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maximum dinobots|transformers maximum dinobots|transformers: maximum dinobots|the transformers maximum dinobots|the transformers: maximum dinobots=The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots
premierecollection|premiere collection|the transformers: the premiere collection=The Transformers: The Premiere Collection
all hail megatron|transformers all hail megatron|transformers: all hail megatron|the transformers all hail megatron|the transformers: all hail megatron=The Transformers: All Hail Megatron
the idw collection|the transformers: the idw collection=The Transformers: The IDW Collection
the transformers|the transformers (ongoing)=The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers vol. 1
wreckers|last stand of the wreckers|transformers last stand of the wreckers|transformers: last stand of the wreckers|the transformers last stand of the wreckers|the transformers: last stand of the wreckers=The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers
the idw collection|g.i. joe: the idw collection=G.I. Joe: The IDW Collection
infestation=Infestation (IDW)|Infestation
infestation 2=Infestation 2
heart of darkness|transformers heart of darkness|transformers: heart of darkness|the transformers heart of darkness|the transformers: heart of darkness=The Transformers: Heart of Darkness
tdoop|death of optimus prime|the death of optimus prime|transformers: the death of optimus prime=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime
more than meets the eye|transformers: more than meets the eye|the transformers: more than meets the eye=The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye
robots in disguise|transformers: robots in disguise=The Transformers: Robots in Disguise
dark cybertron=Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron
drift:eos|drift: empire of stone|transformers drift: empire of stone|transformers: drift: empire of stone|the transformers drift: empire of stone|drift: empire of stone=The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone
the transformers: windblade=The Transformers: Windblade
sins of the wreckers|transformers sins of the wreckers|transformers: sins of the wreckers|the transformers sins of the wreckers|the transformers: sins of the wreckers=The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers
gijoe5|gijoevol5|g.i. joe vol. 5|gi joe vol 5=G.I. Joe vol. 5
hasbro heroes sourcebook=Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook
micronauts=Micronauts (comic)|Micronauts
wrath of karza|micronauts wrath of karza|micronauts: wrath of karza=Micronauts: Wrath of Karza
first strike=First Strike
ROM
rom dire wraiths|rom: dire wraiths=Rom: Dire Wraiths
romamn|rom&mn|rom and the micronauts|rom & the micronauts=Rom & the Micronauts
rom vs transformers|shining armor|rom vs. transformers|rom vs transformers: shining armor|rom vs transformers: shining armor=Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor
m.a.s.k.|m. a. s. k.|mask mobile armored strike kommand|m.a.s.k. mobile armored strike kommand|mask: mobile armored strike kommand|m.a.s.k.: mobile armored strike command=M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand
scarletts strike force|scarlett's strike force=Scarlett's Strike Force
transformers vs visionaries|transformers vs. visionaries=Transformers vs. Visionaries
requiem of the wreckers|transformers requiem of the wreckers|transformers: requiem of the wreckers=Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
{{{series}}}
[[{{#switch:{{{series}}}
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
#| }}{{#if: |issues:}}{{#ifeq: | Category
[[Category:IDW {{#switch:{{#switch:{{{series}}}
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
{{{series}}}}}
{{#switch:prime
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
{{#switch:primeadaptation
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
{{#switch:ragedinobots
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
ragedinobots}}=Prime
{{#switch:rid2015
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=Transformers: War for Cybertron (comic)
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (comic)
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)=Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)
prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Transformers: Prime (comic series)
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Transformers Prime: Rage of the Dinobots
fulloffire|full of fire|full of fire!=Full of Fire!
rid2015|robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015)|transformers: robots in disguise (2015 comic)=Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)
rid2015}}=Robots in Disguise (2015)
{{#switch:{{{series}}}
war for cybertron|warforcybertron|transformers: war for cybertron|transformers: war for cybertron (comic)=War for Cybertron
fall of cybertron|fallofcybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron|transformers: fall of cybertron (comic)=Fall of Cybertron
transformers: prime|transformers: prime (comic)|primeadaptation|prime adaptation|transformers: prime (comic series)=Prime
primerage|ragedinobots|rage of the dinobots|rageofthedinobots|primeragedinobots|transformers prime: rage of the dinobots=Prime – Rage of the Dinobots
maximum dinobots|transformers maximum dinobots|transformers: maximum dinobots|the transformers maximum dinobots|the transformers: maximum dinobots=The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots
premierecollection|premiere collection|the transformers: the premiere collection=The Transformers: The Premiere Collection
all hail megatron|transformers all hail megatron|transformers: all hail megatron|the transformers all hail megatron|the transformers: all hail megatron=The Transformers: All Hail Megatron
the idw collection|the transformers: the idw collection=The Transformers: The IDW Collection
the transformers|the transformers (ongoing)=The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers vol. 1
wreckers|last stand of the wreckers|transformers last stand of the wreckers|transformers: last stand of the wreckers|the transformers last stand of the wreckers|the transformers: last stand of the wreckers=The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers
the idw collection|g.i. joe: the idw collection=G.I. Joe: The IDW Collection
infestation=Infestation (IDW)|Infestation
infestation 2=Infestation 2
heart of darkness|transformers heart of darkness|transformers: heart of darkness|the transformers heart of darkness|the transformers: heart of darkness=The Transformers: Heart of Darkness
tdoop|death of optimus prime|the death of optimus prime|transformers: the death of optimus prime=Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime
more than meets the eye|transformers: more than meets the eye|the transformers: more than meets the eye=The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye
robots in disguise|transformers: robots in disguise=The Transformers: Robots in Disguise
dark cybertron=Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron
drift:eos|drift: empire of stone|transformers drift: empire of stone|transformers: drift: empire of stone|the transformers drift: empire of stone|drift: empire of stone=The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone
the transformers: windblade=The Transformers: Windblade
sins of the wreckers|transformers sins of the wreckers|transformers: sins of the wreckers|the transformers sins of the wreckers|the transformers: sins of the wreckers=The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers
gijoe5|gijoevol5|g.i. joe vol. 5|gi joe vol 5=G.I. Joe vol. 5
hasbro heroes sourcebook=Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook
micronauts=Micronauts (comic)|Micronauts
wrath of karza|micronauts wrath of karza|micronauts: wrath of karza=Micronauts: Wrath of Karza
first strike=First Strike
ROM
rom dire wraiths|rom: dire wraiths=Rom: Dire Wraiths
romamn|rom&mn|rom and the micronauts|rom & the micronauts=Rom & the Micronauts
rom vs transformers|shining armor|rom vs. transformers|rom vs transformers: shining armor|rom vs transformers: shining armor=Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor
m.a.s.k.|m. a. s. k.|mask mobile armored strike kommand|m.a.s.k. mobile armored strike kommand|mask: mobile armored strike kommand|m.a.s.k.: mobile armored strike command=M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand
scarletts strike force|scarlett's strike force=Scarlett's Strike Force
transformers vs visionaries|transformers vs. visionaries=Transformers vs. Visionaries
requiem of the wreckers|transformers requiem of the wreckers|transformers: requiem of the wreckers=Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers
maximum dinobots|transformers maximum dinobots|transformers: maximum dinobots|the transformers maximum dinobots|maximum dinobots=Maximum Dinobots
all hail megatron|transformers all hail megatron|transformers: all hail megatron|the transformers all hail megatron|all hail megatron=All Hail Megatron
the transformers|the transformers (ongoing)|the transformers (idw)=IDW The Transformers
wreckers|last stand of the wreckers|transformers last stand of the wreckers|transformers: last stand of the wreckers|the transformers last stand of the wreckers|last stand of the wreckers=Last Stand of the Wreckers
transformers drift|transformers: drift|the transformers drift|drifteos|drift:eos|drift: empire of stone|transformers drift: empire of stone|transformers: drift: empire of stone|the transformers drift: empire of stone|drift: empire of stone|transformers drift: origins and empires|transformers drift: origins & empires|origins and empires|origins & empires=Drift
heart of darkness|transformers heart of darkness|transformers: heart of darkness|the transformers heart of darkness|heart of darkness=Heart of Darkness
tdoop|death of optimus prime|the death of optimus prime|transformers: the death of optimus prime=The Death of Optimus Prime
more than meets the eye|transformers: more than meets the eye=IDW More than Meets the Eye
robots in disguise|transformers: robots in disguise|ongoing2|exrid|the transformers (idw) vol. 2=IDW Robots in Disguise (2012)
dark cybertron=Dark Cybertron
the transformers: windblade|windblade2|windblade2015|the transformers: windblade vol. 2|the transformers: windblade (2015)=Windblade
transformers vs gi joe|transformers vs. g.i. joe=Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
sotw|wreckers2|sins of the wreckers|transformers sins of the wreckers|transformers: sins of the wreckers|the transformers sins of the wreckers|the transformers: sins of the wreckers=Sins of the Wreckers
lost light|transformers lost light|the transformers lost light|transformers: lost light|the transformers: lost light=Lost Light
till all are one|Till All Are One|transformers till all are one|transformers: till all are one|the transformers till all are one|the transformers: till all are one=Till All Are One
revolution=Revolution
revolutionaries=Revolutionaries
action man=Action Man
gijoe5|g.i. joe vol 5|g.i. joe vol. 5|g.i. joe volume 5|g.i. joe (vol. 5)|g.i. joe (volume 5)=G.I. Joe vol. 5
g.i. joe idw collection=G.I. Joe: The IDW Collection
first strike=First Strike
hasbro heroes sourcebook=Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook
micronauts=Micronauts
wrath of karza|micronauts wrath of karza|micronauts: wrath of karza=Micronauts: Wrath of Karza
rom=ROM
rom dire wraiths|rom: dire wraiths=Rom: Dire Wraiths
romamn|rom&mn|rom and the micronauts|rom & the micronauts=Rom & the Micronauts
rom vs transformers|shining armor|rom vs. transformers|rom vs transformers: shining armor|rom vs. transformers: shining armor=Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor
m.a.s.k.|m. a. s. k.|mask mobile armored strike kommand|m.a.s.k. mobile armored strike kommand|mask: mobile armored strike kommand|m.a.s.k.: mobile armored strike command=M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand
scarletts strike force|scarlett's strike force=Scarlett's Strike Force
transformers vs visionaries|transformers vs. visionaries=Transformers vs. Visionaries
requiem of the wreckers|transformers requiem of the wreckers|transformers: requiem of the wreckers=Requiem of the Wreckers
Two Maximals, Unit 1 and Unit 2, are in pursuit of several Predacon criminals. Asking for details from the Maximal Defense Command Center, Unit 2 is informed that the intruder's most likely objective is to steal the Golden Disk; what exactly the Golden Disk is remains need-to-know information. The two are ordered to bring the criminals back alive; Unit 1 objects, but is suddenly blasted, knocking out his transformation cog. Unit 2 transforms into robot mode, checking up on his partner, before taking off after the Predacons.
Nearby, Megatron holds the Golden Disk with anticipation, and orders for his crew to withdraw. His lieutenant, who has been blasting at the pursuing Maximals with his eye beams, objects, feeling there is no honor in what he perceives as cowardice. Megatron grabs him and raises him to his eye level, telling him to never use the word "Honor" again. Letting go, his lieutenant asks what he plans to do, but Megatron pushes him along, not having the time to explain his plan in detail. Meanwhile, in a chamber beneath Cybertropolis, a mysterious benefactor, pleased with Megatron's results, calls in two of his agents, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw. He informs them he has procured a ship for Megatron's crew, and that they are to ensure he reaches his destination, without being noticed by any Maximals.
Back on the surface, Megatron radios the rest of his crew, telling them to hurry with their ship, and as one of the troops radios back, the massive warship they have stolen, now called the Darksyde, brings them on board. Arriving too late to stop them from taking off, Unit 2 is authorized to commandeer a ship to chase them. Driving up to the Chromia 10, it's pilot is resistant at first, but when she's informed that he needs it for a chase, she allows him on board, telling him to get ready for a ride.
At the Maximal Defense Command Center, a status report is being compiled. The Tripredacus Council denies any involvement, and have been trying to capture him themselves for some time, which for once, seems to be the truth. The ship Megatron and his crew have stolen is equipped with a transwarp drive, and the only ship available with a transwarp drive and able to track them is the Axalon. The ship is currently being loaded up by its crew on a space station, one of whom is upset with the constant monotony of their mission, while Optimus Primal tends to one last piece of very special cargo. While Laserbeak and Buzzsaw inform their commander that they are in position, the Axalon leaves the space station.
Primal informs his crew that the Maximal High Council contacted them to rid themselves of their special cargo on a barren moon in the Alpha Quadrant before returning to their mission. The unhappy crew member objects even more, but before Primal can explain the cargo's significance, another crew member informs Optimus that they have an incoming audio-only transmission from Maximal Command. Bringing it up, Command informs them that they are assigned to intercept the Darksyde and retrieve the Golden Disk, and that this takes priority even over their mission to the Alpha Quadrant. But before they can, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw begin an assault on the Maximal ship, knocking out their engines, locking their energon flow system, and causing their shields to lose power.
Before the two former Decepticons can complete their attack, however, the Chromia 10 swoops in, attacking the two Predacons while the Axalon’s crew attempt to get its engines back on. The two Predacons start inflicting heavy damage on the Chromia 10, breaching its hull. But before they can finish it off, the engines of the Axalon come back online, and the Maximal ship blasts the two Predacon birds into oblivion. Chromia 10’s crew's signals are very faint, and with no time to get them out before their reactor explodes, the ship's Science Officer's only suggestion is to perform a remote spark core transfer to some of the blank protoforms in the cargo hold, a process which may cause them to lose much of their core mainframe, which Primal, unable to see any other option, orders him to do.
Half a mega cycle later, on board the Darksyde, a plant by the Tripredacus Council informs his superior that his analysis of the Golden Disk has revealed some interesting properties. Promising to transmit more data later, he ends his communication as Megatron messages him for their coordinates, and to bring the Golden Disk back up with him. As Megatron removes his armor, another member of his crew informs him of the Axalon’s approach. Megatron orders his lieutenant to prepare for the transwarp jump, knocking him back when he objects, and orders for his crew to hail the Maximal ship. Back aboard the ship, Primal responds to Megatron's message, who informs him he is now leader of the Predacons. Primal informs Megatron that he is to surrender the Golden Disk, but the Predacon has his lieutenant fire upon them, and the transwarp portal opens to the Predacon's destination. The Maximals, still alive, quickly follows through, and the portal closes behind them, the two ships heading for destinations.
Many stellar cycles later, Megatron's secret benefactor, Divebomb, now reformatted to a technorganic form, informs his commander that the Golden Disk was destroyed in the Beast Wars, and that Megatron died in the Battle for the Sparks. With him gone, the true leader of the Predacons can now return... as Razorclaw, revived in a technorganic form, announces the Maximals will tremble before him!
Of note, both Primal and Megatron are noted to have been online in the end days of the Great War.
Cheetor's mini-profile notes he was a cadet in the Maximal Command Security Force, explaining his shared body type with them.
This comic was based on a story concept originally pitched to Dreamwave Productions. The concept was for a three-volume maxi-series spanning the 300-year time gap between the G1 Era and the Beast Era, with six issues per volume making a total of 18 issues. The idea was pitched again to Fun Publications, but proved too ambitious for them at the time and was ultimately trimmed down to this single issue that was largely based on what would have been "Volume 3: Issue 6", the final chapter of the original 18-issue proposal.<ref>Beyond the Convention – BotCon: The Ultimate Product Guide, Page 146</ref>
Most of the comic takes place before the first episode of the Beast Wars cartoon. The epilogue, meanwhile, takes place some time after the Beast Machines cartoon. This scene was said by Pete Sinclair to take place 50–100 years after Beast Machines.
The universal placement of this comic has a somewhat... complicated history. In the plainest terms, it is meant to be seen as the definitive prequel to the Beast Wars and Beast Machines cartoons, which would make it, theoretically, occupy every universe that the cartoons are in. However, this was not always the case:
When first published, it was initially believed to simply be a part of the same existing Beast Wars expanded universe of BotCons past created by 3H Productions. Further evidence for this came to light when Fun Publications' 2007 prose story "Wreckers: Finale Part II" (which was written as a part of the 3H Beast Era) made explicit references to both this story and "Theft of the Golden Disk", a short animation also released in 2007 that was produced as an immediate prequel to "Dawn of Future's Past".
Statements by writer Pete Sinclair declared the previous year's BotCon comic, "Descent into Evil", to not take place in the same universe as this comic, despite that comic's events foreshadowing to certain aspects of the Beast Wars cartoon. This was done to make "Dawn of Future's Past" a fresh start not bogged down by anything that could have potentially interfered with the Beast Wars backstory conceived by the cartoon's original creators.<ref>Post by NightViper on The AllSpark Forums</ref> However, "Descent" doesn't actually interfere with anything in "Dawn", so the original point was kinda moot from the beginning.
When "Theft of the Golden Disk" was released a year later, it was accompanied by online profiles for five of its characters. One profile in particular—Cryotek's—referred to the "Descent" character Deathsaurus as an associate of Cryotek's, suggesting a connection between the two stories. That same year, an online prose story titled "The Razor's Edge" was produced with the intent of bridging the gap between "Descent" and "Dawn",<ref>Post by NightViper on The AllSpark Forums</ref><ref>Post by NightViper on The AllSpark Forums</ref> using characters from both stories in the same setting. However, the ill reception of that story quickly led to Fun Publications sweeping it under the rug and just never referencing it again,<ref>Post by NightViper on The AllSpark Forums</ref> leaving its bridging intent lost on many.
In 2014, it was decided to fold "Dawn of Future's Past" into Fun Pub's then-relevant Wings Universe, but only "Dawn" since the other related media from 2005 to 2007 did not fit into the Wings Universe's continuity. At BotCon 2016, a printed version of the Wings comic "A Common Foe" featured a timeline of Wings comics on its back cover, in which "Dawn" was included.
Also at BotCon 2016, IDW Publishing produced that year's convention comic, "Dawn of the Predacus", with the intention of it taking place in IDW's own Beast Wars continuity from 2006–2008. At the convention, Pete Sinclair and writer John-Paul Bove declared "Dawn of Future's Past" to also be part of this IDW Beast Wars, with "Dawn of the Predacus" even featuring Optimus Primal, Rattrap, Rhinox, and Waspinator in the same toy-based bodies that they had in the 2006 comic to further tie the two together. Thus, "Dawn of Future's Past" had basically (and exhaustingly) been placed into at least three different Beast Wars continuities between 3H, IDW, and the Wings Universe, in spite of Sinclair's original desire to keep it standalone.
Protoform X's stasis pod (distinguished by the red window with a yellow "X" on it) is seen being loaded up; "Bad Spark" established that part of the Axalon crew's mission was to dump it somewhere remote, a fact that only Primal and Rhinox knew.
Waspinator wanted to call the DarksydeBuzzer-Bot, after the Playskool Go-Bots character based on him.
The Chromia 10's name comes from Airazor's Japanese ID number, C-10.
Primal's finishes his transmission with the Maximal Council by saying "wish us luck"; Laserbeak, having listened in on the conversation, notes he's heard that before, in reference to Optimus Prime's line about "a little energon and a lot of luck" in The Transformers: The Movie.
The device used by Tarantulas to examine the Golden Disk is based off the border of the Golden Disk Keys packed with the Cybertron mold-toys from this year's toys.
The Timelines Megatron toy is a redeco/retool of CybertronRed Alert, but here it is revealed that that body is actually a suit of armor, accounting for why the BotCon toy looks different from the pre-beast Megatron seen in "Beast Wars (Part 1)", which used a model from Mainframe Entertainment's other cartoon, [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}ReBoot|{{#if:||ReBoot}}]], with Megatron's head. Following this precedent, Rattrap's helmet can come off to show his brain-like top of his head underneath, matching his silhouetted model as seen in the opening.
Razorclaw's new technorganic body is based on the CybertronLeobreaker toy with a new head; this design would become a toy for BotCon 2009. He also sports a new Predacon symbol. Divebomb and the rest, meanwhile, all have new technorganic versions of their original designs.
The Maximal Command Security Force are all based on the CybertronClocker body type, while having various modifications to their heads and color schemes that provide a variety of homages, as designed by creator Trent Troop. Specifically:
9K, of course, is based on Beast WarsK-9, and uses a modified version of EnergonStrongarm's combined Energon axe weapon, extending the gun barrel to make a handle.
Getout's color scheme is based on Generation 2Skram, while his gun is reused from an unfinished attempt by Troop to recreate Beast MachinesTankor/the Tank Drones shoulder mounted cannon.
High Beam's head is based on his Generation 2 toy's head, and wields a blaster based on the back half of the gun used by the Machine WarsSkywarp/Thundercracker mold, without the extended barrel.
Overshoot uses the Machine Wars Skywarp/Thundercracker body-type head, and his color scheme is loosely based on ArmadaWheeljack.
Shatterpoint uses EnergonShockblast's head, and his color scheme is based on Generation 2Drench. He carries the same "Tank Drone" gun as Getout.
Stopgap uses the Machine Wars Skywarp/Thundercracker head, and his color scheme is based on Beast Wars IIDiver.
Switchblade uses ArmadaCyclonus's head, and his color scheme is based on Beast Wars IIIkard. He's also been modified to have two blades on each of his hands.
Several customs based on characters seen in the comics were created by Shawn D. Tessman and displayed at BotCon 2006, including a Nitrostreak made from Cybertron Clocker and the Predacons Razorclaw, Rampage, Headstrong, and Tantrum. While Razorclaw's design in the comic was based on Cybertron Leobreaker (which the custom follows accordingly), the designs for the other three were all made up, so they were made from toys with similar alternated modes: Rampage was made from EnergonBattle Ravage, Headstrong was made from CybertronBackstop, and Tantrum was made from Beast MachinesLonghorn.
The mass-retail release of this comic featured several pages of bonus material: some sketches by Marcelo Matere, and profiles for Optimus, Megatron, Cheetor, and the Maximal Command Security Force.
The comic was re-released in 2011 as part of the Shout! FactoryBeast Wars online exclusive complete series box set. The comic itself measures a measly 4.75" x 7.125" (12.065 x 18.098 cm).
Writer Pete Sinclair claimed that the Rampage, Tantrum, and Headstrong appearing in the story are actually descendants of the originals, who died in the Great War. This never factored into any fictional appearances, however.
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