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Dire Wraith

2017-01-02T17:18:30Z

Shadowblade: /* IDW Generation 1 continuity */

[[Image:RARRRR DIRE WRAITHS ATTACK.jpg|thumb|right|300px|You'd shapeshift too if you looked like that.]]

Hailing from a [[Dark Nebula|dark nebula]], the evil '''Dire Wraiths''' seek to conquer all they see. The only force able to oppose them is [[Rom]] and the [[Solstar Order]]. The Solstar Order prevailed, causing the Wraiths to scatter throughout the galaxy. The Dire Wraiths secretly invaded the [[Earth]] long ago.

The Dire Wraiths wield powerful dark magic and are able to assume any form they wish. They are also able to gain new abilities by using the blood of other life forms.

==Fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
{{MainIDW|Dire Wraith}}

[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] knew of the Dire Wraiths and was so disgusted by them that he steered clear of the Dark Nebula where they hailed from. [[Krok (G1)|Krok]] shared his leader's disgust and described the Wraiths as "panmorphic lifeforms". At some point, the Wraiths invaded [[Temptoria]] and stole its religion. {{storylink|Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again!}}

While discussing [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s recent [[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|annexing of Earth]], [[Miles Mayhem]] mentioned that [[Action Man]] could be of help to a "situation" in Northern [[California]], referring to where hidden Dire Wraiths were being hunted by Rom. {{storylink|Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|Secret Raiders}} Mayhem had actually been approached by the Wraiths and allied with them with the promise that Mayhem would rule Earth once the Wraiths had all the [[Ore-13]]. {{storylink|The New Colossus}} At some point the Wraiths murdered [[Joe Colton]] and several G.I. Joe members, replacing them with Wraiths. They were force to contend with [[Transformer|Cybertronians]] with power over Earth, eventually using their ranks in the Earth governments to engage them in battle. To their horror however, Rom showed up and murdered four of them. {{storylink|Concorde Hymn}}

Rom gave a vague explanation to the Cybertronians of who the Wraiths were and why he was on Earth. {{storylink|The Divine Source of Liberty}} Once he'd made peace with Optimus Prime, he further elaborated on the Wraiths' interest in [[Ore-13]] and how it made them harder to detect. {{storylink|O Ship of State}}

A Dire Wraith was visible on a computer screen as [[Baron Karza]] monitored the Ore-13 retrieved from [[Mount Olympus]]. {{storylink|The Divine Source of Liberty}}

The Dire Wraiths eventually managed to take over the EDC's Bikini Atoll base. [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] was sent to defeat them and recapture the facility. {{storylink|The Modern World}} While this happened, [[Marissa Faireborn]] was meeting with the [[President of the United States|President]] and given the case of Ore-13 that the Wraith Colton was carrying around before Rom killed him. This was the cue for the Wraiths in the [[White House]] to try and reclaim the case. Armed with a firearm that fired armor piercing bullets, Marissa made short (if bloody) work of the Wraiths in the vicinity before she called in [[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Thundercracker]] as backup. The Wraiths managed to take control of the [[Seeker clone|Seeker clones]] before Thundercracker and [[D.0.C.]] destroyed them. [[Buster (IDW)|Buster]] proved able to sniff out the Wraiths from the humans while [[Bob (IDW)|Bob]] simply mutilated one before eating it. The leader of the Wraith cell barricaded herself in the situation room. This proved ineffective against Thundercracker who casually destroyed the wall and all her minions. At wit's end, she merged magic and Ore-13 growing to Cybertronian size. Adopting the form of a Wraith Hawk, she engaged Thundercracker in the air and managed to rip off his cannon arm. Thundercracker shouted a warning that the arm was full of ammunition and that she ought to be careful with her fire hands. Her wings were incinerated and she impaled on the [[Washington Monument]]. Marissa meanwhile mowed down the rest of the Wraiths with a standard rifle. {{storylink|Thundercracker & Buster Save the World}}

Mayhem later contacted the Wraith leader, "[[Caleb Awan]]", to inform him of the large supply of Ore-13 beneath [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. The Wraiths moved out to meet their [[M.A.S.K.]] allies in [[Monument Valley]] where many Wraiths performed a kamikaze attack on [[Victorion]], overwhelming the Combiner. When they entered the city, their path was bared by Rom who had allied himself with the Cybertronians and others to fight off the Wraiths. The Wraiths managed to use the Ore-13 beneath the city to enhance their power before they, rather unsurprisingly, betrayed Miles Mayhem. Refusing to be beaten by aliens, Mayhem summoned [[Baron Karza]] from [[Microspace]] much to the amusement of "Caleb" who questioned what the diminutive creature could do. The diminutive creature responded by absorbing all the Wraiths into him, turning himself into an ungodly fusion of Cybertronian, Microspace, and Wraith power. {{storylink|The New Colossus}} In short order, said ungodly fusion was dumped into a collapsing spacebridge into Microspace. {{storylink|Valley Forge}}

One Wraith, that called himself CONS4EVA, somehow got an account on [[The Big Conversation]] where he made friends with [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]]. Not caring for his species' desire for conquest, CONS4EVA wanted Crankcase's help in completing the Temporitan religious ceremony known as "The Crossover" to show ultimate loyalty to "The Brand". With the help of the human known as MP3, the trio opened a portal that led to a new life...a portal much too small for anyone to enter. CONS4EVA was then offered a place abroad the ''[[Weak Anthropic Principle]]'' but the Wraith politely declined and opted to find his own way on Earth. {{storylink|Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again!}}

==Notes==
*While it was believed that [[Marvel Comics]] owned the Dire Wraiths (using them as recently as 2011), that is not the case, as they were mentioned in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktFvrEQKdjw Rom's original toy commercial]. However, while Marvel doesn't own the name or concept of the Dire Wraiths, they do own [http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel//universe3zx/images/9/9e/Dire-wraiths.jpg their design for the Wraiths], forcing [[IDW Publishing]] to give the Wraiths a new look.
*The "dark nebula" from which they hail is not to be confused with the coincidentally similarly-named ''Transformers'' [[Dark Nebula]].

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

[[Category:Alien species]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1 species]]
[[Category:Other Hasbro properties]]

White Heat

2016-12-10T01:15:26Z

Shadowblade: /* Continuity notes */

{{Comicstory
|series=exrid|issueno=57
|prev=White Light
|next=Thundercracker & Buster Save the World
|seriesissue2=''[[Titans Return (comic)|Titans Return]]''
|prev2=White Light
|next2=Ten to Midnight
|caption=
|image=TF57 regcvr.jpg
|title="White Heat"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 28]], [[2016]] (digital) [[October 5]], 2016 (print)
|coverdate=September 2016
|written by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Livio Ramondelli]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}
'''Optimus Prime and Soundwave find themselves a captive audience for Sentinel Prime in the shadow of Prion.'''

==Synopsis==
Having passed out due to the sudden, unexpected [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] transit, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] awakens to find that he and [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] have been transported to the blasted, corpse-laden surface of another world, where the ruined hulk of a [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]] lies. [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] tells them that the giant is [[Prion]], one of the colony Titans, who was abandoned by his master [[Micronus Prime]], leaving him and his [[Mini-Con]] populace to be slain by the [[Black Block Consortia]]. Sentinel goes onto explain that he and [[Sovereign]]—[[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]]'s true form—are [[Titan Master]]s, the heralds of [[Nexus Prime]] and [[Onyx Prime]] respectively, and that they have abducted Prime not to battle him, but to invite him to join them. Soundwave points out that Sentinel is not even a true Prime himself; Sentinel is amused to see that the Decepticon, previously such an opponent to the notion of Primes, has become a believer in their power after witnessing the raising of [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Earth's Titan]]. Sentinel declares that Soundwave can at least die as a believer... whereupon Sovereign, controlling [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]'s body as its head, slashes his sword deep into Soundwave's body!

Back on [[Earth]], the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s still cleaning up after their battle with [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]'s troops in the [[Indian Ocean]] come under attack from the newly-restructured [[Earth Defense Command]], staffed now with members of [[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]], including an ever-enthusiastic [[Wild Bill]]. [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] are keen to fight back, but [[Swift]] refuses to let them; [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] tries to run interference instead, but [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] is able to exploit the distraction to slip out of [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]'s grip and make a run for it. Just as he bursts out of the water, however, he is impaled by the wing-blade of [[Zilong Qian]]'s mecha and taken captive. Intent on ending the conflict, the [[Torchbearer]]s merge into [[Victorion]], who uses her gravity powers to interfere with the EDC's weaponsfire. At [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]]'s order, she reluctantly levitates the 'bots and their prisoners away. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Spike Witwicky]] is just as reluctant to let them go, but Qian—now going by the Joe codename "Talon"—is happy, considering the capture of Blitzwing and the remains of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' and the routing of the Transformers a victory.

As Sovereign slowly sinks his sword into Soundwave, Sentinel talks about his own humiliation at the hands of the Decepticons millions of years ago, and declares their eradication a "holy duty." But Sentinel does not realize how ''un''-tempting his offer is to Optimus; striking quickly, the Autobot leader tackles Sentinel, knocking him back into Sovereign, who loses his grip on his sword. Soundwave grabs the blade, pulls it out of his body, and uses it to lop Sovereign off of Alpha Trion. With a pinpoint-precise sonic manipulation, Soundwave re-writes the neural signals within Sovereign's neocortex, unlocking and reinstating the little 'bots "Blackrock" personality programming. This does not dissuade Sentinel, however; he snatches up Blackrock and vanishes through Prion's spacebridge, his departing words a warning of the devastation he will bring upon Cybertron, and the chance Optimus had to escape it. Soundwave proves unable to divine his destination from the ancient spacebridge, but Optimus, spying Alpha Trion's decapitated head on the ground nearby, is not interested in following.

A short time later, Optimus and Soundwave arrive on Cybertron and bring Alpha Trion's head and body to [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]], who confirms that the old sage can be safely repaired. Optimus blames himself for not stopping Sentinel right away, but Soundwave and [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] urge him to take his victories where he can find them. Prime bids Windblade farewell as he and Soundwave prepare to return to Earth, but just before they step through the bridge, Soundwave lays his hand on Optimus's shoulder and prepares to tell him something. Having sensed the recent death of [[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]], Soundwave explains, he has been reminded of his first meeting with the cyber-cat—how he saved him, and how he opened his eyes to the need for equality among Transformers. Soundwave compromised his morals in pursuit of that belief as a Decepticon, just as Optimus compromised his when he blackmailed Soundwave into their alliance... but despite this, Soundwave has come to truly believe in Optimus's mission, and understands that equality applies not to just to Transformers, but to all sentient life. Soundwave says that he can never repay this debt, and that the compromises that brought them to this point must be forgotten. Sentinel and Galvatron have both warned them: something from their ancient past is returning, and the Autobots and Decepticons must be ready to face it together.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] (4)
*[[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Infinitus/Sentinel Prime]] (6)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (10)
*[[Stormclash]] (11)
*[[Pyra Magna]] (12)
*[[Dust Up]] (13)
*[[Rust Dust]] (14)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sunstreaker]] (15)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Thundercracker]] (16)
*[[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] (17)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] (25)
*[[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] (26)
*[[Jazz (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jazz]] (27)
*[[Victorion]] (32)
*[[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] (33)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Wheeljack]] (34)
*[[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] (36)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (37)
*[[Aileron]] (38)
*[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] (42)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] (3)
*''[[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]'' (8)
*[[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] (18)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (19)
*[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (20)
*[[Swift]] (21)
*[[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] (23)
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (24)
*[[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] (28)
*[[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] (29)
|c3=
*[[Wild Bill]] (9)
*[[Deep Six]] (22)
*[[Zilong Qian|Zilong Qian/Talon]] (30)
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (31)
|c4=
*[[Prion]]'s corpse (2)
*[[Sovereign]]/[[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]] (5)
*''[[Nexus Prime]]'' (7)
*[[Lightbright (G1)|Lightbright]] (35)
*[[Buster (IDW)|Buster]] (39)
*[[Bob (IDW)|Bob]] (40)
*[[D.0.C.]] (41)
}}

==Quotes==
"<nowiki>'</nowiki>'''Sentinel'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> was a persona I adopted—a '''false Prime''' to serve the '''real''', while I awaited Onyx's '''return.''' Then '''Megatron'''—and his '''Decepticons'''—turned me into a... a '''chair.''' Do you '''understand''' what it means to serve a '''higher power''', only to be brought down by the '''lowliest class''' of creatures '''imaginable?''' Your '''Blackrock''' has come to grasp this. He acknowledges his '''holy duty''' to '''kill''' Decepticons. Starting with '''yours'''."
:—'''Sentinel Prime'''

"Sentinel... or '''whatever''' you call yourself. If you think the '''lure''' of joining the Primes '''you''' serve is '''any''' temptation... <big>'''''you don't understand what being Optimus Prime means!"</big>'''''
:—'''Optimus Prime'''

"I am '''Sovereign! I''' control my '''future'''!" 
"'''Uncomprehending''' creature. None of us controls '''that'''."
:—'''Sovereign''' and '''Soundwave'''

"Long ago, when I was at my '''lowest''', [Ravage] came to me. And through him I found '''salvation'''... I realized '''all''' Cybertronians were '''one''' in the eyes of '''Primus'''. Together we followed '''Megatron''' into battle for the '''Decepticon cause.''' Along the way, despite our '''intentions''', we '''compromised''' our principles. This is '''not''' something you are '''unfamiliar''' with, Optimus Prime. You '''coerced''' me into joining your cause... but through it I learned all—not all '''Cybertronians,''' but all—are '''one''' before Primus. This is not a '''debt''' I can repay. Whatever compromises we made in the '''past''', Optimus... we '''must''' set them aside. '''Galvatron''' and '''Sentinel''' are warnings from the past... telling us the '''future''' is coming. And it is up to '''us''' to prepare for it... old friend."
:—'''Soundwave''' closes out the series

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The Titan colony founded by Prion was first mentioned in [[The Permanent Revolution|''More than Meets the Eye'' #39]]. It was in that issue that the colony's razing by the Black Block Consortia was recounted, by the sole survivor [[Nickel]], who is also referenced here.
*[[The Transformers: Windblade|''Windblade'' vol. 2]] explained that the colony Titans are each connected to one of the [[Thirteen|original thirteen Primes]]; Prion is here revealed to be [[Micronus Prime]]'s Titan, and thus, that the colony was one populated by [[Mini-Con]]s.
*The question of what became of Micronus Prime is answered in the {{i|Micronauts: Revolution|''Micronauts: Revolution'' one-shot}}, released the same day as this issue, in which—via a one-panel appearance of Micronus himself—it is revealed that he created, and retreated into, [[Microspace]], the sub-atomic dimension that is home to the titular heroes.
*We get a flashback to Galvatron killing Nexus Prime, Sentinel's holographic image being directly lifted from [[The Crucible|issue #34]].
*We knew previously that Blackrock/Sovereign was an agent of Onyx Prime, and we learn in this issue that Sentinel/Infinitus is the herald of Nexus Prime. It would make sense, then, that Sentinel knew about Sovereign and his mission, as issue #34 showed us that Onyx and Nexus had previously conspired together. That issue also showed that Nexus was responsible for creating [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] out of both their followers with his [[Enigma of Combination]], but it is unclear whether or not Sentinel and Sovereign's ability to turn into heads has any connection to that. In IDW continuity, are Titan Masters a natural race with the power to control Titans and turn into heads, or are Sentinel and Sovereign the only two, created by Nexus? Or are they members of a natural race able to control Titans, who were given the power to turn into heads by Nexus? If they are not the only two, does that mean each Prime has a Titan Master herald?
*Sentinel claims that Micronus Prime betrayed both Onyx and [[Liege Maximo]]. It was said in issue #34 that Maximo was responsible for the conspiring to start the war between the Primes; makes you wonder what kind of a guy Micronus was.
*Blitzwing's capture by the EDC leads into his appearance in the [[Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|''Revolution'' prelude]], and his role in the creation of [[M.A.S.K.]]
*Spike remembers Victorion's use of her gravity powers "at the White House last month," as seen in [[All Hail Optimus Part 2: Edge of the Earth|issue #51]].
*Sentinel recalls how the Decepticons turned him into "a chair," a reference to how Megatron refashioned his [[Apex Armor (G1)|Apex Armor]] into a throne in [[Megatron Origin issue 4|''Megatron: Origin'' #4]].
*Sentinel and Sovereign depart to go and star in the ''More than Meets the Eye'' portion of the ''Titans Return'' crossover, which actually began last month in [[Ten to Midnight|''More than Meets the Eye'' #56]] as part of a deliberate—if a pinch confusing—non-chronological release order.
*Soundwave laments the death of Ravage, which he felt across the stars in [[The Dying of the Light Part 6: Do Not Go Gentle|''More than Meets the Eye'' #55]]. He also recalls his first meeting with him, and how Ravage saved him, as recounted in [[Soundwaves (issue)|issue #22]].
*This issue hints at a confrontation between Optimus Prime's forces with Onyx Prime as a future storyline. Further evidence would come with the reveal of the next chapter of the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'', ''[[Power of the Primes (franchise)|Power of the Primes]]''.
*Optimus blackmailed Soundwave back in [[All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|issue #52]].

===Real-life references===
*Together with the previous issue, the title of this two-part ''Titans Return'' tie-in is taken from {{w|The Velvet Underground}} album, ''{{w|White Light/White Heat}}''.
*Sky Lynx mentions the planet [[Huizenga]]; {{w|Huizenga|here's a list}} of what that might potentially refer to.

===Errors===
*Kup told Needlenose to "get your brother onta Sky-Byte", which should be '''Sky Lynx''', as even if Sky-Byte was in this issue (which is not), he could not have been a recommended transport for the wounded which, according to Thundercracker, is ''almost everybody''.

===Other trivia===
*This is the final issue of ''The Transformers''. Following a [[Thundercracker & Buster Save the World|one-shot tie-in]] to the ''[[Revolution]]'' crossover, the series relaunches as ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]'' in November 2016 and continues from where it left off.
*The print version of this issue, originally solicited for September, arrived a little late, in the first week of October. The digital version, however, was accidentally released a week before it, er, on time.

===Covers (3)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Optimus and Soundwave, by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' Jetfire and Thundercracker come under attack from G.I. Joe, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Sentinel Prime rips his own head off as Optimus Prime stares in horror, by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Priscilla Tramontano]]
<gallery>
File:TF57 regcvr.jpg|
File:TF57 subcvr.jpg|
File:TF57 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''[[Revolution]]''

[[Category:Titans Return issues]]

White Light

2016-12-06T16:27:14Z

Shadowblade: /* Notes */

{{Comicstory
|series=exrid|issueno=56
|prev=All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights
|next=White Heat
|seriesissue2=''[[Titans Return (comic)|Titans Return]]''
|prev2=The Last Autobot
|next2=White Heat
|caption="An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that Alpha Trion's birth certificate is a fraud."
|image=TF56 regcvr.jpg
|title="White Light"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[August 31]], [[2016]]
|coverdate=August 2016
|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]]
}}

'''Sentinel Prime's objective on Earth is revealed when he targets Garrison Blackrock and uncovers his true power.'''

==Synopsis==
Beneath the [[Indian Ocean]], the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s complete mop-up operations following their battle with [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]]'s forces, rounding up the deceased despot's remaining followers. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] tries making a run for it, but is quickly taken down by a stun blast from the impatient [[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]], who gruffly ignores [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]]'s calls for use of a gentler hand. [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] radios the newly established [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] in [[Monument Valley]] with an update, and is surprised when [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] answers the comm. Trion mentions a "problem" before being abruptly cut off...

At Autobot City, Alpha Trion is confronted by a tiny robot who introduces himself as "Infinitus." Trion does not recognize the little 'bot at first, but as Infinitus mocks him and proselytizes his intentions to purify the corrupted, modern Cybertron, the old sage soon realizes that his surprise visitor is [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], albeit in an unfamiliar form. Deploying blades from his forearms, Sentinel pounces on Trion, whose scream is heard by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] nearby. The pair cannot come to Trion's aid, however, as they are already mobilizing to investigate ''another'' scream—one emitted by [[Aileron]] down by the [[Space bridge|spacebridge]]. Arriving on the scene, they are shocked to witness Sentinel Prime's headless body battling [[D.0.C.]], [[Buster (IDW)|Buster]], and [[Bob (IDW)|Bob]]. While Prime checks on the wounded Aileron, [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] arrives to join the fight; she pounces on Sentinel's body, whereupon it transforms to aircraft mode and blasts its way inside Autobot City, carrying Arcee along with it. Soundwave and Prime give chase, leaving Aileron and the animals in D.0.C.'s care, but just before they head inside the city, they spot Alpha Trion's spacecraft mode streaking off through the sky, with Infinitus in the cockpit.

En route to the Indian Ocean site, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Spike Witwicky]] complains over his comm to [[Marissa Faireborn]] about being pulled out of Monument Valley. Faireborn curtly explains that it was not her call: it was the decision of the ''new'', presidentially-appointed head of the [[Earth Defense Command]], General [[Joe Colton]]. While Colton chews Witwicky out, [[Skywarp (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Skywarp]], concerned over his own fate, inquires about Colton's history; Marissa explains he was the former head of the now-defunct special mission force, [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], and that she suspects he is in ''way'' over his head.

On the road out of [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]], a military convoy is taking [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]]—watched by two of Colton's former G.I. Joe troops, [[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] and [[Scarlett]]—to an undisclosed location. When the truck containing Blackrock suddenly collides with something, Roadblock and Scarlett lock and load and step out to investigate, but are not prepared for what they find: Alpha Trion's decapitated head, lying in the middle of the road. Trion's body also soon makes its presence known, now controlled by Sentinel, who has converted to his own head mode and attached himself to it. Sentinel wades through the Joes' harmless weaponsfire and snatches up Blackrock, telling him that he has need of his skills...

Back in the depths of Autobot City, Optimus and Soundwave locate Arcee, still locked in battle with Sentinel's body, in a chamber containing an unprecedentedly massive amount of [[Ore-13]] crystals. The pair join the fight, at which point Sentinel himself returns, still attached to Trion's body, with Trion's head and Blackrock in his hands. Blackrock is thoroughly exasperated and confused by the whole affair, but soon finds enlightenment forcibly bestowed upon him when Sentinel "initiates" him. Metal tears through clothing and pseudo-flesh as Blackrock reflexively transforms back into his true robot form: [[Sovereign]], a [[Titan Master]] like Sentinel. Using his innate awareness of the workings of [[Titan (IDW)|Titans]], like [[Metrotitan (Zone)|the one]] who makes up Autobot City, Blackrock/Sovereign opens a new spacebridge right there in the bowels of the city. Arcee is blinded by the light of the bridge, but as it fades, she finds she has been left alone in the chamber. Perturbed by her uncertainty over whether Optimus went willingly through the bridge with Sentinel or if he was captured, Arcee has no other choice but to contact [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], who tells her he is already confident he knows where Sentinel is headed...

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Jazz (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jazz]] (5)
*[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] (7)
*[[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] (8)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (10)
*[[Skyburst (G1)|Skyburst]] (11)
*[[Stormclash]] (12)
*[[Rust Dust]] (13)
*[[Jumpstream]] (14)
*[[Dust Up]] (15)
*[[Pyra Magna]] (16)
*[[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] (17)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Thundercracker]] (21)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sunstreaker]] (23)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (24)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (25)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (26)
*[[Alpha Bravo]] (27)
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] (28)
*[[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Infinitus/Sentinel Prime]] (29)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] (30)
*[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] (35)
*[[Aileron]] (36)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sideswipe]] (45)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (46)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (1)
*[[Acid Storm]] (2)
*[[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] (3)
*[[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] (4)
*[[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] (6)
*[[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] (9)
*[[Swift]] (18)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (19)
*[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (20)
*[[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] (22)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] (31)
*[[Skywarp (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Skywarp]] (39)

|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (37)
*[[Marissa Faireborn]] (38)
*[[Joe Colton]] (40)
*[[Ayana Jones]] (41)
*[[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] (42)
*[[Scarlett]] (44)

|c4=
*[[D.0.C.]] (32)
*[[Bob (IDW)|Bob]] (33)
*[[Buster (IDW)|Buster]] (34)
*[[Sovereign|Garrison Blackrock/Sovereign]] (43)
}}

==Quotes==
"Y'spend '''six million years''' on battlefields, plus another '''fourteen billion''' watchin' the Dead Universe get '''born''' 'n' '''die''', y'find ya '''lost''' the patience of '''youth.'''"
:—'''Kup'''

"I '''genuinely''' thought being '''held prisoner''' in an alien space ship 26,000 feet underwater and finding out I'm not '''actually human''' was going to be the '''worst part''' of my month."
:—'''Blackrock''' laments his situation

"Usually fights get '''easier''' after the guy loses his '''head'''..."
:—'''Arcee'''

"Optimus... he '''killed''' Galvatron." 
"In the heat of battle?" 
"No." 
"I see. I'm not surprised." 
"Is it what '''you''' would have done?" 
"Depends on the '''circumstances.''' I mean, I'd '''rather''' have somebody else—somebody like '''Optimus'''—do it. So I guess it worked out like I wanted... which is my '''specialty.'''"
:—'''Arcee''' and '''Prowl'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Kup refers to his time in the [[Dead Universe]], into which he was sent during [[The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|''Infestation'' event]], and from which he was not recovered until the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|''Dark Cybertron'' crossover]]. He reveals here that he spent ''fourteen billion years'' trapped there. Yow.
*G.I. Joe is there! As part of the set up for next month's ''[[Revolution]]'' event, ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' characters Joe Colton, Roadblock, and Scarlett make full and proper named appearances. The stitching-together of the IDW "[[Hasbro Universe]]" has been largely established via the ''[[Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|Revolution Prelude]]'' story published in various places over the previous month (including as a back-up strip in this issue). As the only other property with a pre-existing series, the Joes' adventures as depicted in their various IDW titles between 2008 and 2015 have—with a bit of hand-waving—been identified as all taking place after the events of ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' and before the Transformers' return to Earth circa [[Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|issue #28]]; Marissa refers to the group's defunding following the "[[Cobra]] debacle," which took place in the time gap between the end of the most recent ''Joe'' series and now.
*Colton, Roadblock, and Scarlett have all also appeared in the first two issues of IDW's ''[[Rom|ROM]]'' series, called in to investigate the alien Space Knight's activities on Earth in an operation that presumably portends Colton's appointment as head of the EDC. In particular, {{i|Earthfall: Part Two|Rom #2}}, published earlier in the same month as this issue, features the Joes being diverted from this mission to deal with the "situation [...] in Utah" (i.e. Monument Valley), leading into their appearance in this story.
*Blackrock believes that the Joes are taking him to [[Governors Island]], which was the location of their headquarters in the IDW continuity during the series' third and fourth volumes.
*Blackrock refers to the time the EDC held Alpha Trion prisoner, up until the Autobots sprung him in [[Earthfall Chapter 5: I Dream of Wires|issue #32]].
*As revealed in [[Ten to Midnight|''More than Meets the Eye'' #56]] (see "Other trivia," below), Prowl knows that Sentinel will be headed for [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]] in order to avail himself of its Titan graveyard, as he recalls an old wartime scheme of Sentinel's to use the giants for his own ends.

===Transformers references===
*Sentinel Prime reveals that his true name is "[[Infinitus]]." In the ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' toyline, Infinitus is Sentinel Prime's Titan Master partner, a separate entity to Sentinel, in-keeping with the traditional depiction of -Master partners in Western media. This issue confirms that in the IDW continuity, the Titan Master process is more akin to the Japanese depiction of [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] technology, with the small Titan Master robot being the solitary, core intelligence, who connects to and controls a larger body.
*No coincidence that Alpha Trion should lose his head at the same time as Blackrock's true identity is revealed; Alpha Trion is part of the ''Titans Return'' toyline (sporting the aircraft mode he is seen using in this issue), and "Sovereign" is his Titan Master partner.

===Real-life references===
*Together with next issue, the title of this two-part ''Titans Return'' tie-in is taken from {{w|The Velvet Underground}} album, ''{{w|White Light/White Heat}}''.

===Errors===
*Colton refers to his "Action Team," rather than his [[Adventure Team (G.I. Joe)|Adventure Team]].

===Other trivia===
*This issue was intended for release prior to [[Ten to Midnight|''More than Meets the Eye'' #56]], the events of which take place after both this issue ''and'' next month's #57. However, delays resulted in ''More than Meets the Eye'' being released first, and as such, Blackrock's true identity was spoiled in the "story so far recap" that began the issue.
*As noted above, this issue also contains the second part of the ''[[Secret Raiders: A Revolution Prelude|Revolution Prelude]]'' back-up strip, which appears in several of IDW's August titles.

===Covers (3)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Sentinel Prime stands over the defeated Alpha Trion and Aileron, by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' Scarlett aims her crossbow at the headless body of Alpha Trion, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Optimus Prime and Soundwave by [[Kei Zama]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
<gallery>
File:TF56 regcvr.jpg|
File:TF56 subcvr.jpg|
File:TF56 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''The Transformers'' #57
*''[[Revolution]]'' checklist

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/30803-sentinel-prine-out-to-make-cybertron-great-again-in-transformers-56-preview.html Preview]

[[Category:Titans Return issues]]