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The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears

2019-10-03T13:09:53Z

WhereIsTony: /* Continuity notes */

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=52
|prev=The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight
|next=The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day
|image=MTMTE52_regcvr.jpg
|title="The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears
|caption=Death waits you! You have made a covenant with death, and with Hell you are in agreement. You're all going to die! Don't you realize? Can't you see? You're all going to die! Die! Death awaits you all!
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[April 27]], [[2016]]
|coverdate=April 2016
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}
'''Megatron versus Tarn! A new challenger appears!'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Mtmte52 evacuating ten.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|''I'm with you, but the situation is fraught!'']]
As [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] and [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] struggle to hold off the [[Decepticon Justice Division|D.J.D.]] and their allies, Drift observes [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]]'s horrified reaction to [[Ten]] striking [[Dominus Ambus|The Pet]], then seizes the little creature and threatens to kill it in order to stay the villains' hands. A distraught Kaon orders everyone to stand down, and Ratchet, Drift, and Ten are then airlifted to safety by their own ship, piloted by [[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]]. [[Helex (DJD)|Helex]], furious, overturns Kaon's order and everyone opens fire on the ship, damaging it and sending it falling out of the sky.

Elsewhere on [[Necroworld]], [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] and [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] meet in front of Megatron's statue, where Tarn is left incredulous by Megatron's request that the D.J.D. spare the other Autobots if he surrenders to them. Tarn speaks of Megatron's inspiring legacy and all the lives that were willingly sacrificed to his cause, but the weary Megatron regrets everything, even his own life. Disgusted, Tarn launches a brutal physical attack on his former leader, knocking his Autobot [[insignia]] off, hoping to reignite his lost fire by forcing him to fight back. But the battered Megatron refuses to rise to the bait, citing both his newfound pacifism, and the fact that the [[Fool's Energon]] he is fuelled with makes it impossible anyway. Megatron chuckles, reflecting on the side effect of Fool's Energon that can allegedly change a 'bot's personality... and realizes that, even if that is true, despite his lifelong fear of mental tampering... he's ''better'' the way he is now. Realizing that the 'bot he once worshipped is gone, Tarn blasts him point-blank in the chest, and is about to deliver a second, fatal shot when a third party suddenly arrives on the scene and orders him to stop... a third party named '''[[Overlord (Masterforce)|OVERLORD]]!'''

Ravage manages to crash Ratchet and Drift's ship at the entrance to the [[Mortilus|Necrobot]]'s fortress, and the group takes cover inside. The Autobots are happy to see their two old friends again, but [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] is confused as to why they are here; it turns out they came in response to a call [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] made on the communicator [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] gave her, which the D.J.D.'s signal blockers had cut off before she could speak. Velocity had thought she was making contact with First Aid himself, and immediately makes a rather terrible first impression on Ratchet. Infinitely more tense is the concurrent reunion of Drift and [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]], the latter still feeling guilty over letting Drift take the blame for the Overlord debacle, and for never coming to look for him after the truth came out, out of fear he would hate him. Drift accepts Rodimus's sincere apology, but doubts his belief that they can all make it out of their present situation alive.

[[File:TarnvsOverlord.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''Where have you been?'' Uh, France?]]
Overlord demands that ''he'' be the one to kill Megatron, and a fight instantly breaks out between the two Decepticons over who will have the honor. As they battle, Tarn remarks that the D.J.D. believed Overlord to be dead; the [[Phase Sixer]] explains that he was recovered and repaired by a group of mysterious benefactors, who have sent him to Necroworld to kill Megatron—an "alignment of interests," as Overlord puts it. Tarn proposes an alliance, but Overlord refuses: Megatron is ''his'', and his alone, to end. At that point, however, the two combatants realize that while they have been distracted grappling with one another, Megatron has dragged his battered body onto the [[space scooter]] that brought him there, and escaped back to the fortress!

[[File:YourFierceTears-byebyekaon.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Man openly campaigns against me, talking 'bout "I look forward to our partnership!"]]
At the fortress, [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] regards the Necrobot's memorial for the "[[disappeared]]", pondering the names carved into it as a means of keeping his mind busy. Presently, [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] arrives; she wonders where [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] is, and the archivist tells her that they have had an argument, each believing the other should have used the teleport chamber to escape. Nautica then asks about the pair's history, wondering about the protocol for becoming either [[Conjunx Endura]] or [[Amica Endura]] in Cybertronian society. When Rewind asks her why, she remarks that their looming fate has led her to question some matters she has been avoiding...

Tarn and Overlord return to the ''[[Peaceful Tyranny]]'', where Overlord immediately sets about mocking and undermining the group and its alliance with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]. The distressed Kaon then arrives to report what happened to his unit, and the capture of The Pet, which only gives Overlord more material to work with. Tarn embraces his panicking colleague... then with cold fury, rips his head clean off, horrifying the watching [[Nickel]] and even silencing Overlord. Smashing Kaon's severed head across Overlord's chest, he declares that ''emotion'' was the weakness that changed Megatron, and it is a weakness he will not allow himself, or any of his men, to feel.

And back at the fortress, the unconscious Megatron is hauled inside by his allies, fuel-streaked Autobot symbol still defiantly clutched in his hand...
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] (4)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (5)
*[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] (8)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (11)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (12)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (13)
*[[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] (14)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] (15)
*[[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] (16)
*[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] (17)
|c2=
*[[Helex (DJD)|Helex]] (1)
*[[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] (6)
*[[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] (7)
*[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] (9)
*[[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] (10)
*[[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] (18)
*[[Nickel]] (19)
|c4=
*[[Ten]] (2)
*[[Dominus Ambus|The Pet]] (3)
}}

==Quotes==
"Drift! Say something '''inspirational!''' I fight better when I'm annoyed!"
:—'''Ratchet'''

"You want to talk about wasted lives? What about all the people who '''died''' following your orders? The road-sweepers and the haulers. The '''miners!''' All those who died in service to a future '''you''' promised to bring about? Did '''they''' waste their lives? Did '''I''' waste '''mine?''' Look around you. Every flower represents a life '''you''' ended—a death for which you bear '''full responsibility.''' You think they're all Autobots?"
:—'''Tarn'''

"I know everything is '''connected.''' I know it's impossible to preserve some moments and not others—however tempting it might be. I know that not long ago, someone tried to kill me before I was born. And I know I hated them less for their '''ambition''' than their failure to '''realise it.'''"
:—'''Megatron'''

"The thought of anyone tampering with my mind used to '''terrify''' me. But if Prime's chemicals have '''kept me in line...''' then maybe that's a good thing. '''I'm better like this.'''" 
"No. You're better dead." 
''(CHOOM!)''
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Tarn'''

"'''You're''' Ratchet? The '''sourpuss'''? The '''slavedriver'''? The '''hand-thief''' who took a thousand years to retire? '''You're''' him?" 
"Er..." 
"I hope '''not'''—otherwise I've made a really '''bad''' first impression...!"
:—'''Velocity''' and '''Ratchet'''

"You're both angry for the same reason? Is that logical?" 
"Let me know the next time you and the person you love have a logical argument."
:—'''Nautica''' and '''Rewind'''

"Come here, Kaon. I never realized that you cared for that creature as much as you '''do.''' Sorry—" 
''(RRRIP!)'' 
"—as much as you '''did.'''"
:—'''Tarn'''

"Don't you '''ever''' think '''you''' can come into my house and '''pass judgement'''. I will not be '''ridiculed''' by someone who spent half his life '''running''' and the other half '''sulking''' because no one gave chase."
:—'''Tarn''', to Overlord

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Megatron hints that, before becoming a Decepticon, Tarn was a significant 'bot in the life of some importance, remarking that he "turned" him to the Decepticon side in order to "hurt" that 'bot by proving that it could be done. The last time Megatron talked about doing something purely out of spite in order to hurt someone, he was talking about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]], back in [[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|issue #34]]. Is that misdirection we see, or it is another big fat in-your-face hint that Tarn is Optimus's old buddy [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] under his mask, following the possible set up in [[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|issue #36]]? Of note, Roller's name ''seems'' to be included on the Necrobot's memorial for the "disappeared"...
*Megatron refers to Brainstorm's attempt to kill him before he was born, from [[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|issue #38]].
*Aaaaaa''aaaAAAAA'' '''''AAAAAAAAAAA'''''<big>'''''AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA IT'S OVERLORD!!!!'''''</big> The original ''MTMTE'' Big Bad makes his return after being blasted out of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' back in [[Under Cold Blue Stars|issue #15]], but c'mon, none of us ''really'' believed he was dead, did we? Tarn gives a quick rundown of his backstory from ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', summarizing how he refused to follow Megatron's orders, went rogue, and then, upon realizing that Megatron didn't care and wasn't pursuing, staged the events of that mini-series as a way of trying to get his old leader's attention.
*Tarn recalls crossing Overlord off [[The List|the D.J.D.'s list]]; they actually killed Overlord's quantum duplicate, as shown back in issues [[slaughterhouse|#32]] and [[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|33]].
*The single flashback panel that shows Overlord floating in space pulls the same trick as the last panel that showed us him doing so in [[The Gloaming|issue #16]]—obscuring his left hand, and whatever he may or may not be holding in it...
*For such a devoted fan of Megatron, Tarn forgets a very important fact about him, as was established alllll the way back in [[Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory]]: Megatron's got a habit of not dying.
*As noted in a footnote, Ratchet gave First Aid the communicator in [[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|issue #40]], which he then passed onto Velocity in [[The One Where They Go to Earth|issue #43]].
*Given that Drift knows that Rodimus told the rest of the crew the truth about the Overlord conspiracy, Ratchet must have told him about it following the end of [[The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone|''Empire of Stone'']]. That mini was evidently written without proper understanding of the full story behind Drift's exile, while issue #40 of this series also floundered a little while trying to deal with the fallout of Rodimus's reveal, but this issue ties it off at last. Rodimus told the crew the truth, but didn't try to find and bring Drift back because he was afraid he would hate him for making his sacrifice meaningless.
*We previously saw the Necrobot's memorial for the disappeared in [[The Not Knowing|issue #44]].
*It is noted that several months have passed between the two-part story in issues [[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]] and [[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]] and "The Dying of the Light" (during which, we know, both the [[Silent Light|''Holiday Special'' story]] and [[No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases|issue #50's back-up strip]] took place).
*Tarn ripping Kaon's head and spine out and crushing it against a solid surface echoes Kaon's killing of [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]] in [[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|issue #34]]. One might theorize Tarn, remembering his old friend from his days at the Academy and Pax's squad, was not pleased at Trailcutter's demise (much as he let Skids live). Although, they presumably killed him on the "other" lost light.

===Transformers references===

===Real-life references===
*As with the previous chapters, this issue's title (and the title of the multi-parter itself) is taken from the poem "{{w|Do not go gentle into that good night}}," by {{w|Dylan Thomas}}.
*On the Necrobot's memorial to the disappeared, there's a name reading "-EAMWA-". Now it could certainly be "Screamwarp" or "Steamwash" but there's one other very [[Dreamwave Productions|obvious answer]]...

===Errors===
*On page 6, Tarn says "wasted lifes," rather than "wasted lives." This is fixed in the trade paperback.
*Not strictly an error, but on pages 7 and 19, Megatron and Tarn use the British spelling, "realise," rather than the American "realize." The former is fixed in the trade paperback, but the latter is not.
*On page 17, Rewind says "and they pleasure they take in doing it" instead of "''the'' pleasure." This is fixed in the trade paperback.

===Other trivia===
*We learn a little more about the types of "Endura" bonding. Nautica notes that in some civilizations, you have to be "Amica" before you can then move on to being "Conjunx," though that is not true of [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]]. Rewind explains that in Cybertronian society, one must actually first ''rule out'' being Conjunx before "opting" for Amica. "It can make for a very bittersweet ceremony," he says. No doubt!
*Whirl and Cyclonus feature quite prominently on the Retailer Incentive cover but do not appear at all in this issue.

===Soundtrack===
For all of "The Dying of the Light":
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCdBc5uByFQ Hurt]" by {{w|Johnny Cash}}

For this issue alone:
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S7DmnjWTSk Franklyn]" by {{w|Michael Nyman}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn4dy_7Q9Bo The Return of Evil Bill]" by {{w|Clinic (band)|Clinic}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAVUPu7URbc Teardrop]" by {{w|Massive Attack}}
*"Twilight of the Empire" by Fariña

===Covers (4)===
*'''Regular cover:''' A fuel-streaked Megatron receives a face-punching from Tarn, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' The D.J.D. and Deathsaurus's forces, by [[Hayato Sakamoto]] and [[MGR]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Don't worry: Megatron, Ravage, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] are the good guys! By [[Brendan Cahill]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]
*'''Heroes and Fantasies Alamo City Comic Con exclusive cover:''' Wraparound image of Megatron, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Unicron]], by [[Juan Carlos Ramos]].
<gallery>
File:MTMTE52 regcvr.jpg|This one's for my brother, this one's for my pa, and this one's for me!
File:MTMTE52 subcvr.jpg|These are the bad guys!
File:MTMTE52 cvrRI.jpg|This is more believable, looking at the bad guys!
File:MTMTE52 cvrRE.jpg|[[Orson Welles]] is still hungry.
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''More than Meets the Eye'' #53
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' [[All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|#52]]
*''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|Sins of the Wreckers]]'' [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|#4]]
*IDW ''Micronauts'' comic
*IDW online comics (back page)

===Reprints===
*'''''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.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 72: The Dying of the Light''''' ([[January 24]], [[2018]])
:* Hardcover collection of ''More than Meets the Eye'' #50 to #55.
:* Bonus content includes the story "[[No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases]]" and essential background material on the DJD.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol10.jpg|'''Volume 10'''; cover art by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v72.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 72: The Dying of the Light'''''; cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] (Cyclonus) and [[Alex Milne]] (retro)
</gallery>

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/28977-the-autobots-are-stranded-in-transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-22-preview.html Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears}}

The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears

2019-10-03T13:09:01Z

WhereIsTony: /* Continuity notes */

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|issueno=52
|prev=The Dying of the Light Part 2: The Sun in Flight
|next=The Dying of the Light Part 4: At Close of Day
|image=MTMTE52_regcvr.jpg
|title="The Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears
|caption=Death waits you! You have made a covenant with death, and with Hell you are in agreement. You're all going to die! Don't you realize? Can't you see? You're all going to die! Die! Death awaits you all!
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[April 27]], [[2016]]
|coverdate=April 2016
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}
'''Megatron versus Tarn! A new challenger appears!'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Mtmte52 evacuating ten.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|''I'm with you, but the situation is fraught!'']]
As [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] and [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] struggle to hold off the [[Decepticon Justice Division|D.J.D.]] and their allies, Drift observes [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]]'s horrified reaction to [[Ten]] striking [[Dominus Ambus|The Pet]], then seizes the little creature and threatens to kill it in order to stay the villains' hands. A distraught Kaon orders everyone to stand down, and Ratchet, Drift, and Ten are then airlifted to safety by their own ship, piloted by [[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]]. [[Helex (DJD)|Helex]], furious, overturns Kaon's order and everyone opens fire on the ship, damaging it and sending it falling out of the sky.

Elsewhere on [[Necroworld]], [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] and [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] meet in front of Megatron's statue, where Tarn is left incredulous by Megatron's request that the D.J.D. spare the other Autobots if he surrenders to them. Tarn speaks of Megatron's inspiring legacy and all the lives that were willingly sacrificed to his cause, but the weary Megatron regrets everything, even his own life. Disgusted, Tarn launches a brutal physical attack on his former leader, knocking his Autobot [[insignia]] off, hoping to reignite his lost fire by forcing him to fight back. But the battered Megatron refuses to rise to the bait, citing both his newfound pacifism, and the fact that the [[Fool's Energon]] he is fuelled with makes it impossible anyway. Megatron chuckles, reflecting on the side effect of Fool's Energon that can allegedly change a 'bot's personality... and realizes that, even if that is true, despite his lifelong fear of mental tampering... he's ''better'' the way he is now. Realizing that the 'bot he once worshipped is gone, Tarn blasts him point-blank in the chest, and is about to deliver a second, fatal shot when a third party suddenly arrives on the scene and orders him to stop... a third party named '''[[Overlord (Masterforce)|OVERLORD]]!'''

Ravage manages to crash Ratchet and Drift's ship at the entrance to the [[Mortilus|Necrobot]]'s fortress, and the group takes cover inside. The Autobots are happy to see their two old friends again, but [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] is confused as to why they are here; it turns out they came in response to a call [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] made on the communicator [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] gave her, which the D.J.D.'s signal blockers had cut off before she could speak. Velocity had thought she was making contact with First Aid himself, and immediately makes a rather terrible first impression on Ratchet. Infinitely more tense is the concurrent reunion of Drift and [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]], the latter still feeling guilty over letting Drift take the blame for the Overlord debacle, and for never coming to look for him after the truth came out, out of fear he would hate him. Drift accepts Rodimus's sincere apology, but doubts his belief that they can all make it out of their present situation alive.

[[File:TarnvsOverlord.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''Where have you been?'' Uh, France?]]
Overlord demands that ''he'' be the one to kill Megatron, and a fight instantly breaks out between the two Decepticons over who will have the honor. As they battle, Tarn remarks that the D.J.D. believed Overlord to be dead; the [[Phase Sixer]] explains that he was recovered and repaired by a group of mysterious benefactors, who have sent him to Necroworld to kill Megatron—an "alignment of interests," as Overlord puts it. Tarn proposes an alliance, but Overlord refuses: Megatron is ''his'', and his alone, to end. At that point, however, the two combatants realize that while they have been distracted grappling with one another, Megatron has dragged his battered body onto the [[space scooter]] that brought him there, and escaped back to the fortress!

[[File:YourFierceTears-byebyekaon.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Man openly campaigns against me, talking 'bout "I look forward to our partnership!"]]
At the fortress, [[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] regards the Necrobot's memorial for the "[[disappeared]]", pondering the names carved into it as a means of keeping his mind busy. Presently, [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] arrives; she wonders where [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] is, and the archivist tells her that they have had an argument, each believing the other should have used the teleport chamber to escape. Nautica then asks about the pair's history, wondering about the protocol for becoming either [[Conjunx Endura]] or [[Amica Endura]] in Cybertronian society. When Rewind asks her why, she remarks that their looming fate has led her to question some matters she has been avoiding...

Tarn and Overlord return to the ''[[Peaceful Tyranny]]'', where Overlord immediately sets about mocking and undermining the group and its alliance with [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]. The distressed Kaon then arrives to report what happened to his unit, and the capture of The Pet, which only gives Overlord more material to work with. Tarn embraces his panicking colleague... then with cold fury, rips his head clean off, horrifying the watching [[Nickel]] and even silencing Overlord. Smashing Kaon's severed head across Overlord's chest, he declares that ''emotion'' was the weakness that changed Megatron, and it is a weakness he will not allow himself, or any of his men, to feel.

And back at the fortress, the unconscious Megatron is hauled inside by his allies, fuel-streaked Autobot symbol still defiantly clutched in his hand...
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] (4)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (5)
*[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] (8)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (11)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (12)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (13)
*[[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] (14)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rodimus]] (15)
*[[Rewind (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Rewind]] (16)
*[[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] (17)
|c2=
*[[Helex (DJD)|Helex]] (1)
*[[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] (6)
*[[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]] (7)
*[[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] (9)
*[[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] (10)
*[[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] (18)
*[[Nickel]] (19)
|c4=
*[[Ten]] (2)
*[[Dominus Ambus|The Pet]] (3)
}}

==Quotes==
"Drift! Say something '''inspirational!''' I fight better when I'm annoyed!"
:—'''Ratchet'''

"You want to talk about wasted lives? What about all the people who '''died''' following your orders? The road-sweepers and the haulers. The '''miners!''' All those who died in service to a future '''you''' promised to bring about? Did '''they''' waste their lives? Did '''I''' waste '''mine?''' Look around you. Every flower represents a life '''you''' ended—a death for which you bear '''full responsibility.''' You think they're all Autobots?"
:—'''Tarn'''

"I know everything is '''connected.''' I know it's impossible to preserve some moments and not others—however tempting it might be. I know that not long ago, someone tried to kill me before I was born. And I know I hated them less for their '''ambition''' than their failure to '''realise it.'''"
:—'''Megatron'''

"The thought of anyone tampering with my mind used to '''terrify''' me. But if Prime's chemicals have '''kept me in line...''' then maybe that's a good thing. '''I'm better like this.'''" 
"No. You're better dead." 
''(CHOOM!)''
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Tarn'''

"'''You're''' Ratchet? The '''sourpuss'''? The '''slavedriver'''? The '''hand-thief''' who took a thousand years to retire? '''You're''' him?" 
"Er..." 
"I hope '''not'''—otherwise I've made a really '''bad''' first impression...!"
:—'''Velocity''' and '''Ratchet'''

"You're both angry for the same reason? Is that logical?" 
"Let me know the next time you and the person you love have a logical argument."
:—'''Nautica''' and '''Rewind'''

"Come here, Kaon. I never realized that you cared for that creature as much as you '''do.''' Sorry—" 
''(RRRIP!)'' 
"—as much as you '''did.'''"
:—'''Tarn'''

"Don't you '''ever''' think '''you''' can come into my house and '''pass judgement'''. I will not be '''ridiculed''' by someone who spent half his life '''running''' and the other half '''sulking''' because no one gave chase."
:—'''Tarn''', to Overlord

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Megatron hints that, before becoming a Decepticon, Tarn was a significant 'bot in the life of some importance, remarking that he "turned" him to the Decepticon side in order to "hurt" that 'bot by proving that it could be done. The last time Megatron talked about doing something purely out of spite in order to hurt someone, he was talking about [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]], back in [[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|issue #34]]. Is that misdirection we see, or it is another big fat in-your-face hint that Tarn is Optimus's old buddy [[Roller (IDW)|Roller]] under his mask, following the possible set up in [[Elegant Chaos Part 1: All Our Parlous Yesterdays|issue #36]]? Of note, Roller's name ''seems'' to be included on the Necrobot's memorial for the "disappeared"...
*Megatron refers to Brainstorm's attempt to kill him before he was born, from [[Elegant Chaos Part 3: Predestination: An Expert's Guide|issue #38]].
*Aaaaaa''aaaAAAAA'' '''''AAAAAAAAAAA'''''<big>'''''AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA IT'S OVERLORD!!!!'''''</big> The original ''MTMTE'' Big Bad makes his return after being blasted out of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' back in [[Under Cold Blue Stars|issue #15]], but c'mon, none of us ''really'' believed he was dead, did we? Tarn gives a quick rundown of his backstory from ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', summarizing how he refused to follow Megatron's orders, went rogue, and then, upon realizing that Megatron didn't care and wasn't pursuing, staged the events of that mini-series as a way of trying to get his old leader's attention.
*Tarn recalls crossing Overlord off [[The List|the D.J.D.'s list]]; they actually killed Overlord's quantum duplicate, as shown back in issues [[slaughterhouse|#32]] and [[slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|33]].
*The single flashback panel that shows Overlord floating in space pulls the same trick as the last panel that showed us him doing so in [[The Gloaming|issue #16]]—obscuring his left hand, and whatever he may or may not be holding in it...
*For such a devoted fan of Megatron, Tarn forgets a very important fact about him, as was established alllll the way back in [[Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory]]: Megatron's got a habit of not dying.
*As noted in a footnote, Ratchet gave First Aid the communicator in [[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|issue #40]], which he then passed onto Velocity in [[The One Where They Go to Earth|issue #43]].
*Given that Drift knows that Rodimus told the rest of the crew the truth about the Overlord conspiracy, Ratchet must have told him about it following the end of [[The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone|''Empire of Stone'']]. That mini was evidently written without proper understanding of the full story behind Drift's exile, while issue #40 of this series also floundered a little while trying to deal with the fallout of Rodimus's reveal, but this issue ties it off at last. Rodimus told the crew the truth, but didn't try to find and bring Drift back because he was afraid he would hate him for making his sacrifice meaningless.
*We previously saw the Necrobot's memorial for the disappeared in [[The Not Knowing|issue #44]].
*It is noted that several months have passed between the two-part story in issues [[Speak, Memory: Part 1|#48]] and [[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|#49]] and "The Dying of the Light" (during which, we know, both the [[Silent Light|''Holiday Special'' story]] and [[No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases|issue #50's back-up strip]] took place).
*Tarn ripping Kaon's head and spine out and crushing it against a solid surface echoes Kaon's killing of [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]] in [[Births, Deaths, and Interventions|issue #34]]. One might theorize Tarn, remembering his old friend from his days at the Academy and Pax's squad, was not pleased at Trailcutter. Although, they presumably killed him on the "other" lost light.

===Transformers references===

===Real-life references===
*As with the previous chapters, this issue's title (and the title of the multi-parter itself) is taken from the poem "{{w|Do not go gentle into that good night}}," by {{w|Dylan Thomas}}.
*On the Necrobot's memorial to the disappeared, there's a name reading "-EAMWA-". Now it could certainly be "Screamwarp" or "Steamwash" but there's one other very [[Dreamwave Productions|obvious answer]]...

===Errors===
*On page 6, Tarn says "wasted lifes," rather than "wasted lives." This is fixed in the trade paperback.
*Not strictly an error, but on pages 7 and 19, Megatron and Tarn use the British spelling, "realise," rather than the American "realize." The former is fixed in the trade paperback, but the latter is not.
*On page 17, Rewind says "and they pleasure they take in doing it" instead of "''the'' pleasure." This is fixed in the trade paperback.

===Other trivia===
*We learn a little more about the types of "Endura" bonding. Nautica notes that in some civilizations, you have to be "Amica" before you can then move on to being "Conjunx," though that is not true of [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]]. Rewind explains that in Cybertronian society, one must actually first ''rule out'' being Conjunx before "opting" for Amica. "It can make for a very bittersweet ceremony," he says. No doubt!
*Whirl and Cyclonus feature quite prominently on the Retailer Incentive cover but do not appear at all in this issue.

===Soundtrack===
For all of "The Dying of the Light":
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCdBc5uByFQ Hurt]" by {{w|Johnny Cash}}

For this issue alone:
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S7DmnjWTSk Franklyn]" by {{w|Michael Nyman}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn4dy_7Q9Bo The Return of Evil Bill]" by {{w|Clinic (band)|Clinic}}
*"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAVUPu7URbc Teardrop]" by {{w|Massive Attack}}
*"Twilight of the Empire" by Fariña

===Covers (4)===
*'''Regular cover:''' A fuel-streaked Megatron receives a face-punching from Tarn, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' The D.J.D. and Deathsaurus's forces, by [[Hayato Sakamoto]] and [[MGR]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Don't worry: Megatron, Ravage, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] are the good guys! By [[Brendan Cahill]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]
*'''Heroes and Fantasies Alamo City Comic Con exclusive cover:''' Wraparound image of Megatron, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Unicron]], by [[Juan Carlos Ramos]].
<gallery>
File:MTMTE52 regcvr.jpg|This one's for my brother, this one's for my pa, and this one's for me!
File:MTMTE52 subcvr.jpg|These are the bad guys!
File:MTMTE52 cvrRI.jpg|This is more believable, looking at the bad guys!
File:MTMTE52 cvrRE.jpg|[[Orson Welles]] is still hungry.
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''More than Meets the Eye'' #53
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' [[All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|#52]]
*''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|Sins of the Wreckers]]'' [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|#4]]
*IDW ''Micronauts'' comic
*IDW online comics (back page)

===Reprints===
*'''''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.

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 72: The Dying of the Light''''' ([[January 24]], [[2018]])
:* Hardcover collection of ''More than Meets the Eye'' #50 to #55.
:* Bonus content includes the story "[[No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases]]" and essential background material on the DJD.

<gallery>
File:MTMTE vol10.jpg|'''Volume 10'''; cover art by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v72.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 72: The Dying of the Light'''''; cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] (Cyclonus) and [[Alex Milne]] (retro)
</gallery>

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/28977-the-autobots-are-stranded-in-transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-22-preview.html Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dying of the Light Part 3: Your Fierce Tears}}