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Transformers (2023) issue 18

2026-01-06T04:12:20Z

Shortie:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #18
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 17
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 19
|image=Transformers 2023 18 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[March 12]], [[2025]]
|coverdate=March 2025
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|publication design=[[Andres Juarez]]
|production=[[Ashby Florence]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''While the Autobots on Cybertron have gained a powerful new ally, their comrades on Earth face enemies old and new.'''

==Synopsis==
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], outside the [[Well of All Sparks|Well of Sparks]], [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]], and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] are pinned down by a trio of attacking [[Decepticon]]s: the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s [[Bitstream (G1)|Bitstream]] and [[Hotlink (G1)|Hotlink]] and the bestial [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]]. Bluestreak tries to call [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]], but sadly can't get through to the [[Autobot]] commander. However, as Carnivac prepares to chow down on Bluestreak, he is saved by the timely intervention of a black van crashing into the Decepticon wolf. [[Shredhead]] transforms and uses their energy sword to quickly dispatch the three Decepticons. The Autobots are then joined by [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and Elita, who believes their newest soldier has just turned the tide.

On [[Earth]], [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] camp inside [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]' makeshift fort on the [[San Juan Islands]] while [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] confers with her [[Iron Intercessor]]. Like the other Autobots, Magnus is captivated by the beauty of Earth, but admits that he's unable to appreciate it, so clouded by the trauma of his imprisonment at the hands of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Arcee tries to assure Magnus that they can still face the future, but the mighty warrior is too despondent. Carly sympathizes with Magnus, as she and Spike also had their lives destroyed by the Decepticons. She thinks that their pain is what brings them together, reassuring Magnus that he’s not alone. However, at that moment, Magnus sees [[G.I. Joe (team)|a group of soldiers]] moving towards the fort. In a panic, he fires on them. Arcee tries to get him to stop, but the group is quickly beset by attack helicopters, triggering flashbacks to Magnus' imprisonment and causing him to attack them. Beachcomber and Spike escape, but a tranquilizer dart knocks out Carly. Arcee grabs her [[iron apprentice]], but an explosion knocks them to the ground. As she recovers, she can only watch as both Carly and Ultra Magnus are carried away by the soldiers.

[[File:TF2023 no. 18 - Megatron Returns.jpg|thumb|Dad's home.|150px|left]]

Meanwhile, in [[Seattle]], the remaining Autobots do what they can to evacuate the humans from the chaos caused by the brawl between [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Unfortunately, they can only do so much as the two combiners tear through the city. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] provides the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s air support aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], but is taken down by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] ejecting [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], sending Astrotrain crashing onto the top of a skyscraper. Bruticus goes to rescue his leader with Devastator in pursuit, each giant climbing the tower. As they near the top, Devastator grabs Bruticus in a chokehold, sending them both crashing back to Earth and leveling a city block, much to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s horror.

Soundwave corners Starscream on the roof, berating him for how low his actions have brought him and readying to execute him. Starscream then gets a second wind and retaliates, ripping open Soundwave's chest compartment and pulling out [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]’s still inactive body, mocking Soundwave’s concern for his tapes. However, their fight is interrupted by the return of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], who orders them to stop with a single word. He picks up Ravage and, using his own spark, reactivates him as a reward for Soundwave’s loyalty. As Optimus looks up in horror to see his old nemesis alive, he gives his fellow Autobots a single order: retreat.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (1)
* [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (2)
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (3)
* [[Shredhead]] (7)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (8)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (9)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (10)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (11)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (14)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (16)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (17)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (20)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (21)

|c2=
* [[Bitstream (G1)|Bitstream]] (4)
* [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] (5)
* [[Hotlink (G1)|Hotlink]] (6)
* [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (18)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (19)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (22)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (23)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (24)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (25)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (26)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (27)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (28)

||c3=
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (12)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (13)
* [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] soldiers (15)
}}

==Quotes==
"You guys ready to shred?"
:—'''Shredhead''' to the Decepticons

"But all I see now is the unknown. The vastness. The dark. Shockwave ruined it all." 
"But… he’s gone now. He can’t hurt us anymore. Prime made sure of it." 
"It’s too late, Arcee. Shockwave taught me the depths of what one Cybertronian can do to another. How can I believe in anything anymore?"
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' and '''Arcee'''

"NO, NO, '''NO!''' WHY CAN'T '''ANYTHING''' GO MY WAY?!" 
"Because you are stupid Starscream. Guided only by fear. Hate. Selfishness. You cannot even move yourself without the Earthlings' technology. What a pathetic end for you."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Soundwave'''

"What a good soldier you are, [[Ravage (G1)|small thing]]. And what a faithful servant [[Soundwave (G1)|your father]] is."
:—'''Megatron'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Rumble is still missing his right piledriver arm after losing it to [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|issue #5]].
* We saw firsthand what became of Magnus while he was captured by Shockwave back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]], and the debilitating effects it had on him when he fled from battle in [[Transformers (2023) issue 11|issue #11]].
* Arcee tells Magnus that Shockwave can no longer hurt him, having been killed by Optimus Prime in [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|issue #12]].
* The soldiers that attack Magnus and company are shown to be wearing the star emblem of G.I. Joe, making it the first explicit reference to the highly trained special mission force in this series. While these soldiers are mere nameless troops, not the more colorfully costumed individuals we’re used to seeing from the main team appearing in the [[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|''G.I. Joe'' series]], the [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe 2024 Special story|''G.I. Joe'' segment]] of the ''[[Energon Universe 2024 Special]]'' did hint that the organization was larger than initially seemed.
* Soundwave has been trying to repair Ravage ever since Optimus shot him in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|the first issue]].
* Starscream is shocked to see Megatron alive, believing he had killed the Decepticon leader in the [[Transformers Energon Universe 2024 Special story|''Transformers'' segment]] of the ''Energon Universe 2024 Special''. However, readers of ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' know that Megatron was found by the secret society of [[Cobra-La]] before escaping and being found by Laserbeak in [[Transformers (2023) issue 16|issue #16]].
* Astrotrain has been nursing his own grudge against Megatron, for reasons not yet fully revealed, though issue #16 hinted Megatron was responsible for killing Astrotrain’s love.
* Both Bluestreak and Optimus make references to "Primus", further implying his existence or a belief system in him.

===''Transformers'' references===
* Bitstream and Hotlink were both originally generic Seekers that appeared as the "welcoming committee" in the first episode of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]". They were given names and personalities when released as exclusive toys for [[BotCon 2013]].
* Elita’s comment that they’ve “turned the tide” echoes Kup’s line from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Errors===
* On page 1, panel 6, Carnivac interrupts Hotlink, but based on their colors, it's Bitstream who was talking (that, or Hotlink was just consistently miscolored as Bitstream and vice versa).
* On page 12, panel 5, Soundwave's speech bubble lacks its unique blue and yellow colors, instead rendered in standard black and white.
*Once again, Ultra Magnus’s head antennas are colored Blue instead of white. Whether this is an intentional change is hard to tell, as every other time he is shown, their color change. Issue 7 (White), Issue 11 (Blue), issue 17 (White), and Issue 18 (Blue). For the purposes of “Errors” Blue will be considered the error (until more evidence releases), as white matches his G1 head design, which this comic is based on.
* Megatron refers to Soundwave as Ravage’s “father” but in issue 2, Optimus shares with Spike that the words mom, dad, and mother are foreign to him.

===Other notes===
* The cover art for this issue was originally created for Skybound's pitch to Hasbro.<ref>https://www.felixcomicart.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=34417</ref>
* Carnivac as he appears in this issue seems specifically based on a design artist [[Ed Pirrie]] created for an online fan project. Jorge Corona likely found it in an image search and mistook it for official art to reference. <ref> https://bsky.app/profile/edpirrie.bsky.social/post/3lrl2yxll222k</ref>

===Covers (15)===
* '''Cover A:''' Starscream and Bruticus, by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Megatron and Laserbeak, by Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting variant, by [[Karl Kerschl]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Two teenage Transformers fans watch Bruticus and Devastator battle, by [[Filya Bratukhin]] & [[Rex Lokus]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus and Arcee, by [[Oliver Kiyoshi Ono]].
* '''Cover F:''' Shredhead, by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer.
* '''Second Printing Cover A:''' by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Cover B:''' by Jason Howard.
* '''The 616 Comics Cover A:''' by [[Raymond Gay]].
* '''The 616 Comics Cover B:''' by Raymond Gay.
* '''Unknown Comics Cover A:''' by [[Jay Anacleto]] & [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
* '''Unknown Comics Cover B:''' by [[Tyler Kirkham]] & [[Ifansyah Noor]].
* '''Unknown Comics Cover C:''' by Tyler Kirkham & Ifansyah Noor.
* '''Big Time Collectibles Cover:''' by [[John Giang]].
* '''TopShelfComic Cover:''' by [[Livio Ramondelli]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 18 Cover A.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Cover B.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Cover C.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Cover D.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Cover E.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Cover F.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 2nd Ptg Cover A.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 2nd Ptg Cover B.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 The 616 Comics Cover A.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 The 616 Comics Cover B.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Unknown Comics Cover A.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Unknown Comics Cover B.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Unknown Comics Cover C.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Big Time Collectibles Cover.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 TopShelfComic Cover.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 5|#5]], ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 18|#18]], and ''Transformers'' #19.
* Energon Universe hardcovers
* ''Invincible Universe: Battle Beast''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' ([[May 14]], [[2025]]) ISBN 1534329897 / ISBN 978-1534329898
** Collects ''Transformers'' issues #13–18 and the [[Transformers Energon Universe 2024 Special story|''Transformers'' story]] from ''[[Energon Universe 2024 Special]]''.
** Trade paperback format.
** Variant covers:
*** '''Direct Market Exclusive:''' by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer. ISBN 978-1534332683

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V3.jpg|'''''Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer
File:Transformers 2023 V3 DM Cover.jpg|'''''Volume 3: Combiner Chaos'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 18

2026-01-06T04:09:06Z

Shortie: /* Errors */

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #18
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 17
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 19
|image=Transformers 2023 18 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[March 12]], [[2025]]
|coverdate=March 2025
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|publication design=[[Andres Juarez]]
|production=[[Ashby Florence]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''While the Autobots on Cybertron have gained a powerful new ally, their comrades on Earth face enemies old and new.'''

==Synopsis==
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], outside the [[Well of All Sparks|Well of Sparks]], [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]], and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] are pinned down by a trio of attacking [[Decepticon]]s: the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s [[Bitstream (G1)|Bitstream]] and [[Hotlink (G1)|Hotlink]] and the bestial [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]]. Bluestreak tries to call [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]], but sadly can't get through to the [[Autobot]] commander. However, as Carnivac prepares to chow down on Bluestreak, he is saved by the timely intervention of a black van crashing into the Decepticon wolf. [[Shredhead]] transforms and uses their energy sword to quickly dispatch the three Decepticons. The Autobots are then joined by [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and Elita, who believes their newest soldier has just turned the tide.

On [[Earth]], [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] camp inside [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]' makeshift fort on the [[San Juan Islands]] while [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] confers with her [[Iron Intercessor]]. Like the other Autobots, Magnus is captivated by the beauty of Earth, but admits that he's unable to appreciate it, so clouded by the trauma of his imprisonment at the hands of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Arcee tries to assure Magnus that they can still face the future, but the mighty warrior is too despondent. Carly sympathizes with Magnus, as she and Spike also had their lives destroyed by the Decepticons. She thinks that their pain is what brings them together, reassuring Magnus that he’s not alone. However, at that moment, Magnus sees [[G.I. Joe (team)|a group of soldiers]] moving towards the fort. In a panic, he fires on them. Arcee tries to get him to stop, but the group is quickly beset by attack helicopters, triggering flashbacks to Magnus' imprisonment and causing him to attack them. Beachcomber and Spike escape, but a tranquilizer dart knocks out Carly. Arcee grabs her [[iron apprentice]], but an explosion knocks them to the ground. As she recovers, she can only watch as both Carly and Ultra Magnus are carried away by the soldiers.

[[File:TF2023 no. 18 - Megatron Returns.jpg|thumb|Dad's home.|150px|left]]

Meanwhile, in [[Seattle]], the remaining Autobots do what they can to evacuate the humans from the chaos caused by the brawl between [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Unfortunately, they can only do so much as the two combiners tear through the city. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] provides the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s air support aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], but is taken down by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] ejecting [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], sending Astrotrain crashing onto the top of a skyscraper. Bruticus goes to rescue his leader with Devastator in pursuit, each giant climbing the tower. As they near the top, Devastator grabs Bruticus in a chokehold, sending them both crashing back to Earth and leveling a city block, much to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s horror.

Soundwave corners Starscream on the roof, berating him for how low his actions have brought him and readying to execute him. Starscream then gets a second wind and retaliates, ripping open Soundwave's chest compartment and pulling out [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]’s still inactive body, mocking Soundwave’s concern for his tapes. However, their fight is interrupted by the return of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], who orders them to stop with a single word. He picks up Ravage and, using his own spark, reactivates him as a reward for Soundwave’s loyalty. As Optimus looks up in horror to see his old nemesis alive, he gives his fellow Autobots a single order: retreat.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (1)
* [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (2)
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (3)
* [[Shredhead]] (7)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (8)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (9)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (10)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (11)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (14)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (16)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (17)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (20)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (21)

|c2=
* [[Bitstream (G1)|Bitstream]] (4)
* [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] (5)
* [[Hotlink (G1)|Hotlink]] (6)
* [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (18)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (19)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (22)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (23)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (24)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (25)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (26)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (27)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (28)

||c3=
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (12)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (13)
* [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] soldiers (15)
}}

==Quotes==
"You guys ready to shred?"
:—'''Shredhead''' to the Decepticons

"But all I see now is the unknown. The vastness. The dark. Shockwave ruined it all." 
"But… he’s gone now. He can’t hurt us anymore. Prime made sure of it." 
"It’s too late, Arcee. Shockwave taught me the depths of what one Cybertronian can do to another. How can I believe in anything anymore?"
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' and '''Arcee'''

"NO, NO, '''NO!''' WHY CAN'T '''ANYTHING''' GO MY WAY?!" 
"Because you are stupid Starscream. Guided only by fear. Hate. Selfishness. You cannot even move yourself without the Earthlings' technology. What a pathetic end for you."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Soundwave'''

"What a good soldier you are, [[Ravage (G1)|small thing]]. And what a faithful servant [[Soundwave (G1)|your father]] is."
:—'''Megatron'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Rumble is still missing his right piledriver arm after losing it to [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|issue #5]].
* We saw firsthand what became of Magnus while he was captured by Shockwave back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]], and the debilitating effects it had on him when he fled from battle in [[Transformers (2023) issue 11|issue #11]].
* Arcee tells Magnus that Shockwave can no longer hurt him, having been killed by Optimus Prime in [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|issue #12]].
* The soldiers that attack Magnus and company are shown to be wearing the star emblem of G.I. Joe, making it the first explicit reference to the highly trained special mission force in this series. While these soldiers are mere nameless troops, not the more colorfully costumed individuals we’re used to seeing from the main team appearing in the [[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|''G.I. Joe'' series]], the [[G.I. Joe Energon Universe 2024 Special story|''G.I. Joe'' segment]] of the ''[[Energon Universe 2024 Special]]'' did hint that the organization was larger than initially seemed.
* Soundwave has been trying to repair Ravage ever since Optimus shot him in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|the first issue]].
* Starscream is shocked to see Megatron alive, believing he had killed the Decepticon leader in the [[Transformers Energon Universe 2024 Special story|''Transformers'' segment]] of the ''Energon Universe 2024 Special''. However, readers of ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' know that Megatron was found by the secret society of [[Cobra-La]] before escaping and being found by Laserbeak in [[Transformers (2023) issue 16|issue #16]].
* Astrotrain has been nursing his own grudge against Megatron, for reasons not yet fully revealed, though issue #16 hinted Megatron was responsible for killing Astrotrain’s love.
* Both Bluestreak and Optimus make references to "Primus", further implying his existence or a belief system in him.

===''Transformers'' references===
* Bitstream and Hotlink were both originally generic Seekers that appeared as the "welcoming committee" in the first episode of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]". They were given names and personalities when released as exclusive toys for [[BotCon 2013]].
* Elita’s comment that they’ve “turned the tide” echoes Kup’s line from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Errors===
* On page 1, panel 6, Carnivac interrupts Hotlink, but based on their colors, it's Bitstream who was talking (that, or Hotlink was just consistently miscolored as Bitstream and vice versa).
* On page 12, panel 5, Soundwave's speech bubble lacks its unique blue and yellow colors, instead rendered in standard black and white.
*Once again, Ultra Magnus’s head antennas are colored Blue instead of white. Whether this is an intentional change is hard to tell, as every other time he is shown, their color change. Issue 7 (White), Issue 11 (Blue), issue 17 (White), and Issue 18 (Blue). For the purposes of “Errors” Blue will be considered the error (until more evidence releases), as white matches his G1 head design, which this comic is based on.
* Megatron refers to Soundwave as Ravage’s “father” but in issue 2|issue #2]], Optimus shares with Spike that the words mom, dad, and mother are foreign to him.

===Other notes===
* The cover art for this issue was originally created for Skybound's pitch to Hasbro.<ref>https://www.felixcomicart.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=34417</ref>
* Carnivac as he appears in this issue seems specifically based on a design artist [[Ed Pirrie]] created for an online fan project. Jorge Corona likely found it in an image search and mistook it for official art to reference. <ref> https://bsky.app/profile/edpirrie.bsky.social/post/3lrl2yxll222k</ref>

===Covers (15)===
* '''Cover A:''' Starscream and Bruticus, by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Megatron and Laserbeak, by Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting variant, by [[Karl Kerschl]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Two teenage Transformers fans watch Bruticus and Devastator battle, by [[Filya Bratukhin]] & [[Rex Lokus]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus and Arcee, by [[Oliver Kiyoshi Ono]].
* '''Cover F:''' Shredhead, by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer.
* '''Second Printing Cover A:''' by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Cover B:''' by Jason Howard.
* '''The 616 Comics Cover A:''' by [[Raymond Gay]].
* '''The 616 Comics Cover B:''' by Raymond Gay.
* '''Unknown Comics Cover A:''' by [[Jay Anacleto]] & [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
* '''Unknown Comics Cover B:''' by [[Tyler Kirkham]] & [[Ifansyah Noor]].
* '''Unknown Comics Cover C:''' by Tyler Kirkham & Ifansyah Noor.
* '''Big Time Collectibles Cover:''' by [[John Giang]].
* '''TopShelfComic Cover:''' by [[Livio Ramondelli]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 18 Cover A.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Cover B.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Cover C.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Cover D.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Cover E.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Cover F.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 2nd Ptg Cover A.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 2nd Ptg Cover B.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 The 616 Comics Cover A.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 The 616 Comics Cover B.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Unknown Comics Cover A.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Unknown Comics Cover B.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Unknown Comics Cover C.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 Big Time Collectibles Cover.jpg
File:Transformers 2023 18 TopShelfComic Cover.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 5|#5]], ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 18|#18]], and ''Transformers'' #19.
* Energon Universe hardcovers
* ''Invincible Universe: Battle Beast''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' ([[May 14]], [[2025]]) ISBN 1534329897 / ISBN 978-1534329898
** Collects ''Transformers'' issues #13–18 and the [[Transformers Energon Universe 2024 Special story|''Transformers'' story]] from ''[[Energon Universe 2024 Special]]''.
** Trade paperback format.
** Variant covers:
*** '''Direct Market Exclusive:''' by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer. ISBN 978-1534332683

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V3.jpg|'''''Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer
File:Transformers 2023 V3 DM Cover.jpg|'''''Volume 3: Combiner Chaos'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]