bumblebee's worsening condition stopped the fighting for good. During Bumblebee's restoration, Arcee tried her best to comfort Prowl, who was visibly upset, but Arcee's emotional detachment made it difficult for her to connect. Her failure to empathize with Prowl sent her to Sideswipe next, whose love of violence she thought would give them common ground, but Sideswipe also shooed her away. The Constructicons picked a fight with her next, pointing out her lack of Autobot symbol as a sign that no one wanted her, and Arcee was all too happy to oblige. Their skirmish ended when Ironhide and the Dinobots broke them up, and Ironhide confided in Arcee that he was worried the night would bring madness to their camp as it did to the Aerialbots and Dinobots earlier. Arcee, confident that the madness wouldn't affect her, stayed up all night guarding Bumblebee, and when Bumblebee awoke the next morning in his new body, he found her outside with an Autobot symbol carved into her arm. But suddenly there was a weird glow over the horizon, and the sunrise wasn't for another few hours. Arcee immediately suspected Jhiaxus. {{storylink|Second Exodus}}

[[File:TheBecoming-Arcee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|Prowl thinks this is special, despite this being Arcee's fourth body in as many years.]]
Suddenly, an undead [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]], a [[Necrotitan]], burst free from the ground before them. {{storylink|Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Dark Dawn}} Arcee was happy to have a giant target to shoot at, though she wasn't hopeful of their odds of survival. Bumblebee insisted on caution rather than rash action, but before Arcee and the others could act, Soundwave's Decepticons were upon them. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} Their battle was interrupted by Starscream arriving overhead and landing on the inert Necrotitan's shoulder. Arcee offered to shoot him out of the sky, but before she could, the Necrotitan suddenly unleashed a strange, deadly wave that spread in all directions, and leaving Arcee without one of her arms and one of her legs. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} Arcee sat quietly as the others freaked out in the wake of the strange wave. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} She did not let her major limb damage deter her whatsoever once the Autobots chose to besiege Shockwave's lair (thought it probably helped that she'd somehow grown back her missing arm). {{storylink|Finest Hour: Dark Cybertron Chapter 5|Finest Hour}} Still without one of her legs, she was forced to retreat with the others, leaving Megatron and Bumblebee behind. {{storylink|No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit}}

Arcee, the other Autobots, and Soundwave's Decepticons returned to the city, where the Necrotitan had recently advanced, reducing what was left to ashes. Prowl ordered anyone still able to fight (Arcee included herself) to attack the Necrotitan before it could do more damage, but there was little they could do. Thankfully, that was when [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and the ''[[Lost Light]]'' appeared over them via [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] and engaged the Necrotitan for them. {{storylink|Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|Burning Bright}} With the surprising help of Megatron, Metroplex was able to defeat the Necrotitan, and the citizens of Cybertron and the crew of the ''Lost Light'' were reunited. Arcee approached and greeted the female Transformers the ''Lost Light'' had brought along. In the calm that followed, Arcee was rebuilt into a new body, and Prowl wondered if she was considering this a fresh start. Before too long, however, their calm was ended by the arrival of Shockwave's army of [[Ammonite]]s. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} She fought alongside her many comrades against the [[Ammonite]]s. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} and also got to talk with [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] about how he ended the Ammonite's war and started [[Cybertronian Civil Wars|their own]] war, leading her to reflect on how they should have hung out more. Later, after fighting was over, Arcee was in a crowd of bots watching Optimus and Megatron exit the Lost Light. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

During the following six months, Arcee attended Megatron's trial along with Whirl and [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]]. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} Following the trial, Arcee admitted to Prowl that [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and her party of female Transformers didn't evoke any particular feelings in her. After Sideswipe opened his big yap, Arcee asked Optimus about what had happened to Hardhead, and volunteered to join his crew for the trip to Earth to find Alpha Trion. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}}

===On Earth===
As soon as the ''[[Ark-7]]'' arrived in Earth's orbit, they were attacked by Earth Defense Command's orbital missiles. After they took cover on the far side of the Moon, Arcee joined Optimus's team heading down to the planet in [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and was assigned with Prowl to investigate who had fired the rockets at them. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|Hello Cruel World}} When Prime's team, investigating a Cybertronian life sign, were attacked by Galvatron's forces and the EDC, Prowl sent Arcee and Sideswipe to provide covering fire as the team retreated to nearby [[Poverty Flat]]. Prowl also brought Devastator to provide help, revealing the Cybertronian presence to the humans. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}} Arcee and the other Autobots protected the panicking humans until the Decepticon were all teleported away on [[Marissa Faireborn]]'s orders. As the Autobots returned to ''Ark-7'', Arcee warned Optimus that more might be going on than they knew. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}}

The Autobots tracked the EDC's mind bomb signal to their base on island Bikini Atoll and Optimus opted for a frontal assault. On their way down, Arcee confided in Prowl that she'd seen [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] acting suspiciously. She was part of Prime's frontal assault, only to be surprised by the arrival of the [[Nemesis (G1)|Decepticon warship]]. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}} The Autobots fired at the ship until Prowl used the EDC's own defense system to shoot the ship down. As they departed with Alpha Trion, whom they'd recovered from the EDC base, Arcee helped the wounded Kup onto Sky Lynx. {{storylink|Earthfall Chapter 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}}

[[File:OFFonOFF-GalvatronArcee.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|....fifth body in as many years.]]
Jetfire, Arcee and [[D.0.C.]] investigated an alarm in the ''Ark-7'' shuttlebay to find Prime and Trion had gone for a jaunt. {{storylink|The Crucible}} When Optimus left for Cybertron to learn more about the [[Enigma of Combination]], he left Prowl in charge and asked Arcee to keep an eye on Prowl. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|Signals, Calls, and Marches}} When Prowl took the Constructicons to intercept [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Spike Witwicky]] in [[Japan]], Arcee followed using Sideswipe's backpack and prevented Prowl from grabbing Spike and [[Jimmy Pink]]. The two humans fled and Arcee pursued them, only to end up being cornered by the Decepticons along with Jimmy Pink. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.|Vs.}} Though Galvatron claimed they were after the same thing, Spike, Arcee opted to take Jimmy and leave the Decepticons and Constructicons to it, only to be tackled mid-air by Galvatron. During their fight which landed them in the [[Australia]]n outback, Galvatron lied to Arcee, claiming Prowl had killed Spike's father to draw Spike out, and persuaded her to join him in trying to destroy the Enigma of Combination. {{storylink|Onyx Interface Part Three: ONoffON|ONoffON}}

She, Jimmy and the Decepticons arrived in [[Wanmu]] to find Devastator already attacking the [[Onyx]] facility there. She tried to reach Prowl, but Devastator was set on killing Spike and she was knocked flat by the discarded Enigma of Combination. After [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] left the planet with the Enigma, Arcee was finally able to reach Prowl and get him to disassemble Devastator. They left on Sky Lynx with a space bridge from the Onyx facility. {{storylink|The Onyx Interface Conclusion: The Obliterati}}

Much later, Optimus contacted Arcee and filled her in on recent Combiner-related events on Cybertron. She had a clandestine meeting with Galvatron who wanted to use the space bridge, and provided her with an Onyx tablet. Arcee returned to the ''Ark-7'' to get the tablet analyzed and gave [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] a mission to Jupiter. {{storylink|Now and On Earth}} He soon reported back on the Decepticon station being built there, and she met him on his return, however he fobbed her off with the promise of a report later and headed to a recharge slab. {{storylink|South of Heaven}}

[[File:AnUneventfulNight-WindbladeArcee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.6|...sixth...]]
Arcee returned to Cybertron in order to take the [[Enigma of Combination]] out of the hands of the Cybertronian government so that it couldn't be used to create any more "abominations" (as Galvatron had put it to her). However, her escape was complicated by Windblade and Chromia, who inadvertently corralled her into the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] where a Camien team of [[Torchbearer]]s was scouting. The Torchbearers fumed at not only Arcee's injuring of Windblade, a Cityspeaker, but also her intent to harm an artifact of the Primes, and further battling resulted in the Torchbearers exposed to the Enigma of Combination and reconfigured into the mighty combiner, [[Victorion]]. The newborn, confused Victorion singled out Arcee for punishment, and so Windblade and Chromia found themselves protecting her against the gestalt. Windblade, surprisingly, was able to calm Victorion down long enough for them to disassemble. Arcee explained that she hated the Enigma not because of Galvatron's thoughts on the matter, but because it changed people against their will, which rung sorely with her particular history. The Torchbearers, however, noted that while they were changed against their will, they had equal right to remain what they now were. Warming to Windblade's combination of diplomacy and willingness to bury the truth to promote lasting peace, Arcee agreed to return the Enigma of Combination and pretend the incident had never happened. {{storylink|An Uneventful Night}}

She briefly watched Starscream talk to himself before swapping notes with Optimus. When one of Starscream's [[Badgeless]] troops was about to stage a massacre at a bar, Arcee stepped in and took the Badgeless to confront Starscream himself, whom she suggested needed to win over those on Cybertron before he went conquering other worlds. {{storylink|The Transgressors}}

Back on Earth, to her pre-emptive satisfaction, she detected that Prowl was in [[Alaska]], ready to be taken in by her... and then suddenly ''wasn't''. She went looking for Kup for help and was perturbed to find he'd passed out while outside the ship, and this may have happened before. But she didn't have time to care when Prowl disappearing was a major security risk and she needed help finding him! They broke into Prowl's old quarters, with Arcee suspicious how easy Kup managed it, and found some fleshbag called [[Verity Carlo]] had been blackmailing the fugitive with a copy of Autobot war crime data! Arcee was livid, thinking Carlo might restart the war if she made such horrors public. She was ''more'' livid when a recorded message from Prowl was broadcast, saying to get ''Springer'' to look for him as only Springer was good enough. Screw you, Prowl!

The most sensible course of action was to knock out Kup, go to Earth, and violently threaten Verity Carlo into saying what she'd done to Prowl. Verity turned out to know nothing. When Springer and the [[Wrecker]]s showed up, {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 1|Sins of the Wreckers #1}} Arcee continued to insist it ''had'' to be this human anyway... which was round about the time the ''real'' culprits, [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]], attacked and Prowl ''broadcast through Kup'' to explain he was in the hands of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], at the [[Noisemaze]]. Arcee was horrified to realise Prowl had put a backdoor hack in Kup's brain in case he'd needed to manipulate suckers. This clearly meant... it was still Verity's fault! CONFESS, VERITY!! Springer pulled rank and led the Wreckers-plus-Arcee in battle against the Mayhems, where Arcee was amused to find Springer only got emotionally engaged when there was a fight on. After chopping limbs off [[Claw Jaw]] and joining the Wreckers on a raid inside [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Mayhem HQ]], Arcee crossed to the Noisemaze... {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 2|Sins of the Wreckers #2}}

[[File:SinsoftheWreckers3-Noisemaze.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.4|...sev- no, wait, this is the fifth one again. Never mind!]]
...and immediately fell in screaming pain, unable to stand its sensory onslaught. Tarantulas had the Wreckers taken to his lab, where the guilt-extracting computer [[Impetus]] caused her to babble that it was "my fault" she'd not seen through Jhiaxus and not been "strong enough" to stop him, and the only time she'd ever known happiness was killing him. {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|Sins of the Wreckers #3}}

[[File:Perihelion-BrawlShoulderTackleArcee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Brawl liked design number four better.]]
After their encounter with the Wreckers, Arcee and Kup returned to ''Ark-7'' to find Jetfire had examined the [[Onyx|human code]] Blackrock had created and it was communicating with other iterations of the code via a quantum signal. Arcee ordered her Autobots to track it down while she, Alpha Trion, and Sideswipe stayed on the ship. The mission went sour fast and Arcee had Sky Lynx return to the ''Ark'' where she could use its mighty guns to blow away his pursuers... at which point the Onyx code activated their deflector shields, causing all the firepower to rebound on the ship, and locked them out of their systems, leaving them trapped and on fire! {{storylink|The Nothing Man}} They found themselves fighting their way through their own compromised defences while Trion claimed they were facing Primal weapons that they could not stand against. (Arcee didn't think much of that claim) {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}} Her plan was to get to the spacebridge and call for reinforcements, but a sudden rush of Decepticons ''through'' the spacebridge put paid to that! {{storylink|Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|Lagrange}} Luckily, [[Conquerors Part 3: Helden|other actors]] caused the shield to drop and Arcee ordered her guys to fall back to the ship's bridge and crash it into the moon while she went to overload the engines. The plan failed when she failed to distract the Decepticons through ultraviolence, being battered into unconsciousness by [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion|Perihelion}} By the time she came round, the battle at [[Shanghai]] was almost over and she gladly fell back with the newly arrived Autobots.

Optimus asked her to run operations soon enough as part of his new strategy. She was up for that! And then, to her disgust, she learned his strategy was to ''help'' Earth by annexing it under his ''protection''. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}} While sitting in the med-bay of the ''[[Skyroller]]'', she casually mentioned that both she and Sideswipe were fine to a disinterested med-bay. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 2: Edge of the Earth|Edge of the Earth}} She later met, and tried to murder, Galvatron at the Copahua volcano where they pondered if Optimus' time as [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|a combiner]] could have allowed Prowl's personality to push Optimus towards drastic actions. She later revealed to Optimus that [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] had murdered [[Horri-Bull]] for the greater good allowing the Prime to blackmail the Decepticon. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}} In Monument Valley, she forced Prime to stay behind during the attack on the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' claiming he was too valuable before showing zero gratitude when [[Sunstreaker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sunstreaker]] gave her [[Sideswipe (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sideswipe's]] jetpack. During the attack, Galvatron managed to force Victorian apart before creating [[Galvatronus]] and [[Sky Reign]]. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] managed to turn the tide and rip open the ''Nemesis'', Arcee was ready to take[[G.B. Blackrock|Blackrock]] into her custody before she was fired on by [[Marissa Faireborn]] and [[Ayana Jones]]. She was ready to kill all three before [[Skywarp (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Skywarp]] teleported them out of her reach. She was later ordered by Optimus to pursue and terminate Galvatron. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|As Above...So Below}} Hitching a ride on [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], she caught up with the Decepticon in the upper atmosphere of [[Jupiter]]. After casually murdering [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], she engaged Galvatron. The fight was in his favour until Optimus and Soundwave arrived to back her up. The ancient warrior still managed to hold his ground before Soundwave shot him in the back allowing Arcee to destroy his [[Fusion cannon|fusion cannon]] taking him out of the fight. Galvatron mocked all three of them before agreeing to be their ally so as to fight off [[Onyx Prime]]. Arcee was horrified when Optimus shot Galvatron through the [[Spark]]. She later accompanied him to see the [[President of the United States]] where he declared the threat over. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}} When they returned to Monument Valley, [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] the trio observed transformed to city mode, a form which Optimus dubbed [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. She then observed Metrotian fire a beam of data into space regarding Optimus' deeds. {{storylink|The Last Autobot}}

As it turned out, that beam attracted the attention of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] who was not only still alive but also a [[Titan Master]]. The Prime left his large [[Transtector]] body to fight Arcee while he attended to business causing the femme to protest a body without a head should be not be a good fighter. The fight spilled into a massive cache of [[Ore-13]] located beneath Autobot City. Sentinel then returned with Blackrock who was revealed to be [[Sovereign]]. The Titan Master duo tapped into the [[Space bridge|Space Bridge]] to warp away Optimus Prime and Soundwave with them. Left behind, Arcee, at the end of her rope, contacted [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] and briefed him on what happened. He assured her he would take care of it. {{storylink|White Light}} She then hovered ominously in the background and off to the side during Soundwave's inspirational speech. {{storylink|White Heat}}

Once that was sorted out, she was sent to do relief efforts in [[Portland]], [[Oregon]] with [[Jazz (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jazz]]. An aerial drone then fired a missile at Jazz courtesy of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. Relieved at the chance to blow off some steam, she quickly drove off to be greeted by a hailstorm of ineffective bullets. Unleashing her swords, she began cutting through G.I. Joe's war machines before demanding an explanation for the attack. She continued this until reinforcements arrived and Soundwave fired an EMP that destroyed all the Joes' equipment. Out of the blue, [[Rom|an alien]] arrived to atomize four humans. Jazz tried to tackle it only for [[Rock 'n Roll]] to fire into Jazz's open wound. Acree came to his aid as the alien flew off. She then carried off by [[Victorion]] as Optimus ordered the Autobots to pursue the alien. {{storylink|Concorde Hymn}} The Autobots tracked the alien to [[Umpqua National Forest]] where they forced it to make an emergency landing. When the alien responded with aggression, Arcee punched in its open chest wound down to the ground while noting she enjoyed hitting her problems. {{storylink|The Divine Source of Liberty}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|Sins of the Wreckers #4}} {{storylink|Sins of the Wreckers issue 5|Sins of the Wreckers #5}}}}

[[Category:IDW Generation 1 Autobots]]

Nick Roche

2016-09-09T08:55:44Z

Minimusminor: edits to info about Roche's writing and art style, giving more prominence as in Roberts' article

{{disambig3|Nicholas|Nick/Nicholas}}
[[File:Nick Roche 2012 LSCC.JPG|thumb|upright=1.4|Trousers lie shattered in the background.]]
'''Nick Roche''' (born [[September 5]], [[1979]] <ref>[http://nickroche.blogspot.com/2008/09/twenty-nine-club.html "The Twenty-Nine Club"]</ref>) is an Irish comic book artist and writer for [[IDW Publishing]]. He is '''awesome'''.

Nick Roche is a native of County Wexford, but currently resides in Dublin, Ireland. Having always been a massive Transformers fan, Roche's produced artwork for fan fiction, including the [[Transmasters UK|Transmasters UK (TMUK)]] group, and UK convention publications, gaining a healthy fanbase within the UK, but remaining almost entirely unknown outside of the tight-knit UK fandom.

He pitched his work to [[Dreamwave Productions]] but had no response, something he's glad about in hindsight; he notes "at the time, I'd have worked for free but it turns out everyone else at Dreamwave was doing that anyway".<ref name="Moonbase Two">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIkqheta3GE Nick Roche interview with Moonbase Two]</ref> Nick finally got his break into Transformers when IDW Publishing acquired the Transformers license. A friend of Nick's by the name of Dave Hendrick sent IDW supremo [[Chris Ryall]] Nick's samples.

Twenty minutes later there was an email back from Chris.

Nick started on the "Chrischarger" art before being given ''Spotlight''s, then ''more'' ''Spotlight''s (and a ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' fill-in) before being given the ''[[The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots|Maximum Dinobots]]'' mini-series. He's also penciled numerous covers for the different Transformers series, including a piece for the ''[[The Transformers: Target: 2006|Target 2006]]'' reprints featuring the original team of [[Wrecker]]s, the covers for the [[Metrodome]] DVD sets of ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' and ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'', and a special comic and a piece of artwork packed with [[Madman Entertainment]]'s ''Generation 1'' DVD set. Nick has also worked on the new Transformers UK comic book ([[Transformers Comic issue 2|issue 2]]) and the ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' comic for [[Titan Books|Titan]].

If that wasn't enough, Nick drew ''and'' wrote ''[[Spotlight: Kup]]'', which also has the distinction of being the first issue in the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW G1 continuity]] written by someone other than [[Simon Furman]]. He co-wrote and drew the incredibly well-received ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' with [[James Roberts]]. And he also writes panto!<ref name="Moonbase Two" />

Shattered trousers are usually left in his wake.

{{quote|Look: you can't comprehend the scale of trouser destruction that will occur. The current financial crisis? Pffah! There will be people wandering around this Christmas with next to no trouser coverage. And as for the potentially countless children who will lose their sight and sense of decency from flying pant-shards...well, it doesn't bear thinking about. No gusset is safe this Christmas.|Nick on the imminent release of ''Maximum Dinobots'' #1<ref>http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=106763#106763</ref>}}

==Fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
Nick was sitting at a signing table at [[Auto Assembly 2009]] when [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] barged his way past [[Gregg Berger]] and [[Liam Shalloo]], complaining about his absence from ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]''. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 13|''All Hail Megatron'' #13 cover}} One year later, [[Auto Assembly 2010]] attendees could apparently "buy Nick's pants" at [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]'s charity auction and tombola. {{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"|''The Transformers'' #9 cover}}

==Writing==
Nick's writing often tackles or addresses the concept of change within Cybertronians, both as a shapeshifting race and a culture left in stasis by millennia of war. Many of his stories have unflinching and graphic robotic violence—dismemberment, decapitation, bodily mutilation, and copious amounts of blood, among other things. Like Roberts, he also has a tendency to use characters with little or no previous media appearances—''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' featured a cast almost entirely comprised of European toy-exclusives and obscure Japanese characters, while ''Sins of the Wreckers'' introduced many characters from the Beast Era as antagonists. Also, he put [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]] into the IDWverse, because that's just how cool he is.

*"[[Spotlight: Kup]]"
*[[All Hail Megatron issue 15|''All Hail Megatron'' #15]] story 1: "Everything in Its Right Place"
*''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' (co-written with James Roberts)
**"[[Escape (G1)|Escape]]"
**"[[In Word and Deed]]"
*"[[Spotlight: Megatron]]"
*''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|Sins of the Wreckers]]''

==Comic book art==
Roche's art style is instantly recognizable in a comic due to his strong shapes, exaggerated proportions and bold, simple character designs. According to him, he just "makes the hands bigger and the pointy bits pointier", and he would like to draw with "[[Geoff Senior|Senior's]] energy, [[Andrew Wildman|Wildman's]] expressiveness and [[Derek Yaniger|Yaniger's]] chins!". According to Roche, he finds he does change his art style automatically depending on the story; such as upping the cartooniness for "Spotlight: Hot Rod" and toning it down for a story from [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl's]] point of view.<ref name="Moonbase Two" />

[[File:FerreroRocher.jpg|158px|thumb|A lesser-known variation on the spelling of Nick's name.]]

===IDW Publishing===
*"[[Spotlight: Shockwave]]"
*"[[Spotlight: Hot Rod]]"
*"[[Spotlight: Kup]]"
*[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|''Beast Wars'' Sourcebook]] #1 ([[Apache]], [[Autocrasher]], [[BB]], [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Break]], [[Big Convoy]]), #2 ([[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Guiledart]], [[Heinrad (BWN)|Heinrad]], [[Injector]], [[Lio Convoy]], [[Lio Junior]], [[Mach Kick]], [[Moon (BWII)|Moon]])
*''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' [[Devastation issue 3|#3]]
*"[[Spotlight: Hardhead]]"
*''[[The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots|Maximum Dinobots]]''
*[[All Hail Megatron issue 15|''All Hail Megatron'' #15]] story 1: "Everything in Its Right Place"
*''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''
**"[[Dead Men's Boots]]"
**"[[Escape (G1)|Escape]]"
**"[[In Word and Deed]]"
*[[Heart Like a Wheel|''The Transformers'' #13]]
*''[[Infestation (IDW)|The Transformers: Infestation]]''
*"[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime]]"
*''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]], [[Interiors|#6]]
*"[[Spotlight: Megatron]]"
*''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|Sins of the Wreckers]]''

===Madman Entertainment===
*''Transformers Generation 1'' Complete Collection DVD set ([[The Transformers (Madman)|pack-in comic book]] and [[Matrix of Leadership]] chamber artwork with [[Don Figueroa]] and [[Josh Burcham]])

===Titan Books===
*[[Transformers Comic issue 2|Titan ''Transformers'' comic #2]]
{{creatorstub}}
{{-}}

==DVD cover art==
===[[Metrodome]]===
*''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Transformers Takara Collection Super-God Masterforce]]''
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Transformers Takara Collection Victory]]''

==Convention appearances==
*[[BotCon]] ([[BotCon 2007|2007]])
*[[BotCon]] ([[BotCon 2009|2009]])
*[[Unofficial conventions|Auto Assembly]] (2009)
*[[Unofficial conventions|Auto Assembly]] (2010)

==Notes==
[[File:Derpnick.jpg|thumb|What can brown do for you?]]
*He has admitted to being "gay for [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]]".
*He is also the first Transformers celebrity to have interviewed another Transformers [[Stan Bush|celebrity]].<ref>http://c3.libsyn.com/media/20749/EP_26_-_OLDMOON_OILBASE_INTERVIEWS_STAN_BUSH.mp3?nvb=20100909170039&nva=20100910171039&sid=fd4711763d08f49953c5982d42719c75&l_sid=20749&l_eid=&l_mid=2021798&t=0155622406f16c055d36b</ref>
*On Twitter, while talking about how more than five panels average a page is a burden for artists, he strongly indicated that James Roberts' masses of detailed panels are why they hadn't worked together in years<ref>[https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/665246818389856256 "Well, we haven't worked together in three years... make of THAT what you will... :)"] (11:16 a.m. - 13 Nov 2015)</ref> (though they are still friends).
*He also admitted he's an "asshole to myself" when he breaks that rule himself in his own scripts!<ref>[https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/665238634531061761 "Furman aims for that [five panels]. Everyone's different. I'm an asshole to myself, to be honest!"] (10:43 a.m. - 13 Nov 2015)</ref>
*At Auto Assembly 2010 it was discovered that Nick can do an uncanny [[David Kaye]] impression. Yesssssss.
{{-}}

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
File:SpotlightHotRod rush.jpg|[[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hot Rod]] enjoys freefalling to a planet in "[[Spotlight: Hot Rod]]".
File:TFGenerations12.jpg|[[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s never looked this cool before or since. Cover art for ''[[The Transformers: Generations]]'' issue #12.
File:SpotlightHardhead HardheadsHeadshot.jpg|[[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]'s got a hard head in "[[Spotlight: Hardhead]]".
File:AHM15 SpringerpunchesProwl.jpg|[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] is [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'s personal punching bag in [[All Hail Megatron issue 15|''All Hail Megatron'' #15]]
</gallery>

*''[[:Category:Images by Nick Roche|Extended Nick Roche gallery]]''</center>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://nickroche.blogspot.com/ Nick Roche's blog]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roche, Nick}}
[[Category:IDW Publishing]]
[[Category:Illustrators]]
[[Category:Titan]]
[[Category:Writers]]

Sins of the Wreckers issue 5

2016-09-06T07:22:32Z

Minimusminor: /* Continuity notes */ more TPB notes/trivia.

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers]]'' #5
|prev=Sins of the Wreckers issue 4
|next=
|image=SOTW5_regcvr.jpg
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[June 29]], [[2016]]
|coverdate=May 2016
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|art by=Nick Roche
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}

'''The final secrets come out as the Wreckers make their last stand against Tarantulas.'''

==Synopsis==
Using [[size changing|mass displacement]] to enlarge his spider mode to massive size, [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] interfaces with a retinal scanner to activate his backdoor escape plan: shrinking the [[Tor]] itself down to pocket size so that he can safely transport the facility out of the collapsing [[Noisemaze]]. The spider then turns on [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]], [[Verity Carlo|Verity]], and [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], gloating over how he has healed Verity's illness purely to score imaginary points by accomplishing something Prowl could never do. [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], in the process of planting charges in the pit below to destroy the Tor, know they cannot abandon their task to help, and so are forced to split up: Springer—weary and determined that this will be his final job as a [[Wrecker]]—continues to place the explosives, while Impactor takes the [[Obtenteum]] they need and goes to aid the others. The pair agree to use a call-and-response system, and if Springer stops transmitting at any point, Impactor is to trigger the charges. At Impactor's direction, Arcee slices Tarantulas's web out from under him, sending the mad scientist tumbling into the pit, but he just keeps growing bigger and bigger and climbs his way back out. Tarantulas pontificates about his need for revenge on Prowl, prompting Impactor to drop a bombshell—it was ''not'' Prowl who pushed Tarantulas into the Noisemaze all those years ago, but Impactor himself. This news matters little to Tarantulas; it was done at Prowl's order, after all, so Prowl is still the one he wants. After a moment, however, he realizes the deeper meaning of the revelation: Prowl never gets his own hands dirty, which means that he would never have killed [[Ostaros]] as he claimed he did. Tarantulas once again demands to know what became of his greatest creation; Prowl struggles for words, but betrays the truth with a mere turn of his head at the sound of Springer's voice crackling over Impactor's comm. Positively insane with delight to realize that Ostaros is Springer, and that he is in his presence, Tarantulas forgets his vengeance and instead turns to climb into the pit so that he can reunite with his child. Impactor hands the Obtenteum off to Prowl and orders him and Verity to get outside and follow through with their plan to feed it to Tidal Wave, while he and Arcee try to stymie Tarantulas. Arcee does so with characteristic flair, slicing the spider's beast mode head clean off and tossing it to Impactor, who uses it to activate the retinal scanner and halt the Tor's contraction.

Prowl and Verity emerge from the Tor to the dramatic sight of [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]] punching his way through ''[[Debris]]''. Coffins spill from the shattered space station's mausoleum; Verity is brought to tears as [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s body lands right in front of her. The pair link up with [[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] and [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] and explain the plan—though not before Kup get in one strong and very satisfying slug across Prowl's jaw. Resisting his own desire to consume the Obtenteum himself, Guzzle uses his own cannon to blast himself up into the air, jamming the crystals into the startled Tidal Wave's mouth. Tidal Wave is driven to gleeful madness by the sudden power surge and takes out his frustrations with his life in general by attacking the Tor itself, forcing [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] to unwittingly play into the Wreckers' hands by using his [[Outlier]] power to forcibly convert Tidal Wave to whale mode. The g-forces of the giant's transformation—amplified by the Obtenteum—are the last push needed to trigger the Noisemaze's complete and irrevocable collapse.

Arcee and Impactor sense the increase in instability as the maze crosses the point of no return... but so does Tarantulas, still very much alive despite the loss of his beast head. The spider leaps into the pit after Springer; Impactor tries to radio him to warn him, but Springer contacts him first, explaining that he can no longer hear Impactor's transmissions, and insisting he stick to the plan. Arcee, now understanding the depths of Springer's determination and heroism and why Prowl chose him for the rescue mission, convinces Impactor that Springer is right, and the pair escape outside. Tarantulas reaches Springer, but his words are distorted by the Noisemaze, and Springer, unaware of what the spider is trying to tell him, attacks. Consequently, he can no longer transmit his part of the call-and-response signal, and Impactor, with the utmost reluctance, presses the button to set off the explosives.

As the Tor is consumed in white fire, Kup, Prowl, and Guzzle all clamber inside ''Debris'', but no sooner are they onboard than Guzzle plants the barrels of his pistols into the backs of Kup and Prowl's heads, still determined to claim revenge for the deaths of his friends on [[Tsiehshi]]. Verity tries to talk him down, but he is unwilling to listen... forcing Impactor to end the threat by putting his harpoon through Guzzle's brain.

Time passes, and Impactor recounts the events that followed. After the Wreckers extracted ''Debris'' from the Noisemaze, Prowl ran back inside and dragged the still-living Springer to safety before the maze's final collapse. Kup and Arcee returned to Optimus Prime's ranks on [[Earth]], their ties with Prowl now thoroughly severed. And Impactor himself has taken up Carnivac on his offer to join [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]], joining their crusade to bring down those in power who use 'bots like Impactor as pawns.

Back in [[Nome]], [[Alaska]], Verity and Springer stare up at the Northern Lights together, fulfilling Verity's long-held dream of seeing them—only now, she will live to see them again and again. The pair wonder how long they have until the insanity of their lives catches up to them once again, and conclude that it could happen at any time, so they should enjoy the normalcy while it lasts.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] (3)
*[[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] (4)
*[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] (6)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (8)
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (10)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (11)
*[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s corpse (12)

|h2=[[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]]|c2=
*[[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]] (1)
*Various Chimeracons (2)
*[[Prowl II]] (5)
*[[Stampy (BWN)|Stampy]] (13)
*[[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] (14)
*[[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Verity Carlo]] (9)

|c4=
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"Hey '''Tarantulas... spinnerettes are for chumps'''."
:—'''Impactor''' uses his harpoon-hand to show Tarantulas a better way of swinging from a thread

"Some stuff simply '''can't be taught'''. Otherwise, I could '''tell you''' what it was I '''just did.'''"
:—'''Impactor'''

"A '''helpless life''', cut '''short''', in need of '''nurture''' and '''care'''. What would '''that''' mean '''to you''', anyway? Do you not '''see?''' '''This''' is what '''I''' was capable of '''too''', Prowl. '''Giving life,''' instead of '''taking it'''. The human is '''whole''' again; '''repaired'''. You could '''never''' give that '''gift'''. In '''this way'''—a way that '''counts'''—I will '''always''' be '''better''' than '''you'''."
:—'''Tarantulas''' overuses bold emphasis

"Wrap yer '''baleens''' around '''this''', kelp-licker."
:—'''Guzzle''' force-feeds Tidal Wave

"'''Kup and Prowl'''. All those '''Autobots,''' lookin' '''up''' to you. '''Red badge''' might as well be '''purple''' to you two. Sign of '''a sucker'''. '''Kup''', you '''killed''' some of my '''friends''' a while back. A '''lot''' of 'em. They said cuz you were '''crazy; sick'''. That's not '''good enough''' for me. And '''Prowl'''—never '''seen''' a '''murderer's hands''' so '''shiny white'''. But we ain't your '''toys'''. None of us are."
:—'''Guzzle''' gets in on the excessive bold emphasis game

"After all we'd '''done''' for him, after '''all''' we'd '''risked''', that '''idiot''' ran '''back in'''. We asked him afterwards, what was he '''thinking'''? He said he'd run '''every permutation''' of '''every scenario''' through his head, and '''none of them''' could guarantee what he did would work. So he asked himself, 'What would a '''Wrecker do?'''' and '''that's''' when he decided to go '''back.''' That's when '''Prowl''' decided to go '''back''' for '''Springer'''."
:—'''Impactor'''

"How long do you think we have?" 
"Till it '''catches up''' with us? Till our lives go back to normal and stop being... '''normal?''' Could happen '''any time.''' Today. Tomorrow. This could end at '''any moment.'''" 
"Sounds like being human to me."
:—'''Verity''' and '''Springer'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*In [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|issue #4]], [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] related how [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] had been released from prison by Prowl as a favor to Impactor, and wondered how he could possibly owe him one so big. Now we know: it was Impactor, not Prowl, was the masked figure who broke into Mesothulas's lab, as seen in the flashback in [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|issue #3]]. This explains why Impactor knew about the evil scientist and the Noisemaze, and why he knew where the gate to the maze was in that same issue: because he hid it himself. If you were being attentive, you might have noticed that in that scene, the figure's right hand was constantly hidden or off-panel, thereby concealing the presence of Impactor's harpoon-hand and maintaining the illusion that the disguised 'bot was Prowl.
*Guzzle makes his play for revenge for the events of ''[[Spotlight: Kup]]''.
*Springer and Verity end the series by watching the Northern Lights, which Verity previously talked with the Autobot about in [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 2|issue #2]].
*On the final page, just above "The End," a tiny spider hangs from a web inside Springer's wheel well. Whatever it means for the possibility of Tarantulas being alive, it was inspired by a moment when Roche sat down to write the issue, and "on the page he was about to write was a very small spider crawling across the page. Oh, the Alan Moore-ness of it all..."

===Transformers references===
*As with last issue, there are several "[[generic]]" Chimeracons who do not appear to be based on pre-existing characters, including a puffin-bot who gets blasted by Kup on page 1. However, on the same page, lying on the ground, smoking, is the ''Beast Wars'' character [[Prowl II]], recognizable by his owl alternate mode, winged shoulders, and taloned feet.
*Several times this issue, Springer actually uses the leaping ability for which he is named, which is an extremely rare occurrence for the character.
*Impactor's line about spinnerettes, quoted above, seems like a callback to [[Kick-Off (G1)|Kick-Off]]'s line, "Alt-modes are for wimps!", from Roche's [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #1]].

===Errors===
*On page 12, panel 1, there's an uncolored Chimeracon who's just lineart with the background colors showing through him.
*Springer is seen a bunch of times in the stories ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Monstrosity|Monstrosity]]'', and ''[[The Transformers: Primacy|Primacy]]'', taking place during the war's earliest days, while Prowl and Tarantulas' work (and thus Ostaros' birth) is clearly meant to be happening far later into the Great War. Er, maybe it's a guy that just looked a lot like Springer?
*Prowl's eye is fixed at the end of the issue, despite it still being missing in the previously-released but chronologically-later [[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|''The Transformers'' #50]]. The broken eye wound up persisting in the later-still [[Ten to Midnight|''More than Meets the Eye'' #56]].

===Other notes===
*Following the January 2016 release of issue #3, family issues for Roche led to a two-month delay for the final two issues which saw this issue solicited for a late release in May. Unfortunately, some further production delays held the issue back and it did not see release until the final week of June.
*Guzzle's last moments are an adaptation Roche's original pitch for ''Last Stand'' (as revealed in the second hardcover), where Guzzle would kill Kup at the end of the [[Garrus-9]] mission and be gunned down himself.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Regular cover:''' The Wreckers in Tarantulas's web, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Subscription cover:''' Arcee, Springer, and Verity by [[E. J. Su]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Perceptor by [[Guido Guidi]]
<gallery>
Image:SOTW5_regcvr.jpg|
Image:SOTW5_subcvr.jpg|
Image:SOTW5_cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|#53]]
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' [[All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|#53]]
*''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]'' [[07:00:00|#1]]
*''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' [[The War Never Ends|#13]]
*Jinx: Authentic clothing for games

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/29869-preview-transformers-sins-of-the-wreckers-5.html Preview]

[[Category:Sins of the Wreckers issues]]

Sins of the Wreckers issue 1

2016-09-06T07:18:24Z

Minimusminor: /* Real-world references */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers]]'' #1
|prev=In Word and Deed
|next=Sins of the Wreckers issue 2
|image=SotW1_regcvr.jpg
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 25]], [[2015]]
|coverdate=November 2015
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|art by=Nick Roche
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2015)]]
}}
'''When Prowl reappears on Earth, only to vanish again immediately, Arcee suspects Verity Carlo is involved while Kup follows Prowl's last wishes and calls in the Wreckers to take on the case.'''

==Synopsis==
A proximity transponder alerts [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]]—aboard the ''[[Ark-7]]'', in orbit above [[Earth]]—to the sudden, unexplained appearance of [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] on the planet below, only for him to then disappear just as suddenly. Seeking access to Prowl's quarters in search of an explanation, Arcee goes looking for security chief [[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]], who she finds floating in space following a blackout while doing some riveting work on the ship's hull. After being dragged inside and woken up, Kup is reluctant to open Prowl's quarters, which only serves to further Arcee's suspicions that his blackout was not coincidental...

On ''[[Debris]]'', the space station headquarters of the [[Wrecker]]s, [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] sits in grim silence and listens as his former partner [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] pounds relentlessly on the walls of his windowless cell, screaming obscenities at his jailer. Presently, [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] arrives, having completed another day of reading to the comatose body of [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] in the station's med-bay, and he and Impactor lament the current state of the Wreckers, who no longer serve a real purpose now that peace has fallen over the Cybertronian race. All they do now is take out small Decepticon resistance cells; it was on such a mission that Guzzle recently went over the edge, massacring a defeated Decepticon unit and earning himself the cell he now resides in. Impactor sorrowfully recalls how hard it was not to simply join in the slaughter, but Roadbuster sees it as a sign of strength—Impactor is ''helping'' his comrade, and doing so will help him to grow and change, just as caring for Springer has changed Roadbuster himself.

Arcee's suspicions grow as Kup proves inexplicably capable of getting them into Prowl's quarters with alarming ease, but bigger concerns soon emerge when they discover messages on Prowl's computer from the Autobots' old human ally [[Verity Carlo]]. Verity, it turns out, has been blackmailing Prowl with a secondary copy of the data from the [[Aequitas]] trials, entrusted to her by [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] before his death, leading Arcee to believe that Prowl was on Earth to meet with her. An automatic recording of Prowl's then plays, left in the event that he became compromised, requesting that one specific Autobot be called in to help rescue him from whatever fate has befallen him: Springer. Kup immediately reaches for a communicator, hoping that this news of this mission will be the magic words to wake Springer from his coma, but Arcee, frustrated that Prowl would choose someone else for the mission over herself, knocks Kup out and tales off for Verity's last known location: [[Nome]], [[Alaska]].

In an unknown location, Prowl awakens in a barren, metal room. Hesitantly staggering out the unlocked door, he finds himself in a kaleidoscopic landscape that assaults his senses and brings him to his knees. The last thing he sees before passing out is [[Tarantulas (BW)|a shadowed figure]] welcoming him to "the [[Noisemaze]]"...

[[File:Sotw1 stakeout kicks a bear.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8]]
In the snowy wastes of Nome, the sick and exhausted Verity Carlo attempts to outrun a [[Polar Claw|polar bear]], but looks as though she is about to meet her end at its claws until [[Stakeout (G1)|Stakeout]] arrives to rescue her. A deputy of the [[Tyrest Accord]] assigned to work with Verity by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] years ago, Stakeout parted ways with Verity some time ago for her own safety, but has been brought to her aid now by the message she left him, detailing her plans to blackmail Prowl. Verity seeks justice for the dead, but Stakeout insists that if she releases the Aequitas data, she will shatter the fragile peace of the newly-unified Cybertron. Verity tries to argue further, but her ailing body is suddenly racked with pain... at which point Stakeout is blasted off the road by Arcee, who abducts Verity at sword-point.

Back on the ''Ark-7'', Kup recovers and makes his call to ''Debris'', speaking directly to Springer. He recounts his time trapped in the [[Dead Universe]] and the sadness he felt knowing that his prolonged captivity meant that Springer had never revived, since he would have come to rescue him if he had. Kup explains Prowl's request, and barks an order for Springer to wake up... but silence is all that is heard on the other hand of the comm channel.

[[File:Hubcap sins of the wreckers 1.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
On ''Debris'', Impactor and Roadbuster stroll through the room containing grave markers for the fallen members of the Wreckers, including a pre-emptive gravestone for Impactor himself. Impactor's thoughts turn to Springer, and the idea of allowing him to die with some dignity instead of being hooked up to machines—a notion that raises Roadbuster's considerable ire. Before they can start arguing too vociferously, they are interrupted by [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]], the station administrator, a smirking little communications buff who has arrived to tell them that Guzzle is fifteen minutes away from melting his way out of his cell. Even this news is not quite enough to change the topic of discussion, though, and Impactor asks Hubcap for ''his'' opinion on Springer's plight... at which point, an alarm begins ringing, signifying that Springer's life signs have ceased. The trio sprint to the med-bay, where they find that the alarm has sounded not because Springer has died... but because he is ''gone''...

Back on Earth, Arcee has taken Verity to a deserted pier warehouse for questioning, but the human claims to have no knowledge of Prowl's whereabouts and is happy at the thought of his finally suffering for his machinations and manipulations. Arcee does not believe her and threatens to destroy the Aequtias [[data slug]], but as Verity convulses in pain once more, Kup arrives with the assembled forces of the Wreckers—Impactor, Roadbuster, Hubcap, Guzzle, Stakeout, and the hale and hearty Springer!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Stakeout (G1)|Stakeout]] (1)
*[[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] (4)
*[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] (5)
*[[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] (6)
*[[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] (7)
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (10)
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] (9)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (11)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (14)
|c3=
*[[Verity Carlo]] (10)
|c4=
*[[Stampy (BWN)|Rabbit]] (2)
*[[Carnivac (G1)|Wolf]] (3)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Prowl's captor]] (12)
*[[Polar Claw|Polar bear]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==

"The Wreckers are '''dead'''. '''Peace''' killed us."
:—'''Impactor'''

"All this search is telling us is that Prowl's even '''shadier''' than we suspected and it's making me want to '''stab'''."
:—'''Arcee'''

"Dammit, he '''deserves it'''. I deserve it. No—the '''dead''' deserve it." 
"'''No'''—they deserve '''not''' not to have died for '''nothing'''. Verity, if you leak this data, this '''half-peace''' between the Autobots and Decepticons '''falls apart'''. I know '''you're''' hurting, but if this gets out, how many more innocents die?" 
"You're '''totally''' going to get off on this, but sometimes you're '''so''' Ultra Magnus."
:—'''Verity''' and '''Stakeout'''

"Imagine it. Imagine being '''trapped,''' locked inside yourself, any freedom you have '''stolen''' from you as you're kept around on the whim of '''someone else'''." 
"Imagine talking about '''Springer''' instead of '''yourself'''."
:—'''Impactor''' and '''Roadbuster'''

"'''We're the Wreckers.''' And we're here to make things '''better.'''"
:—'''Springer'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This issue does not offer a precise chronological placement for ''Sins of the Wreckers'', but it appears to fall after Arcee's visit to Cybertron (seen in ''[[An Uneventful Night|Combiner Hunters]]'' and [[The Transgressors|''The Transformers'' #44]]) but before [[The Nothing Man|''The Transformers'' #45]]. In the latter issue, Arcee and Kup are shown returning to the ''[[Ark-7]]'', with [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] commenting that it was "about time [they] got back", indicating that they are returning from the adventure that ''Sins'' is going to send them on.
*Kup passing out at the moment of Prowl's disappearance can't be coincidence: as is alluded to throughout the issue, with Kup having unconscious knowledge of a lot of Prowl's security and protocols, the elderly Autobot has been subconsciously under Prowl's influence since [[All Hail Megatron issue 15|''All Hail Megatron'' #15]].
*Prowl's plight comes on the heels of his final falling out with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] in [[Now and On Earth|''The Transformers'' #42]]. He disappeared at the end of that issue, but was shown to have simply been spirited away to safety by [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]]; his reappearance on Earth, then subsequent re-''dis''appearance, at the start of this issue is separate from that. He's still missing his left eye, after his last escapade as [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]'s head back in [[Mistakes and Mayhem|volume 2, issue 2]] of the ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' miniseries.
*''Debris'' has been mentioned several times in past stories but this it's first "on-screen" appearance. Though it did appear over in ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'', in that continuity it was a barracks on Cybertron, rather than a space station.
*Guzzle and Impactor went off adventuring together at the end of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. The short story "[[Escape (G1)|Escape]]", published in the hardcover collection of ''Last Stand'', explored how Guzzle was growing increasingly unstable, which has culminated in his situation at the beginning of his story.
*Springer has been offline since the end of ''Last Stand''. The prose story "[[Zero Point]]", also published in the ''Last Stand'' hardcover, detailed how Roadbuster has watched over his unconscious body and read to him.
*Verity was revealed to have a second copy of the Aequitas data in "[[In Word and Deed]]", another short story included in the ''Last Stand'' hardcover. This plot point was originally going to be part of the ''Last Stand'' mini-series, with Verity's data slug appearing on the last page of the final issue, but it got cut out.
*Stakeout could be glimpsed in vehicle mode on the final page of [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #5]], sitting in vehicle mode outside [[Mister O's|the cafe]] Verity was in at the time. There was nothing that particularly suggested this police car had any greater significance in the issue, until a note in the ''Last Stand'' hardcover made a point of singling it out, and stressing that it was "not Prowl or [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]]."
*Kup recounts the time he was trapped in the [[Dead Universe]] in [[The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|''The Transformers: Infestation'' #2]]. He was eventually rescued during ''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]''.
*When Roadbuster lists off past leaders of the Wreckers, he names [[Crest]] and [[Hyperion (G1)|Hyperion]], who were first mentioned in the prose story "[[Bullets]]" from the ''Last Stand'' hardcover, and later received pictorial appearances in the early issues of ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]''. A new character, [[Threnody]], is also included in the list.
*Grave markers are seen for [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]], who both died during the original ''Last Stand'' mini-series; [[Rack'n'Ruin|Rack]], whose passing (along with his brother Ruin) was alluded to in "[[Dead Men's Boots]]" (a ''[[Transformers: Mosaic]]'' strip [[canon]]ized when it was printed in the ''Last Stand'' hardcover); and Hyperion, who died in [[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|''More than Meets the Eye'' #2]].
*Hubcap makes his first present-day appearance in IDW continuity with this issue, having shown up before in ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron: Origin]]'' and the flashback story [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|"Old Ways"]]. He was most recently mentioned in [[Under Cold Blue Stars|''More than Meets the Eye'' #15]] as being an old friend of the now-deceased [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]].
*The symbol on the med-bay door on ''Debris'' is a green version of the normally red cross-like "it's not a Red Cross, we swear" stand-in symbol seen on characters such as [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] and [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] over in ''More than Meets the Eye''.
*Verity notes that "a third of [her] life" has been ruined by the Transformers' war—a stark reminder of the march of time. A year-and-a-half before this issue's publication, [[Earthfall Chapter 3: The Mind Bomb|''Robots in Disguise'' #29]] established that eight years had passed since ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'', which itself took place a year after Verity's original adventures with the Autobots during [[Simon Furman]]'s "-Ations" tenure. That's right: Verity, who we originally met while she was still in her teens, is now in her late twenties.
*Guzzle got '''''BUFF'''''. Appearing only on the last page of the issue, having spent the rest of it locked up in a box without windows, he is now terrifyingly huge, standing taller and wider than Roadbuster, when previously, he was the shortest member of the team. His [[Autopedia]] profile, published in ''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #5, noted that he had previously undergone body augmentation so that he would be deemed fit for combat; looks like he got a taste for it. Either that or he is in some sort of mechsuit (even Nick Roche doesn't know!).

===Transformers references===
*Kup uses the same model of rivet gun that [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] used in [[Interiors|''More than Meets the Eye'' #6]].
*Prowl's desk has hand indentations from way back when he flipped it in [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|''More than Meets the Eye'' #1]].
*The Noisemaze takes its name from the Japanese name of [[Sideways (Armada)|''Cybertron'' Sideways]].
*The inclusion of a polar bear, not to mention the other animals glimpsed in the opening page, would seem to be a nod by Nick Roche to seminal ''Transformers'' writer [[Simon Furman]] and his own love of the animals (Furman's fondness for polar bears saw them appear several times during the "[[Earthforce]]" run of stories in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK series]]). But this is the world of the Transformers, where [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 2|nothing IS what it seems!]]

===Real-world references===
*In-keeping with the fondness she displayed for giving the Transformers various colorful nicknames in ''Last Stand'', Verity gives Arcee several epithets drawn from the musical ''{{w|Grease (film)|Grease}}'', calling her both "Pink Lady", from the all-female gang from the movie the Pink Ladies, and "Rizzo", the name of the gang's leader.
*Confirmed by Roche's commentary in the series TPB, Springer's return is blatantly styled as an analog to the resurrection of Jesus—an empty "tomb", walking back into the story flanked by his followers, and with the telegraph poles in the last page's background resembling the crucifixes of Calgary. He said he definitely "wasn't going for subtlety this time."

===Other notes===
*The story is followed by a letter from Nick Roche to the audience about the making of the comic.

===Soundtrack===
Jokingly remarking that he had been "Twitter-shamed" into compiling a soundtrack for this issue, akin to those posted by [[James Roberts]] for each issue of ''More than Meets the Eye'', Nick Roche offered these tunes and pieces of commentary:
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqXXwklQ91Q Bliss]" by {{w|Tori Amos}}—a "weirdly prescient mood piece"
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgLp6HvOKVk A Forest]" by {{w|Bat for Lashes}}—"Verity's theme, I guess?"
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl5om4iD5Js Last of Our Kind]" by {{w|The Darkness (band)|The Darkness}}—"the power rock version of Roadbuster and Impactor's conversation"

===Covers (3)===
*'''Regular cover:''' A montage of our heroes, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' A shadowed Impactor stands before a row of Autobot graves, by [[Declan Shalvey]] and [[Jordie Bellaire]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' The Wreckers line-up circa [[Pova]] leaps down from on high, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
<gallery>
File:SotW1_regcvr.jpg|
File:SotW1_subcvr.jpg|
File:SotW1_cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''Sins of the Wreckers'' #2
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' [[Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|#47]]
*''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*''[[The Transformers: Redemption]]''
*''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' [[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 10|#10]]
*IDW ''Back to the Future'' comic

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/26889-preview-transformers-sins-of-the-wreckers-1.html Preview]

[[Category:Sins of the Wreckers issues]]

Sins of the Wreckers issue 1

2016-09-06T07:16:51Z

Minimusminor: /* Real-world references */ Added trivia relating to Roche's commentary from the TPB.

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers]]'' #1
|prev=In Word and Deed
|next=Sins of the Wreckers issue 2
|image=SotW1_regcvr.jpg
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 25]], [[2015]]
|coverdate=November 2015
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|art by=Nick Roche
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2015)]]
}}
'''When Prowl reappears on Earth, only to vanish again immediately, Arcee suspects Verity Carlo is involved while Kup follows Prowl's last wishes and calls in the Wreckers to take on the case.'''

==Synopsis==
A proximity transponder alerts [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]]—aboard the ''[[Ark-7]]'', in orbit above [[Earth]]—to the sudden, unexplained appearance of [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] on the planet below, only for him to then disappear just as suddenly. Seeking access to Prowl's quarters in search of an explanation, Arcee goes looking for security chief [[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]], who she finds floating in space following a blackout while doing some riveting work on the ship's hull. After being dragged inside and woken up, Kup is reluctant to open Prowl's quarters, which only serves to further Arcee's suspicions that his blackout was not coincidental...

On ''[[Debris]]'', the space station headquarters of the [[Wrecker]]s, [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] sits in grim silence and listens as his former partner [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] pounds relentlessly on the walls of his windowless cell, screaming obscenities at his jailer. Presently, [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] arrives, having completed another day of reading to the comatose body of [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] in the station's med-bay, and he and Impactor lament the current state of the Wreckers, who no longer serve a real purpose now that peace has fallen over the Cybertronian race. All they do now is take out small Decepticon resistance cells; it was on such a mission that Guzzle recently went over the edge, massacring a defeated Decepticon unit and earning himself the cell he now resides in. Impactor sorrowfully recalls how hard it was not to simply join in the slaughter, but Roadbuster sees it as a sign of strength—Impactor is ''helping'' his comrade, and doing so will help him to grow and change, just as caring for Springer has changed Roadbuster himself.

Arcee's suspicions grow as Kup proves inexplicably capable of getting them into Prowl's quarters with alarming ease, but bigger concerns soon emerge when they discover messages on Prowl's computer from the Autobots' old human ally [[Verity Carlo]]. Verity, it turns out, has been blackmailing Prowl with a secondary copy of the data from the [[Aequitas]] trials, entrusted to her by [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] before his death, leading Arcee to believe that Prowl was on Earth to meet with her. An automatic recording of Prowl's then plays, left in the event that he became compromised, requesting that one specific Autobot be called in to help rescue him from whatever fate has befallen him: Springer. Kup immediately reaches for a communicator, hoping that this news of this mission will be the magic words to wake Springer from his coma, but Arcee, frustrated that Prowl would choose someone else for the mission over herself, knocks Kup out and tales off for Verity's last known location: [[Nome]], [[Alaska]].

In an unknown location, Prowl awakens in a barren, metal room. Hesitantly staggering out the unlocked door, he finds himself in a kaleidoscopic landscape that assaults his senses and brings him to his knees. The last thing he sees before passing out is [[Tarantulas (BW)|a shadowed figure]] welcoming him to "the [[Noisemaze]]"...

[[File:Sotw1 stakeout kicks a bear.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8]]
In the snowy wastes of Nome, the sick and exhausted Verity Carlo attempts to outrun a [[Polar Claw|polar bear]], but looks as though she is about to meet her end at its claws until [[Stakeout (G1)|Stakeout]] arrives to rescue her. A deputy of the [[Tyrest Accord]] assigned to work with Verity by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] years ago, Stakeout parted ways with Verity some time ago for her own safety, but has been brought to her aid now by the message she left him, detailing her plans to blackmail Prowl. Verity seeks justice for the dead, but Stakeout insists that if she releases the Aequitas data, she will shatter the fragile peace of the newly-unified Cybertron. Verity tries to argue further, but her ailing body is suddenly racked with pain... at which point Stakeout is blasted off the road by Arcee, who abducts Verity at sword-point.

Back on the ''Ark-7'', Kup recovers and makes his call to ''Debris'', speaking directly to Springer. He recounts his time trapped in the [[Dead Universe]] and the sadness he felt knowing that his prolonged captivity meant that Springer had never revived, since he would have come to rescue him if he had. Kup explains Prowl's request, and barks an order for Springer to wake up... but silence is all that is heard on the other hand of the comm channel.

[[File:Hubcap sins of the wreckers 1.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
On ''Debris'', Impactor and Roadbuster stroll through the room containing grave markers for the fallen members of the Wreckers, including a pre-emptive gravestone for Impactor himself. Impactor's thoughts turn to Springer, and the idea of allowing him to die with some dignity instead of being hooked up to machines—a notion that raises Roadbuster's considerable ire. Before they can start arguing too vociferously, they are interrupted by [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]], the station administrator, a smirking little communications buff who has arrived to tell them that Guzzle is fifteen minutes away from melting his way out of his cell. Even this news is not quite enough to change the topic of discussion, though, and Impactor asks Hubcap for ''his'' opinion on Springer's plight... at which point, an alarm begins ringing, signifying that Springer's life signs have ceased. The trio sprint to the med-bay, where they find that the alarm has sounded not because Springer has died... but because he is ''gone''...

Back on Earth, Arcee has taken Verity to a deserted pier warehouse for questioning, but the human claims to have no knowledge of Prowl's whereabouts and is happy at the thought of his finally suffering for his machinations and manipulations. Arcee does not believe her and threatens to destroy the Aequtias [[data slug]], but as Verity convulses in pain once more, Kup arrives with the assembled forces of the Wreckers—Impactor, Roadbuster, Hubcap, Guzzle, Stakeout, and the hale and hearty Springer!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Stakeout (G1)|Stakeout]] (1)
*[[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] (4)
*[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] (5)
*[[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] (6)
*[[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] (7)
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (10)
*[[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] (9)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (11)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (14)
|c3=
*[[Verity Carlo]] (10)
|c4=
*[[Stampy (BWN)|Rabbit]] (2)
*[[Carnivac (G1)|Wolf]] (3)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Prowl's captor]] (12)
*[[Polar Claw|Polar bear]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==

"The Wreckers are '''dead'''. '''Peace''' killed us."
:—'''Impactor'''

"All this search is telling us is that Prowl's even '''shadier''' than we suspected and it's making me want to '''stab'''."
:—'''Arcee'''

"Dammit, he '''deserves it'''. I deserve it. No—the '''dead''' deserve it." 
"'''No'''—they deserve '''not''' not to have died for '''nothing'''. Verity, if you leak this data, this '''half-peace''' between the Autobots and Decepticons '''falls apart'''. I know '''you're''' hurting, but if this gets out, how many more innocents die?" 
"You're '''totally''' going to get off on this, but sometimes you're '''so''' Ultra Magnus."
:—'''Verity''' and '''Stakeout'''

"Imagine it. Imagine being '''trapped,''' locked inside yourself, any freedom you have '''stolen''' from you as you're kept around on the whim of '''someone else'''." 
"Imagine talking about '''Springer''' instead of '''yourself'''."
:—'''Impactor''' and '''Roadbuster'''

"'''We're the Wreckers.''' And we're here to make things '''better.'''"
:—'''Springer'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This issue does not offer a precise chronological placement for ''Sins of the Wreckers'', but it appears to fall after Arcee's visit to Cybertron (seen in ''[[An Uneventful Night|Combiner Hunters]]'' and [[The Transgressors|''The Transformers'' #44]]) but before [[The Nothing Man|''The Transformers'' #45]]. In the latter issue, Arcee and Kup are shown returning to the ''[[Ark-7]]'', with [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] commenting that it was "about time [they] got back", indicating that they are returning from the adventure that ''Sins'' is going to send them on.
*Kup passing out at the moment of Prowl's disappearance can't be coincidence: as is alluded to throughout the issue, with Kup having unconscious knowledge of a lot of Prowl's security and protocols, the elderly Autobot has been subconsciously under Prowl's influence since [[All Hail Megatron issue 15|''All Hail Megatron'' #15]].
*Prowl's plight comes on the heels of his final falling out with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] in [[Now and On Earth|''The Transformers'' #42]]. He disappeared at the end of that issue, but was shown to have simply been spirited away to safety by [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]]; his reappearance on Earth, then subsequent re-''dis''appearance, at the start of this issue is separate from that. He's still missing his left eye, after his last escapade as [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]'s head back in [[Mistakes and Mayhem|volume 2, issue 2]] of the ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' miniseries.
*''Debris'' has been mentioned several times in past stories but this it's first "on-screen" appearance. Though it did appear over in ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'', in that continuity it was a barracks on Cybertron, rather than a space station.
*Guzzle and Impactor went off adventuring together at the end of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. The short story "[[Escape (G1)|Escape]]", published in the hardcover collection of ''Last Stand'', explored how Guzzle was growing increasingly unstable, which has culminated in his situation at the beginning of his story.
*Springer has been offline since the end of ''Last Stand''. The prose story "[[Zero Point]]", also published in the ''Last Stand'' hardcover, detailed how Roadbuster has watched over his unconscious body and read to him.
*Verity was revealed to have a second copy of the Aequitas data in "[[In Word and Deed]]", another short story included in the ''Last Stand'' hardcover. This plot point was originally going to be part of the ''Last Stand'' mini-series, with Verity's data slug appearing on the last page of the final issue, but it got cut out.
*Stakeout could be glimpsed in vehicle mode on the final page of [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #5]], sitting in vehicle mode outside [[Mister O's|the cafe]] Verity was in at the time. There was nothing that particularly suggested this police car had any greater significance in the issue, until a note in the ''Last Stand'' hardcover made a point of singling it out, and stressing that it was "not Prowl or [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]]."
*Kup recounts the time he was trapped in the [[Dead Universe]] in [[The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|''The Transformers: Infestation'' #2]]. He was eventually rescued during ''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]''.
*When Roadbuster lists off past leaders of the Wreckers, he names [[Crest]] and [[Hyperion (G1)|Hyperion]], who were first mentioned in the prose story "[[Bullets]]" from the ''Last Stand'' hardcover, and later received pictorial appearances in the early issues of ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]''. A new character, [[Threnody]], is also included in the list.
*Grave markers are seen for [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]], who both died during the original ''Last Stand'' mini-series; [[Rack'n'Ruin|Rack]], whose passing (along with his brother Ruin) was alluded to in "[[Dead Men's Boots]]" (a ''[[Transformers: Mosaic]]'' strip [[canon]]ized when it was printed in the ''Last Stand'' hardcover); and Hyperion, who died in [[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|''More than Meets the Eye'' #2]].
*Hubcap makes his first present-day appearance in IDW continuity with this issue, having shown up before in ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron: Origin]]'' and the flashback story [[All Hail Megatron issue 13|"Old Ways"]]. He was most recently mentioned in [[Under Cold Blue Stars|''More than Meets the Eye'' #15]] as being an old friend of the now-deceased [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]].
*The symbol on the med-bay door on ''Debris'' is a green version of the normally red cross-like "it's not a Red Cross, we swear" stand-in symbol seen on characters such as [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] and [[Pharma (G1)|Pharma]] over in ''More than Meets the Eye''.
*Verity notes that "a third of [her] life" has been ruined by the Transformers' war—a stark reminder of the march of time. A year-and-a-half before this issue's publication, [[Earthfall Chapter 3: The Mind Bomb|''Robots in Disguise'' #29]] established that eight years had passed since ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'', which itself took place a year after Verity's original adventures with the Autobots during [[Simon Furman]]'s "-Ations" tenure. That's right: Verity, who we originally met while she was still in her teens, is now in her late twenties.
*Guzzle got '''''BUFF'''''. Appearing only on the last page of the issue, having spent the rest of it locked up in a box without windows, he is now terrifyingly huge, standing taller and wider than Roadbuster, when previously, he was the shortest member of the team. His [[Autopedia]] profile, published in ''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #5, noted that he had previously undergone body augmentation so that he would be deemed fit for combat; looks like he got a taste for it. Either that or he is in some sort of mechsuit (even Nick Roche doesn't know!).

===Transformers references===
*Kup uses the same model of rivet gun that [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] used in [[Interiors|''More than Meets the Eye'' #6]].
*Prowl's desk has hand indentations from way back when he flipped it in [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|''More than Meets the Eye'' #1]].
*The Noisemaze takes its name from the Japanese name of [[Sideways (Armada)|''Cybertron'' Sideways]].
*The inclusion of a polar bear, not to mention the other animals glimpsed in the opening page, would seem to be a nod by Nick Roche to seminal ''Transformers'' writer [[Simon Furman]] and his own love of the animals (Furman's fondness for polar bears saw them appear several times during the "[[Earthforce]]" run of stories in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK series]]). But this is the world of the Transformers, where [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 2|nothing IS what it seems!]]

===Real-world references===
*In-keeping with the fondness she displayed for giving the Transformers various colorful nicknames in ''Last Stand'', Verity gives Arcee several epithets drawn from the musical ''{{w|Grease (film)|Grease}}'', calling her both "Pink Lady", from the all-female gang from the movie the Pink Ladies, and "Rizzo", the name of the gang's leader.
*Confirmed by Roche's commentary in the series TPB, Springer's return is blatantly styled as an analog to the resurrection of Jesus—an empty "tomb", walking back into the story flanked by his followers, and with the telegraph poles in the last page's background resembling the crucifixes of Calgary.

===Other notes===
*The story is followed by a letter from Nick Roche to the audience about the making of the comic.

===Soundtrack===
Jokingly remarking that he had been "Twitter-shamed" into compiling a soundtrack for this issue, akin to those posted by [[James Roberts]] for each issue of ''More than Meets the Eye'', Nick Roche offered these tunes and pieces of commentary:
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqXXwklQ91Q Bliss]" by {{w|Tori Amos}}—a "weirdly prescient mood piece"
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgLp6HvOKVk A Forest]" by {{w|Bat for Lashes}}—"Verity's theme, I guess?"
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl5om4iD5Js Last of Our Kind]" by {{w|The Darkness (band)|The Darkness}}—"the power rock version of Roadbuster and Impactor's conversation"

===Covers (3)===
*'''Regular cover:''' A montage of our heroes, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' A shadowed Impactor stands before a row of Autobot graves, by [[Declan Shalvey]] and [[Jordie Bellaire]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' The Wreckers line-up circa [[Pova]] leaps down from on high, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
<gallery>
File:SotW1_regcvr.jpg|
File:SotW1_subcvr.jpg|
File:SotW1_cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''Sins of the Wreckers'' #2
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' [[Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|#47]]
*''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*''[[The Transformers: Redemption]]''
*''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' [[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 10|#10]]
*IDW ''Back to the Future'' comic

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/26889-preview-transformers-sins-of-the-wreckers-1.html Preview]

[[Category:Sins of the Wreckers issues]]

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2016-07-29T10:07:42Z

Minimusminor: /* Season 1 */

{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
[[File:MTMTE1 cvrE.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|All of your favorite childhood heroes... and Drift.]]
'''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye''''' is an ongoing comic series published by [[IDW Publishing]], starting in January [[2012]]. This series follows the adventures of [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and his team as they travel through space, hunting for the legendary [[Knights of Cybertron]] and having adventures along the way. But mostly it's about lonely nobodies hanging out pretending they have friends.

The series picks off from "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", the epilogue to the previous [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing]], and takes place at the same time as a second ongoing series, ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', which together form the fourth major "act" of IDW's ongoing [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|Generation 1 continuity]].

In 2014, it was nominated for three True Believer Awards (formerly the Eagle Awards): Favourite American Comic Book: Colour, Favourite Single Story ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|#13]]), and Favourite Continued Story (Remain in Light).<ref>[http://www.truebelieverscomicawards.com/nominees.html True Believers Comic Awards nominees]</ref>

The series is set to conclude with issue #57 and will relaunch as ''[[Transformers: Lost Light]]'' in December 2016.

{{quote
|"Everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' is '''cracked in the head!'''"

"Yeah, '''dysfunctional''' isn't the word! There isn't a '''normal''' 'bot among you!"

"And that wouldn't be so bad if you actually '''made progress'''—but as far as I can make out, all you do is '''argue''', crack jokes, and get '''sidetracked''' doing pointless, silly things that only you find amusing!"
|Various members of the '''Circle of Light'''
|"[[Little Victories]]"
|noquote=true
|center=true
}}

{{chapters|series=mtmte|style=3 |prev=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|next=Transformers: Lost Light|align=left|content=
*[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|#2]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]]
*[[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]
*[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]]
*[[Interiors|#6]]
*[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]
*[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|Annual 2012]]
*[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|#10]]
*[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|#11]]
*[[Before & After|#12]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 13|#13]]
*[[Remembrance Day|#14]]
*[[Under Cold Blue Stars|#15]]
*[[The Gloaming|#16]]
*[[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|#17]]
*[[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|#18]]
*[[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|#19]]
*[[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|#20]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 21|#21]]
*[[Little Victories|#22]]
*[[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#23]]
*[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#24]]
*[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#25]]
*[[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#26]]
*[[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#27]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|#29]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|#30]]
*[[Twenty Plus One|#31]]
*[[Slaughterhouse|#32]]
*[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|#33]]
*[[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|#34]]
*[[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|#35]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|#37]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|#38]]
*[[The Permanent Revolution|#39]]
*[[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|#40]]
*[[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]
*[[The Frail Gaze|#42]]
*[[The One Where They Go to Earth|#43]]
*[[The Not Knowing|#44]]
*[[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]
*[[Animals|#46]]
*[[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*[[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]
*[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|#51]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|#53]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|#54]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 56|#56]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 57|#57]]
}}

==Overview==
In contrast to the Cybertron-based setting of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' is set predominantly within the walls of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the spaceship captained by [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] that carries his crew on their expedition to locate the [[Knights of Cybertron]], a mythical group who left the planet ten million years prior to the present day to spread peace and enlightenment across the universe. The book features an ensemble cast, who come and go from the spotlight with each passing issue, made up in large part of characters who have been overlooked by past fiction.

The "main cast" at the series outset includes Rodimus himself, a daredevil egotist who could not be more ill-suited to command; his officious second-in-command [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], whose obsessive-compulsive traits make life on the ship difficult for everyone; third-in-command [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], now with a relentlessly positive outlook on life following a near-death experience; the talkative [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], who immediately became a fan favorite; ship's doctor [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], now feeling his age and looking for something new in life; dangerously unhinged ex-[[Wrecker]] [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], who soon forms a murderous enmity with disillusioned ancient Cybertronian [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]; ship's security officer [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], even more paranoid then ever; timid psychiatrist [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who slowly seems to be more than he appears; and diminutive archivist [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], who would come to draw much attention as the first truly official "gay" romantic couple in Transformers fiction.<ref>Quote marks around "gay" 'cause IDW has previously established that Transformers are genderless in their continuity, but let's not kid ourselves here.</ref> In short order, the crew is joined by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], a naive Transformer who has been offline for the duration of the war and finds himself forced to choose a side, and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], a long-missing Autobot who reappears with amnesia and a bad attitude. As the series progresses, more Autobots come into focus on the fringes of the story, like the over-eager, luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and resentful, boozy, one-trick-pony [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. ''More than Meets the Eye'' uses its "quest" backdrop to tell multiple smaller adventures, throughout which are threaded many, ''many'' seeds for future stories, together forming a grand tapestry that has clearly been planned out ''very'' far in advance.

[[File:MTMTE28 subcvr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|All of your favorite childhood heroes... wait, what's ''he'' doing there?]]
===Season 1===
Following an unexpected [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] upon launch, the ''Lost Light'' is hurled off into the depths of space, where the crew is joined by Skids and contends with a stowaway [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]. A visit to [[Delphi]] by Ratchet to help cure a plague introduces the threat of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], who then feature in a Decepticon-dedicated story menacing a [[Scavenger (group)|band of misfit Decepticons]], and also brings the facility's surviving patients and staff onto the ship—including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], whose post-traumatic stress causes him to snap and nearly kill Rung. Hoping to cure Rung's damaged brain, Rewind gathers a small group together to recount a shared story from their past about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] foiling a [[Senate]] plot to discredit the burgeoning Decepticon movement in the days of Functionism. Unfortunately, the little archivist is soon badly wounded in battle, sending Chromedome into a grief spiral that allows Drift to manipulate him into carrying out a plan laid out by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]: using his mnemosurgery skills to tap the memories and learn the secrets of mass-murdering Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], secretly hidden on board the ''Lost Light''. Unfortunately, Chromedome accidentally allows Overlord to escape, and Rewind has to sacrifice himself to jettison the monster from the ship. Ultra Magnus is also fatally wounded in the battle, but when his body disappears from the ship's Medibay, the crew track it to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where they discover and foil a twisted plot by [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] to wipe out all those Transformers he sees as tainted by original sin.

The book then moves into the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crossover with ''Robots in Disguise''. The ''Lost Light'' crew initially investigate a previous find that leads them to the Titan Metroplex, and Orion Pax's investigation into the Dead Universe's involvement in Shockwave's overall plot. The casts of both series finally meet again in [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|''Robots in Disguise'' #26]].

[[File:MTMTE40 Ten's mural.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|All of [[Ten]]'s favorite adulthood heroes.]]

===Season 2===
Following ''Dark Cybertron'''s conclusion, The cast undergoes a reshuffle, as tertiary crew members like [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]], as well as several newcomers, become the story's focus; [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], recently-resurrected detective; Skids' escapologist partner [[Getaway]], who takes an immediate shine to Tailgate; [[Caminus|Camien]] bibliophile and quantum mechanic [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]]; and [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]], a neurotic [[M.T.O.]] Aquabot. The season kicks off with Megatron's trial and the events that lead to him captaining the ''Lost Light'' set in the six months between ''Dark Cybertron'' and Season 2. In the present day, the resumed voyage does not start well, with the arrival of a [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|coffin]], disappearing objects on the ship, and a chilling addendum to [[The Gloaming|Rewind's Message]]. Answers to the mysteries revolving around the coffin lead to the [[time travel|time-traveling]] "Elegant Chaos" arc, as the ''Lost Light''ers scramble after [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], who has gone back in time, bent on changing the future. Along the way, the gang inadvertently answers some of the series's longest-standing questions, including the events foreshadowed in season 1's ominous message from the future.

In the aftermath, several characters depart for other comics while new people [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] join the crew. The ''Lost Light'' discovers a message from [[Dominus Ambus|a dead spy]] within the DJD while helping Swerve with his self-worth issues, in a madcap adventure on a holomatter Earth. Following its directions to the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]], they are met with a sobering reminder that all of them are killers and would one day have to face it. Megatron was particularly shaken by the visual representation of the billions of deaths he was responsible for. Mean while, the Scavengers return for another two-parter, feeling stagnant and dealing with a mentally disabled [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in a post-Great War world. Back aboard the ''Lost Light'', Getaway and [[Atomizer]]'s true agenda for Tailgate comes to light, and so do Skids' repressed memories — which had left him with deep scars and extinguished his previous faith. Elsewhere, the Decepticon Justice Division learn Megatron had called for an end to Decepticon warfare; they double down and join forces with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s splinter faction, determined to kill Megatron for heresy.

The fiftieth issue begins the season finale arc, "The Dying of the Light". Megatron, Rodimus, and the main cast are tricked into going to Necroworld, only to learn the entire Lost Light crew have mutinied under Getaway's lead. Sick of Megatron's presence and Rodimus' incompetent leadership, they intend to continue the Knightquest without them, having informed both the Decepticon Justice Division and the [[Galactic Council]] of Megatron's location. Shocking revelations are had, a bunch of old friends and an old enemy return, and a fierce battle is waged. Though the Decepticons are beaten, none of the crew escape unscathed—and some pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, beneath Necroworld's hollow shell, Nightbeat and Rung discover the true purpose of the unusual planet...

{{--}}

==Creative team==
[[File:Milne roberts.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Series artist [[Alex Milne]] (left) and writer [[James Roberts]] (right)]]
The series is written by [[James Roberts]], fresh from the critical success of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. Roberts had already been assigned the series when he wrote the two-part "Chaos Theory" in issues [[Chaos Theory Part 1|#22]] and [[Chaos Theory Part 2|#23]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], and seeded many early plot points for the series into those two issues, including [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] as the prison guard. Also furthering the link between the ongoing and ''More than Meets the Eye'', when Roberts co-plotted "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" with [[Mike Costa]], Costa let him script all of the Kimia escape shuttle scenes, populated with characters who would be aboard the [[Lost Light]].<ref name="Everything">From the 'Everything You Didn't Realize You Needed To Know About More Than Meets The Eye' section of the TPB</ref>

[[Alex Milne]] serves as the series regular artist, with colors by [[Josh Burcham]]. The visual "look" of ''More than Meets the Eye'' that the pair have created is very unique, with slightly exaggerated, cartoonishly stylized character models unlike anything in Milne's past work, cel-shaded with a textured, muted color palette that combines to create something quite unlike any modern Transformer comic. So key is this "visual identity" to the book that almost all other contributors who have worked on the title have striven to emulate it, adapting their own lineart and coloring styles to match the expected look and tone of the book. Frequent Roberts collaborator [[Nick Roche]] provided art for issues #1 and #6, as well as "B" covers for every issue, while [[Brendan Cahill]] co-pencilled #12, [[Guido Guidi]] stepped in for #13, [[Agustin Padilla]] filled in last-minute for #16, and [[James Raiz]] drew the lineart for #22. [[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Josh Perez]] have also lent their colors to the book, while [[Marcelo Matere]] regularly provides retailer incentive variant covers for the series. Following the "Dark Cybertron" crossover event, Burcham stepped down as the book's regular colorist, and Lafuente took his place, bringing a new palette and gradiated shading to the series.
{{--}}

==Soundtrack==
[[File:Nautica-MTMTE42covercropped.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pick up the latest issue of ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Indie Disco!'']]
In a unique touch, writer James Roberts would visit the [http://boards.idwpublishing.com/3/index.php IDW Publishing forums] shortly before the release of each issue and offer up a "teaser" post containing one or more songs that served as a "soundtrack" that would set the tonal and/or emotional stage for the upcoming issue, usually tending toward the independent- and folk-rock genres. This began at issue #2, with the songs for #1 being provided later; TFWiki lists these songs on each issue's respective article. Non-issue-specific songs for the series and its characters in general include:

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmZRO8XzyY "Lost Coastlines"] by [[Wikipedia:Okkervil River|Okkervil River]] — an overall anthem for the series
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLs3aLq8quw "I've Got a Plan"] by [[Wikipedia: My Friend the Chocolate Cake|My Friend the Chocolate Cake]] — [[theme song]] for Rodimus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maZZOQ_hKA "I Would Fix You"] by [[Wikipedia:Kenickie|Kenickie]] — theme song for Chromedome and Rewind
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYbgWDA2U-M "Hello Cruel World"] by [[Wikipedia:Mark Oliver Everett|Mark Oliver Everett]] — theme song for Tailgate
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcX_JleLsbk "True Men"] by [[Wikipedia:Jon DeRosa|Jon DeRosa]] — theme song for Ultra Magnus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ae0TfhK8M "Let's Make This Precious"] by [[Wikipedia: Dexys Midnight Runners|Dexys Midnight Runners]] — anthem for the series' second season
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpDxT2q9QE "The Old Man's Back Again"] by [[Wikipedia: Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker]] — theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY "Irish Blood, English Heart"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — another theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLkwnM0BJR4 "Speedway"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — yet ''another'' theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcQFidfA9rU "Left to My Own Devices"] by [[Wikipedia:Pet Shop Boys|Pet Shop Boys]] — theme song for Brainstorm 
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmdWgU "Chicago"] by [[Wikipedia:Sufjan Stevens|Sufjan Stevens]] — theme song for Cyclonus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CETTzv3fTG0 "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)"] by [[Wikipedia:James (band)|James]] — theme song for Whirl

==Collections==
*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' ([[June 13]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772351 / ISBN 978-1613772355 
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' one-shot.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, 12 promotional images, "Meet the Crew" page, design sketches from [[Alex Milne]] for various characters and ship locations, and a 2-page editor's comment with "behind the scenes" information about the series.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 2''''' ([[October 17]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613774982 / ISBN 978-1613774984 
:*Contains issues #4 to #8.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, "Meet the Crew" and "Meet the 'Cons" pages.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[March 27]], [[2013]]) ISBN 161377592X / ISBN 978-1613775929 
:*Contains Annual 2012 and issues #9 to #11.
:*Bonus material includes "Meet the Crew", variant covers, and designs for the [[Guiding Hand]].

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 4''''' ([[July 17]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613776918 / ISBN 978-1613776919 
:*Contains issues #12 to #16.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[Signal to Noise]]''.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' ([[November 13]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029 
:*Contains issues #17 to #22.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]''.

*'''''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|The Transformers: Dark Cybertron]] Volume 1''''' ([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913
:*Contains issues #23 to #25, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23 and #24.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' (reissue) ([[May 21]], 2014) ISBN 1613779658 / ISBN 978-1613779651
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''The Death of Optimus Prime'' one-shot.
:*New cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
:*Bonus material UNKNOWN

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' ([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989
:*Contains ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–#27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–#27, and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1]]''''' ([[September 3]], 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
:*Includes "The Death of Optimus Prime", ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1–5 and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' #1–6.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6''''' ([[December 10]], 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
:*Contains issues #28 to #33.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' ([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728
:*Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–#27 and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' ([[May 13]], 2015) ISBN 1631403273 / ISBN 978-1631403279
:*Contains issues #34 to #38
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2]]''''' ([[August 12]], 2015) ISBN 1631403648 / ISBN 978-1631403644
:*Includes ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'', ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' #6–8, ''Robots in Disguise'' #7–9 and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8''''' ([[October 21]], 2015) ISBN 1631404520 / ISBN 978-1631404528
:*Contains issues #39 to #44
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], 2015) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
:*Includes ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye'' Volumes 1 to 5
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
:*Includes ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012 and #9–13, ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 and #10–11, "[[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Spotlight: Thundercracker]]", "[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]", "[[Spotlight: Megatron]]" and "[[Signal to Noise]]"
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], 2016) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
:*Contains issues #45 to #49
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 10''''' (Scheduled for [[September 13]], 2016) ISBN 1631407163 / ISBN 978-1631407161
:*Contains issues #50 to #55
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol1.jpg|Volume 1 cover by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:MTMTE vol2.jpg|Volume 2 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol3.jpg|Volume 3 cover by Alex Milne and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:MTMTE vol4.jpg|Volume 4 cover by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol5.jpg|Volume 5 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:DC vol1.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 1 cover by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
File:MTMTE vol1 reissue.jpg|Volume 1 reissue cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 2 cover by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:IDWCollectionP2V1.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 1 cover by [[Sarah Stone]]
File:MTMTE vol6.jpg|Volume 6 cover by [[Casey Coller]] and Joana Lafuente
File:DC HC.jpg|Dark Cybertron Hardcover cover by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol7.jpg|Volume 7 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:IDWCollectionP2V2.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 2 cover by Sarah Stone
File:MTMTE vol8.jpg|Volume 8 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
</gallery>

==In fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:MTMTE43_subcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Your childhood's hero you pretended was your favourite after your gran bought it and not that Ultra Magnus you wanted.]]
{{quote|...I didn't say I didn't '''like''' it—I just don't understand all of the words, and it presumes a '''familiarity''' with the Autobot/Decepticon war that I '''still''' don't have...|[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]|"[[The One Where They Go to Earth]]"}}

After being exposed to [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s [[Metafictional bomb|meta-bomb]] and [[Time case|briefcase]], the Autobot [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] somehow created a reiterative time-loop inside him, allowing his [[holomatter]] generator to create a life-sized replica of the planet [[Earth]] to which his mind retreated when he was dying from a rust infection. The only literature on "[[Swearth]]", as it was swiftly dubbed, was a comic book series called ''More than Meets the Eye'' that detailed the adventures of the ''[[Lost Light]]'''s crew up until that point, which [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] read in order to gain clues as to Swerve's location. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

==Recognition==
* #85 on [http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-100-76#85 Comic Book Resource's top 100 Comics of 2015].
* Winner of Comics Alliance's [http://comicsalliance.com/comics-alliance-best-of-2015-continued-excellence-in-serial-comics/ Best of 2015: Continued Excellence in Serial Comics].

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:More than Meets the Eye, The Transformers}}
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]

The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds

2016-07-29T09:44:22Z

Minimusminor: /* Production notes */

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=50
|prev=Speak, Memory! (Part 2)
|next=No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases
|image=MTMTE50_regcvr.jpg
|title="The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds"
|caption="Why is it us? Why us?" "Because we're here, lad. Nobody else. Just us."
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|published in=[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|''More than Meets the Eye'' #50]]
|date=[[February 24]], [[2016]] (digital, parts of Europe and Asia) [[March 9]], 2016 (rest of world)
|coverdate=February 2016
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]]
|inks by=Alex Milne and [[Brian Shearer]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]] (pg. 1-10), [[Priscilla Tramontano]] (pg. 11-15, 22-23, 27-32), [[John-Paul Bove]] (pg. 17-21, 24-26)
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}
'''A psychic attack leads Team Rodimus back to the Necrobot's planet, where a mutiny in the ranks of the ''Lost Light'' spells their doom.'''

==Synopsis==
''On [[Earth]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] receive a haunting transmission: a series of videos from crewmembers of the ''[[Lost Light]]''—[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]], [[Chromedome (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Chromedome]], [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]], [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Minimus Ambus]], [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], and [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]]—explaining that they are about to die and leaving individual instructions for how they wish to be interred. The broadcast also reaches [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], and the ''[[Weak Anthropic Principle]]'', but the ''Lost Light'' remains silent, unresponsive to any hailing requests. Optimus Prime proposes using the [[space bridge]] to go to their rescue, but Jetfire reveals the awful truth... the message claims the speakers have six hours left to live, but it was sent three weeks ago.''

[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-rollout.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|We'd make a comment about jumping the cybershark, but face it; this series has already done a ''lot'' weirder stuff than this.]]
Three weeks earlier, the ''Lost Light''ers help liberate the planet [[Miliarium]] from the clutches of the [[Rust Giant]]s, with the super-strong [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] taking out their biggest, meanest member. [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]—remotely supervising the battle from the ship on account of his newfound pacifism—is a little prickly when he discovers that everyone hid from him the fact that Millarians are organic, but softens when [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] lets him give the "[[roll out]]" order.

A little later, after everyone has returned to the ship, Megatron holds the latest in a series of classes on the [[Knights of Cybertron]], and focuses his attention on the mysterious, gear-like hieroglyph that the crew have come upon several times in the course of their quest. Pooling their knowledge, the class concludes that the symbol is a kind of "coat of arms," representing just one of multiple clans that existed within the Knights' ranks. The discussion is interrupted, however, when Megatron suddenly reels in pain, clutching his head; when Minimus Ambus attempts to go to his aid, the ex-Decepticon reflexively lashes out, punching Minimus across the room. Horrified at his own actions, Megatron retreats to his quarters, where Velocity checks him over and administers his latest dose of [[Fool's Energon]]. She worries that the sedative could be the reason for Megatron's actions, as it has been known to cause fluctuations in a 'bot's personality, but he explains that he was bombarded with agonizing, screaming voices in his mind—an experience, it soon turns out, that a handful of ''other'' crew members also underwent at the same time, each hearing their own unique horrific sound. [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] are able to trace the signal of this "psychic attack" back to its source, and plans are quickly made to go and investigate.

The group all piles into the Rodpod: Rodimus, Magnus, the victims of the attack (Megatron, Tailgate, Rewind, Chromedome, Rung, and [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]), their partners and friends ([[Ten]], [[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]], and [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]), "Team Rodimus" (Nightbeat, [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]], and Nautica), and team doctor Velocity, who is convinced by Mainframe to bring Whirl along for extra muscle. [[Quantum generator|Quantum jumping]] to the signal's point of origin, the pod materializes in utter blackness, which the team soon realize means they have jumped ''inside'' a huge, hollow object. One more small jump to the object's surface, and they discover they have returned to the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]]... but no sooner have they stepped out of the Rodpod than a squadron of attack craft suddenly appears in the skies and opens fire on them! Totally outnumbered, everyone boards the pod again and tries to quantum jump away, only to discover the teleport engines are dead. The team sets course for the Necrobot's fortress, but the Rodpod is shot down right in front of it; everyone manages to survive and haul themselves out of the wreckage before the Rodpod finally explodes.

Taking cover inside the fortress, the team discovers the Necrobot's dead body in the middle of the floor. While Ravage sneaks out to examine the single enemy fighter they managed to bring down during the escape, Nightbeat snaps into analytical mode, and he and Brainstorm piece together what has occurred: the "psychic attack" was originally an ordinary transmission sent by their attackers to lure the group to the planet, but the fatally-wounded Necrobot, with the last of his strength, corrupted the signal in a failed attempt to warn them off. Using the Necrobot's computer, Rodimus re-establishes contact with the ''Lost Light''... but is shocked when the 'bot who answers his hail turns out to be [[Getaway]]! The escapologist explains that he has been freed from his cell by the ''entire crew'', who have finally tired of Rodimus's leadership and the way in which Megatron has been accepted into their ranks, and are staging a full-blown mutiny. Getaway and [[Atomizer]] have been planning this since before the ship left Cybertron, having identified all "Megatron sympathizers" through judicious questioning and application of Getaway's [[nudge gun]], and have now isolated and trapped them on the Necrobot's world, so that the rest of the crew can ''actually get on with their quest'' to find the Knights and save the Cybertronian race. Even the mystery attackers are part of their plan—attackers whose identities Megatron has already figured out, making him severely doubt Getaway's promise that nobody but Megatron will be harmed. As Getaway shuts off the comm-link, a wounded Ravage limps back inside to confirm his leader's suspicions: the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] has arrived... and everyone is going to die.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] (1)
*[[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] (2)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Chromedome (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Chromedome]] (4)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (5)
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (6)
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] (9)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (10)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (11)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (12)
*[[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (13)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]] (19)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] (20)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Wheeljack]] (21)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (22)
*[[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]] (23)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (24)
*[[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] (25)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (26)
*[[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] (27)
*[[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] (28)
*[[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] (29)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (30)
*[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] (31)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (32)
*? (33) 
*[[Boss (G1)|Boss]] (34)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (35)
*[[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] (36)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (37)
*[[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]] (38)
*[[Hound (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hound]] (39)
*[[Xaaron]] (40)
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] (41)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Perceptor]] (42)
*[[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]] (43)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Powerflash]]? (44) 
*[[Splashdown]]? (45) 
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (statue, 48)
*[[Getaway]] (50)
*[[Atomizer]] (51)
*[[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] (52)
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (53)
*[[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (54)
*[[Siren (G1)|Siren]] (55)
{{!}}}
|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] (14)
*[[Krok (G1)|Krok]] (15)
*[[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] (16)
*[[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] (17)
*[[Fulcrum]] (18)
*[[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]] (46)
*[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] (55)
*[[Tesarus (DJD)|Tesarus]] (56)
*[[Helex (DJD)|Helex]] (57)
*[[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] (58)
*[[Blue Bacchus]] (59)
*[[Killbison]] (60)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Drillhorn (Victory)|Drillhorn]] (61)
*[[Leozack]] (62)
*[[Guyhawk]] (63)
*[[Vos (DJD)|Vos]] (64)
*[[Dominus Ambus|The Pet]] (65)
*[[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] (66)
{{!}}}
|c4=
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (7)
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] (8)
*[[Rust Giant]]s (23)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] (27)
*[[Ten]] (47)
*[[Censere]] (49)
}}

==Quotes==

"I was particularly impressed by '''your''' efforts, '''Riptide'''. You clearly put in a lot of work." 
"Did I pass?" 
"No, but I'll talk to you afterwards to explain why."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Riptide''' on the latter's academic skills

"I'm not usually a '''fan''' of group discussion, or brainstorming, or waiting for other people to stop speaking, but that was actually pretty impressive."
:—'''Nightbeat''', on the benefits of talking out a problem

"'''Stress''' is another side effect of the chemo-sedatives." 
"It's not stress." 
"How do you know?" 
"Because I've never been happier."
:—'''Velocity''' and '''Megatron'''

'''Ultra Magnus:''' "Hold on. Someone '''fired on us''' and you want to '''run towards the gun'''?" 
'''Rodimus:''' "'''Yep'''—and '''disarm''' them before they take another shot. It's a perfectly good plan! '''Team Rodimus''' are well up for it!" 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "'''Is''' well up for it. Team Rodimus '''is''' well up for it. Singular. One team." 
'''Rodimus:''' "Whatever. Chop-chop!" 
'''Megatron:''' "When did you first realize that he uses '''bad grammar''' to distract you whenever you raise an objection to something he wants to do?" 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "He does '''WHAT'''?"

"This is the new '''teleport drive'''. Nautica built it as a '''thank-you present''' after I stopped going on and on about how much I wanted a teleport drive."
:—'''Rodimus'''

'''Rodimus:''' "I'm sorry if not all of us are catlike and unpanickable." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "Not a word." 
'''Rodimus:''' "Jeez, Magnus. Time and place." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "No, no, no. You can't have people throwing '''made up words''' around willy-nilly. There are impressionable 'bots on board." 
'''Brainstorm:''' "Magnus is right. Making up words leads to criminanarchy and pandebordination." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "Brainstorm! One more and you're on '''remand.'''"

"By what '''tortured logic''' did '''High Command''' conclude that letting an '''unrepentant mass murderer''' off the hook represented anything '''other''' than an '''insult''' to the memory of the '''billions''' he killed? Seriously—can someone explain to me how the war can end with the '''instigator''' being allowed to go about his business '''as if nothing happened'''? The death camps! The massacres! The cities razed to the ground! Apparently all of them were just '''missteps'''—painful but necessary—on Megatron's '''path to self-discovery'''! (...) By helping that '''maniac''' find peace you're excusing his past behavior. And so it falls to us—'''the 99%'''—to remind you how '''wrong''' this is. Forgiveness? Rehabilitation? Reintegration? No. Not him. Not now. Not ever."
:—'''Getaway'''

"I'm not a bad person. I just have strong beliefs."
:—'''Getaway'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*"Who doesn't want to survive the dying of the light?" Skids asked Nightbeat, back when they first visited Necroworld in "[[The Not Knowing]]"...
*Optimus and Jetfire are in the ''[[Skyroller]]'' when they receive the crew's message, outside [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s "house," placing this story after the events of [[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|''The Transformers'' #50]].
*We see that the Scavengers were sent a copy of the recording of the crew's last requests too. Back in #45 Misfire mentioned that he had a 'contact' among the Autobots. In #46 [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fort Max]] confirmed that the Scavengers had been supplying Brainstorm with parts. It looks like Brainstorm hasn't broken his ties with his handlers after all, especially if he's sending messages to them in last-ditch pleas for help.
*When Nightbeat delivers his part of the message, he talks about how he can prepare himself "this time," and strokes the centre of his forehead: a reference to when he died before, shot right through the head, in ''[[Spotlight: Hardhead]]''.
*Nightbeat requests his funeral ceremony be Neoprimalist, the sect of Primalism that [[Flywheels]] was noted to belong to in [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|issue #7]].
*Magnus sputters as he tries to say the word "fun," just as he did back in [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|issue #5]], but this time, he finally gets it out.
*Rung requests that, should he die in alt mode, he be disassembled—an allusion to the mystery of his alternate form, and the fact that, whatever it is, it may still be able to serve its purpose after his death.
*Megatron was previously mentioned to be teaching a class of some sort in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|issue #29]], of which Riptide was a student.
*Megatron mentions [[information creep]] during his class, the memory-altering mental malady mentioned before in [[Twenty Plus One|issue #31]]. In the same issue, it was established that Riptide was rubbish at exams, which is followed through on here as he fails his assignment in Megatron's class.
*The mysterious gear symbol raises its figurative head once again. Skids remembers how he saw it in [[Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|issue #21]], Thunderclash remembers seeing it in the map from his dreams in [[The Sensuous Frame|issue #41]], and Perceptor mentions that Rodimus drew it into his own map from [[The Not Knowing|issue #44]].
*Nautica recounts how she spent time on [[Troja Major]], where we know from [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|issue #28]] she picked up a copy of ''[[Towards Peace]]''. She says she visited a "heritage museum"; presumably, this is the business run by Decepticon antiquarian [[Agonizer]], mentioned in [[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|issue #45]] as having set up shop on the planet.
*Rodimus brings "Team Rodimus" together again, who were last referred to by that name back in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|issue #30]] when they assembled to examine the alternate-Rodimus's coffin.
*The crew previously visited the Necrobot's planet in issue #44. Back in that issue, the Necrobot described it as a "shell of a world," quoting his departed friend [[Tusk]]. That line suddenly becomes a lot more literal with this issue's revelation that the planet is hollow.
*Note how Magnus's right arm takes a bad hit during the explosion of the Rodpod. It's deliberately kept off-panel for the remaining portion of the issue, likely to obscure the fact that the arm has been completely severed—'cause remember, as we know from [[The Gloaming|issue #16]] and [[Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|issue #21]], that's the arm containing [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]]'s recall switch/teleporter. No quick escapes with ''that'', Magnus!
*Brainstorm identifies the Necrobot's computers as using elements of the same technology as the guilt-detecting computer [[Aequitas]], from ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', which is why everyone who suffers from the "psychic attack" experiences a unique, tailor-made terror.
*Getaway says he realised Rodimus was crap when he saw "that ridiculous Rodpod". Getaway's first response to the Rodpod waaaay back in "[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss]]" was "And this guy is your ''leader''", while later including it in his freakout in "[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit]]". And you thought these were just jokes!
*The full extent of Getaway and Atomizer's scheme is revealed, tying back into their attempt to dispatch Megatron from [[The Lopsided Triangle|issue #47]], and Atomizer's manipulation of Rodimus from [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|issue #29]]. They obviously arrange to have Mainframe suggest that Whirl accompany Team Rodimus not because he holds any favour for Megatron, like the rest of the exiles, but because he discussed having second thoughts about Getaway's methods in #47.
*Getaway also mentions the only real side effect from the nudge gun and its memory wipes is a slight headache. Sure enough, Skids and Nightbeat mention having inexplicable headaches off-hand in [[The Sensuous Frame|#41]] and [[The Not Knowing|#44]], respectively, while Tailgate had one in [[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|issue #40]] that was ''implied'' to be the result of too much drink, but about which we now know better. Finally, to spell it out for us, Whirl was shown having a headache after being nudge-gunned in [[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]].
**In Tailgate's case, that revelation also implicitly tells us who ''really'' told Getaway about Tailgate's deathbed confession; not Cyclonus, as Getaway claims, but Tailgate himself, who then had the memory of telling Getaway erased.
** Even sneakier, if one is to look back on the panel in issue #41 when Tailgate complains about his head hurting, Getaway's right hand is obscured by a table leg.
** In Whirl's case, considering the action he took against Megatron in #28 it is likely that he agreed to a potential mutiny from early on, right up until he had second thoughts about Getaway's extreme methods and Getaway decided he couldn't be relied upon.
*The Decepticon Justice Division allied with Deathsaurus' forces back in [[The Permanent Revolution|issue #39]]. 'Bots from that issue who appear among their team on the story's final page include Leozack, Killbison, Drillhorn, and Blue Bacchus.

===Transformers references===
*The neoprimalist ceremony involves saving the head. Now '''why on Earth''' would Nightbeat's head [[Titan Master#Toys|be coming up?]]
*Deathsaurus's sword shares the shape of the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]] from the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]].

===Real-life references===
*Both this multi-parter's title and this issue's sub-title are quotes from the poem "{{w|Do not go gentle into that good night}}," by {{w|Dylan Thomas}}. The work urges one to survive, to not willingly embrace death, to "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
*Roberts has said the creepy video was meant to be an "ISIS-style" execution video<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 05:40 to 6:00]</ref>, refering to Islamic State's habit of making victims spout propaganda before being killed on-screen.
*The planet Miliarium takes its name from the Latin word for "milestone," in reference to the 50-issue milestone ''More than Meets the Eye'' has reached.
*Velocity's ringtone ("I'm a doctor, not a performance artist!") is, of course, a spoof of Doctor McCoy's catchphrase from the original ''[[Star Trek]]''. She notes it's a gift from Swerve, who has recently indulged himself in all of Earth's television, and refers to Velocity's decision to go into medicine rather than [[Caminus]]'s highly-venerated performing arts.
*Getaway calls Team Rodimus's trip a "journey into mystery," referencing the {{w|Journey into Mystery|Marvel comic}} of the same name.
*"The 99%" is a populist political slogan, along with "the 1%": the 99% are the alleged majority being stepped on by the elites of the 1%.
*The concept of one small brave band of heroes facing down impossible odds as legions of enemies close in on their position, unable to retreat, is (as Roberts would acknowledge) lifted from the movie ''[[Zulu]]''—which the crew were shown watching back in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|issue #30]], in a bit of very deliberate foreshadowing. Swerve makes the reference explicit with his "Patients - '''thousands''' of 'em!" line.

===Errors===
*For his one-panel appearance, Scoop is his traditional orange, but he ought to be in [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]-green these days, since becoming part of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], as seen in [[All That Remains|''Windblade'' #3]].
*Hard to spot in the rust giant throng on the left of the double-page title spread is [[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]], recognizable by his shoulder cannons, square-head-thing, and the treads on his upper arms, which he had when he appeared on Cybertron in issue #29. This is the first time we've seen him among the ''Lost Light'' crew—but he's colored almost entirely cream instead of his normal red and blue. Not unlike his [[Slamdance (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' counterpart]], actually!
*In Fortress Maximus's early appearance, his name is misspelled "Fotress". This has possibly been corrected in physical copies of the issue.
*The headline on the [[Galactic Bulletin]] reads "AUTOBOTS LIBERATE MIL'''L'''ARIUM".
*When Nightbeat discovers the Necrobot's body, his face is colored gray instead of yellow.
*In that same scene, Censere is misspelled "Censerre", with an extra R.
*In the group shot of the DJD and Deathsaurus's forces on the last page, Guyhawk is visible in the background, between Helex's legs, but he's colored grey and red with a green face, instead of his usual red and white.

===Production notes===
James Roberts went into lengthy detail about the comic at [http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Comics.]:
* Roberts had actually forgotten to ''do'' the Previously On page until late in the day! <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 10:10 to 10:41]</ref>
* Originally the execution vid was going to open with a character buying it. <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 05:55 to 06:12]</ref>
* The broadcast was inspired by [[Doctor|''Doctor Who'']] episode ''The Pandorica Opens'', where characters from across the series cameo at the start. This was to 'ground' the comic into the continuity of its sister titles, as ''MTMTE'' is usually detached from the rest of the line and Roberts wanted to nod to it.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 06:45 to 8:24]</ref>
* Roberts (acknowledging some criticism of the strip being meandering) notes that previous stories had been very insular on the ship but here they are actually ''helping'' people at the start! This flags up that "Heroic Autobot" thing before it all goes wrong. Also intentional was Megatron deliberately giving non-lethal tactics to the Autobots. <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 15:59 to 17:40]</ref>
* Megatron was going to teach classes in other issues but there was never space for it. Roberts used it as a way to give some love to lesser-seen characters by giving them a seat.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 22:50 to 23:40]</ref>
* Roberts was told that the are/is thing ''is'' gramatically correct in America. "I didn't know that." <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 36:47 to 36:54]</ref>
* Alex Milne decided to put the flower in Censere's mouth. <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 48:30 to 48:50]</ref>
* Roberts clarifies that Getaway was "treated in a way he would find objectionable" in the previous issue and while it "had to be" done that way due to his skills, it "plays into Getaway's larger plan" as "the rules" are clearly different for ''his'' crimes than Brainstorm or Megatron's.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 53:26 to 54:14]</ref>
*The mutineers shown are deliberately shown to be "B-listers you know and like and trust" for impact. Hoist is specifically there because of his Spotlight and Riptide because he'd once been a 'main' guy.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 54:15 to 55:11]</ref>
* It was noted that what Getaway is saying is similar to what fans were saying back when they learned about Auto-Megs. <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 56:30 to 57:10]</ref>
* Roberts alludes to an unplanned reflection of ''[[Community]]'' that a fan noted: that every so often, ''Community'' would show what the main cast look like to other people and what they look like are arseholes. <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 58:30 to 1:00:00]</ref>

===Other notes===
*The "story so far" page that opens this issue recaps the entire series, summing up each individual story or multiparter with a simple description: a schism ([[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|''The Death of Optimus Prime'']]), an accident (issues [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]-[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|2]]), a sparkeater ([[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|issue #3]]), a virus (issues [[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]-[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|5]]), a hostage situation ([[Interiors|issue #6]]), an interlude (issues [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]-[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|8]]), a calling ([[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|2012 annual]]), a ''Spotlight'' or two (''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Trailcutter]]'' and ''[[The Waiting Game|Hoist]]''), a story (issues [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]-[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|11]]), a mix-up ([[Before & After|issue #12]]), a night out ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|issue #13]]), a mistake ([[Remembrance Day|issue #14]]), a death ([[Under Cold Blue Stars|issue #15]]), a funeral ([[The Gloaming|issue #16]]), a lost moon ([[Remain in Light|issues #17-21]]), a diversion ([[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|issues #22-27]]), a trial (issues [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]-[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|30]]), an exodus ([[Twenty Plus One|issue #31]]), another ''Lost Light'' (issues [[slaughterhouse|#32]]-[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|33]]), a loss ([[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|issue #34]]), an alternate universe ([[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|issue #35]]), a race against time (issues [[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]-[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|38]]), an alliance ([[The Permanent Revolution|issue #39]]), a farewell ([[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|issue #40]]), a reunion (issues [[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]-[[The Frail Gaze|42]]), a sitcom ([[The One Where They Go to Earth|issue #43]]), an epiphany ([[The Not Knowing|issue #44]]), another interlude (issues [[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]-[[Animals|46]]), a betrayal ([[The Lopsided Triangle|issue #47]]), and a resignation (issues [[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]-[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|49]]).
*Megatron notes that it has been about a year since the ''Lost Light'' left Cybertron after his trial, meaning that about 18 months (one year plus the six-month gap between "[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]" and "season 2") have passed in the last two years' worth of comics.
*Some fans thought maybe the ''Light'' crew didn't know the DJD were coming for the exiles. James Roberts made it clear at Orbital that, nope, they all totally knew.

===Soundtrack===
For all of "The Dying of the Light":
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCdBc5uByFQ Hurt]" by {{w|Johnny Cash}}

For this part alone:
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYT2yy2s24 Heroes]" by {{w|David Bowie}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROlCPlnCIfo Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe]" by {{w|Okkervil River}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsOuOR7TNKc Nonphenomenal Lineage]" by {{w|Grandaddy}}

===Crew manifest===
*Exiled: Brainstorm, Chromedome, Cyclonus, Megatron, Minimus Ambus, Nautica, Nightbeat, Ravage, Rewind, Rodimus, Rung, Skids, Swerve, Tailgate, Ten, Velocity and Whirl were effectively removed from the crew by Getaway's mutiny.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/28256-megatron-seeks-redemption-in-transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-50-preview.html Preview]

The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds

2016-07-29T09:42:45Z

Minimusminor: /* Synopsis */

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=50
|prev=Speak, Memory! (Part 2)
|next=No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases
|image=MTMTE50_regcvr.jpg
|title="The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds"
|caption="Why is it us? Why us?" "Because we're here, lad. Nobody else. Just us."
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|published in=[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|''More than Meets the Eye'' #50]]
|date=[[February 24]], [[2016]] (digital, parts of Europe and Asia) [[March 9]], 2016 (rest of world)
|coverdate=February 2016
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]]
|inks by=Alex Milne and [[Brian Shearer]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]] (pg. 1-10), [[Priscilla Tramontano]] (pg. 11-15, 22-23, 27-32), [[John-Paul Bove]] (pg. 17-21, 24-26)
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}
'''A psychic attack leads Team Rodimus back to the Necrobot's planet, where a mutiny in the ranks of the ''Lost Light'' spells their doom.'''

==Synopsis==
''On [[Earth]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] receive a haunting transmission: a series of videos from crewmembers of the ''[[Lost Light]]''—[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]], [[Chromedome (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Chromedome]], [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]], [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Minimus Ambus]], [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], and [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]]—explaining that they are about to die and leaving individual instructions for how they wish to be interred. The broadcast also reaches [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], and the ''[[Weak Anthropic Principle]]'', but the ''Lost Light'' remains silent, unresponsive to any hailing requests. Optimus Prime proposes using the [[space bridge]] to go to their rescue, but Jetfire reveals the awful truth... the message claims the speakers have six hours left to live, but it was sent three weeks ago.''

[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-rollout.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|We'd make a comment about jumping the cybershark, but face it; this series has already done a ''lot'' weirder stuff than this.]]
Three weeks earlier, the ''Lost Light''ers help liberate the planet [[Miliarium]] from the clutches of the [[Rust Giant]]s, with the super-strong [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] taking out their biggest, meanest member. [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]—remotely supervising the battle from the ship on account of his newfound pacifism—is a little prickly when he discovers that everyone hid from him the fact that Millarians are organic, but softens when [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] lets him give the "[[roll out]]" order.

A little later, after everyone has returned to the ship, Megatron holds the latest in a series of classes on the [[Knights of Cybertron]], and focuses his attention on the mysterious, gear-like hieroglyph that the crew have come upon several times in the course of their quest. Pooling their knowledge, the class concludes that the symbol is a kind of "coat of arms," representing just one of multiple clans that existed within the Knights' ranks. The discussion is interrupted, however, when Megatron suddenly reels in pain, clutching his head; when Minimus Ambus attempts to go to his aid, the ex-Decepticon reflexively lashes out, punching Minimus across the room. Horrified at his own actions, Megatron retreats to his quarters, where Velocity checks him over and administers his latest dose of [[Fool's Energon]]. She worries that the sedative could be the reason for Megatron's actions, as it has been known to cause fluctuations in a 'bot's personality, but he explains that he was bombarded with agonizing, screaming voices in his mind—an experience, it soon turns out, that a handful of ''other'' crew members also underwent at the same time, each hearing their own unique horrific sound. [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] are able to trace the signal of this "psychic attack" back to its source, and plans are quickly made to go and investigate.

The group all piles into the Rodpod: Rodimus, Magnus, the victims of the attack (Megatron, Tailgate, Rewind, Chromedome, Rung, and [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]), their partners and friends ([[Ten]], [[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]], and [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]), "Team Rodimus" (Nightbeat, [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]], and Nautica), and team doctor Velocity, who is convinced by Mainframe to bring Whirl along for extra muscle. [[Quantum generator|Quantum jumping]] to the signal's point of origin, the pod materializes in utter blackness, which the team soon realize means they have jumped ''inside'' a huge, hollow object. One more small jump to the object's surface, and they discover they have returned to the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]]... but no sooner have they stepped out of the Rodpod than a squadron of attack craft suddenly appears in the skies and opens fire on them! Totally outnumbered, everyone boards the pod again and tries to quantum jump away, only to discover the teleport engines are dead. The team sets course for the Necrobot's fortress, but the Rodpod is shot down right in front of it; everyone manages to survive and haul themselves out of the wreckage before the Rodpod finally explodes.

Taking cover inside the fortress, the team discovers the Necrobot's dead body in the middle of the floor. While Ravage sneaks out to examine the single enemy fighter they managed to bring down during the escape, Nightbeat snaps into analytical mode, and he and Brainstorm piece together what has occurred: the "psychic attack" was originally an ordinary transmission sent by their attackers to lure the group to the planet, but the fatally-wounded Necrobot, with the last of his strength, corrupted the signal in a failed attempt to warn them off. Using the Necrobot's computer, Rodimus re-establishes contact with the ''Lost Light''... but is shocked when the 'bot who answers his hail turns out to be [[Getaway]]! The escapologist explains that he has been freed from his cell by the ''entire crew'', who have finally tired of Rodimus's leadership and the way in which Megatron has been accepted into their ranks, and are staging a full-blown mutiny. Getaway and [[Atomizer]] have been planning this since before the ship left Cybertron, having identified all "Megatron sympathizers" through judicious questioning and application of Getaway's [[nudge gun]], and have now isolated and trapped them on the Necrobot's world, so that the rest of the crew can ''actually get on with their quest'' to find the Knights and save the Cybertronian race. Even the mystery attackers are part of their plan—attackers whose identities Megatron has already figured out, making him severely doubt Getaway's promise that nobody but Megatron will be harmed. As Getaway shuts off the comm-link, a wounded Ravage limps back inside to confirm his leader's suspicions: the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] has arrived... and everyone is going to die.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] (1)
*[[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] (2)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] (3)
*[[Chromedome (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Chromedome]] (4)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (5)
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (6)
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] (9)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (10)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (11)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (12)
*[[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (13)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]] (19)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] (20)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Wheeljack]] (21)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (22)
*[[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]] (23)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (24)
*[[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] (25)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (26)
*[[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] (27)
*[[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] (28)
*[[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] (29)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (30)
*[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] (31)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (32)
*? (33) 
*[[Boss (G1)|Boss]] (34)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (35)
*[[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] (36)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (37)
*[[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]] (38)
*[[Hound (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hound]] (39)
*[[Xaaron]] (40)
*[[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] (41)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Perceptor]] (42)
*[[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]] (43)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Powerflash]]? (44) 
*[[Splashdown]]? (45) 
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (statue, 48)
*[[Getaway]] (50)
*[[Atomizer]] (51)
*[[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] (52)
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (53)
*[[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (54)
*[[Siren (G1)|Siren]] (55)
{{!}}}
|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]] (14)
*[[Krok (G1)|Krok]] (15)
*[[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]] (16)
*[[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] (17)
*[[Fulcrum]] (18)
*[[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]] (46)
*[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] (55)
*[[Tesarus (DJD)|Tesarus]] (56)
*[[Helex (DJD)|Helex]] (57)
*[[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] (58)
*[[Blue Bacchus]] (59)
*[[Killbison]] (60)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Drillhorn (Victory)|Drillhorn]] (61)
*[[Leozack]] (62)
*[[Guyhawk]] (63)
*[[Vos (DJD)|Vos]] (64)
*[[Dominus Ambus|The Pet]] (65)
*[[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] (66)
{{!}}}
|c4=
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (7)
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] (8)
*[[Rust Giant]]s (23)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] (27)
*[[Ten]] (47)
*[[Censere]] (49)
}}

==Quotes==

"I was particularly impressed by '''your''' efforts, '''Riptide'''. You clearly put in a lot of work." 
"Did I pass?" 
"No, but I'll talk to you afterwards to explain why."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Riptide''' on the latter's academic skills

"I'm not usually a '''fan''' of group discussion, or brainstorming, or waiting for other people to stop speaking, but that was actually pretty impressive."
:—'''Nightbeat''', on the benefits of talking out a problem

"'''Stress''' is another side effect of the chemo-sedatives." 
"It's not stress." 
"How do you know?" 
"Because I've never been happier."
:—'''Velocity''' and '''Megatron'''

'''Ultra Magnus:''' "Hold on. Someone '''fired on us''' and you want to '''run towards the gun'''?" 
'''Rodimus:''' "'''Yep'''—and '''disarm''' them before they take another shot. It's a perfectly good plan! '''Team Rodimus''' are well up for it!" 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "'''Is''' well up for it. Team Rodimus '''is''' well up for it. Singular. One team." 
'''Rodimus:''' "Whatever. Chop-chop!" 
'''Megatron:''' "When did you first realize that he uses '''bad grammar''' to distract you whenever you raise an objection to something he wants to do?" 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "He does '''WHAT'''?"

"This is the new '''teleport drive'''. Nautica built it as a '''thank-you present''' after I stopped going on and on about how much I wanted a teleport drive."
:—'''Rodimus'''

'''Rodimus:''' "I'm sorry if not all of us are catlike and unpanickable." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "Not a word." 
'''Rodimus:''' "Jeez, Magnus. Time and place." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "No, no, no. You can't have people throwing '''made up words''' around willy-nilly. There are impressionable 'bots on board." 
'''Brainstorm:''' "Magnus is right. Making up words leads to criminanarchy and pandebordination." 
'''Ultra Magnus:''' "Brainstorm! One more and you're on '''remand.'''"

"By what '''tortured logic''' did '''High Command''' conclude that letting an '''unrepentant mass murderer''' off the hook represented anything '''other''' than an '''insult''' to the memory of the '''billions''' he killed? Seriously—can someone explain to me how the war can end with the '''instigator''' being allowed to go about his business '''as if nothing happened'''? The death camps! The massacres! The cities razed to the ground! Apparently all of them were just '''missteps'''—painful but necessary—on Megatron's '''path to self-discovery'''! (...) By helping that '''maniac''' find peace you're excusing his past behavior. And so it falls to us—'''the 99%'''—to remind you how '''wrong''' this is. Forgiveness? Rehabilitation? Reintegration? No. Not him. Not now. Not ever."
:—'''Getaway'''

"I'm not a bad person. I just have strong beliefs."
:—'''Getaway'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*"Who doesn't want to survive the dying of the light?" Skids asked Nightbeat, back when they first visited Necroworld in "[[The Not Knowing]]"...
*Optimus and Jetfire are in the ''[[Skyroller]]'' when they receive the crew's message, outside [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s "house," placing this story after the events of [[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|''The Transformers'' #50]].
*We see that the Scavengers were sent a copy of the recording of the crew's last requests too. Back in #45 Misfire mentioned that he had a 'contact' among the Autobots. In #46 [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fort Max]] confirmed that the Scavengers had been supplying Brainstorm with parts. It looks like Brainstorm hasn't broken his ties with his handlers after all, especially if he's sending messages to them in last-ditch pleas for help.
*When Nightbeat delivers his part of the message, he talks about how he can prepare himself "this time," and strokes the centre of his forehead: a reference to when he died before, shot right through the head, in ''[[Spotlight: Hardhead]]''.
*Nightbeat requests his funeral ceremony be Neoprimalist, the sect of Primalism that [[Flywheels]] was noted to belong to in [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|issue #7]].
*Magnus sputters as he tries to say the word "fun," just as he did back in [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|issue #5]], but this time, he finally gets it out.
*Rung requests that, should he die in alt mode, he be disassembled—an allusion to the mystery of his alternate form, and the fact that, whatever it is, it may still be able to serve its purpose after his death.
*Megatron was previously mentioned to be teaching a class of some sort in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|issue #29]], of which Riptide was a student.
*Megatron mentions [[information creep]] during his class, the memory-altering mental malady mentioned before in [[Twenty Plus One|issue #31]]. In the same issue, it was established that Riptide was rubbish at exams, which is followed through on here as he fails his assignment in Megatron's class.
*The mysterious gear symbol raises its figurative head once again. Skids remembers how he saw it in [[Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|issue #21]], Thunderclash remembers seeing it in the map from his dreams in [[The Sensuous Frame|issue #41]], and Perceptor mentions that Rodimus drew it into his own map from [[The Not Knowing|issue #44]].
*Nautica recounts how she spent time on [[Troja Major]], where we know from [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|issue #28]] she picked up a copy of ''[[Towards Peace]]''. She says she visited a "heritage museum"; presumably, this is the business run by Decepticon antiquarian [[Agonizer]], mentioned in [[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|issue #45]] as having set up shop on the planet.
*Rodimus brings "Team Rodimus" together again, who were last referred to by that name back in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|issue #30]] when they assembled to examine the alternate-Rodimus's coffin.
*The crew previously visited the Necrobot's planet in issue #44. Back in that issue, the Necrobot described it as a "shell of a world," quoting his departed friend [[Tusk]]. That line suddenly becomes a lot more literal with this issue's revelation that the planet is hollow.
*Note how Magnus's right arm takes a bad hit during the explosion of the Rodpod. It's deliberately kept off-panel for the remaining portion of the issue, likely to obscure the fact that the arm has been completely severed—'cause remember, as we know from [[The Gloaming|issue #16]] and [[Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|issue #21]], that's the arm containing [[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]]'s recall switch/teleporter. No quick escapes with ''that'', Magnus!
*Brainstorm identifies the Necrobot's computers as using elements of the same technology as the guilt-detecting computer [[Aequitas]], from ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', which is why everyone who suffers from the "psychic attack" experiences a unique, tailor-made terror.
*Getaway says he realised Rodimus was crap when he saw "that ridiculous Rodpod". Getaway's first response to the Rodpod waaaay back in "[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss]]" was "And this guy is your ''leader''", while later including it in his freakout in "[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit]]". And you thought these were just jokes!
*The full extent of Getaway and Atomizer's scheme is revealed, tying back into their attempt to dispatch Megatron from [[The Lopsided Triangle|issue #47]], and Atomizer's manipulation of Rodimus from [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|issue #29]]. They obviously arrange to have Mainframe suggest that Whirl accompany Team Rodimus not because he holds any favour for Megatron, like the rest of the exiles, but because he discussed having second thoughts about Getaway's methods in #47.
*Getaway also mentions the only real side effect from the nudge gun and its memory wipes is a slight headache. Sure enough, Skids and Nightbeat mention having inexplicable headaches off-hand in [[The Sensuous Frame|#41]] and [[The Not Knowing|#44]], respectively, while Tailgate had one in [[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|issue #40]] that was ''implied'' to be the result of too much drink, but about which we now know better. Finally, to spell it out for us, Whirl was shown having a headache after being nudge-gunned in [[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]].
**In Tailgate's case, that revelation also implicitly tells us who ''really'' told Getaway about Tailgate's deathbed confession; not Cyclonus, as Getaway claims, but Tailgate himself, who then had the memory of telling Getaway erased.
** Even sneakier, if one is to look back on the panel in issue #41 when Tailgate complains about his head hurting, Getaway's right hand is obscured by a table leg.
** In Whirl's case, considering the action he took against Megatron in #28 it is likely that he agreed to a potential mutiny from early on, right up until he had second thoughts about Getaway's extreme methods and Getaway decided he couldn't be relied upon.
*The Decepticon Justice Division allied with Deathsaurus' forces back in [[The Permanent Revolution|issue #39]]. 'Bots from that issue who appear among their team on the story's final page include Leozack, Killbison, Drillhorn, and Blue Bacchus.

===Transformers references===
*The neoprimalist ceremony involves saving the head. Now '''why on Earth''' would Nightbeat's head [[Titan Master#Toys|be coming up?]]
*Deathsaurus's sword shares the shape of the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]] from the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Prime'' cartoon]].

===Real-life references===
*Both this multi-parter's title and this issue's sub-title are quotes from the poem "{{w|Do not go gentle into that good night}}," by {{w|Dylan Thomas}}. The work urges one to survive, to not willingly embrace death, to "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
*Roberts has said the creepy video was meant to be an "ISIS-style" execution video<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 05:40 to 6:00]</ref>, refering to Islamic State's habit of making victims spout propaganda before being killed on-screen.
*The planet Miliarium takes its name from the Latin word for "milestone," in reference to the 50-issue milestone ''More than Meets the Eye'' has reached.
*Velocity's ringtone ("I'm a doctor, not a performance artist!") is, of course, a spoof of Doctor McCoy's catchphrase from the original ''[[Star Trek]]''. She notes it's a gift from Swerve, who has recently indulged himself in all of Earth's television, and refers to Velocity's decision to go into medicine rather than [[Caminus]]'s highly-venerated performing arts.
*Getaway calls Team Rodimus's trip a "journey into mystery," referencing the {{w|Journey into Mystery|Marvel comic}} of the same name.
*"The 99%" is a populist political slogan, along with "the 1%": the 99% are the alleged majority being stepped on by the elites of the 1%.
*The concept of one small brave band of heroes facing down impossible odds as legions of enemies close in on their position, unable to retreat, is (as Roberts would acknowledge) lifted from the movie ''[[Zulu]]''—which the crew were shown watching back in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|issue #30]], in a bit of very deliberate foreshadowing. Swerve makes the reference explicit with his "Patients - '''thousands''' of 'em!" line.

===Errors===
*For his one-panel appearance, Scoop is his traditional orange, but he ought to be in [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]-green these days, since becoming part of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], as seen in [[All That Remains|''Windblade'' #3]].
*Hard to spot in the rust giant throng on the left of the double-page title spread is [[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]], recognizable by his shoulder cannons, square-head-thing, and the treads on his upper arms, which he had when he appeared on Cybertron in issue #29. This is the first time we've seen him among the ''Lost Light'' crew—but he's colored almost entirely cream instead of his normal red and blue. Not unlike his [[Slamdance (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' counterpart]], actually!
*In Fortress Maximus's early appearance, his name is misspelled "Fotress". This has possibly been corrected in physical copies of the issue.
*The headline on the [[Galactic Bulletin]] reads "AUTOBOTS LIBERATE MIL'''L'''ARIUM".
*When Nightbeat discovers the Necrobot's body, his face is colored gray instead of yellow.
*In that same scene, Censere is misspelled "Censerre", with an extra R.
*In the group shot of the DJD and Deathsaurus's forces on the last page, Guyhawk is visible in the background, between Helex's legs, but he's colored grey and red with a green face, instead of his usual red and white.

===Production notes===
James Roberts went into lenghty detail about the comic at [http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Comics.]:
* Roberts had actually forgotten to ''do'' the Previously On page until late in the day! <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 10:10 to 10:41]</ref>
* Originally the execution vid was going to open with a character buying it. <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 05:55 to 06:12]</ref>
* The broadcast was inspired by [[Doctor|''Doctor Who'']] episode ''The Pandorica Opens'', where characters from across the series cameo at the start. This was to 'ground' the comic into the continuity of its sister titles, as ''MTMTE'' is usually detached from the rest of the line and Roberts wanted to nod to it.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 06:45 to 8:24]</ref>
* Roberts (acknowledging some criticism of the strip being meandering) notes that previous stories had been very insular on the ship but here they are actually ''helping'' people at the start! This flags up that "Heroic Autobot" thing before it all goes wrong. Also intentional was Megatron deliberately giving non-lethal tactics to the Autobots. <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 15:59 to 17:40]</ref>
* Megatron was going to teach classes in other issues but there was never space for it. Roberts used it as a way to give some love to lesser-seen characters by giving them a seat.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 22:50 to 23:40]</ref>
* Roberts was told that the are/is thing ''is'' gramatically correct in America. "I didn't know that." <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 36:47 to 36:54]</ref>
* Alex Milne decided to put the flower in Censere's mouth. <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 48:30 to 48:50]</ref>
* Roberts clarifies that Getaway was "treated in a way he would find objectionable" in the previous issue and while it "had to be" done that way due to his skills, it "plays into Getaway's larger plan" as "the rules" are clearly different for ''his'' crimes than Brainstorm or Megatron's.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 53:26 to 54:14]</ref>
*The mutineers shown are deliberately shown to be "B-listers you know and like and trust" for impact. Hoist is specifically there because of his Spotlight and Riptide because he'd once been a 'main' guy.<ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 54:15 to 55:11]</ref>
* It was noted that what Getaway is saying is similar to what fans were saying back when they learned about Auto-Megs. <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 56:30 to 57:10]</ref>
* Roberts alludes to an unplanned reflection of ''[[Community]]'' that a fan noted: that every so often, ''Community'' would show what the main cast look like to other people and what they look like are arseholes. <ref>[http://www.orbitalcomics.com/orbital-directors-commentary-james-roberts-on-transformers-mtmte-50-audio/ Orbital Director’s Commentary – James Roberts on Transformers: MTMTE #50! - Track #1 58:30 to 1:00:00]</ref>

===Other notes===
*The "story so far" page that opens this issue recaps the entire series, summing up each individual story or multiparter with a simple description: a schism ([[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|''The Death of Optimus Prime'']]), an accident (issues [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]-[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|2]]), a sparkeater ([[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|issue #3]]), a virus (issues [[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]-[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|5]]), a hostage situation ([[Interiors|issue #6]]), an interlude (issues [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]-[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|8]]), a calling ([[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|2012 annual]]), a ''Spotlight'' or two (''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Trailcutter]]'' and ''[[The Waiting Game|Hoist]]''), a story (issues [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]-[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|11]]), a mix-up ([[Before & After|issue #12]]), a night out ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|issue #13]]), a mistake ([[Remembrance Day|issue #14]]), a death ([[Under Cold Blue Stars|issue #15]]), a funeral ([[The Gloaming|issue #16]]), a lost moon ([[Remain in Light|issues #17-21]]), a diversion ([[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|issues #22-27]]), a trial (issues [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]-[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|30]]), an exodus ([[Twenty Plus One|issue #31]]), another ''Lost Light'' (issues [[slaughterhouse|#32]]-[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|33]]), a loss ([[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|issue #34]]), an alternate universe ([[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|issue #35]]), a race against time (issues [[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]-[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|38]]), an alliance ([[The Permanent Revolution|issue #39]]), a farewell ([[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|issue #40]]), a reunion (issues [[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]-[[The Frail Gaze|42]]), a sitcom ([[The One Where They Go to Earth|issue #43]]), an epiphany ([[The Not Knowing|issue #44]]), another interlude (issues [[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]-[[Animals|46]]), a betrayal ([[The Lopsided Triangle|issue #47]]), and a resignation (issues [[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]-[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|49]]).
*Megatron notes that it has been about a year since the ''Lost Light'' left Cybertron after his trial, meaning that about 18 months (one year plus the six-month gap between "[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]" and "season 2") have passed in the last two years' worth of comics.
*Some fans thought maybe the ''Light'' crew didn't know the DJD were coming for the exiles. James Roberts made it clear at Orbital that, nope, they all totally knew.

===Soundtrack===
For all of "The Dying of the Light":
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCdBc5uByFQ Hurt]" by {{w|Johnny Cash}}

For this part alone:
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYT2yy2s24 Heroes]" by {{w|David Bowie}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROlCPlnCIfo Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe]" by {{w|Okkervil River}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsOuOR7TNKc Nonphenomenal Lineage]" by {{w|Grandaddy}}

===Crew manifest===
*Exiled: Brainstorm, Chromedome, Cyclonus, Megatron, Minimus Ambus, Nautica, Nightbeat, Ravage, Rewind, Rodimus, Rung, Skids, Swerve, Tailgate, Ten, Velocity and Whirl were effectively removed from the crew by Getaway's mutiny.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/28256-megatron-seeks-redemption-in-transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-50-preview.html Preview]

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2016-07-29T09:39:23Z

Minimusminor: /* Season 1 */

{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
[[File:MTMTE1 cvrE.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|All of your favorite childhood heroes... and Drift.]]
'''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye''''' is an ongoing comic series published by [[IDW Publishing]], starting in January [[2012]]. This series follows the adventures of [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and his team as they travel through space, hunting for the legendary [[Knights of Cybertron]] and having adventures along the way. But mostly it's about lonely nobodies hanging out pretending they have friends.

The series picks off from "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", the epilogue to the previous [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing]], and takes place at the same time as a second ongoing series, ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', which together form the fourth major "act" of IDW's ongoing [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|Generation 1 continuity]].

In 2014, it was nominated for three True Believer Awards (formerly the Eagle Awards): Favourite American Comic Book: Colour, Favourite Single Story ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|#13]]), and Favourite Continued Story (Remain in Light).<ref>[http://www.truebelieverscomicawards.com/nominees.html True Believers Comic Awards nominees]</ref>

The series is set to conclude with issue #57 and will relaunch as ''[[Transformers: Lost Light]]'' in December 2016.

{{quote
|"Everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' is '''cracked in the head!'''"

"Yeah, '''dysfunctional''' isn't the word! There isn't a '''normal''' 'bot among you!"

"And that wouldn't be so bad if you actually '''made progress'''—but as far as I can make out, all you do is '''argue''', crack jokes, and get '''sidetracked''' doing pointless, silly things that only you find amusing!"
|Various members of the '''Circle of Light'''
|"[[Little Victories]]"
|noquote=true
|center=true
}}

{{chapters|series=mtmte|style=3 |prev=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|next=Transformers: Lost Light|align=left|content=
*[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|#2]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]]
*[[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]
*[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]]
*[[Interiors|#6]]
*[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]
*[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|Annual 2012]]
*[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|#10]]
*[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|#11]]
*[[Before & After|#12]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 13|#13]]
*[[Remembrance Day|#14]]
*[[Under Cold Blue Stars|#15]]
*[[The Gloaming|#16]]
*[[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|#17]]
*[[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|#18]]
*[[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|#19]]
*[[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|#20]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 21|#21]]
*[[Little Victories|#22]]
*[[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#23]]
*[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#24]]
*[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#25]]
*[[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#26]]
*[[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#27]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|#29]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|#30]]
*[[Twenty Plus One|#31]]
*[[Slaughterhouse|#32]]
*[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|#33]]
*[[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|#34]]
*[[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|#35]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|#37]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|#38]]
*[[The Permanent Revolution|#39]]
*[[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|#40]]
*[[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]
*[[The Frail Gaze|#42]]
*[[The One Where They Go to Earth|#43]]
*[[The Not Knowing|#44]]
*[[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]
*[[Animals|#46]]
*[[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*[[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]
*[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|#51]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|#53]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|#54]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 56|#56]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 57|#57]]
}}

==Overview==
In contrast to the Cybertron-based setting of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' is set predominantly within the walls of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the spaceship captained by [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] that carries his crew on their expedition to locate the [[Knights of Cybertron]], a mythical group who left the planet ten million years prior to the present day to spread peace and enlightenment across the universe. The book features an ensemble cast, who come and go from the spotlight with each passing issue, made up in large part of characters who have been overlooked by past fiction.

The "main cast" at the series outset includes Rodimus himself, a daredevil egotist who could not be more ill-suited to command; his officious second-in-command [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], whose obsessive-compulsive traits make life on the ship difficult for everyone; third-in-command [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], now with a relentlessly positive outlook on life following a near-death experience; the talkative [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], who immediately became a fan favorite; ship's doctor [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], now feeling his age and looking for something new in life; dangerously unhinged ex-[[Wrecker]] [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], who soon forms a murderous enmity with disillusioned ancient Cybertronian [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]; ship's security officer [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], even more paranoid then ever; timid psychiatrist [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who slowly seems to be more than he appears; and diminutive archivist [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], who would come to draw much attention as the first truly official "gay" romantic couple in Transformers fiction.<ref>Quote marks around "gay" 'cause IDW has previously established that Transformers are genderless in their continuity, but let's not kid ourselves here.</ref> In short order, the crew is joined by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], a naive Transformer who has been offline for the duration of the war and finds himself forced to choose a side, and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], a long-missing Autobot who reappears with amnesia and a bad attitude. As the series progresses, more Autobots come into focus on the fringes of the story, like the over-eager, luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and resentful, boozy, one-trick-pony [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. ''More than Meets the Eye'' uses its "quest" backdrop to tell multiple smaller adventures, throughout which are threaded many, ''many'' seeds for future stories, together forming a grand tapestry that has clearly been planned out ''very'' far in advance.

[[File:MTMTE28 subcvr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|All of your favorite childhood heroes... wait, what's ''he'' doing there?]]
===Season 1===
Following an unexpected [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] upon launch, the ''Lost Light'' is hurled off into the depths of space, where the crew is joined by Skids and contends with a stowaway [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]. A visit to [[Delphi]] by Ratchet to help cure a plague introduces the threat of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], who then feature in a Decepticon-dedicated story menacing a [[Scavenger (group)|band of misfit Decepticons]], and also brings the facility's surviving patients and staff onto the ship—including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], whose post-traumatic stress causes him to snap and nearly kill Rung. Hoping to cure Rung's damaged brain, Rewind gathers a small group together to recount a shared story from their past about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] foiling a [[Senate]] plot to discredit the burgeoning Decepticon movement in the days of Functionism. Unfortunately, the little archivist is soon badly wounded in battle, sending Chromedome into a grief spiral that allows Drift to manipulate him into carrying out a plan laid out by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]: using his mnemosurgery skills to tap the memories and learn the secrets of mass-murdering Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], secretly hidden on board the ''Lost Light''. Unfortunately, Chromedome accidentally allows Overlord to escape, and Rewind has to sacrifice himself to jettison the monster from the ship. Ultra Magnus is also fatally wounded in the battle, but when his body disappears from the ship's Medibay, the crew track it to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where they discover and foil a twisted plot by [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] to wipe out all those Transformers he sees as tainted by original sin.

The book then moves into the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crossover with ''Robots in Disguise''. The ''Lost Light'' crew initially investigatr a previous find that leads them to the Titan Metroplex, and Orion Pax's investigation into the Dead Universe's involvement in Shockwave's overall plot. The casts of both series finally meet again in [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|''Robots in Disguise'' #26]].

[[File:MTMTE40 Ten's mural.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|All of [[Ten]]'s favorite adulthood heroes.]]

===Season 2===
Following ''Dark Cybertron'''s conclusion, The cast undergoes a reshuffle, as tertiary crew members like [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]], as well as several newcomers, become the story's focus; [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], recently-resurrected detective; Skids' escapologist partner [[Getaway]], who takes an immediate shine to Tailgate; [[Caminus|Camien]] bibliophile and quantum mechanic [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]]; and [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]], a neurotic [[M.T.O.]] Aquabot. The season kicks off with Megatron's trial and the events that lead to him captaining the ''Lost Light'' set in the six months between ''Dark Cybertron'' and Season 2. In the present day, the resumed voyage does not start well, with the arrival of a [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|coffin]], disappearing objects on the ship, and a chilling addendum to [[The Gloaming|Rewind's Message]]. Answers to the mysteries revolving around the coffin lead to the [[time travel|time-traveling]] "Elegant Chaos" arc, as the ''Lost Light''ers scramble after [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], who has gone back in time, bent on changing the future. Along the way, the gang inadvertently answers some of the series's longest-standing questions, including the events foreshadowed in season 1's ominous message from the future.

In the aftermath, several characters depart for other comics while new people [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] join the crew. The ''Lost Light'' discovers a message from [[Dominus Ambus|a dead spy]] within the DJD while helping Swerve with his self-worth issues, in a madcap adventure on a holomatter Earth. Following its directions to the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]], they are met with a sobering reminder that all of them are killers and would one day have to face it. Megatron was particularly shaken by the visual representation of the billions of deaths he was responsible for. Mean while, the Scavengers return for another two-parter, feeling stagnant and dealing with a mentally disabled [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in a post-Great War world. Back aboard the ''Lost Light'', Getaway and [[Atomizer]]'s true agenda for Tailgate comes to light, and so do Skids' repressed memories — which had left him with deep scars and extinguished his previous faith. Elsewhere, the Decepticon Justice Division learn Megatron had called for an end to Decepticon warfare; they double down and join forces with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s splinter faction, determined to kill Megatron for heresy.

The fiftieth issue begins the season finale arc, "The Dying of the Light". Megatron, Rodimus, and the main cast are tricked into going to Necroworld, only to learn the entire Lost Light crew have mutinied under Getaway's lead. Sick of Megatron's presence and Rodimus' incompetent leadership, they intend to continue the Knightquest without them, having informed both the Decepticon Justice Division and the [[Galactic Council]] of Megatron's location. Shocking revelations are had, a bunch of old friends and an old enemy return, and a fierce battle is waged. Though the Decepticons are beaten, none of the crew escape unscathed—and some pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, beneath Necroworld's hollow shell, Nightbeat and Rung discover the true purpose of the unusual planet...

{{--}}

==Creative team==
[[File:Milne roberts.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Series artist [[Alex Milne]] (left) and writer [[James Roberts]] (right)]]
The series is written by [[James Roberts]], fresh from the critical success of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. Roberts had already been assigned the series when he wrote the two-part "Chaos Theory" in issues [[Chaos Theory Part 1|#22]] and [[Chaos Theory Part 2|#23]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], and seeded many early plot points for the series into those two issues, including [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] as the prison guard. Also furthering the link between the ongoing and ''More than Meets the Eye'', when Roberts co-plotted "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" with [[Mike Costa]], Costa let him script all of the Kimia escape shuttle scenes, populated with characters who would be aboard the [[Lost Light]].<ref name="Everything">From the 'Everything You Didn't Realize You Needed To Know About More Than Meets The Eye' section of the TPB</ref>

[[Alex Milne]] serves as the series regular artist, with colors by [[Josh Burcham]]. The visual "look" of ''More than Meets the Eye'' that the pair have created is very unique, with slightly exaggerated, cartoonishly stylized character models unlike anything in Milne's past work, cel-shaded with a textured, muted color palette that combines to create something quite unlike any modern Transformer comic. So key is this "visual identity" to the book that almost all other contributors who have worked on the title have striven to emulate it, adapting their own lineart and coloring styles to match the expected look and tone of the book. Frequent Roberts collaborator [[Nick Roche]] provided art for issues #1 and #6, as well as "B" covers for every issue, while [[Brendan Cahill]] co-pencilled #12, [[Guido Guidi]] stepped in for #13, [[Agustin Padilla]] filled in last-minute for #16, and [[James Raiz]] drew the lineart for #22. [[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Josh Perez]] have also lent their colors to the book, while [[Marcelo Matere]] regularly provides retailer incentive variant covers for the series. Following the "Dark Cybertron" crossover event, Burcham stepped down as the book's regular colorist, and Lafuente took his place, bringing a new palette and gradiated shading to the series.
{{--}}

==Soundtrack==
[[File:Nautica-MTMTE42covercropped.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pick up the latest issue of ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Indie Disco!'']]
In a unique touch, writer James Roberts would visit the [http://boards.idwpublishing.com/3/index.php IDW Publishing forums] shortly before the release of each issue and offer up a "teaser" post containing one or more songs that served as a "soundtrack" that would set the tonal and/or emotional stage for the upcoming issue, usually tending toward the independent- and folk-rock genres. This began at issue #2, with the songs for #1 being provided later; TFWiki lists these songs on each issue's respective article. Non-issue-specific songs for the series and its characters in general include:

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmZRO8XzyY "Lost Coastlines"] by [[Wikipedia:Okkervil River|Okkervil River]] — an overall anthem for the series
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLs3aLq8quw "I've Got a Plan"] by [[Wikipedia: My Friend the Chocolate Cake|My Friend the Chocolate Cake]] — [[theme song]] for Rodimus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maZZOQ_hKA "I Would Fix You"] by [[Wikipedia:Kenickie|Kenickie]] — theme song for Chromedome and Rewind
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYbgWDA2U-M "Hello Cruel World"] by [[Wikipedia:Mark Oliver Everett|Mark Oliver Everett]] — theme song for Tailgate
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcX_JleLsbk "True Men"] by [[Wikipedia:Jon DeRosa|Jon DeRosa]] — theme song for Ultra Magnus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ae0TfhK8M "Let's Make This Precious"] by [[Wikipedia: Dexys Midnight Runners|Dexys Midnight Runners]] — anthem for the series' second season
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpDxT2q9QE "The Old Man's Back Again"] by [[Wikipedia: Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker]] — theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY "Irish Blood, English Heart"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — another theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLkwnM0BJR4 "Speedway"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — yet ''another'' theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcQFidfA9rU "Left to My Own Devices"] by [[Wikipedia:Pet Shop Boys|Pet Shop Boys]] — theme song for Brainstorm 
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmdWgU "Chicago"] by [[Wikipedia:Sufjan Stevens|Sufjan Stevens]] — theme song for Cyclonus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CETTzv3fTG0 "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)"] by [[Wikipedia:James (band)|James]] — theme song for Whirl

==Collections==
*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' ([[June 13]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772351 / ISBN 978-1613772355 
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' one-shot.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, 12 promotional images, "Meet the Crew" page, design sketches from [[Alex Milne]] for various characters and ship locations, and a 2-page editor's comment with "behind the scenes" information about the series.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 2''''' ([[October 17]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613774982 / ISBN 978-1613774984 
:*Contains issues #4 to #8.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, "Meet the Crew" and "Meet the 'Cons" pages.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[March 27]], [[2013]]) ISBN 161377592X / ISBN 978-1613775929 
:*Contains Annual 2012 and issues #9 to #11.
:*Bonus material includes "Meet the Crew", variant covers, and designs for the [[Guiding Hand]].

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 4''''' ([[July 17]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613776918 / ISBN 978-1613776919 
:*Contains issues #12 to #16.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[Signal to Noise]]''.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' ([[November 13]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029 
:*Contains issues #17 to #22.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]''.

*'''''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|The Transformers: Dark Cybertron]] Volume 1''''' ([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913
:*Contains issues #23 to #25, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23 and #24.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' (reissue) ([[May 21]], 2014) ISBN 1613779658 / ISBN 978-1613779651
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''The Death of Optimus Prime'' one-shot.
:*New cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
:*Bonus material UNKNOWN

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' ([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989
:*Contains ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–#27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–#27, and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1]]''''' ([[September 3]], 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
:*Includes "The Death of Optimus Prime", ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1–5 and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' #1–6.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6''''' ([[December 10]], 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
:*Contains issues #28 to #33.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' ([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728
:*Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–#27 and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' ([[May 13]], 2015) ISBN 1631403273 / ISBN 978-1631403279
:*Contains issues #34 to #38
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2]]''''' ([[August 12]], 2015) ISBN 1631403648 / ISBN 978-1631403644
:*Includes ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'', ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' #6–8, ''Robots in Disguise'' #7–9 and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8''''' ([[October 21]], 2015) ISBN 1631404520 / ISBN 978-1631404528
:*Contains issues #39 to #44
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], 2015) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
:*Includes ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye'' Volumes 1 to 5
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
:*Includes ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012 and #9–13, ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 and #10–11, "[[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Spotlight: Thundercracker]]", "[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]", "[[Spotlight: Megatron]]" and "[[Signal to Noise]]"
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], 2016) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
:*Contains issues #45 to #49
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 10''''' (Scheduled for [[September 13]], 2016) ISBN 1631407163 / ISBN 978-1631407161
:*Contains issues #50 to #55
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol1.jpg|Volume 1 cover by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:MTMTE vol2.jpg|Volume 2 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol3.jpg|Volume 3 cover by Alex Milne and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:MTMTE vol4.jpg|Volume 4 cover by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol5.jpg|Volume 5 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:DC vol1.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 1 cover by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
File:MTMTE vol1 reissue.jpg|Volume 1 reissue cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 2 cover by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:IDWCollectionP2V1.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 1 cover by [[Sarah Stone]]
File:MTMTE vol6.jpg|Volume 6 cover by [[Casey Coller]] and Joana Lafuente
File:DC HC.jpg|Dark Cybertron Hardcover cover by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol7.jpg|Volume 7 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:IDWCollectionP2V2.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 2 cover by Sarah Stone
File:MTMTE vol8.jpg|Volume 8 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
</gallery>

==In fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:MTMTE43_subcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Your childhood's hero you pretended was your favourite after your gran bought it and not that Ultra Magnus you wanted.]]
{{quote|...I didn't say I didn't '''like''' it—I just don't understand all of the words, and it presumes a '''familiarity''' with the Autobot/Decepticon war that I '''still''' don't have...|[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]|"[[The One Where They Go to Earth]]"}}

After being exposed to [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s [[Metafictional bomb|meta-bomb]] and [[Time case|briefcase]], the Autobot [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] somehow created a reiterative time-loop inside him, allowing his [[holomatter]] generator to create a life-sized replica of the planet [[Earth]] to which his mind retreated when he was dying from a rust infection. The only literature on "[[Swearth]]", as it was swiftly dubbed, was a comic book series called ''More than Meets the Eye'' that detailed the adventures of the ''[[Lost Light]]'''s crew up until that point, which [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] read in order to gain clues as to Swerve's location. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

==Recognition==
* #85 on [http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-100-76#85 Comic Book Resource's top 100 Comics of 2015].
* Winner of Comics Alliance's [http://comicsalliance.com/comics-alliance-best-of-2015-continued-excellence-in-serial-comics/ Best of 2015: Continued Excellence in Serial Comics].

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:More than Meets the Eye, The Transformers}}
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2016-07-29T09:36:51Z

Minimusminor: /* Season 2 */

{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
[[File:MTMTE1 cvrE.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|All of your favorite childhood heroes... and Drift.]]
'''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye''''' is an ongoing comic series published by [[IDW Publishing]], starting in January [[2012]]. This series follows the adventures of [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and his team as they travel through space, hunting for the legendary [[Knights of Cybertron]] and having adventures along the way. But mostly it's about lonely nobodies hanging out pretending they have friends.

The series picks off from "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", the epilogue to the previous [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing]], and takes place at the same time as a second ongoing series, ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', which together form the fourth major "act" of IDW's ongoing [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|Generation 1 continuity]].

In 2014, it was nominated for three True Believer Awards (formerly the Eagle Awards): Favourite American Comic Book: Colour, Favourite Single Story ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|#13]]), and Favourite Continued Story (Remain in Light).<ref>[http://www.truebelieverscomicawards.com/nominees.html True Believers Comic Awards nominees]</ref>

The series is set to conclude with issue #57 and will relaunch as ''[[Transformers: Lost Light]]'' in December 2016.

{{quote
|"Everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' is '''cracked in the head!'''"

"Yeah, '''dysfunctional''' isn't the word! There isn't a '''normal''' 'bot among you!"

"And that wouldn't be so bad if you actually '''made progress'''—but as far as I can make out, all you do is '''argue''', crack jokes, and get '''sidetracked''' doing pointless, silly things that only you find amusing!"
|Various members of the '''Circle of Light'''
|"[[Little Victories]]"
|noquote=true
|center=true
}}

{{chapters|series=mtmte|style=3 |prev=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|next=Transformers: Lost Light|align=left|content=
*[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|#2]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]]
*[[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]
*[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]]
*[[Interiors|#6]]
*[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]
*[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|Annual 2012]]
*[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|#10]]
*[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|#11]]
*[[Before & After|#12]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 13|#13]]
*[[Remembrance Day|#14]]
*[[Under Cold Blue Stars|#15]]
*[[The Gloaming|#16]]
*[[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|#17]]
*[[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|#18]]
*[[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|#19]]
*[[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|#20]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 21|#21]]
*[[Little Victories|#22]]
*[[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#23]]
*[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#24]]
*[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#25]]
*[[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#26]]
*[[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#27]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|#29]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|#30]]
*[[Twenty Plus One|#31]]
*[[Slaughterhouse|#32]]
*[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|#33]]
*[[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|#34]]
*[[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|#35]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|#37]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|#38]]
*[[The Permanent Revolution|#39]]
*[[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|#40]]
*[[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]
*[[The Frail Gaze|#42]]
*[[The One Where They Go to Earth|#43]]
*[[The Not Knowing|#44]]
*[[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]
*[[Animals|#46]]
*[[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*[[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]
*[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|#51]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|#53]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|#54]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 56|#56]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 57|#57]]
}}

==Overview==
In contrast to the Cybertron-based setting of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' is set predominantly within the walls of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the spaceship captained by [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] that carries his crew on their expedition to locate the [[Knights of Cybertron]], a mythical group who left the planet ten million years prior to the present day to spread peace and enlightenment across the universe. The book features an ensemble cast, who come and go from the spotlight with each passing issue, made up in large part of characters who have been overlooked by past fiction.

The "main cast" at the series outset includes Rodimus himself, a daredevil egotist who could not be more ill-suited to command; his officious second-in-command [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], whose obsessive-compulsive traits make life on the ship difficult for everyone; third-in-command [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], now with a relentlessly positive outlook on life following a near-death experience; the talkative [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], who immediately became a fan favorite; ship's doctor [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], now feeling his age and looking for something new in life; dangerously unhinged ex-[[Wrecker]] [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], who soon forms a murderous enmity with disillusioned ancient Cybertronian [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]; ship's security officer [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], even more paranoid then ever; timid psychiatrist [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who slowly seems to be more than he appears; and diminutive archivist [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], who would come to draw much attention as the first truly official "gay" romantic couple in Transformers fiction.<ref>Quote marks around "gay" 'cause IDW has previously established that Transformers are genderless in their continuity, but let's not kid ourselves here.</ref> In short order, the crew is joined by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], a naive Transformer who has been offline for the duration of the war and finds himself forced to choose a side, and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], a long-missing Autobot who reappears with amnesia and a bad attitude. As the series progresses, more Autobots come into focus on the fringes of the story, like the over-eager, luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and resentful, boozy, one-trick-pony [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. ''More than Meets the Eye'' uses its "quest" backdrop to tell multiple smaller adventures, throughout which are threaded many, ''many'' seeds for future stories, together forming a grand tapestry that has clearly been planned out ''very'' far in advance.

[[File:MTMTE28 subcvr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|All of your favorite childhood heroes... wait, what's ''he'' doing there?]]
===Season 1===
Following an unexpected [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] upon launch, the ''Lost Light'' is hurled off into the depths of space, where the crew is joined by Skids and contends with a stowaway [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]. A visit to [[Delphi]] by Ratchet to help cure a plague introduces the threat of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], who then feature in a Decepticon-dedicated story menacing a [[Scavenger (group)|band of misfit Decepticons]], and also brings the facility's surviving patients and staff onto the ship—including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], whose post-traumatic stress causes him to snap and nearly kill Rung. Hoping to cure Rung's damaged brain, Rewind gathers a small group together to recount a shared story from their past about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] foiling a [[Senate]] plot to discredit the burgeoning Decepticon movement in the days of Functionism. Unfortunately, the little archivist is soon badly wounded in battle, sending Chromedome into a grief spiral that allows Drift to manipulate him into carrying out a plan laid out by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]: using his mnemosurgery skills to tap the memories and learn the secrets of mass-murdering Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], secretly hidden on board the ''Lost Light''. Unfortunately, Chromedome accidentally allows Overlord to escape, and Rewind has to sacrifice himself to jettison the monster from the ship. Ultra Magnus is also fatally wounded in the battle, but when his body disappears from the ship's Medibay, the crew track it to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where they discover and foil a twisted plot by [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] to wipe out all those Transformers he sees as tainted by original sin.

The book then moves into the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crossover with ''Robots in Disguise'' with the ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues mainly dealing with the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s quest to find and revive Metroplex and Orion Pax's investigation into the Dead Universe's involvement in Shockwave's overall plot. The casts of both series finally meet again in [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|''Robots in Disguise'' #26]].

[[File:MTMTE40 Ten's mural.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|All of [[Ten]]'s favorite adulthood heroes.]]
===Season 2===
Following ''Dark Cybertron'''s conclusion, The cast undergoes a reshuffle, as tertiary crew members like [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]], as well as several newcomers, become the story's focus; [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], recently-resurrected detective; Skids' escapologist partner [[Getaway]], who takes an immediate shine to Tailgate; [[Caminus|Camien]] bibliophile and quantum mechanic [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]]; and [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]], a neurotic [[M.T.O.]] Aquabot. The season kicks off with Megatron's trial and the events that lead to him captaining the ''Lost Light'' set in the six months between ''Dark Cybertron'' and Season 2. In the present day, the resumed voyage does not start well, with the arrival of a [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|coffin]], disappearing objects on the ship, and a chilling addendum to [[The Gloaming|Rewind's Message]]. Answers to the mysteries revolving around the coffin lead to the [[time travel|time-traveling]] "Elegant Chaos" arc, as the ''Lost Light''ers scramble after [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], who has gone back in time, bent on changing the future. Along the way, the gang inadvertently answers some of the series's longest-standing questions, including the events foreshadowed in season 1's ominous message from the future.

In the aftermath, several characters depart for other comics while new people [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] join the crew. The ''Lost Light'' discovers a message from [[Dominus Ambus|a dead spy]] within the DJD while helping Swerve with his self-worth issues, in a madcap adventure on a holomatter Earth. Following its directions to the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]], they are met with a sobering reminder that all of them are killers and would one day have to face it. Megatron was particularly shaken by the visual representation of the billions of deaths he was responsible for. Mean while, the Scavengers return for another two-parter, feeling stagnant and dealing with a mentally disabled [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in a post-Great War world. Back aboard the ''Lost Light'', Getaway and [[Atomizer]]'s true agenda for Tailgate comes to light, and so do Skids' repressed memories — which had left him with deep scars and extinguished his previous faith. Elsewhere, the Decepticon Justice Division learn Megatron had called for an end to Decepticon warfare; they double down and join forces with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s splinter faction, determined to kill Megatron for heresy.

The fiftieth issue begins the season finale arc, "The Dying of the Light". Megatron, Rodimus, and the main cast are tricked into going to Necroworld, only to learn the entire Lost Light crew have mutinied under Getaway's lead. Sick of Megatron's presence and Rodimus' incompetent leadership, they intend to continue the Knightquest without them, having informed both the Decepticon Justice Division and the [[Galactic Council]] of Megatron's location. Shocking revelations are had, a bunch of old friends and an old enemy return, and a fierce battle is waged. Though the Decepticons are beaten, none of the crew escape unscathed—and some pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, beneath Necroworld's hollow shell, Nightbeat and Rung discover the true purpose of the unusual planet...

{{--}}

==Creative team==
[[File:Milne roberts.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Series artist [[Alex Milne]] (left) and writer [[James Roberts]] (right)]]
The series is written by [[James Roberts]], fresh from the critical success of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. Roberts had already been assigned the series when he wrote the two-part "Chaos Theory" in issues [[Chaos Theory Part 1|#22]] and [[Chaos Theory Part 2|#23]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], and seeded many early plot points for the series into those two issues, including [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] as the prison guard. Also furthering the link between the ongoing and ''More than Meets the Eye'', when Roberts co-plotted "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" with [[Mike Costa]], Costa let him script all of the Kimia escape shuttle scenes, populated with characters who would be aboard the [[Lost Light]].<ref name="Everything">From the 'Everything You Didn't Realize You Needed To Know About More Than Meets The Eye' section of the TPB</ref>

[[Alex Milne]] serves as the series regular artist, with colors by [[Josh Burcham]]. The visual "look" of ''More than Meets the Eye'' that the pair have created is very unique, with slightly exaggerated, cartoonishly stylized character models unlike anything in Milne's past work, cel-shaded with a textured, muted color palette that combines to create something quite unlike any modern Transformer comic. So key is this "visual identity" to the book that almost all other contributors who have worked on the title have striven to emulate it, adapting their own lineart and coloring styles to match the expected look and tone of the book. Frequent Roberts collaborator [[Nick Roche]] provided art for issues #1 and #6, as well as "B" covers for every issue, while [[Brendan Cahill]] co-pencilled #12, [[Guido Guidi]] stepped in for #13, [[Agustin Padilla]] filled in last-minute for #16, and [[James Raiz]] drew the lineart for #22. [[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Josh Perez]] have also lent their colors to the book, while [[Marcelo Matere]] regularly provides retailer incentive variant covers for the series. Following the "Dark Cybertron" crossover event, Burcham stepped down as the book's regular colorist, and Lafuente took his place, bringing a new palette and gradiated shading to the series.
{{--}}

==Soundtrack==
[[File:Nautica-MTMTE42covercropped.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pick up the latest issue of ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Indie Disco!'']]
In a unique touch, writer James Roberts would visit the [http://boards.idwpublishing.com/3/index.php IDW Publishing forums] shortly before the release of each issue and offer up a "teaser" post containing one or more songs that served as a "soundtrack" that would set the tonal and/or emotional stage for the upcoming issue, usually tending toward the independent- and folk-rock genres. This began at issue #2, with the songs for #1 being provided later; TFWiki lists these songs on each issue's respective article. Non-issue-specific songs for the series and its characters in general include:

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmZRO8XzyY "Lost Coastlines"] by [[Wikipedia:Okkervil River|Okkervil River]] — an overall anthem for the series
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLs3aLq8quw "I've Got a Plan"] by [[Wikipedia: My Friend the Chocolate Cake|My Friend the Chocolate Cake]] — [[theme song]] for Rodimus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maZZOQ_hKA "I Would Fix You"] by [[Wikipedia:Kenickie|Kenickie]] — theme song for Chromedome and Rewind
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYbgWDA2U-M "Hello Cruel World"] by [[Wikipedia:Mark Oliver Everett|Mark Oliver Everett]] — theme song for Tailgate
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcX_JleLsbk "True Men"] by [[Wikipedia:Jon DeRosa|Jon DeRosa]] — theme song for Ultra Magnus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ae0TfhK8M "Let's Make This Precious"] by [[Wikipedia: Dexys Midnight Runners|Dexys Midnight Runners]] — anthem for the series' second season
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpDxT2q9QE "The Old Man's Back Again"] by [[Wikipedia: Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker]] — theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY "Irish Blood, English Heart"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — another theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLkwnM0BJR4 "Speedway"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — yet ''another'' theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcQFidfA9rU "Left to My Own Devices"] by [[Wikipedia:Pet Shop Boys|Pet Shop Boys]] — theme song for Brainstorm 
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmdWgU "Chicago"] by [[Wikipedia:Sufjan Stevens|Sufjan Stevens]] — theme song for Cyclonus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CETTzv3fTG0 "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)"] by [[Wikipedia:James (band)|James]] — theme song for Whirl

==Collections==
*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' ([[June 13]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772351 / ISBN 978-1613772355 
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' one-shot.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, 12 promotional images, "Meet the Crew" page, design sketches from [[Alex Milne]] for various characters and ship locations, and a 2-page editor's comment with "behind the scenes" information about the series.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 2''''' ([[October 17]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613774982 / ISBN 978-1613774984 
:*Contains issues #4 to #8.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, "Meet the Crew" and "Meet the 'Cons" pages.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[March 27]], [[2013]]) ISBN 161377592X / ISBN 978-1613775929 
:*Contains Annual 2012 and issues #9 to #11.
:*Bonus material includes "Meet the Crew", variant covers, and designs for the [[Guiding Hand]].

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 4''''' ([[July 17]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613776918 / ISBN 978-1613776919 
:*Contains issues #12 to #16.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[Signal to Noise]]''.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' ([[November 13]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029 
:*Contains issues #17 to #22.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]''.

*'''''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|The Transformers: Dark Cybertron]] Volume 1''''' ([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913
:*Contains issues #23 to #25, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23 and #24.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' (reissue) ([[May 21]], 2014) ISBN 1613779658 / ISBN 978-1613779651
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''The Death of Optimus Prime'' one-shot.
:*New cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
:*Bonus material UNKNOWN

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' ([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989
:*Contains ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–#27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–#27, and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1]]''''' ([[September 3]], 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
:*Includes "The Death of Optimus Prime", ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1–5 and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' #1–6.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6''''' ([[December 10]], 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
:*Contains issues #28 to #33.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' ([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728
:*Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–#27 and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' ([[May 13]], 2015) ISBN 1631403273 / ISBN 978-1631403279
:*Contains issues #34 to #38
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2]]''''' ([[August 12]], 2015) ISBN 1631403648 / ISBN 978-1631403644
:*Includes ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'', ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' #6–8, ''Robots in Disguise'' #7–9 and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8''''' ([[October 21]], 2015) ISBN 1631404520 / ISBN 978-1631404528
:*Contains issues #39 to #44
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], 2015) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
:*Includes ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye'' Volumes 1 to 5
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
:*Includes ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012 and #9–13, ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 and #10–11, "[[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Spotlight: Thundercracker]]", "[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]", "[[Spotlight: Megatron]]" and "[[Signal to Noise]]"
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], 2016) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
:*Contains issues #45 to #49
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 10''''' (Scheduled for [[September 13]], 2016) ISBN 1631407163 / ISBN 978-1631407161
:*Contains issues #50 to #55
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol1.jpg|Volume 1 cover by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:MTMTE vol2.jpg|Volume 2 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol3.jpg|Volume 3 cover by Alex Milne and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:MTMTE vol4.jpg|Volume 4 cover by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol5.jpg|Volume 5 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:DC vol1.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 1 cover by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
File:MTMTE vol1 reissue.jpg|Volume 1 reissue cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 2 cover by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:IDWCollectionP2V1.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 1 cover by [[Sarah Stone]]
File:MTMTE vol6.jpg|Volume 6 cover by [[Casey Coller]] and Joana Lafuente
File:DC HC.jpg|Dark Cybertron Hardcover cover by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol7.jpg|Volume 7 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:IDWCollectionP2V2.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 2 cover by Sarah Stone
File:MTMTE vol8.jpg|Volume 8 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
</gallery>

==In fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:MTMTE43_subcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Your childhood's hero you pretended was your favourite after your gran bought it and not that Ultra Magnus you wanted.]]
{{quote|...I didn't say I didn't '''like''' it—I just don't understand all of the words, and it presumes a '''familiarity''' with the Autobot/Decepticon war that I '''still''' don't have...|[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]|"[[The One Where They Go to Earth]]"}}

After being exposed to [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s [[Metafictional bomb|meta-bomb]] and [[Time case|briefcase]], the Autobot [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] somehow created a reiterative time-loop inside him, allowing his [[holomatter]] generator to create a life-sized replica of the planet [[Earth]] to which his mind retreated when he was dying from a rust infection. The only literature on "[[Swearth]]", as it was swiftly dubbed, was a comic book series called ''More than Meets the Eye'' that detailed the adventures of the ''[[Lost Light]]'''s crew up until that point, which [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] read in order to gain clues as to Swerve's location. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

==Recognition==
* #85 on [http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-100-76#85 Comic Book Resource's top 100 Comics of 2015].
* Winner of Comics Alliance's [http://comicsalliance.com/comics-alliance-best-of-2015-continued-excellence-in-serial-comics/ Best of 2015: Continued Excellence in Serial Comics].

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:More than Meets the Eye, The Transformers}}
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2016-07-29T09:33:13Z

Minimusminor: /* Season 2 */

{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
[[File:MTMTE1 cvrE.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|All of your favorite childhood heroes... and Drift.]]
'''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye''''' is an ongoing comic series published by [[IDW Publishing]], starting in January [[2012]]. This series follows the adventures of [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and his team as they travel through space, hunting for the legendary [[Knights of Cybertron]] and having adventures along the way. But mostly it's about lonely nobodies hanging out pretending they have friends.

The series picks off from "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", the epilogue to the previous [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing]], and takes place at the same time as a second ongoing series, ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', which together form the fourth major "act" of IDW's ongoing [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|Generation 1 continuity]].

In 2014, it was nominated for three True Believer Awards (formerly the Eagle Awards): Favourite American Comic Book: Colour, Favourite Single Story ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|#13]]), and Favourite Continued Story (Remain in Light).<ref>[http://www.truebelieverscomicawards.com/nominees.html True Believers Comic Awards nominees]</ref>

The series is set to conclude with issue #57 and will relaunch as ''[[Transformers: Lost Light]]'' in December 2016.

{{quote
|"Everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' is '''cracked in the head!'''"

"Yeah, '''dysfunctional''' isn't the word! There isn't a '''normal''' 'bot among you!"

"And that wouldn't be so bad if you actually '''made progress'''—but as far as I can make out, all you do is '''argue''', crack jokes, and get '''sidetracked''' doing pointless, silly things that only you find amusing!"
|Various members of the '''Circle of Light'''
|"[[Little Victories]]"
|noquote=true
|center=true
}}

{{chapters|series=mtmte|style=3 |prev=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|next=Transformers: Lost Light|align=left|content=
*[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|#2]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]]
*[[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]
*[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]]
*[[Interiors|#6]]
*[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]
*[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|Annual 2012]]
*[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|#10]]
*[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|#11]]
*[[Before & After|#12]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 13|#13]]
*[[Remembrance Day|#14]]
*[[Under Cold Blue Stars|#15]]
*[[The Gloaming|#16]]
*[[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|#17]]
*[[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|#18]]
*[[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|#19]]
*[[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|#20]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 21|#21]]
*[[Little Victories|#22]]
*[[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#23]]
*[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#24]]
*[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#25]]
*[[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#26]]
*[[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#27]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|#29]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|#30]]
*[[Twenty Plus One|#31]]
*[[Slaughterhouse|#32]]
*[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|#33]]
*[[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|#34]]
*[[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|#35]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|#37]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|#38]]
*[[The Permanent Revolution|#39]]
*[[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|#40]]
*[[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]
*[[The Frail Gaze|#42]]
*[[The One Where They Go to Earth|#43]]
*[[The Not Knowing|#44]]
*[[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]
*[[Animals|#46]]
*[[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*[[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]
*[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|#51]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|#53]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|#54]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 56|#56]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 57|#57]]
}}

==Overview==
In contrast to the Cybertron-based setting of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' is set predominantly within the walls of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the spaceship captained by [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] that carries his crew on their expedition to locate the [[Knights of Cybertron]], a mythical group who left the planet ten million years prior to the present day to spread peace and enlightenment across the universe. The book features an ensemble cast, who come and go from the spotlight with each passing issue, made up in large part of characters who have been overlooked by past fiction.

The "main cast" at the series outset includes Rodimus himself, a daredevil egotist who could not be more ill-suited to command; his officious second-in-command [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], whose obsessive-compulsive traits make life on the ship difficult for everyone; third-in-command [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], now with a relentlessly positive outlook on life following a near-death experience; the talkative [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], who immediately became a fan favorite; ship's doctor [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], now feeling his age and looking for something new in life; dangerously unhinged ex-[[Wrecker]] [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], who soon forms a murderous enmity with disillusioned ancient Cybertronian [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]; ship's security officer [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], even more paranoid then ever; timid psychiatrist [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who slowly seems to be more than he appears; and diminutive archivist [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], who would come to draw much attention as the first truly official "gay" romantic couple in Transformers fiction.<ref>Quote marks around "gay" 'cause IDW has previously established that Transformers are genderless in their continuity, but let's not kid ourselves here.</ref> In short order, the crew is joined by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], a naive Transformer who has been offline for the duration of the war and finds himself forced to choose a side, and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], a long-missing Autobot who reappears with amnesia and a bad attitude. As the series progresses, more Autobots come into focus on the fringes of the story, like the over-eager, luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and resentful, boozy, one-trick-pony [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. ''More than Meets the Eye'' uses its "quest" backdrop to tell multiple smaller adventures, throughout which are threaded many, ''many'' seeds for future stories, together forming a grand tapestry that has clearly been planned out ''very'' far in advance.

[[File:MTMTE28 subcvr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|All of your favorite childhood heroes... wait, what's ''he'' doing there?]]
===Season 1===
Following an unexpected [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] upon launch, the ''Lost Light'' is hurled off into the depths of space, where the crew is joined by Skids and contends with a stowaway [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]. A visit to [[Delphi]] by Ratchet to help cure a plague introduces the threat of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], who then feature in a Decepticon-dedicated story menacing a [[Scavenger (group)|band of misfit Decepticons]], and also brings the facility's surviving patients and staff onto the ship—including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], whose post-traumatic stress causes him to snap and nearly kill Rung. Hoping to cure Rung's damaged brain, Rewind gathers a small group together to recount a shared story from their past about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] foiling a [[Senate]] plot to discredit the burgeoning Decepticon movement in the days of Functionism. Unfortunately, the little archivist is soon badly wounded in battle, sending Chromedome into a grief spiral that allows Drift to manipulate him into carrying out a plan laid out by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]: using his mnemosurgery skills to tap the memories and learn the secrets of mass-murdering Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], secretly hidden on board the ''Lost Light''. Unfortunately, Chromedome accidentally allows Overlord to escape, and Rewind has to sacrifice himself to jettison the monster from the ship. Ultra Magnus is also fatally wounded in the battle, but when his body disappears from the ship's Medibay, the crew track it to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where they discover and foil a twisted plot by [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] to wipe out all those Transformers he sees as tainted by original sin.

The book then moves into the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crossover with ''Robots in Disguise'' with the ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues mainly dealing with the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s quest to find and revive Metroplex and Orion Pax's investigation into the Dead Universe's involvement in Shockwave's overall plot. The casts of both series finally meet again in [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|''Robots in Disguise'' #26]].

[[File:MTMTE40 Ten's mural.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|All of [[Ten]]'s favorite adulthood heroes.]]
===Season 2===
Following ''Dark Cybertron'''s conclusion, the series' second season kicks off with a three-part story arc involving Megatron's trial and the events that lead to him captaining the ''Lost Light'' set in the six months between Dark Cybertron and Season 2 while the present day story deals with the arrival of a [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|coffin]], disappearing objects on the ship, and a chilling addendum to [[The Gloaming|Rewind's Message]]. The cast undergoes a reshuffle, as tertiary crew members like [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]], as well as several newcomers, become the story's focus; [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], recently-resurrected detective; Skids' escapologist partner [[Getaway]], who takes an immediate shine to Tailgate; [[Caminus|Camien]] bibliophile and quantum mechanic [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]]; and [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]], a neurotic [[M.T.O.]] Aquabot. Answers to the mysteries revolving around the coffin lead to the [[time travel|time-traveling]] "Elegant Chaos" arc, as the ''Lost Light''ers scramble after [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], who has gone back in time, bent on changing the future. Along the way, the gang inadvertently answers some of the series's longest-standing questions, including the events foreshadowed in season 1's ominous message from the future.

In the aftermath, several characters depart for other comics while new people [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] join the crew. The ''Lost Light'' discovers a message from [[Dominus Ambus|a dead spy]] within the DJD while helping Swerve with his self-worth issues, in a madcap adventure on a holomatter Earth. Following its directions to the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]], they are met with a sobering reminder that all of them are killers and would one day have to face it. Megatron was particularly shaken by the visual representation of the billions of deaths he was responsible for. Mean while, the Scavengers return for another two-parter, feeling stagnant and dealing with a mentally disabled [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in a post-Great War world. Back aboard the ''Lost Light'', Getaway and [[Atomizer]]'s true agenda for Tailgate comes to light, and so do Skids' repressed memories — which had left him with deep scars and extinguished his previous faith. Elsewhere, the Decepticon Justice Division learn Megatron had called for an end to Decepticon warfare; they double down and join forces with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s splinter faction, determined to kill Megatron for heresy.

The fiftieth issue begins the season finale arc, "The Dying of the Light". Megatron, Rodimus, and the main cast are tricked into going to Necroworld, only to learn the entire Lost Light crew have mutinied under Getaway's lead. Sick of Megatron's presence and Rodimus' incompetent leadership, they intend to continue the Knightquest without them, having informed both the Decepticon Justice Division and the [[Galactic Council]] of Megatron's location. Shocking revelations are had, a bunch of old friends and an old enemy return, and a fierce battle is waged. Though the Decepticons are beaten, none of the crew escape unscathed—and some pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, beneath Necroworld's hollow shell, Nightbeat and Rung discover the true purpose of the unusual planet...

{{--}}

==Creative team==
[[File:Milne roberts.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Series artist [[Alex Milne]] (left) and writer [[James Roberts]] (right)]]
The series is written by [[James Roberts]], fresh from the critical success of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. Roberts had already been assigned the series when he wrote the two-part "Chaos Theory" in issues [[Chaos Theory Part 1|#22]] and [[Chaos Theory Part 2|#23]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], and seeded many early plot points for the series into those two issues, including [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] as the prison guard. Also furthering the link between the ongoing and ''More than Meets the Eye'', when Roberts co-plotted "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" with [[Mike Costa]], Costa let him script all of the Kimia escape shuttle scenes, populated with characters who would be aboard the [[Lost Light]].<ref name="Everything">From the 'Everything You Didn't Realize You Needed To Know About More Than Meets The Eye' section of the TPB</ref>

[[Alex Milne]] serves as the series regular artist, with colors by [[Josh Burcham]]. The visual "look" of ''More than Meets the Eye'' that the pair have created is very unique, with slightly exaggerated, cartoonishly stylized character models unlike anything in Milne's past work, cel-shaded with a textured, muted color palette that combines to create something quite unlike any modern Transformer comic. So key is this "visual identity" to the book that almost all other contributors who have worked on the title have striven to emulate it, adapting their own lineart and coloring styles to match the expected look and tone of the book. Frequent Roberts collaborator [[Nick Roche]] provided art for issues #1 and #6, as well as "B" covers for every issue, while [[Brendan Cahill]] co-pencilled #12, [[Guido Guidi]] stepped in for #13, [[Agustin Padilla]] filled in last-minute for #16, and [[James Raiz]] drew the lineart for #22. [[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Josh Perez]] have also lent their colors to the book, while [[Marcelo Matere]] regularly provides retailer incentive variant covers for the series. Following the "Dark Cybertron" crossover event, Burcham stepped down as the book's regular colorist, and Lafuente took his place, bringing a new palette and gradiated shading to the series.
{{--}}

==Soundtrack==
[[File:Nautica-MTMTE42covercropped.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pick up the latest issue of ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Indie Disco!'']]
In a unique touch, writer James Roberts would visit the [http://boards.idwpublishing.com/3/index.php IDW Publishing forums] shortly before the release of each issue and offer up a "teaser" post containing one or more songs that served as a "soundtrack" that would set the tonal and/or emotional stage for the upcoming issue, usually tending toward the independent- and folk-rock genres. This began at issue #2, with the songs for #1 being provided later; TFWiki lists these songs on each issue's respective article. Non-issue-specific songs for the series and its characters in general include:

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmZRO8XzyY "Lost Coastlines"] by [[Wikipedia:Okkervil River|Okkervil River]] — an overall anthem for the series
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLs3aLq8quw "I've Got a Plan"] by [[Wikipedia: My Friend the Chocolate Cake|My Friend the Chocolate Cake]] — [[theme song]] for Rodimus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maZZOQ_hKA "I Would Fix You"] by [[Wikipedia:Kenickie|Kenickie]] — theme song for Chromedome and Rewind
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYbgWDA2U-M "Hello Cruel World"] by [[Wikipedia:Mark Oliver Everett|Mark Oliver Everett]] — theme song for Tailgate
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcX_JleLsbk "True Men"] by [[Wikipedia:Jon DeRosa|Jon DeRosa]] — theme song for Ultra Magnus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ae0TfhK8M "Let's Make This Precious"] by [[Wikipedia: Dexys Midnight Runners|Dexys Midnight Runners]] — anthem for the series' second season
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpDxT2q9QE "The Old Man's Back Again"] by [[Wikipedia: Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker]] — theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY "Irish Blood, English Heart"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — another theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLkwnM0BJR4 "Speedway"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — yet ''another'' theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcQFidfA9rU "Left to My Own Devices"] by [[Wikipedia:Pet Shop Boys|Pet Shop Boys]] — theme song for Brainstorm 
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmdWgU "Chicago"] by [[Wikipedia:Sufjan Stevens|Sufjan Stevens]] — theme song for Cyclonus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CETTzv3fTG0 "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)"] by [[Wikipedia:James (band)|James]] — theme song for Whirl

==Collections==
*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' ([[June 13]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772351 / ISBN 978-1613772355 
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' one-shot.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, 12 promotional images, "Meet the Crew" page, design sketches from [[Alex Milne]] for various characters and ship locations, and a 2-page editor's comment with "behind the scenes" information about the series.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 2''''' ([[October 17]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613774982 / ISBN 978-1613774984 
:*Contains issues #4 to #8.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, "Meet the Crew" and "Meet the 'Cons" pages.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[March 27]], [[2013]]) ISBN 161377592X / ISBN 978-1613775929 
:*Contains Annual 2012 and issues #9 to #11.
:*Bonus material includes "Meet the Crew", variant covers, and designs for the [[Guiding Hand]].

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 4''''' ([[July 17]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613776918 / ISBN 978-1613776919 
:*Contains issues #12 to #16.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[Signal to Noise]]''.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' ([[November 13]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029 
:*Contains issues #17 to #22.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]''.

*'''''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|The Transformers: Dark Cybertron]] Volume 1''''' ([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913
:*Contains issues #23 to #25, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23 and #24.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' (reissue) ([[May 21]], 2014) ISBN 1613779658 / ISBN 978-1613779651
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''The Death of Optimus Prime'' one-shot.
:*New cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
:*Bonus material UNKNOWN

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' ([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989
:*Contains ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–#27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–#27, and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1]]''''' ([[September 3]], 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
:*Includes "The Death of Optimus Prime", ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1–5 and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' #1–6.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6''''' ([[December 10]], 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
:*Contains issues #28 to #33.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' ([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728
:*Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–#27 and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' ([[May 13]], 2015) ISBN 1631403273 / ISBN 978-1631403279
:*Contains issues #34 to #38
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2]]''''' ([[August 12]], 2015) ISBN 1631403648 / ISBN 978-1631403644
:*Includes ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'', ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' #6–8, ''Robots in Disguise'' #7–9 and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8''''' ([[October 21]], 2015) ISBN 1631404520 / ISBN 978-1631404528
:*Contains issues #39 to #44
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], 2015) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
:*Includes ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye'' Volumes 1 to 5
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
:*Includes ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012 and #9–13, ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 and #10–11, "[[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Spotlight: Thundercracker]]", "[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]", "[[Spotlight: Megatron]]" and "[[Signal to Noise]]"
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], 2016) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
:*Contains issues #45 to #49
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 10''''' (Scheduled for [[September 13]], 2016) ISBN 1631407163 / ISBN 978-1631407161
:*Contains issues #50 to #55
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol1.jpg|Volume 1 cover by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:MTMTE vol2.jpg|Volume 2 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol3.jpg|Volume 3 cover by Alex Milne and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:MTMTE vol4.jpg|Volume 4 cover by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol5.jpg|Volume 5 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:DC vol1.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 1 cover by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
File:MTMTE vol1 reissue.jpg|Volume 1 reissue cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 2 cover by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:IDWCollectionP2V1.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 1 cover by [[Sarah Stone]]
File:MTMTE vol6.jpg|Volume 6 cover by [[Casey Coller]] and Joana Lafuente
File:DC HC.jpg|Dark Cybertron Hardcover cover by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol7.jpg|Volume 7 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:IDWCollectionP2V2.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 2 cover by Sarah Stone
File:MTMTE vol8.jpg|Volume 8 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
</gallery>

==In fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:MTMTE43_subcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Your childhood's hero you pretended was your favourite after your gran bought it and not that Ultra Magnus you wanted.]]
{{quote|...I didn't say I didn't '''like''' it—I just don't understand all of the words, and it presumes a '''familiarity''' with the Autobot/Decepticon war that I '''still''' don't have...|[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]|"[[The One Where They Go to Earth]]"}}

After being exposed to [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s [[Metafictional bomb|meta-bomb]] and [[Time case|briefcase]], the Autobot [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] somehow created a reiterative time-loop inside him, allowing his [[holomatter]] generator to create a life-sized replica of the planet [[Earth]] to which his mind retreated when he was dying from a rust infection. The only literature on "[[Swearth]]", as it was swiftly dubbed, was a comic book series called ''More than Meets the Eye'' that detailed the adventures of the ''[[Lost Light]]'''s crew up until that point, which [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] read in order to gain clues as to Swerve's location. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

==Recognition==
* #85 on [http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-100-76#85 Comic Book Resource's top 100 Comics of 2015].
* Winner of Comics Alliance's [http://comicsalliance.com/comics-alliance-best-of-2015-continued-excellence-in-serial-comics/ Best of 2015: Continued Excellence in Serial Comics].

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:More than Meets the Eye, The Transformers}}
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2016-07-29T09:22:09Z

Minimusminor: /* Season 2 */ revised wording on synopsis.

{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
[[File:MTMTE1 cvrE.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|All of your favorite childhood heroes... and Drift.]]
'''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye''''' is an ongoing comic series published by [[IDW Publishing]], starting in January [[2012]]. This series follows the adventures of [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and his team as they travel through space, hunting for the legendary [[Knights of Cybertron]] and having adventures along the way. But mostly it's about lonely nobodies hanging out pretending they have friends.

The series picks off from "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", the epilogue to the previous [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing]], and takes place at the same time as a second ongoing series, ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', which together form the fourth major "act" of IDW's ongoing [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|Generation 1 continuity]].

In 2014, it was nominated for three True Believer Awards (formerly the Eagle Awards): Favourite American Comic Book: Colour, Favourite Single Story ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|#13]]), and Favourite Continued Story (Remain in Light).<ref>[http://www.truebelieverscomicawards.com/nominees.html True Believers Comic Awards nominees]</ref>

The series is set to conclude with issue #57 and will relaunch as ''[[Transformers: Lost Light]]'' in December 2016.

{{quote
|"Everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' is '''cracked in the head!'''"

"Yeah, '''dysfunctional''' isn't the word! There isn't a '''normal''' 'bot among you!"

"And that wouldn't be so bad if you actually '''made progress'''—but as far as I can make out, all you do is '''argue''', crack jokes, and get '''sidetracked''' doing pointless, silly things that only you find amusing!"
|Various members of the '''Circle of Light'''
|"[[Little Victories]]"
|noquote=true
|center=true
}}

{{chapters|series=mtmte|style=3 |prev=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|next=Transformers: Lost Light|align=left|content=
*[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|#2]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]]
*[[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]
*[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]]
*[[Interiors|#6]]
*[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]
*[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|Annual 2012]]
*[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|#10]]
*[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|#11]]
*[[Before & After|#12]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 13|#13]]
*[[Remembrance Day|#14]]
*[[Under Cold Blue Stars|#15]]
*[[The Gloaming|#16]]
*[[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|#17]]
*[[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|#18]]
*[[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|#19]]
*[[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|#20]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 21|#21]]
*[[Little Victories|#22]]
*[[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#23]]
*[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#24]]
*[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#25]]
*[[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#26]]
*[[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#27]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|#29]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|#30]]
*[[Twenty Plus One|#31]]
*[[Slaughterhouse|#32]]
*[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|#33]]
*[[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|#34]]
*[[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|#35]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|#37]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|#38]]
*[[The Permanent Revolution|#39]]
*[[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|#40]]
*[[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]
*[[The Frail Gaze|#42]]
*[[The One Where They Go to Earth|#43]]
*[[The Not Knowing|#44]]
*[[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]
*[[Animals|#46]]
*[[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*[[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]
*[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|#51]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|#53]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|#54]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 56|#56]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 57|#57]]
}}

==Overview==
In contrast to the Cybertron-based setting of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' is set predominantly within the walls of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the spaceship captained by [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] that carries his crew on their expedition to locate the [[Knights of Cybertron]], a mythical group who left the planet ten million years prior to the present day to spread peace and enlightenment across the universe. The book features an ensemble cast, who come and go from the spotlight with each passing issue, made up in large part of characters who have been overlooked by past fiction.

The "main cast" at the series outset includes Rodimus himself, a daredevil egotist who could not be more ill-suited to command; his officious second-in-command [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], whose obsessive-compulsive traits make life on the ship difficult for everyone; third-in-command [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], now with a relentlessly positive outlook on life following a near-death experience; the talkative [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], who immediately became a fan favorite; ship's doctor [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], now feeling his age and looking for something new in life; dangerously unhinged ex-[[Wrecker]] [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], who soon forms a murderous enmity with disillusioned ancient Cybertronian [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]; ship's security officer [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], even more paranoid then ever; timid psychiatrist [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who slowly seems to be more than he appears; and diminutive archivist [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], who would come to draw much attention as the first truly official "gay" romantic couple in Transformers fiction.<ref>Quote marks around "gay" 'cause IDW has previously established that Transformers are genderless in their continuity, but let's not kid ourselves here.</ref> In short order, the crew is joined by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], a naive Transformer who has been offline for the duration of the war and finds himself forced to choose a side, and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], a long-missing Autobot who reappears with amnesia and a bad attitude. As the series progresses, more Autobots come into focus on the fringes of the story, like the over-eager, luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and resentful, boozy, one-trick-pony [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. ''More than Meets the Eye'' uses its "quest" backdrop to tell multiple smaller adventures, throughout which are threaded many, ''many'' seeds for future stories, together forming a grand tapestry that has clearly been planned out ''very'' far in advance.

[[File:MTMTE28 subcvr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|All of your favorite childhood heroes... wait, what's ''he'' doing there?]]
===Season 1===
Following an unexpected [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] upon launch, the ''Lost Light'' is hurled off into the depths of space, where the crew is joined by Skids and contends with a stowaway [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]. A visit to [[Delphi]] by Ratchet to help cure a plague introduces the threat of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], who then feature in a Decepticon-dedicated story menacing a [[Scavenger (group)|band of misfit Decepticons]], and also brings the facility's surviving patients and staff onto the ship—including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], whose post-traumatic stress causes him to snap and nearly kill Rung. Hoping to cure Rung's damaged brain, Rewind gathers a small group together to recount a shared story from their past about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] foiling a [[Senate]] plot to discredit the burgeoning Decepticon movement in the days of Functionism. Unfortunately, the little archivist is soon badly wounded in battle, sending Chromedome into a grief spiral that allows Drift to manipulate him into carrying out a plan laid out by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]: using his mnemosurgery skills to tap the memories and learn the secrets of mass-murdering Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], secretly hidden on board the ''Lost Light''. Unfortunately, Chromedome accidentally allows Overlord to escape, and Rewind has to sacrifice himself to jettison the monster from the ship. Ultra Magnus is also fatally wounded in the battle, but when his body disappears from the ship's Medibay, the crew track it to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where they discover and foil a twisted plot by [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] to wipe out all those Transformers he sees as tainted by original sin.

The book then moves into the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crossover with ''Robots in Disguise'' with the ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues mainly dealing with the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s quest to find and revive Metroplex and Orion Pax's investigation into the Dead Universe's involvement in Shockwave's overall plot. The casts of both series finally meet again in [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|''Robots in Disguise'' #26]].

[[File:MTMTE40 Ten's mural.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|All of [[Ten]]'s favorite adulthood heroes.]]
===Season 2===
Following ''Dark Cybertron'''s conclusion, the series' second season kicks off with a three-part story arc involving Megatron's trial and the events that lead to him captaining the ''Lost Light'' set in the six months between Dark Cybertron and Season 2 while the present day story deals with the arrival of a [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|coffin]], disappearing objects on the ship, and a chilling addendum to [[The Gloaming|Rewind's Message]]. The cast undergoes a reshuffle, as tertiary crew members like [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]] are moved to the main cast and new crew members like [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] are added. The new members include two new original characters, [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] and [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]]. Answers to the mysteries revolving around the coffin lead to the [[time travel|time-traveling]] "Elegant Chaos" arc, as the ''Lost Light''ers scramble after [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], who has gone back in time, bent on changing the future. Along the way, the gang inadvertently answers some of the series's longest-standing questions, including the events foreshadowed in season 1's ominous message from the future.

In the aftermath, several characters depart for other comics while new people [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] join the crew. The ''Lost Light'' discovers a message from [[Dominus Ambus|a dead spy]] within the DJD while helping Swerve with his self-worth issues, in a madcap adventure on a holomatter Earth. Following its directions to the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]], they are met with a sobering reminder that all of them are killers and would one day have to face it. Megatron was particularly shaken by the visual representation of the billions of deaths he was responsible for. Mean while, the Scavengers return for another two-parter, feeling stagnant and dealing with a mentally disabled [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in a post-Great War world. Back aboard the ''Lost Light'', [[Getaway]] and [[Atomizer]]'s true agenda for Tailgate comes to light, and so do Skids' repressed memories — which had left him with deep scars and extinguished his previous faith. Elsewhere, the Decepticon Justice Division learn Megatron had called for an end to Decepticon warfare; they double down and join forces with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s splinter faction, determined to kill Megatron for heresy.

The fiftieth issue begins the season finale arc, "The Dying of the Light". Megatron, Rodimus, and the main cast are tricked into going to Necroworld, only to learn the entire Lost Light crew have mutinied under Getaway's lead. Sick of Megatron's presence and Rodimus' incompetent leadership, they intend to continue the Knightquest without them, having informed both the Decepticon Justice Division and the [[Galactic Council]] of Megatron's location. Shocking revelations are had, a bunch of old friends and an old enemy return, and a fierce battle is waged. Though the Decepticons are beaten, none of the crew escape unscathed—and some pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, beneath Necroworld's hollow shell, Nightbeat and Rung discover the true purpose of the unusual planet...

{{--}}

==Creative team==
[[File:Milne roberts.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Series artist [[Alex Milne]] (left) and writer [[James Roberts]] (right)]]
The series is written by [[James Roberts]], fresh from the critical success of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. Roberts had already been assigned the series when he wrote the two-part "Chaos Theory" in issues [[Chaos Theory Part 1|#22]] and [[Chaos Theory Part 2|#23]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], and seeded many early plot points for the series into those two issues, including [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] as the prison guard. Also furthering the link between the ongoing and ''More than Meets the Eye'', when Roberts co-plotted "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" with [[Mike Costa]], Costa let him script all of the Kimia escape shuttle scenes, populated with characters who would be aboard the [[Lost Light]].<ref name="Everything">From the 'Everything You Didn't Realize You Needed To Know About More Than Meets The Eye' section of the TPB</ref>

[[Alex Milne]] serves as the series regular artist, with colors by [[Josh Burcham]]. The visual "look" of ''More than Meets the Eye'' that the pair have created is very unique, with slightly exaggerated, cartoonishly stylized character models unlike anything in Milne's past work, cel-shaded with a textured, muted color palette that combines to create something quite unlike any modern Transformer comic. So key is this "visual identity" to the book that almost all other contributors who have worked on the title have striven to emulate it, adapting their own lineart and coloring styles to match the expected look and tone of the book. Frequent Roberts collaborator [[Nick Roche]] provided art for issues #1 and #6, as well as "B" covers for every issue, while [[Brendan Cahill]] co-pencilled #12, [[Guido Guidi]] stepped in for #13, [[Agustin Padilla]] filled in last-minute for #16, and [[James Raiz]] drew the lineart for #22. [[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Josh Perez]] have also lent their colors to the book, while [[Marcelo Matere]] regularly provides retailer incentive variant covers for the series. Following the "Dark Cybertron" crossover event, Burcham stepped down as the book's regular colorist, and Lafuente took his place, bringing a new palette and gradiated shading to the series.
{{--}}

==Soundtrack==
[[File:Nautica-MTMTE42covercropped.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pick up the latest issue of ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Indie Disco!'']]
In a unique touch, writer James Roberts would visit the [http://boards.idwpublishing.com/3/index.php IDW Publishing forums] shortly before the release of each issue and offer up a "teaser" post containing one or more songs that served as a "soundtrack" that would set the tonal and/or emotional stage for the upcoming issue, usually tending toward the independent- and folk-rock genres. This began at issue #2, with the songs for #1 being provided later; TFWiki lists these songs on each issue's respective article. Non-issue-specific songs for the series and its characters in general include:

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmZRO8XzyY "Lost Coastlines"] by [[Wikipedia:Okkervil River|Okkervil River]] — an overall anthem for the series
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLs3aLq8quw "I've Got a Plan"] by [[Wikipedia: My Friend the Chocolate Cake|My Friend the Chocolate Cake]] — [[theme song]] for Rodimus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maZZOQ_hKA "I Would Fix You"] by [[Wikipedia:Kenickie|Kenickie]] — theme song for Chromedome and Rewind
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYbgWDA2U-M "Hello Cruel World"] by [[Wikipedia:Mark Oliver Everett|Mark Oliver Everett]] — theme song for Tailgate
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcX_JleLsbk "True Men"] by [[Wikipedia:Jon DeRosa|Jon DeRosa]] — theme song for Ultra Magnus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ae0TfhK8M "Let's Make This Precious"] by [[Wikipedia: Dexys Midnight Runners|Dexys Midnight Runners]] — anthem for the series' second season
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpDxT2q9QE "The Old Man's Back Again"] by [[Wikipedia: Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker]] — theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY "Irish Blood, English Heart"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — another theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLkwnM0BJR4 "Speedway"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — yet ''another'' theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcQFidfA9rU "Left to My Own Devices"] by [[Wikipedia:Pet Shop Boys|Pet Shop Boys]] — theme song for Brainstorm 
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmdWgU "Chicago"] by [[Wikipedia:Sufjan Stevens|Sufjan Stevens]] — theme song for Cyclonus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CETTzv3fTG0 "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)"] by [[Wikipedia:James (band)|James]] — theme song for Whirl

==Collections==
*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' ([[June 13]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772351 / ISBN 978-1613772355 
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' one-shot.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, 12 promotional images, "Meet the Crew" page, design sketches from [[Alex Milne]] for various characters and ship locations, and a 2-page editor's comment with "behind the scenes" information about the series.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 2''''' ([[October 17]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613774982 / ISBN 978-1613774984 
:*Contains issues #4 to #8.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, "Meet the Crew" and "Meet the 'Cons" pages.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[March 27]], [[2013]]) ISBN 161377592X / ISBN 978-1613775929 
:*Contains Annual 2012 and issues #9 to #11.
:*Bonus material includes "Meet the Crew", variant covers, and designs for the [[Guiding Hand]].

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 4''''' ([[July 17]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613776918 / ISBN 978-1613776919 
:*Contains issues #12 to #16.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[Signal to Noise]]''.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' ([[November 13]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029 
:*Contains issues #17 to #22.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]''.

*'''''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|The Transformers: Dark Cybertron]] Volume 1''''' ([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913
:*Contains issues #23 to #25, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23 and #24.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' (reissue) ([[May 21]], 2014) ISBN 1613779658 / ISBN 978-1613779651
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''The Death of Optimus Prime'' one-shot.
:*New cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
:*Bonus material UNKNOWN

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' ([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989
:*Contains ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–#27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–#27, and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1]]''''' ([[September 3]], 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
:*Includes "The Death of Optimus Prime", ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1–5 and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' #1–6.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6''''' ([[December 10]], 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
:*Contains issues #28 to #33.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' ([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728
:*Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–#27 and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' ([[May 13]], 2015) ISBN 1631403273 / ISBN 978-1631403279
:*Contains issues #34 to #38
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2]]''''' ([[August 12]], 2015) ISBN 1631403648 / ISBN 978-1631403644
:*Includes ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'', ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' #6–8, ''Robots in Disguise'' #7–9 and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8''''' ([[October 21]], 2015) ISBN 1631404520 / ISBN 978-1631404528
:*Contains issues #39 to #44
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], 2015) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
:*Includes ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye'' Volumes 1 to 5
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
:*Includes ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012 and #9–13, ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 and #10–11, "[[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Spotlight: Thundercracker]]", "[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]", "[[Spotlight: Megatron]]" and "[[Signal to Noise]]"
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], 2016) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
:*Contains issues #45 to #49
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 10''''' (Scheduled for [[September 13]], 2016) ISBN 1631407163 / ISBN 978-1631407161
:*Contains issues #50 to #55
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol1.jpg|Volume 1 cover by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:MTMTE vol2.jpg|Volume 2 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol3.jpg|Volume 3 cover by Alex Milne and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:MTMTE vol4.jpg|Volume 4 cover by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol5.jpg|Volume 5 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:DC vol1.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 1 cover by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
File:MTMTE vol1 reissue.jpg|Volume 1 reissue cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 2 cover by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:IDWCollectionP2V1.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 1 cover by [[Sarah Stone]]
File:MTMTE vol6.jpg|Volume 6 cover by [[Casey Coller]] and Joana Lafuente
File:DC HC.jpg|Dark Cybertron Hardcover cover by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol7.jpg|Volume 7 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:IDWCollectionP2V2.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 2 cover by Sarah Stone
File:MTMTE vol8.jpg|Volume 8 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
</gallery>

==In fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:MTMTE43_subcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Your childhood's hero you pretended was your favourite after your gran bought it and not that Ultra Magnus you wanted.]]
{{quote|...I didn't say I didn't '''like''' it—I just don't understand all of the words, and it presumes a '''familiarity''' with the Autobot/Decepticon war that I '''still''' don't have...|[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]|"[[The One Where They Go to Earth]]"}}

After being exposed to [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s [[Metafictional bomb|meta-bomb]] and [[Time case|briefcase]], the Autobot [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] somehow created a reiterative time-loop inside him, allowing his [[holomatter]] generator to create a life-sized replica of the planet [[Earth]] to which his mind retreated when he was dying from a rust infection. The only literature on "[[Swearth]]", as it was swiftly dubbed, was a comic book series called ''More than Meets the Eye'' that detailed the adventures of the ''[[Lost Light]]'''s crew up until that point, which [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] read in order to gain clues as to Swerve's location. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

==Recognition==
* #85 on [http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-100-76#85 Comic Book Resource's top 100 Comics of 2015].
* Winner of Comics Alliance's [http://comicsalliance.com/comics-alliance-best-of-2015-continued-excellence-in-serial-comics/ Best of 2015: Continued Excellence in Serial Comics].

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:More than Meets the Eye, The Transformers}}
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2016-07-27T23:40:08Z

Minimusminor: /* Season 2 */

{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
[[File:MTMTE1 cvrE.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|All of your favorite childhood heroes... and Drift.]]
'''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye''''' is an ongoing comic series published by [[IDW Publishing]], starting in January [[2012]]. This series follows the adventures of [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and his team as they travel through space, hunting for the legendary [[Knights of Cybertron]] and having adventures along the way. But mostly it's about lonely nobodies hanging out pretending they have friends.

The series picks off from "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", the epilogue to the previous [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing]], and takes place at the same time as a second ongoing series, ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', which together form the fourth major "act" of IDW's ongoing [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|Generation 1 continuity]].

In 2014, it was nominated for three True Believer Awards (formerly the Eagle Awards): Favourite American Comic Book: Colour, Favourite Single Story ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|#13]]), and Favourite Continued Story (Remain in Light).<ref>[http://www.truebelieverscomicawards.com/nominees.html True Believers Comic Awards nominees]</ref>

The series is set to conclude with issue #57 and will relaunch as ''[[Transformers: Lost Light]]'' in December 2016.

{{quote
|"Everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' is '''cracked in the head!'''"

"Yeah, '''dysfunctional''' isn't the word! There isn't a '''normal''' 'bot among you!"

"And that wouldn't be so bad if you actually '''made progress'''—but as far as I can make out, all you do is '''argue''', crack jokes, and get '''sidetracked''' doing pointless, silly things that only you find amusing!"
|Various members of the '''Circle of Light'''
|"[[Little Victories]]"
|noquote=true
|center=true
}}

{{chapters|series=mtmte|style=3 |prev=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|next=Transformers: Lost Light|align=left|content=
*[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|#2]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]]
*[[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]
*[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]]
*[[Interiors|#6]]
*[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]
*[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|Annual 2012]]
*[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|#10]]
*[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|#11]]
*[[Before & After|#12]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 13|#13]]
*[[Remembrance Day|#14]]
*[[Under Cold Blue Stars|#15]]
*[[The Gloaming|#16]]
*[[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|#17]]
*[[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|#18]]
*[[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|#19]]
*[[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|#20]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 21|#21]]
*[[Little Victories|#22]]
*[[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#23]]
*[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#24]]
*[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#25]]
*[[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#26]]
*[[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#27]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|#29]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|#30]]
*[[Twenty Plus One|#31]]
*[[Slaughterhouse|#32]]
*[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|#33]]
*[[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|#34]]
*[[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|#35]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|#37]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|#38]]
*[[The Permanent Revolution|#39]]
*[[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|#40]]
*[[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]
*[[The Frail Gaze|#42]]
*[[The One Where They Go to Earth|#43]]
*[[The Not Knowing|#44]]
*[[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]
*[[Animals|#46]]
*[[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*[[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]
*[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|#51]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|#53]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|#54]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 56|#56]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 57|#57]]
}}

==Overview==
In contrast to the Cybertron-based setting of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' is set predominantly within the walls of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the spaceship captained by [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] that carries his crew on their expedition to locate the [[Knights of Cybertron]], a mythical group who left the planet ten million years prior to the present day to spread peace and enlightenment across the universe. The book features an ensemble cast, who come and go from the spotlight with each passing issue, made up in large part of characters who have been overlooked by past fiction.

The "main cast" at the series outset includes Rodimus himself, a daredevil egotist who could not be more ill-suited to command; his officious second-in-command [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], whose obsessive-compulsive traits make life on the ship difficult for everyone; third-in-command [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], now with a relentlessly positive outlook on life following a near-death experience; the talkative [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], who immediately became a fan favorite; ship's doctor [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], now feeling his age and looking for something new in life; dangerously unhinged ex-[[Wrecker]] [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], who soon forms a murderous enmity with disillusioned ancient Cybertronian [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]; ship's security officer [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], even more paranoid then ever; timid psychiatrist [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who slowly seems to be more than he appears; and diminutive archivist [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], who would come to draw much attention as the first truly official "gay" romantic couple in Transformers fiction.<ref>Quote marks around "gay" 'cause IDW has previously established that Transformers are genderless in their continuity, but let's not kid ourselves here.</ref> In short order, the crew is joined by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], a naive Transformer who has been offline for the duration of the war and finds himself forced to choose a side, and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], a long-missing Autobot who reappears with amnesia and a bad attitude. As the series progresses, more Autobots come into focus on the fringes of the story, like the over-eager, luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and resentful, boozy, one-trick-pony [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. ''More than Meets the Eye'' uses its "quest" backdrop to tell multiple smaller adventures, throughout which are threaded many, ''many'' seeds for future stories, together forming a grand tapestry that has clearly been planned out ''very'' far in advance.

[[File:MTMTE28 subcvr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|All of your favorite childhood heroes... wait, what's ''he'' doing there?]]
===Season 1===
Following an unexpected [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] upon launch, the ''Lost Light'' is hurled off into the depths of space, where the crew is joined by Skids and contends with a stowaway [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]. A visit to [[Delphi]] by Ratchet to help cure a plague introduces the threat of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], who then feature in a Decepticon-dedicated story menacing a [[Scavenger (group)|band of misfit Decepticons]], and also brings the facility's surviving patients and staff onto the ship—including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], whose post-traumatic stress causes him to snap and nearly kill Rung. Hoping to cure Rung's damaged brain, Rewind gathers a small group together to recount a shared story from their past about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] foiling a [[Senate]] plot to discredit the burgeoning Decepticon movement in the days of Functionism. Unfortunately, the little archivist is soon badly wounded in battle, sending Chromedome into a grief spiral that allows Drift to manipulate him into carrying out a plan laid out by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]: using his mnemosurgery skills to tap the memories and learn the secrets of mass-murdering Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], secretly hidden on board the ''Lost Light''. Unfortunately, Chromedome accidentally allows Overlord to escape, and Rewind has to sacrifice himself to jettison the monster from the ship. Ultra Magnus is also fatally wounded in the battle, but when his body disappears from the ship's Medibay, the crew track it to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where they discover and foil a twisted plot by [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] to wipe out all those Transformers he sees as tainted by original sin.

The book then moves into the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crossover with ''Robots in Disguise'' with the ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues mainly dealing with the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s quest to find and revive Metroplex and Orion Pax's investigation into the Dead Universe's involvement in Shockwave's overall plot. The casts of both series finally meet again in [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|''Robots in Disguise'' #26]].

[[File:MTMTE40 Ten's mural.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|All of [[Ten]]'s favorite adulthood heroes.]]
===Season 2===
Following ''Dark Cybertron'''s conclusion, the series' second season kicks off with a three-part story arc involving Megatron's trial and the events that lead to him captaining the ''Lost Light'' set in the six months between Dark Cybertron and Season 2 while the present day story deals with the arrival of a [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|coffin]]; disappearing objects and a mystery involving [[The Gloaming|Rewind's Message]]. The cast undergoes a reshuffle, as tertiary crew members like [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]] are moved to the main cast and new crew members like [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] are added. The new members include two new original characters, [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] and [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]]. Answers to the mysteries revolving around the coffin lead to the [[time travel|time-traveling]] "Elegant Chaos" arc, as the ''Lost Light''ers scramble after [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], who has gone back in time, bent on changing the future. Along the way, the gang inadvertently answers some of the series's longest-standing questions, as they discover that they can't fight fate.

In the aftermath, several characters depart for other comics while new people [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] join the crew. The ''Lost Light'' discovers a message from [[Dominus Ambus|a dead spy]] within the DJD while helping Swerve with his self-worth issues. Following its directions to the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]], they are met with a sobering reminder that all of them are killers and would one day have to face it. Megatron was particularly shaken by the visual representation of the billions of deaths he was responsible for. Mean while, the Scavengers return for another two-parter, feeling stagnant and dealing with a mentally disabled [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in a post-Great War world. Back aboard the ''Lost Light'', [[Getaway]] and [[Atomizer]]'s true agenda for Tailgate comes to light, and so do Skids' repressed memories — which had left him with deep scars and extinguished his previous faith. Elsewhere, the Decepticon Justice Division learn Megatron had called for an end to Decepticon warfare; they double down and join forces with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s splinter faction, determined to kill Megatron for heresy.

The fiftieth issue begins the season finale arc, "The Dying of the Light". Megatron, Rodimus, and the main cast are tricked into going to Necroworld, only to learn the entire Lost Light crew have mutinied under Getaway's lead. Sick of Megatron's presence and Rodimus' incompetent leadership, they intend to continue the Knightquest without them, having informed both the Decepticon Justice Division and the [[Galactic Council]] of Megatron's location. Shocking revelations are had, a bunch of old friends and an old enemy return, and a fierce battle is waged. Though the Decepticons are beaten, none of the crew escape unscathed—and some pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, beneath Necroworld's hollow shell, Nightbeat and Rung discover the true purpose of the unusual planet...

{{--}}

==Creative team==
[[File:Milne roberts.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Series artist [[Alex Milne]] (left) and writer [[James Roberts]] (right)]]
The series is written by [[James Roberts]], fresh from the critical success of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. Roberts had already been assigned the series when he wrote the two-part "Chaos Theory" in issues [[Chaos Theory Part 1|#22]] and [[Chaos Theory Part 2|#23]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], and seeded many early plot points for the series into those two issues, including [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] as the prison guard. Also furthering the link between the ongoing and ''More than Meets the Eye'', when Roberts co-plotted "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" with [[Mike Costa]], Costa let him script all of the Kimia escape shuttle scenes, populated with characters who would be aboard the [[Lost Light]].<ref name="Everything">From the 'Everything You Didn't Realize You Needed To Know About More Than Meets The Eye' section of the TPB</ref>

[[Alex Milne]] serves as the series regular artist, with colors by [[Josh Burcham]]. The visual "look" of ''More than Meets the Eye'' that the pair have created is very unique, with slightly exaggerated, cartoonishly stylized character models unlike anything in Milne's past work, cel-shaded with a textured, muted color palette that combines to create something quite unlike any modern Transformer comic. So key is this "visual identity" to the book that almost all other contributors who have worked on the title have striven to emulate it, adapting their own lineart and coloring styles to match the expected look and tone of the book. Frequent Roberts collaborator [[Nick Roche]] provided art for issues #1 and #6, as well as "B" covers for every issue, while [[Brendan Cahill]] co-pencilled #12, [[Guido Guidi]] stepped in for #13, [[Agustin Padilla]] filled in last-minute for #16, and [[James Raiz]] drew the lineart for #22. [[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Josh Perez]] have also lent their colors to the book, while [[Marcelo Matere]] regularly provides retailer incentive variant covers for the series. Following the "Dark Cybertron" crossover event, Burcham stepped down as the book's regular colorist, and Lafuente took his place, bringing a new palette and gradiated shading to the series.
{{--}}

==Soundtrack==
[[File:Nautica-MTMTE42covercropped.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pick up the latest issue of ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Indie Disco!'']]
In a unique touch, writer James Roberts would visit the [http://boards.idwpublishing.com/3/index.php IDW Publishing forums] shortly before the release of each issue and offer up a "teaser" post containing one or more songs that served as a "soundtrack" that would set the tonal and/or emotional stage for the upcoming issue, usually tending toward the independent- and folk-rock genres. This began at issue #2, with the songs for #1 being provided later; TFWiki lists these songs on each issue's respective article. Non-issue-specific songs for the series and its characters in general include:

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmZRO8XzyY "Lost Coastlines"] by [[Wikipedia:Okkervil River|Okkervil River]] — an overall anthem for the series
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLs3aLq8quw "I've Got a Plan"] by [[Wikipedia: My Friend the Chocolate Cake|My Friend the Chocolate Cake]] — [[theme song]] for Rodimus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maZZOQ_hKA "I Would Fix You"] by [[Wikipedia:Kenickie|Kenickie]] — theme song for Chromedome and Rewind
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYbgWDA2U-M "Hello Cruel World"] by [[Wikipedia:Mark Oliver Everett|Mark Oliver Everett]] — theme song for Tailgate
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcX_JleLsbk "True Men"] by [[Wikipedia:Jon DeRosa|Jon DeRosa]] — theme song for Ultra Magnus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ae0TfhK8M "Let's Make This Precious"] by [[Wikipedia: Dexys Midnight Runners|Dexys Midnight Runners]] — anthem for the series' second season
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpDxT2q9QE "The Old Man's Back Again"] by [[Wikipedia: Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker]] — theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY "Irish Blood, English Heart"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — another theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLkwnM0BJR4 "Speedway"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — yet ''another'' theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcQFidfA9rU "Left to My Own Devices"] by [[Wikipedia:Pet Shop Boys|Pet Shop Boys]] — theme song for Brainstorm 
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmdWgU "Chicago"] by [[Wikipedia:Sufjan Stevens|Sufjan Stevens]] — theme song for Cyclonus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CETTzv3fTG0 "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)"] by [[Wikipedia:James (band)|James]] — theme song for Whirl

==Collections==
*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' ([[June 13]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772351 / ISBN 978-1613772355 
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' one-shot.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, 12 promotional images, "Meet the Crew" page, design sketches from [[Alex Milne]] for various characters and ship locations, and a 2-page editor's comment with "behind the scenes" information about the series.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 2''''' ([[October 17]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613774982 / ISBN 978-1613774984 
:*Contains issues #4 to #8.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, "Meet the Crew" and "Meet the 'Cons" pages.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[March 27]], [[2013]]) ISBN 161377592X / ISBN 978-1613775929 
:*Contains Annual 2012 and issues #9 to #11.
:*Bonus material includes "Meet the Crew", variant covers, and designs for the [[Guiding Hand]].

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 4''''' ([[July 17]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613776918 / ISBN 978-1613776919 
:*Contains issues #12 to #16.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[Signal to Noise]]''.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' ([[November 13]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029 
:*Contains issues #17 to #22.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]''.

*'''''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|The Transformers: Dark Cybertron]] Volume 1''''' ([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913
:*Contains issues #23 to #25, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23 and #24.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' (reissue) ([[May 21]], 2014) ISBN 1613779658 / ISBN 978-1613779651
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''The Death of Optimus Prime'' one-shot.
:*New cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
:*Bonus material UNKNOWN

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' ([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989
:*Contains ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–#27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–#27, and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1]]''''' ([[September 3]], 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
:*Includes "The Death of Optimus Prime", ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1–5 and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' #1–6.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6''''' ([[December 10]], 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
:*Contains issues #28 to #33.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' ([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728
:*Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–#27 and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' ([[May 13]], 2015) ISBN 1631403273 / ISBN 978-1631403279
:*Contains issues #34 to #38
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2]]''''' ([[August 12]], 2015) ISBN 1631403648 / ISBN 978-1631403644
:*Includes ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'', ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' #6–8, ''Robots in Disguise'' #7–9 and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8''''' ([[October 21]], 2015) ISBN 1631404520 / ISBN 978-1631404528
:*Contains issues #39 to #44
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], 2015) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
:*Includes ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye'' Volumes 1 to 5
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
:*Includes ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012 and #9–13, ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 and #10–11, "[[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Spotlight: Thundercracker]]", "[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]", "[[Spotlight: Megatron]]" and "[[Signal to Noise]]"
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], 2016) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
:*Contains issues #45 to #49
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 10''''' (Scheduled for [[September 13]], 2016) ISBN 1631407163 / ISBN 978-1631407161
:*Contains issues #50 to #55
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol1.jpg|Volume 1 cover by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:MTMTE vol2.jpg|Volume 2 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol3.jpg|Volume 3 cover by Alex Milne and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:MTMTE vol4.jpg|Volume 4 cover by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol5.jpg|Volume 5 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:DC vol1.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 1 cover by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
File:MTMTE vol1 reissue.jpg|Volume 1 reissue cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 2 cover by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:IDWCollectionP2V1.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 1 cover by [[Sarah Stone]]
File:MTMTE vol6.jpg|Volume 6 cover by [[Casey Coller]] and Joana Lafuente
File:DC HC.jpg|Dark Cybertron Hardcover cover by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol7.jpg|Volume 7 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:IDWCollectionP2V2.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 2 cover by Sarah Stone
File:MTMTE vol8.jpg|Volume 8 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
</gallery>

==In fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:MTMTE43_subcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Your childhood's hero you pretended was your favourite after your gran bought it and not that Ultra Magnus you wanted.]]
{{quote|...I didn't say I didn't '''like''' it—I just don't understand all of the words, and it presumes a '''familiarity''' with the Autobot/Decepticon war that I '''still''' don't have...|[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]|"[[The One Where They Go to Earth]]"}}

After being exposed to [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s [[Metafictional bomb|meta-bomb]] and [[Time case|briefcase]], the Autobot [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] somehow created a reiterative time-loop inside him, allowing his [[holomatter]] generator to create a life-sized replica of the planet [[Earth]] to which his mind retreated when he was dying from a rust infection. The only literature on "[[Swearth]]", as it was swiftly dubbed, was a comic book series called ''More than Meets the Eye'' that detailed the adventures of the ''[[Lost Light]]'''s crew up until that point, which [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] read in order to gain clues as to Swerve's location. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

==Recognition==
* #85 on [http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-100-76#85 Comic Book Resource's top 100 Comics of 2015].
* Winner of Comics Alliance's [http://comicsalliance.com/comics-alliance-best-of-2015-continued-excellence-in-serial-comics/ Best of 2015: Continued Excellence in Serial Comics].

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:More than Meets the Eye, The Transformers}}
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2016-07-27T23:34:49Z

Minimusminor: /* Season 2 */ finished revising tense and wording.

{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
[[File:MTMTE1 cvrE.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|All of your favorite childhood heroes... and Drift.]]
'''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye''''' is an ongoing comic series published by [[IDW Publishing]], starting in January [[2012]]. This series follows the adventures of [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and his team as they travel through space, hunting for the legendary [[Knights of Cybertron]] and having adventures along the way. But mostly it's about lonely nobodies hanging out pretending they have friends.

The series picks off from "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", the epilogue to the previous [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing]], and takes place at the same time as a second ongoing series, ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', which together form the fourth major "act" of IDW's ongoing [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|Generation 1 continuity]].

In 2014, it was nominated for three True Believer Awards (formerly the Eagle Awards): Favourite American Comic Book: Colour, Favourite Single Story ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|#13]]), and Favourite Continued Story (Remain in Light).<ref>[http://www.truebelieverscomicawards.com/nominees.html True Believers Comic Awards nominees]</ref>

The series is set to conclude with issue #57 and will relaunch as ''[[Transformers: Lost Light]]'' in December 2016.

{{quote
|"Everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' is '''cracked in the head!'''"

"Yeah, '''dysfunctional''' isn't the word! There isn't a '''normal''' 'bot among you!"

"And that wouldn't be so bad if you actually '''made progress'''—but as far as I can make out, all you do is '''argue''', crack jokes, and get '''sidetracked''' doing pointless, silly things that only you find amusing!"
|Various members of the '''Circle of Light'''
|"[[Little Victories]]"
|noquote=true
|center=true
}}

{{chapters|series=mtmte|style=3 |prev=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|next=Transformers: Lost Light|align=left|content=
*[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|#2]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]]
*[[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]
*[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]]
*[[Interiors|#6]]
*[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]
*[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|Annual 2012]]
*[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|#10]]
*[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|#11]]
*[[Before & After|#12]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 13|#13]]
*[[Remembrance Day|#14]]
*[[Under Cold Blue Stars|#15]]
*[[The Gloaming|#16]]
*[[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|#17]]
*[[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|#18]]
*[[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|#19]]
*[[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|#20]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 21|#21]]
*[[Little Victories|#22]]
*[[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#23]]
*[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#24]]
*[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#25]]
*[[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#26]]
*[[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#27]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|#29]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|#30]]
*[[Twenty Plus One|#31]]
*[[Slaughterhouse|#32]]
*[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|#33]]
*[[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|#34]]
*[[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|#35]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|#37]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|#38]]
*[[The Permanent Revolution|#39]]
*[[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|#40]]
*[[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]
*[[The Frail Gaze|#42]]
*[[The One Where They Go to Earth|#43]]
*[[The Not Knowing|#44]]
*[[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]
*[[Animals|#46]]
*[[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*[[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]
*[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|#51]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|#53]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|#54]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 56|#56]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 57|#57]]
}}

==Overview==
In contrast to the Cybertron-based setting of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' is set predominantly within the walls of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the spaceship captained by [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] that carries his crew on their expedition to locate the [[Knights of Cybertron]], a mythical group who left the planet ten million years prior to the present day to spread peace and enlightenment across the universe. The book features an ensemble cast, who come and go from the spotlight with each passing issue, made up in large part of characters who have been overlooked by past fiction.

The "main cast" at the series outset includes Rodimus himself, a daredevil egotist who could not be more ill-suited to command; his officious second-in-command [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], whose obsessive-compulsive traits make life on the ship difficult for everyone; third-in-command [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], now with a relentlessly positive outlook on life following a near-death experience; the talkative [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], who immediately became a fan favorite; ship's doctor [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], now feeling his age and looking for something new in life; dangerously unhinged ex-[[Wrecker]] [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], who soon forms a murderous enmity with disillusioned ancient Cybertronian [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]; ship's security officer [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], even more paranoid then ever; timid psychiatrist [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who slowly seems to be more than he appears; and diminutive archivist [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], who would come to draw much attention as the first truly official "gay" romantic couple in Transformers fiction.<ref>Quote marks around "gay" 'cause IDW has previously established that Transformers are genderless in their continuity, but let's not kid ourselves here.</ref> In short order, the crew is joined by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], a naive Transformer who has been offline for the duration of the war and finds himself forced to choose a side, and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], a long-missing Autobot who reappears with amnesia and a bad attitude. As the series progresses, more Autobots come into focus on the fringes of the story, like the over-eager, luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and resentful, boozy, one-trick-pony [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. ''More than Meets the Eye'' uses its "quest" backdrop to tell multiple smaller adventures, throughout which are threaded many, ''many'' seeds for future stories, together forming a grand tapestry that has clearly been planned out ''very'' far in advance.

[[File:MTMTE28 subcvr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|All of your favorite childhood heroes... wait, what's ''he'' doing there?]]
===Season 1===
Following an unexpected [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] upon launch, the ''Lost Light'' is hurled off into the depths of space, where the crew is joined by Skids and contends with a stowaway [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]. A visit to [[Delphi]] by Ratchet to help cure a plague introduces the threat of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], who then feature in a Decepticon-dedicated story menacing a [[Scavenger (group)|band of misfit Decepticons]], and also brings the facility's surviving patients and staff onto the ship—including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], whose post-traumatic stress causes him to snap and nearly kill Rung. Hoping to cure Rung's damaged brain, Rewind gathers a small group together to recount a shared story from their past about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] foiling a [[Senate]] plot to discredit the burgeoning Decepticon movement in the days of Functionism. Unfortunately, the little archivist is soon badly wounded in battle, sending Chromedome into a grief spiral that allows Drift to manipulate him into carrying out a plan laid out by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]: using his mnemosurgery skills to tap the memories and learn the secrets of mass-murdering Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], secretly hidden on board the ''Lost Light''. Unfortunately, Chromedome accidentally allows Overlord to escape, and Rewind has to sacrifice himself to jettison the monster from the ship. Ultra Magnus is also fatally wounded in the battle, but when his body disappears from the ship's Medibay, the crew track it to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where they discover and foil a twisted plot by [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] to wipe out all those Transformers he sees as tainted by original sin.

The book then moves into the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crossover with ''Robots in Disguise'' with the ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues mainly dealing with the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s quest to find and revive Metroplex and Orion Pax's investigation into the Dead Universe's involvement in Shockwave's overall plot. The casts of both series finally meet again in [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|''Robots in Disguise'' #26]].

[[File:MTMTE40 Ten's mural.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|All of [[Ten]]'s favorite adulthood heroes.]]
===Season 2===
Following ''Dark Cybertron'''s conclusion, the series' second season kicks off with a three-part story arc involving Megatron's trial and the events that lead to him captaining the ''Lost Light'' set in the six months between Dark Cybertron and Season 2 while the present day story deals with the arrival of a [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|coffin]]; disappearing objects and a mystery involving [[The Gloaming|Rewind's Message]]. The cast undergoes a reshuffle, as tertiary crew members like [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]] are moved to the main cast and new crew members like [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] are added. The new members include two new original characters, [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] and [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]]. Answers to the mysteries revolving around the coffin lead to the [[time travel|time-traveling]] "Elegant Chaos" arc, as the ''Lost Light''ers scramble after [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], who has gone back in time, bent on changing the future. Along the way, the gang inadvertently answers some of the series's longest-standing questions, as they discover that they can't fight fate.

In the aftermath, several characters depart for other comics while new people [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] join the crew. The ''Lost Light'' discovers a message from [[Dominus Ambus|a dead spy]] within the DJD while helping Swerve with his self-worth issues. Following its directions to the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s [[Necroworld|planet]], they are met with a sobering reminder that all of them are killers and would one day have to face it. Megatron was particularly shaken by the visual representation of the billions of deaths he was responsible for. Mean while, the Scavengers return for another two-parter, feeling stagnant and dealing with a mentally disabled [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in a post-Great War world. Back aboard the ''Lost Light'', [[Getaway]] and [[Atomizer]]'s true agenda for Tailgate comes to light, and so do Skids' repressed memories — which had left him with deep scars and extinguished his previous faith. Elsewhere, the Decepticon Justice Division learn Megatron had called for an end to Decepticon warfare; they double down and join forces with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s splinter faction, determined to kill Megatron for heresy.

The fiftieth issue begins the season finale arc, "The Dying of the Light". Megatron, Rodimus, and the main cast are tricked into going to Necroworld, only to learn the entire Lost Light crew have mutinied under Getaway's lead. Sick of Megatron's presence and Rodimus' incompetent leadership, they intend to continue the Knightquest without them, having informed both the Decepticon Justice Division and the [[Galactic Council]] of Megatron's location. Shocking revelations are had, a bunch of old friends and [[Overlord (Masterforce)|an old enemy]] return, and a fierce battle is waged. Though the Decepticons are beaten, none of the crew escape unscathed—and some pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, beneath Necroworld's hollow shell, Nightbeat and Rung discover the true purpose of the unusual planet...

{{--}}

==Creative team==
[[File:Milne roberts.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Series artist [[Alex Milne]] (left) and writer [[James Roberts]] (right)]]
The series is written by [[James Roberts]], fresh from the critical success of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. Roberts had already been assigned the series when he wrote the two-part "Chaos Theory" in issues [[Chaos Theory Part 1|#22]] and [[Chaos Theory Part 2|#23]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], and seeded many early plot points for the series into those two issues, including [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] as the prison guard. Also furthering the link between the ongoing and ''More than Meets the Eye'', when Roberts co-plotted "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" with [[Mike Costa]], Costa let him script all of the Kimia escape shuttle scenes, populated with characters who would be aboard the [[Lost Light]].<ref name="Everything">From the 'Everything You Didn't Realize You Needed To Know About More Than Meets The Eye' section of the TPB</ref>

[[Alex Milne]] serves as the series regular artist, with colors by [[Josh Burcham]]. The visual "look" of ''More than Meets the Eye'' that the pair have created is very unique, with slightly exaggerated, cartoonishly stylized character models unlike anything in Milne's past work, cel-shaded with a textured, muted color palette that combines to create something quite unlike any modern Transformer comic. So key is this "visual identity" to the book that almost all other contributors who have worked on the title have striven to emulate it, adapting their own lineart and coloring styles to match the expected look and tone of the book. Frequent Roberts collaborator [[Nick Roche]] provided art for issues #1 and #6, as well as "B" covers for every issue, while [[Brendan Cahill]] co-pencilled #12, [[Guido Guidi]] stepped in for #13, [[Agustin Padilla]] filled in last-minute for #16, and [[James Raiz]] drew the lineart for #22. [[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Josh Perez]] have also lent their colors to the book, while [[Marcelo Matere]] regularly provides retailer incentive variant covers for the series. Following the "Dark Cybertron" crossover event, Burcham stepped down as the book's regular colorist, and Lafuente took his place, bringing a new palette and gradiated shading to the series.
{{--}}

==Soundtrack==
[[File:Nautica-MTMTE42covercropped.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pick up the latest issue of ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Indie Disco!'']]
In a unique touch, writer James Roberts would visit the [http://boards.idwpublishing.com/3/index.php IDW Publishing forums] shortly before the release of each issue and offer up a "teaser" post containing one or more songs that served as a "soundtrack" that would set the tonal and/or emotional stage for the upcoming issue, usually tending toward the independent- and folk-rock genres. This began at issue #2, with the songs for #1 being provided later; TFWiki lists these songs on each issue's respective article. Non-issue-specific songs for the series and its characters in general include:

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmZRO8XzyY "Lost Coastlines"] by [[Wikipedia:Okkervil River|Okkervil River]] — an overall anthem for the series
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLs3aLq8quw "I've Got a Plan"] by [[Wikipedia: My Friend the Chocolate Cake|My Friend the Chocolate Cake]] — [[theme song]] for Rodimus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maZZOQ_hKA "I Would Fix You"] by [[Wikipedia:Kenickie|Kenickie]] — theme song for Chromedome and Rewind
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYbgWDA2U-M "Hello Cruel World"] by [[Wikipedia:Mark Oliver Everett|Mark Oliver Everett]] — theme song for Tailgate
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcX_JleLsbk "True Men"] by [[Wikipedia:Jon DeRosa|Jon DeRosa]] — theme song for Ultra Magnus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ae0TfhK8M "Let's Make This Precious"] by [[Wikipedia: Dexys Midnight Runners|Dexys Midnight Runners]] — anthem for the series' second season
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpDxT2q9QE "The Old Man's Back Again"] by [[Wikipedia: Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker]] — theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY "Irish Blood, English Heart"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — another theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLkwnM0BJR4 "Speedway"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — yet ''another'' theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcQFidfA9rU "Left to My Own Devices"] by [[Wikipedia:Pet Shop Boys|Pet Shop Boys]] — theme song for Brainstorm 
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmdWgU "Chicago"] by [[Wikipedia:Sufjan Stevens|Sufjan Stevens]] — theme song for Cyclonus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CETTzv3fTG0 "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)"] by [[Wikipedia:James (band)|James]] — theme song for Whirl

==Collections==
*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' ([[June 13]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772351 / ISBN 978-1613772355 
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' one-shot.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, 12 promotional images, "Meet the Crew" page, design sketches from [[Alex Milne]] for various characters and ship locations, and a 2-page editor's comment with "behind the scenes" information about the series.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 2''''' ([[October 17]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613774982 / ISBN 978-1613774984 
:*Contains issues #4 to #8.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, "Meet the Crew" and "Meet the 'Cons" pages.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[March 27]], [[2013]]) ISBN 161377592X / ISBN 978-1613775929 
:*Contains Annual 2012 and issues #9 to #11.
:*Bonus material includes "Meet the Crew", variant covers, and designs for the [[Guiding Hand]].

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 4''''' ([[July 17]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613776918 / ISBN 978-1613776919 
:*Contains issues #12 to #16.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[Signal to Noise]]''.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' ([[November 13]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029 
:*Contains issues #17 to #22.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]''.

*'''''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|The Transformers: Dark Cybertron]] Volume 1''''' ([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913
:*Contains issues #23 to #25, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23 and #24.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' (reissue) ([[May 21]], 2014) ISBN 1613779658 / ISBN 978-1613779651
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''The Death of Optimus Prime'' one-shot.
:*New cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
:*Bonus material UNKNOWN

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' ([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989
:*Contains ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–#27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–#27, and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1]]''''' ([[September 3]], 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
:*Includes "The Death of Optimus Prime", ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1–5 and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' #1–6.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6''''' ([[December 10]], 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
:*Contains issues #28 to #33.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' ([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728
:*Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–#27 and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' ([[May 13]], 2015) ISBN 1631403273 / ISBN 978-1631403279
:*Contains issues #34 to #38
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2]]''''' ([[August 12]], 2015) ISBN 1631403648 / ISBN 978-1631403644
:*Includes ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'', ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' #6–8, ''Robots in Disguise'' #7–9 and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8''''' ([[October 21]], 2015) ISBN 1631404520 / ISBN 978-1631404528
:*Contains issues #39 to #44
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], 2015) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
:*Includes ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye'' Volumes 1 to 5
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
:*Includes ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012 and #9–13, ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 and #10–11, "[[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Spotlight: Thundercracker]]", "[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]", "[[Spotlight: Megatron]]" and "[[Signal to Noise]]"
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], 2016) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
:*Contains issues #45 to #49
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 10''''' (Scheduled for [[September 13]], 2016) ISBN 1631407163 / ISBN 978-1631407161
:*Contains issues #50 to #55
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol1.jpg|Volume 1 cover by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:MTMTE vol2.jpg|Volume 2 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol3.jpg|Volume 3 cover by Alex Milne and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:MTMTE vol4.jpg|Volume 4 cover by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol5.jpg|Volume 5 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:DC vol1.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 1 cover by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
File:MTMTE vol1 reissue.jpg|Volume 1 reissue cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 2 cover by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:IDWCollectionP2V1.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 1 cover by [[Sarah Stone]]
File:MTMTE vol6.jpg|Volume 6 cover by [[Casey Coller]] and Joana Lafuente
File:DC HC.jpg|Dark Cybertron Hardcover cover by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol7.jpg|Volume 7 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:IDWCollectionP2V2.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 2 cover by Sarah Stone
File:MTMTE vol8.jpg|Volume 8 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
</gallery>

==In fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:MTMTE43_subcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Your childhood's hero you pretended was your favourite after your gran bought it and not that Ultra Magnus you wanted.]]
{{quote|...I didn't say I didn't '''like''' it—I just don't understand all of the words, and it presumes a '''familiarity''' with the Autobot/Decepticon war that I '''still''' don't have...|[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]|"[[The One Where They Go to Earth]]"}}

After being exposed to [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s [[Metafictional bomb|meta-bomb]] and [[Time case|briefcase]], the Autobot [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] somehow created a reiterative time-loop inside him, allowing his [[holomatter]] generator to create a life-sized replica of the planet [[Earth]] to which his mind retreated when he was dying from a rust infection. The only literature on "[[Swearth]]", as it was swiftly dubbed, was a comic book series called ''More than Meets the Eye'' that detailed the adventures of the ''[[Lost Light]]'''s crew up until that point, which [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] read in order to gain clues as to Swerve's location. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

==Recognition==
* #85 on [http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-100-76#85 Comic Book Resource's top 100 Comics of 2015].
* Winner of Comics Alliance's [http://comicsalliance.com/comics-alliance-best-of-2015-continued-excellence-in-serial-comics/ Best of 2015: Continued Excellence in Serial Comics].

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:More than Meets the Eye, The Transformers}}
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]

The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle

2016-07-27T22:54:33Z

Minimusminor: /* Quotes */

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=55
|prev=The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage
|next=The Last Autobot
|image=MTMTE55_regcvr.jpg
|title="The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle"
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[July 27]], [[2016]]
|coverdate=July 2016
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils 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 (2016)]]
}}
'''Megatron versus the DJD, for all the marbles.'''

==Synopsis==
Aboard the [[Galactic Council]] vessel ''[[Retaliator]]'', in orbit above [[Necroworld]], ship's commander [[Neech|General Neech]] assesses the situation on the planet below. Following [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]'s recent actions in defense of organic life on [[Miliarium]], the Council was forced to take action to save face. Conspiring with [[Getaway]], they were provided with Megatron's location so they could dispatch their assassin, [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] to slay him, only to find upon arrival that the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] had beaten them to the punch. Now, the infuriated Neech is prepared to renege on his promise to Getaway that the other Autobots will not be harmed, as he readies a [[geobomb]] for use...

Seconds before [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] and Overlord open fire, Megatron activates [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]]'s forcefield generator, which [[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]] explains to the watching Autobots that he removed from Trailcutter's corpse months ago. The furious Tarn calls the rest of the DJD to his side, while instructing [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] to storm the fortress and wipe out the Autobots. Deathsaurus is then quite literally struck with an attack of conscience when [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] and [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] blast him with the same psychic weapon that originally drew them to the planet. As Deathsaurus is consumed by self-loathing and guilt for all the Decepticon lives lost on the mission, [[Nickel]] proposes they withdraw to prevent further deaths. Realizing now that Tarn's obsession with Megatron has always superseded his belief in the Decepticon cause, she calls for a full retreat, and the Decepticons all pull out—even Overlord, who believes the cowering and broken Megatron is no longer worthy of his attention. Left on their own, the remaining four DJD members pound on the field until it gives way and they are able to pass through it... and which point Megatron stands, his apparent defeat nothing but an act, and menacingly announces that trapping them inside the field with him has always been his plan.

Inside the fortress, Ravage tells a skeptical [[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]] that Megatron has always been a master planner who covers all contingencies. Brainstorm scoffs and tries to prove that ''he's'' smarter by bringing up his [[time case]]—which Ravage reveals ''he'' stole the last piece of on Megatron's order. Unfortunately, the case cannot help solve the current crisis, as Megatron disposed of it months beforehand, having abandoned the idea of escaping his fate via time travel. A confused [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] then interrupts the explanation with a strange discovery of his own: he has found his own severed arm in a nearby cupboard. Ravage excitedly realizes the significance of this bizarre find and explains another of Megatron's contingency plans. Using one of the interdimensional portals inside his body, he has successfully completed an old, failed plan from during the war and established a link to a [[black hole]], in order to draw on [[antimatter]] for power. It was through this portal that Whirl's arm vanished when it was severed during his fight with Megatron a year ago, and over the last twelve months, Megatron has slowly reached out with his thoughts draw the arm back, thereby completing the two-way link to the black hole. The presence of Whirl's recovered arm, Ravage realizes, means that Megatron has succeeded and can now draw upon antimatter... and that the forcefield is a means to protect the ''rest of the planet'' when it is unleashed.

Within the field, antimatter spills from Megatron's glaring eyes as he visits his rage upon the DJD. One by one, he slaughters them all, tearing their bodies apart with antimatter, stripping them of their aliases as he does so: first [[Vos (DJD)|Vos]]—aka "Forestock"—then [[Helex (DJD)|Helex]]—aka "Crucible"—then [[Tesarus (DJD)|Tesarus]]—aka "Scissorsaw"—before finally turning on Tarn. At first begging for mercy only to realize he will be afforded none, Tarn snaps at Megatron to finish him, and Megatron is only too happy to oblige, snatching Tarn's Decepticon-sigil mask from his face and slapping it onto his own chest over his Autobot badge, so that they might both "die as Decepticons."

In the midst of the slaughter, the Autobots' eyes are torn away from the monitors by the sudden, surprising arrival of even more new players: a group of confused Cybertronians wander into the fortress's control room, chief among them [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]], who is holding the time case!

Megatron lifts the maskless Tarn, and names him at last: [[Damus|Glitch]]. With the final stinging barb that everything he did was for nothing, Megatron ends Tarn's life in an antimatter crescendo that now threatens to destroy the ex-Decepticon himself. At the last second, however, using the time case, Rodimus teleports inside the forcefield and offers his hand to Megatron—and after a moment's hesitation, Megatron accepts and he and Rodimus are transported back to the fortress just as the antimatter within the forcefield explodes. Megatron rushes to Ravage's side; seeing that his leader is safe, Ravage stops holding on, and with a final entreaty to Megatron that he not "change back," he quietly dies, his passing felt even across the galaxy by a heartbroken [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]]. In silent fury, Megatron flips the med-bay table; when [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]] offers to patch up his injuries, he whirls on the Autobots, even pointing his broken cannon at them. After a moment of silence, realizing what he has done, Megatron decides to leave... only for another figure to appear in the doorway: his old friend [[Terminus (G1)|Terminus]]. Confused but elated, Megatron drops his cannon and embraces his friend, mourning how he has "lost his way," as Tarn's mask slips from his chest and is crushed underfoot.

The next day, Rodimus, [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Minimus Ambus]] gather in front of the Necrobot's memorial to the "Disappeared" so that [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] can share with them the information he has gathered from the Necrobot's journal. Following [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]]'s forceful suggestion that he become more hands-on, the Necrobot saw an opportunity when he found the time case buried near Megatron's statue, hidden there by Megatron when he abandoned it during his previous visit to the planet. Using the case, the Necrobot traveled through time, saving the lives of those who history recorded as "Disappeared," like Roller and Terminus, bringing them to the present and placing them in induced comas so they could recover from the rigors of the less-stable form of time travel a single case allowed. These were the stasis tubes of "organics" the Autobots found, their true natures disguised by the same holographic camouflage used in the Necrobot's flowers. Rewind lays a flower by [[Dominus Ambus]]'s name, while Rodimus and Drift wonder what has become of Nightbeat and [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]...

Down in the depths of Necroworld, Nightbeat and Rung come to the end of their journey as they emerge through the final hatch in the planet's "crust" that leads to the hollow void within. Examining the landscape, Rung spots a familiar-looking pattern: an inverted version of the [[Vinvissius Canals]] on Cybertron. With awe, Rung realizes that the hollow Necroworld is the ''mold'' that that the metal world of Cybertron was made in. The pair have no time to take in this revelation, however, as a sudden flash of light heralds the arrival of the Council's geobomb. Nightbeat recognizes the device moments before it detonates... and the world vanishes in an explosion of white.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] (4)
*[[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] (5)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (8)
*[[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] (9)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]] (10)
*[[Brainstorm (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Brainstorm]] (11)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (14)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (15)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (19)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] (20)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]]'s corpse (21)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (22)
*[[Wavelength (G1)|Wavelength]] (27)
*[[Syphon]] (28)
*[[Chromedome (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Chromedome]] (29)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Minimus Ambus]] (30)
*[[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (32)
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (33)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] (2)
*[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] (3)
*[[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]] (6)
*[[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] (12)
*[[Nickel]] (13)
*[[Helex (DJD)|Helex]] (16)
*[[Vos (DJD)|Vos]] (17)
*[[Tesarus (DJD)|Tesarus]] (18)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] (26)
|c4=
*[[Neech|General Neech]] (1)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] (7)
*[[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] (23)
*[[Terminus (G1)|Terminus]] (27)
*[[Ten]] (28)
*''[[Censere]]'' (31)
}}

==Quotes==
"[Megatron's] not dangerous because he's '''stronger''' than everyone else. He's dangerous because he's '''smarter''' than everyone else." 
"Present company excepted." 
"'''You? Ha!''' You're not even the smartest person in this '''conversation.'''"
:—Even dying, '''Ravage''' delivers a sick burn to '''Brainstorm'''

"You'd have thought—given the '''compassion''' shown to me on the ''Lost Light''—that I'd have learnt to be a little more '''forgiving'''. But I'm afraid '''Getaway''' had the right idea: '''no mercy.'''" 
"Do it, then. '''Do it!''' At least I'll die a Decepticon!" 
''(Megatron snatches Tarn's mask and places it on his chest)'' 
"You and I both."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Tarn'''

"Goodbye, '''Glitch.''' I want you to die with one thought in your head: everything you did was for nothing."
:—'''Megatron'''

"Don't...change...back"
:-''Ravage'' leaves ''Megatron'' with an ambiguous goodbye

"What's happened?" 
"Nothing. Everything. I lost my way."
:—'''Termuinus''' and '''Megatron''' reunite

"Nightbeat! I rarely let my '''temper''' get the better of me, but I am '''this close''' to raising my voice."
:—'''Rung'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*[[The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|Issue #50]] made it appear that Getaway had always intended to deliver Megatron and the crew to the D.J.D., but we learn this issue that his co-conspirators were, in fact, the Galactic Council, the interplanetary governing body that the crew first encountered back in [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|the 2012 annual]]. Getaway has had dealings with the council for years, having met them during his time working with [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] as part of the "Diplomatic Corps," as shown in [[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|issue #20]]. This doesn't make Getaway much less of a tool, but it certainly goes some way to validating his previously-expressed belief that the other Autobots wouldn't be harmed, which seemed questionable at best when it was the D.J.D. we thought he was dealing with.
*Additionally, it would suggest that the initial signal from the Necrobot that brought Rodimus and Megatron's group to the planet—which the Necrobot only sent because he was under attack by the D.J.D.—was not planned for by Getaway: he and the crew must have simply exploited the opening it granted them to carry out their plan, informing the council of Megatron's location. Thus, his remark in issue #50 for Rodimus to "say hello to the Necrobot for him" was not the cruel joke it seemed, as he honestly wouldn't have had any reason to think he was dead.
*It was also in issue #50 that the Autobots saved [[Miliarium]].
*The council's planet-destroying geobomb was originally mentioned back in [[Animals|issue #46]], in which it was noted it was based on a design created by [[Killmaster]]. See "Errors," though.
*Trailcutter used his panic bubble in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|issue #29]]. He sealed his own fate with it in [[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|issue #34]] when he inadvertently trapped himself inside it with [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]]; fitting, then, that Megatron should take revenge on the whole DJD by trapping them in the same way.
*Megatron was seen holding Trailcutter's severed hand, containing his forcefield generator, as he examined his body in [[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|issue #35]]. He was ''not'' shown to put it back down!
*Ravage stole the last remaining time case in [[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|issue #40]]. He is revealed to have abandoned it following the events of [[The Not Knowing|issue #44]], burying it by his statue on Necroworld when the reality of the weight of his past caught up to him upon seeing the huge field of spark-flowers that represented those he had killed.
*Megatron's purported antimatter powers (see "Transformers references," below) were originally mentioned in "[[Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory]]," and Ratchet made passing reference to them again in issue #29, when he started to ask Megatron about them. In this issue, we learn that they ''were'' actually just rumors; Megatron never succeeded in linking to a black hole before now. Ratchet shows knowledge of this fact, suggesting Megatron gave him an honest off-panel answer to his question in #29.
*Megatron's "interdimensional injuries" were sustained during the ''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]'' crossover event. Whirl's arm was swallowed up by one of the portals these injuries left inside his body in [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|issue #28]].
*In [[slaughterhouse|issue #32]], when revealing that he had been watching Megatron for months, Ravage observed that all the ex-Decepticon seemed to do was "sit in his room with his eyes closed, and think, and think, and think." Following [[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|issue #39]], Megatron retreated to his quarters, with characters observing over the next two issues that he had "barely left them"; he claimed he was "working" and "thinking." Now we know the truth: the "thinking" Ravage observed was Megatron focusing his thoughts seeking out and linking one of his portals to a black hole, while the thinking he did after #39 was him doing the same to locate Whirl's arm and draw it back.
*All the gratuitous hinting from [[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|issue #36]] turns out to be the red herring we ''warned'' you it might be: he disappeared at the end of that issue, but Roller is ''not'' Tarn! This deception was alluded to in the solicitation for this issue, which reminded readers of the "four terrible words, millions of years old, that gave the Decepticons their name." Those words, as any reader of ''More than Meets the Eye'' will likely remember, are: "You are being deceived." We certainly were!
*In truth, the leader of the DJD is at last revealed to be [[Damus|Glitch]], the ''other'' member of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]]'s rebel unit whose fate in the present day was unknown. Glitch originally appeared in [[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|issue #11]], in which he was described as having the power to deactivate non-sentient machinery with a touch. It was noted by [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Senator Shockwave]] that his power had the potential to grow, and when he reappeared in issue #36, his skills had evolved to the point that he could use them at a distance. Coupled with Tarn's remark in [[The Permanent Revolution|issue #39]] that his "weaponized conversation" ability was "slow to manifest," it's obvious that Glitch's powers eventually evolved to the point where he could deactivate ''sentient'' machines as well.
*There's no dramatic "unmasked" panel, because Glitch has never had a face for us to recognize. In his previous appearances, he's been shown to be a victim of [[empurata]], but he had his hands restored between issues #11 and #36, setting up the idea that his face could later be restored as well, as it obviously was at some point before he donned his Decepticon mask. Certainly, the implication of the story is that everyone already knew he was Glitch; back in [[Speak, Memory: Part 1|issue #48]], Skids recognized Tarn's voice when he first met him, having previously known Glitch during their academy days together.
*Also in issue #36, Glitch is prominently positioned between Orion Pax and Roller in the panel of the former encouraging the latter to read Megatron's work. Looks like ''someone'' took the idea to heart...
*Terminus previously appeared in issue #34, his fate left a mystery and his erasure from history occasionally commented upon by others during "season 2."
*The Autobots realize that the time case was the "portable apothecary" that legends of the Necrobot professed he carried, which we heard about in passing back in [[Twenty Plus One|issue #30]].

===Transformers references===
[[File:MegatronAntimatterUK.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
*Megatron's antimatter powers are derived from information in his original [[bio]], which explained that he could interdimensionally link up to a [[black hole]] and use its antimatter to power his [[fusion cannon]]. When Megatron's bio was condensed down into the truncated version printed alongside his [[Tech Spec|tech specs]], however, the simplified language made it sound like it was ''Megatron himself'' who could use antimatter, rather than his cannon. This shortened version influenced the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|UK Marvel comic]], which depicted Megatron wielding antimatter, in the form of a starry black cloud, as a destructive weapon; in particular, [[Resurrection!|issue #104]] showed it streaming from his eyes (pictured at right), as it does in this story.

===Real life references===
*One last time, we remind you that the title of this issue, and the larger multi-parter, are quotes from "{{w|Do not go gentle into that good night}}," by {{w|Dylan Thomas}}.
*Just as Captain [[K'gard]] of the Galactic Council was a reference to the philosopher {{w|Søren Kierkegaard}}, General Neech is a reference to {{w|Friedrich Nietzsche}}.

===Errors===
*On page 1, panel 2, the ''Retaliator'' is referred to as a "Galactic Councilclass B warship." There ought to be a space in there.
*The geobomb was described as being red in issue #46, but it's blue here.
*Megatron says that the DJD will die by their "birth names," but "Glitch" isn't Tarn's birth name. Issue #11 made it clear it was an alias, and issue #36 revealed his real name was "Damus." (Roberts confirmed via Twitter that he acknowledged this in earlier drafts of the script, but that it "killed the moment.")
*Helex and Tesarus's real names have been swapped. The former, with his internal smelting chamber, is "Crucible," while the latter, who had a multi-bladed rotor-grinder his chest, is "Scissorsaw," but they're interchanged between the panels of the characters' deaths.

===Other trivia===
*The title of the story is missing from this issue; Roberts notes there was no good place to include it.
*In addition to Roller and Terminus, Rodimus identifies two of the "Disappeared" as Autobots named [[Wavelength (G1)|Wavelength]] and [[Syphon]]. Presumably these are the tall orange robot and short blue robot who appear in several panels (other disappeared only appear in one apiece), but it isn't said which is which.
*Ravage notes that, in-universe, it's been twelve months since issue #28 (the start of "season 2" of the series).
*This issue also contains the first part of the [[Revolution Prelude]] back-up strip, a four page prequel laying the groundwork for September's "[[Revolution]]" crossover which appears in several of IDW's July titles.

===Soundtrack===
For all of "The Dying of the Light":
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCdBc5uByFQ Hurt]" by {{w|Johnny Cash}}

A song "to accompany the imaginary trailer" for the story:
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhB6Lb7_kN8 Daydream in Blue]" by {{w|I Monster}}

For this issue alone:
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq9x-ff0fXs Here's Where the Story Ends]" by {{w|The Sundays}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hD0wd2HUVs Everything I Am Is Yours]" by {{w|Villagers(band)|Villagers}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6Sdr9_1PFY Missing the War]" by {{w|Ben Folds Five}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcIYa7t-YhU To the Rescue]" by {{w|The Divine Comedy (band)|The Divine Comedy}}

===Covers (3)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Megatron cradles a spark-flower, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' Rodimus and [[Rom|Rom, the Space Knight]] fist-bump, by [[Brendan Cahill]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]; part of a series of Rom-themed covers featured on numerous IDW titles in July, in celebration of the launch of the character's new ongoing series.
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Megatron stands on a dais and holds his hands aloft as spark-flowers blow around him in the wind, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]; a counterpart to Roche and Burcham's cover for [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|issue #29]].
<gallery>
File:MTMTE55 regcvr.jpg|
File:MTMTE55 subcvr.jpg|
File:MTMTE55 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*[[The Last Autobot|''Titans Return'' one-shot]]
*''More than Meets the Eye'' #57
*''[[Revolution]]''

==External links==
*[http://www.nerdspan.com/july-27th-idw-previews-rom-1-x-files-annual-2016-micronauts-4/ Preview]

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2016-07-27T22:23:48Z

Minimusminor: /* Soundtrack */ added missing Megatron theme song

{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
[[File:MTMTE1 cvrE.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|All of your favorite childhood heroes... and Drift.]]
'''''The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye''''' is an ongoing comic series published by [[IDW Publishing]], starting in January [[2012]]. This series follows the adventures of [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] and his team as they travel through space, hunting for the legendary [[Knights of Cybertron]] and having adventures along the way. But mostly it's about lonely nobodies hanging out pretending they have friends.

The series picks off from "[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", the epilogue to the previous [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing]], and takes place at the same time as a second ongoing series, ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'', which together form the fourth major "act" of IDW's ongoing [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|Generation 1 continuity]].

In 2014, it was nominated for three True Believer Awards (formerly the Eagle Awards): Favourite American Comic Book: Colour, Favourite Single Story ([[Cybertronian Homesick Blues|#13]]), and Favourite Continued Story (Remain in Light).<ref>[http://www.truebelieverscomicawards.com/nominees.html True Believers Comic Awards nominees]</ref>

The series is set to conclude with issue #57 and will relaunch as ''[[Transformers: Lost Light]]'' in December 2016.

{{quote
|"Everyone on board the ''Lost Light'' is '''cracked in the head!'''"

"Yeah, '''dysfunctional''' isn't the word! There isn't a '''normal''' 'bot among you!"

"And that wouldn't be so bad if you actually '''made progress'''—but as far as I can make out, all you do is '''argue''', crack jokes, and get '''sidetracked''' doing pointless, silly things that only you find amusing!"
|Various members of the '''Circle of Light'''
|"[[Little Victories]]"
|noquote=true
|center=true
}}

{{chapters|series=mtmte|style=3 |prev=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|next=Transformers: Lost Light|align=left|content=
*[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|#1]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|#2]]
*[[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|#3]]
*[[Life After the Big Bang|#4]]
*[[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|#5]]
*[[Interiors|#6]]
*[[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]]
*[[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|Annual 2012]]
*[[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|#9]]
*[[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|#10]]
*[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|#11]]
*[[Before & After|#12]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 13|#13]]
*[[Remembrance Day|#14]]
*[[Under Cold Blue Stars|#15]]
*[[The Gloaming|#16]]
*[[Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|#17]]
*[[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|#18]]
*[[Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|#19]]
*[[Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|#20]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 21|#21]]
*[[Little Victories|#22]]
*[[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|#23]]
*[[Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|#24]]
*[[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|#25]]
*[[Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8|#26]]
*[[The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|#27]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|#28]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|#29]]
*[[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|#30]]
*[[Twenty Plus One|#31]]
*[[Slaughterhouse|#32]]
*[[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|#33]]
*[[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|#34]]
*[[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|#35]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|#36]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|#37]]
*[[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|#38]]
*[[The Permanent Revolution|#39]]
*[[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|#40]]
*[[The Sensuous Frame|#41]]
*[[The Frail Gaze|#42]]
*[[The One Where They Go to Earth|#43]]
*[[The Not Knowing|#44]]
*[[Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots|#45]]
*[[Animals|#46]]
*[[The Lopsided Triangle|#47]]
*[[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]]
*[[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 50|#50]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight|#51]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears|#52]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day|#53]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 5: Rage, Rage|#54]]
*[[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|#55]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 56|#56]]
*[[More than Meets the Eye issue 57|#57]]
}}

==Overview==
In contrast to the Cybertron-based setting of ''Robots in Disguise'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' is set predominantly within the walls of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the spaceship captained by [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] that carries his crew on their expedition to locate the [[Knights of Cybertron]], a mythical group who left the planet ten million years prior to the present day to spread peace and enlightenment across the universe. The book features an ensemble cast, who come and go from the spotlight with each passing issue, made up in large part of characters who have been overlooked by past fiction.

The "main cast" at the series outset includes Rodimus himself, a daredevil egotist who could not be more ill-suited to command; his officious second-in-command [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]], whose obsessive-compulsive traits make life on the ship difficult for everyone; third-in-command [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], now with a relentlessly positive outlook on life following a near-death experience; the talkative [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], who immediately became a fan favorite; ship's doctor [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], now feeling his age and looking for something new in life; dangerously unhinged ex-[[Wrecker]] [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], who soon forms a murderous enmity with disillusioned ancient Cybertronian [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]; ship's security officer [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], even more paranoid then ever; timid psychiatrist [[Rung (G1)|Rung]], who slowly seems to be more than he appears; and diminutive archivist [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[mnemosurgery|mnemosurgeon]] [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], who would come to draw much attention as the first truly official "gay" romantic couple in Transformers fiction.<ref>Quote marks around "gay" 'cause IDW has previously established that Transformers are genderless in their continuity, but let's not kid ourselves here.</ref> In short order, the crew is joined by [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]], a naive Transformer who has been offline for the duration of the war and finds himself forced to choose a side, and [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], a long-missing Autobot who reappears with amnesia and a bad attitude. As the series progresses, more Autobots come into focus on the fringes of the story, like the over-eager, luckless [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and resentful, boozy, one-trick-pony [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. ''More than Meets the Eye'' uses its "quest" backdrop to tell multiple smaller adventures, throughout which are threaded many, ''many'' seeds for future stories, together forming a grand tapestry that has clearly been planned out ''very'' far in advance.

[[File:MTMTE28 subcvr.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|All of your favorite childhood heroes... wait, what's ''he'' doing there?]]
===Season 1===
Following an unexpected [[Quantum generator|quantum jump]] upon launch, the ''Lost Light'' is hurled off into the depths of space, where the crew is joined by Skids and contends with a stowaway [[Sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]]. A visit to [[Delphi]] by Ratchet to help cure a plague introduces the threat of the [[Decepticon Justice Division]], who then feature in a Decepticon-dedicated story menacing a [[Scavenger (group)|band of misfit Decepticons]], and also brings the facility's surviving patients and staff onto the ship—including [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], whose post-traumatic stress causes him to snap and nearly kill Rung. Hoping to cure Rung's damaged brain, Rewind gathers a small group together to recount a shared story from their past about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]] foiling a [[Senate]] plot to discredit the burgeoning Decepticon movement in the days of Functionism. Unfortunately, the little archivist is soon badly wounded in battle, sending Chromedome into a grief spiral that allows Drift to manipulate him into carrying out a plan laid out by [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]: using his mnemosurgery skills to tap the memories and learn the secrets of mass-murdering Decepticon [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], secretly hidden on board the ''Lost Light''. Unfortunately, Chromedome accidentally allows Overlord to escape, and Rewind has to sacrifice himself to jettison the monster from the ship. Ultra Magnus is also fatally wounded in the battle, but when his body disappears from the ship's Medibay, the crew track it to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where they discover and foil a twisted plot by [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]] to wipe out all those Transformers he sees as tainted by original sin.

The book then moves into the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] crossover with ''Robots in Disguise'' with the ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues mainly dealing with the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s quest to find and revive Metroplex and Orion Pax's investigation into the Dead Universe's involvement in Shockwave's overall plot. The casts of both series finally meet again in [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|''Robots in Disguise'' #26]].

[[File:MTMTE40 Ten's mural.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|All of [[Ten]]'s favorite adulthood heroes.]]
===Season 2===
Following ''Dark Cybertron'''s conclusion, the series' second season kicks off with a three-part story arc involving Megatron's trial and the events that lead to him captaining the ''Lost Light'' set in the six months between Dark Cybertron and Season 2 while the present day story deals with the arrival of a [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|coffin]]; disappearing objects and a mystery involving [[The Gloaming|Rewind's Message]]. The cast undergoes a reshuffle, as tertiary crew members like [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]] are moved to the main cast and new crew members like [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] are added. The new members include two new original characters, [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] and [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]]. Answers to the mysteries revolving around the coffin lead to the [[time travel|time-traveling]] "Elegant Chaos" arc, as the ''Lost Light''ers scramble after [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]], who has gone back in time, bent on changing the future. Along the way, the gang inadvertently answers some of the series's longest-standing questions, as they discover that they can't fight fate.

In the aftermath, several characters depart for other comics while new people [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] and [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]] join the crew. The ''Lost Light'' discovered a message from [[Dominus Ambus|a dead spy]] within the DJD while helping Swerve with his self-worth issues and followed its directions to the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s planet. It contained a sobering reminder that all of them were killers and would one day have to face it, and Megatron was shaken to see a visual representation of the billions he was responsible for. The Scavengers returned for another two-parter that saw them deal with what to do with a mentally disabled [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in a post-Great War world. The drama aboard the ''Lost Light'' began to heat up as not only did [[Getaway]]'s true agenda for Tailgate come to light, but so did Skids' repressed memories that left him with the deepest scars imaginable. Elsewhere, the Decepticon Justice Division learned Megatron had called for an end to Decepticon warfare; they doubled down and joined forces with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s splinter faction, determined to kill Megatron for heresy.

The fiftieth issue begins the season finale arc, "The Dying of the Light". Megatron, Rodimus, and the main cast are tricked into going to Necroworld, only to learn ''the entire Lost Light crew'' have mutinied under Getaway's lead. Sick of Megatron's presence and Rodimus' incompetent leadership, they intend to continue the Knightquest without them, having informed both the Decepticon Justice Division and the [[Galactic Council]] of Megatron's location. Shocking revelations are had, old friends and an old enemy return, and a fierce battle is waged. Though the Decepticons are beaten, none of the crew escape unscathed—and some pay the ultimate price.

{{--}}

==Creative team==
[[File:Milne roberts.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Series artist [[Alex Milne]] (left) and writer [[James Roberts]] (right)]]
The series is written by [[James Roberts]], fresh from the critical success of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. Roberts had already been assigned the series when he wrote the two-part "Chaos Theory" in issues [[Chaos Theory Part 1|#22]] and [[Chaos Theory Part 2|#23]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], and seeded many early plot points for the series into those two issues, including [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] as the prison guard. Also furthering the link between the ongoing and ''More than Meets the Eye'', when Roberts co-plotted "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos]]" with [[Mike Costa]], Costa let him script all of the Kimia escape shuttle scenes, populated with characters who would be aboard the [[Lost Light]].<ref name="Everything">From the 'Everything You Didn't Realize You Needed To Know About More Than Meets The Eye' section of the TPB</ref>

[[Alex Milne]] serves as the series regular artist, with colors by [[Josh Burcham]]. The visual "look" of ''More than Meets the Eye'' that the pair have created is very unique, with slightly exaggerated, cartoonishly stylized character models unlike anything in Milne's past work, cel-shaded with a textured, muted color palette that combines to create something quite unlike any modern Transformer comic. So key is this "visual identity" to the book that almost all other contributors who have worked on the title have striven to emulate it, adapting their own lineart and coloring styles to match the expected look and tone of the book. Frequent Roberts collaborator [[Nick Roche]] provided art for issues #1 and #6, as well as "B" covers for every issue, while [[Brendan Cahill]] co-pencilled #12, [[Guido Guidi]] stepped in for #13, [[Agustin Padilla]] filled in last-minute for #16, and [[James Raiz]] drew the lineart for #22. [[Joana Lafuente]] and [[Josh Perez]] have also lent their colors to the book, while [[Marcelo Matere]] regularly provides retailer incentive variant covers for the series. Following the "Dark Cybertron" crossover event, Burcham stepped down as the book's regular colorist, and Lafuente took his place, bringing a new palette and gradiated shading to the series.
{{--}}

==Soundtrack==
[[File:Nautica-MTMTE42covercropped.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pick up the latest issue of ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Indie Disco!'']]
In a unique touch, writer James Roberts would visit the [http://boards.idwpublishing.com/3/index.php IDW Publishing forums] shortly before the release of each issue and offer up a "teaser" post containing one or more songs that served as a "soundtrack" that would set the tonal and/or emotional stage for the upcoming issue, usually tending toward the independent- and folk-rock genres. This began at issue #2, with the songs for #1 being provided later; TFWiki lists these songs on each issue's respective article. Non-issue-specific songs for the series and its characters in general include:

*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKmZRO8XzyY "Lost Coastlines"] by [[Wikipedia:Okkervil River|Okkervil River]] — an overall anthem for the series
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLs3aLq8quw "I've Got a Plan"] by [[Wikipedia: My Friend the Chocolate Cake|My Friend the Chocolate Cake]] — [[theme song]] for Rodimus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maZZOQ_hKA "I Would Fix You"] by [[Wikipedia:Kenickie|Kenickie]] — theme song for Chromedome and Rewind
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYbgWDA2U-M "Hello Cruel World"] by [[Wikipedia:Mark Oliver Everett|Mark Oliver Everett]] — theme song for Tailgate
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcX_JleLsbk "True Men"] by [[Wikipedia:Jon DeRosa|Jon DeRosa]] — theme song for Ultra Magnus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ae0TfhK8M "Let's Make This Precious"] by [[Wikipedia: Dexys Midnight Runners|Dexys Midnight Runners]] — anthem for the series' second season
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpDxT2q9QE "The Old Man's Back Again"] by [[Wikipedia: Scott Walker (singer)|Scott Walker]] — theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKoS5X4SMrY "Irish Blood, English Heart"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — another theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLkwnM0BJR4 "Speedway"] by [[Wikipedia:Morrissey|Morrissey]] — yet ''another'' theme song for Megatron
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcQFidfA9rU "Left to My Own Devices"] by [[Wikipedia:Pet Shop Boys|Pet Shop Boys]] — theme song for Brainstorm 
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_-cUdmdWgU "Chicago"] by [[Wikipedia:Sufjan Stevens|Sufjan Stevens]] — theme song for Cyclonus
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CETTzv3fTG0 "Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)"] by [[Wikipedia:James (band)|James]] — theme song for Whirl

==Collections==
*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' ([[June 13]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613772351 / ISBN 978-1613772355 
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' one-shot.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, 12 promotional images, "Meet the Crew" page, design sketches from [[Alex Milne]] for various characters and ship locations, and a 2-page editor's comment with "behind the scenes" information about the series.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 2''''' ([[October 17]], [[2012]]) ISBN 1613774982 / ISBN 978-1613774984 
:*Contains issues #4 to #8.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, "Meet the Crew" and "Meet the 'Cons" pages.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 3''''' ([[March 27]], [[2013]]) ISBN 161377592X / ISBN 978-1613775929 
:*Contains Annual 2012 and issues #9 to #11.
:*Bonus material includes "Meet the Crew", variant covers, and designs for the [[Guiding Hand]].

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 4''''' ([[July 17]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613776918 / ISBN 978-1613776919 
:*Contains issues #12 to #16.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[Signal to Noise]]''.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 5''''' ([[November 13]], [[2013]]) ISBN 1613778023 / ISBN 978-1613778029 
:*Contains issues #17 to #22.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers, and the prose story ''[[The Sound of Breaking Glass]]''.

*'''''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|The Transformers: Dark Cybertron]] Volume 1''''' ([[April 16]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1613778910 / ISBN 978-1613778913
:*Contains issues #23 to #25, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 and ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23 and #24.
:*Bonus material includes art from most covers.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 1''''' (reissue) ([[May 21]], 2014) ISBN 1613779658 / ISBN 978-1613779651
:*Contains issues #1 to #3, as well as the preceding ''The Death of Optimus Prime'' one-shot.
:*New cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]].
:*Bonus material UNKNOWN

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Volume 2''''' ([[June 11]], 2014) ISBN 1613779984 / ISBN 978-1613779989
:*Contains ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #25–#27, ''More than Meets the Eye'' issues #26–#27, and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 1]]''''' ([[September 3]], 2014) ISBN 1631400401 / ISBN 978-1631400407
:*Includes "The Death of Optimus Prime", ''More than Meets the Eye'' #1–5 and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' #1–6.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 6''''' ([[December 10]], 2014) ISBN 163140184X / ISBN 978-1631401848
:*Contains issues #28 to #33.
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: Dark Cybertron''''' ([[February 11]], [[2015]]) ISBN 163140072X / ISBN 978-1631400728
:*Contains issues #23 to #27, as well as ''Dark Cybertron'' issue #1 ''Robots in Disguise'' issues #23–#27 and "Dark Cybertron: Finale".
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 7''''' ([[May 13]], 2015) ISBN 1631403273 / ISBN 978-1631403279
:*Contains issues #34 to #38
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 2]]''''' ([[August 12]], 2015) ISBN 1631403648 / ISBN 978-1631403644
:*Includes ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Reluctant Specialist|Spotlight: Trailcutter]]'', ''[[The Waiting Game|Spotlight: Hoist]]'', ''More than Meets the Eye'' #6–8, ''Robots in Disguise'' #7–9 and ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 8''''' ([[October 21]], 2015) ISBN 1631404520 / ISBN 978-1631404528
:*Contains issues #39 to #44
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Box Set''''' ([[December 2]], 2015) ISBN 1631404741 / ISBN 978-1631404740
:*Includes ''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye'' Volumes 1 to 5
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Two: Volume 3]]''''' ([[February 24]], [[2016]]) ISBN 1631405403 / ISBN 978-1631405402
:*Includes ''More than Meets the Eye'' Annual 2012 and #9–13, ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 and #10–11, "[[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Spotlight: Thundercracker]]", "[[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]", "[[Spotlight: Megatron]]" and "[[Signal to Noise]]"
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 9''''' ([[May 4]], 2016) ISBN 1631406159 / ISBN 978-1631406157
:*Contains issues #45 to #49
:*Bonus content includes covers of each issue.

*'''''The Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye Volume 10''''' (Scheduled for [[September 13]], 2016) ISBN 1631407163 / ISBN 978-1631407161
:*Contains issues #50 to #55
:*Bonus content UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol1.jpg|Volume 1 cover by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
File:MTMTE vol2.jpg|Volume 2 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:MTMTE vol3.jpg|Volume 3 cover by Alex Milne and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:MTMTE vol4.jpg|Volume 4 cover by Alex Milne and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol5.jpg|Volume 5 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:DC vol1.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 1 cover by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
File:MTMTE vol1 reissue.jpg|Volume 1 reissue cover by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:DC vol2.jpg|Dark Cybertron Volume 2 cover by Phil Jimenez and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
File:IDWCollectionP2V1.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 1 cover by [[Sarah Stone]]
File:MTMTE vol6.jpg|Volume 6 cover by [[Casey Coller]] and Joana Lafuente
File:DC HC.jpg|Dark Cybertron Hardcover cover by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
File:MTMTE vol7.jpg|Volume 7 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
File:IDWCollectionP2V2.jpg|IDW Collection Phase 2 Vol 2 cover by Sarah Stone
File:MTMTE vol8.jpg|Volume 8 cover by Alex Milne and Josh Perez
</gallery>

==In fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:MTMTE43_subcvr.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|Your childhood's hero you pretended was your favourite after your gran bought it and not that Ultra Magnus you wanted.]]
{{quote|...I didn't say I didn't '''like''' it—I just don't understand all of the words, and it presumes a '''familiarity''' with the Autobot/Decepticon war that I '''still''' don't have...|[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]|"[[The One Where They Go to Earth]]"}}

After being exposed to [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s [[Metafictional bomb|meta-bomb]] and [[Time case|briefcase]], the Autobot [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] somehow created a reiterative time-loop inside him, allowing his [[holomatter]] generator to create a life-sized replica of the planet [[Earth]] to which his mind retreated when he was dying from a rust infection. The only literature on "[[Swearth]]", as it was swiftly dubbed, was a comic book series called ''More than Meets the Eye'' that detailed the adventures of the ''[[Lost Light]]'''s crew up until that point, which [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] read in order to gain clues as to Swerve's location. {{storylink|The One Where They Go to Earth}}

==Recognition==
* #85 on [http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/cbrs-top-100-comics-of-2015-100-76#85 Comic Book Resource's top 100 Comics of 2015].
* Winner of Comics Alliance's [http://comicsalliance.com/comics-alliance-best-of-2015-continued-excellence-in-serial-comics/ Best of 2015: Continued Excellence in Serial Comics].

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:More than Meets the Eye, The Transformers}}
[[Category:Generation 1 comic series]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]