The End of the Beginning of the World

2015-06-30T02:36:22Z

Rameytyler38: /* Covers (4) */

{{Comicstory|
|series=rid|issueno=11
|prev=Syndromica (2)
|next=City on Fire
|caption=
|image=RID11 cvrA.jpg
|title="The End of the Beginning of the World"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 21]], [[2012]]
|coverdate=November 2012
|written by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Guido Guidi]]
|inks by=[[John Wycough]] (pages 19-22)
|colors by=[[Priscilla Tramontano]]
|letters by=[[Shawn Lee]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2012)]]
}}

'''When his public standing is weakened by a mysterious bombing, Starscream is forced into a secret alliance with Prowl and Arcee.'''

==Synopsis==

With a communications network at last established in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] avails of the opportunity to further inflate the new reputation he has gained following the [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]]'s announcement that he will be the saviour of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. He petitions [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] for his endorsement live on air, and the giant's impassive reticence does nothing to dissuade the enthusiasm of onlookers, not least of all reporter [[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]], who proceeds to interview Starscream. [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]], watching the broadcast, believes Starscream has sown up the forthcoming elections, but [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] assures the little [[Autobot]] that he can still win—a sentiment not shared by Starscream, who, once back in his quarters, starts trying on different [[Transformer clothing#Headwear|crown]]s in advance of his self-assured victory. [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] attempts to talk further about the divine meaning of the Metrotitan's words, and Starscream reveals that he doesn't believe the titan is supernatural at all: all that matters is that the populace does. The pair look out over the city from Starscream's balcony... at which point the calm is suddenly shattered by an explosion, with Omega Supreme at its centre. The horrified Starscream flies down to the blast site, where Prowl is directing operations to save the badly wounded Omega's life, and the court of public opinion has already passed a verdict on who must surely be the culprits behind the explosion: the [[Decepticon]]s. Metalhawk attempts to speak in their defence, and when angrily called out by Bumblebee, he surprises the little 'bot by recanting and asking him to investigate. Prowl volunteers his services, but Metalhawk is wary, reminding the public about the "suicide" of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]].

Watching all of this play out over the comm net are [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who believe that [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] and his small group of followers are responsible for arranging the attack on Omega to weaken the Autobots before restarting the war. Starscream shares their belief, and arrives at the Decepticon pen to confront Shockwave about it, concerned that Shockwave is going to ruin both his chances within the government, and the majority of the Decepticons' chances to make new lives for themselves. Neither confirming nor denying anything, Shockwave merely warns Starscream to stay out of his way. Turning to leave, however, Starscream is hesitantly approached by Swindle and Dirge, the latter trading information on Prowl's secret executions in exchange for Starscream's protection. Starscream confronts Prowl with the information, warning him that Dirge also shared it with Shockwave, and ''suggesting'' that maybe ''someone'' should do something about the threat they pose...

Back at the Decepticon pen, some time later, Shockwave is assessing the situation with [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who catches a strange scent nearby... just before the dead bodies of [[Triggerhappy]] and [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] crash down in front of them, taken out by [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Incapacitating Ravage and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] with ease, Arcee calmly faces down Shockwave and his assembled troops and informs them she's not here to fight: she has already planted a shrapnel bomb in their base, which promptly detonates and knocks all the Decepticons out. Arcee radios Prowl to confirm her success, and he directs her to take the captured Decepticons to the [[Black Room]], and to plant another set of explosives within the base. Mere seconds later, with his own security force behind him, Prowl arrives at the pen and deliberately trips the explosives to make it appear as if Shockwave's Decepticons booby-trapped their own base, and that they have all perished in the blast.

From afar, Starscream watches as the pen burns and crumbles, vowing to himself that after sharing power for a while, he'll take Cybertron for his own. Arcee appears behind him to "congratulate" him on his successes, but at the same time makes him aware that while Dirge's information may offer him protection against recriminations from Prowl, ''she'' knows ''exactly'' where Dirge is hidden. Struck dumb, Starscream can only watch as Arcee leaps away into the night, but as he looks off into the darkness after her, he catches sight of something else: a figure marching toward the city, from out the wilderness.

[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] has returned.

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (1)
*[[Longtooth]] (3)
*[[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]] (4)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (7)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] (8)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (9)
*[[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]] (10)
*[[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] (14)
*[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (26)
*[[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] (27)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (28)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (5)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (12)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (13)
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (15)
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (16)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] (17)
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (18)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (19)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (20)
*[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (21)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (22)
*[[Triggerhappy]] (23)
*[[Blot (G1)|Blot]] (24)
*[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] (29)

|h3=[[NAIL]]s|c3=
*[[Tappet]] (2)
*[[Hipotank]] (6)
*[[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] (11)
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (25)

}}

==Quotes==
"'''You''' and I want cybertron to '''grow''' and '''prosper'''. We instigate our little '''machinations'''- no pun intended- but we want a '''future.''' We both think '''Ironhide's''' gone '''binary'''. But we both want him '''back''' because deep down we want his '''stupid vision''' to come '''true''', whether he imagined it or not. 
"'''Shockwave''' and '''Soundwave?''' They want the war to '''start'''' again. And '''Dirge''' told them what you '''did.'''" 
:—'''Starscream''' to '''Prowl'''

"These swords aren't for '''killing you.''' They're for '''deflecting shrapnel.'''" 
"They're... '''what?'''"
:—'''Arcee''' and a confused '''Shockwave''', right before things go boom

"I killed a couple of guards for fun." 
"Anyone '''important?'''" 
"I '''genuinely''' cannot tell them apart."
:—'''Arcee''' and '''Prowl'''

==Notes==

*Though not named, Circuit's camera man is identifiable as [[Longtooth]], designed to look more like a robot version of his [[Pretender]] shell than his inner-robot, with a helmet evocative of his distinctive walrus tusks and his "eyepatch" re-envisioned as the camera of his new trade. In IDW continuity, Longtooth's sole previous appearance was as a disembodied [[Spark]] held in [[Garrus-9]] in ''[[Spotlight: Arcee]]''; guess he's reformed!
*The crown Starscream tries on is, of course, the one from his coronation in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. The other crowns sitting on the tables are the headpieces of the Japanese anime super-robots ''Mobile Suit Gundam'', ''Great Mazinger'' and ''Daitarn 3''.
*A model of Starscream in his F-15 alternate mode sits on a table in Screamer's quarters.
*The explosives used in the attack on Omega Supreme are identified as [[plasma-density charge]]s, introduced in "[[Spotlight: Soundwave]]".
*Among the items left as a "memorial" by Omega's fallen form is a model of [[Omega Supreme (G1)#omegaspreem|Omega Spreem]].
*Starscream remarks that no pun is intended when he uses the word "machination"—he might just be referring to the fact that he and Prowl are "machines", or he might be making a crack calling back to the [[Machination]], the evil human organization lead by [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] from [[Simon Furman]]'s "-ations" era.
*With this issue, Rumble and Frenzy switch back to being red and blue, respectively, as they were at the outset of IDW continuity, after spending the duration of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]] with their colours [[FIRRIB|swapped]].
*Starscream has hidden Dirge aboard the ''[[Alchemy-Seven]]'', one of the NAIL ships mentioned back in ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]''.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A:''' Bumblebee, Prowl and Starscream all look at Dirge, by [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Josh Perez]].
* '''Cover B:''' Arcee gets down to business, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]].
* '''Cover RI:''' Battle-damaged Omega Supreme, by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Priscilla Tramontano]].
* '''Hasbro Exclusive Cover:''' Quickslinger in a battle scene, by [[Ken Christiansen]]

<gallery>
Image:RID11 cvrA.jpg|
Image:RID11 cvrB.jpg|
Image:RID11 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===

*''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|#11]]
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*''Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' Volume 1
*IDW ''[[My Little Pony|My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]'' comic
*''Dorothy of Oz'' Prequel
*''[[Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots]]''
{{DEFAULTSORT:End of the Beginning of the World}}

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The End of the Beginning of the World