Drift - Empire of Stone issue 2

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Stranded on an alien world and imprisoned by Gigatron, Drift, Ratchet, and Grit must work together to learn the Decepticons' plan for the planet's mysterious stone army.

Synopsis

Centuries ago, Turmoil and Deadlock crash on an alien world. As Turmoil frets over their damaged ship, Deadlock steps outside and discovers a huge stone fortress tended by robed figures, and hopes it will contain a means of escaping the world.

In the present day, on that same world, Drift, Ratchet, and Grit are presented to local Decepticon leader Gigatron, who rejects their claims that the war is over, and explains that he requires Drift to help him find an "ancient stone army" that Drift discovered on the planet when he was there in the past. Drift refuses, but acquiesces when Gigatron threatens Ratchet. Satisfied, Gigatron orders them released, but his slimy lieutenant Hellbat disagrees, advocating caution. He particularly calls into question releasing the "traitor" Grit, who loudly objects to having his loyalties questioned; when Hellbat then accuses him of not being worthy of being a Decepticon if he has allowed himself to be captured by the Autobots, Grit snaps and headbutts him. A fight breaks out in the middle of the throne room, but Drift, Ratchet, and Grit quickly overpower their opponents and make a break for it, only to be stopped when a furious Gigatron collapses several of the room's stone columns into their paths. Hellbat stops his enraged leader from killing the three escapees, and they are taken to a cell.

Imprisoned, the trio grouse and grumble about their handling of the situation, until Ratchet has Drift tell him about the stone army—an vast, enigmatic collection of living stone beings, slumbering somewhere within the fortress. Hearing a guard approaching, Ratchet has Drift lie on the ground and pretend to be dead, while he "blames" Grit for killing him, hoping to trick the guard into opening the cell... but the guard, Knockout, sees through the ruse immediately. He then opens the cell anyway, as he turns out to be an old friend of Grit's who has come to free them. Handing the group back their weapons, Knockout explains that Gigatron's group is capturing and killing both Autobots and Decepticons, and he was already planning to desert, finally pushed into action after seeing their treatment of his friend. Grit gives Knockout a gun and tells him to get off the planet, while he leaves with Ratchet and Drift, intent on killing Hellbat for his insults. Drift tries to talk him out of it, but Grit is having none of it, sure in himself and his path in life, and telling Drift not to project his own issues onto him.

Left alone, Drift and Ratchet soon begin arguing again, as Drift tries to get the medic to leave him and escape. Drift explains that he has to stay, because he knows that the stone army is not hidden in any way, and so it makes no sense that Gigatron has not yet found it—a mystery that requires solving. Ratchet refuses to leave him, but their argument is cut off when some Decepticons find them and open fire. They take the 'Cons down together, and Drift accepts that Ratchet isn't going anywhere, so they head for the vault containing the army together. Drift finds that it has been sealed with a new door, and is surrounded by piles of rubble despite there being no sign of the door having been dug out. Entering the vault, they discover the army, along with new technology that was not there during Drift's previous visit, to which several of the stone warriors are connected. Just as they wonder aloud what's going on, Hellbat and a team of goons appear and promise to tell them right before they kill them.

Featured characters

{{#if:* Ratchet (5)| {{#if:* Ratchet (5)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |

Ratchet (5) }}{{#if:* Turmoil (1)
Gigatron (3)
Grit (4)
Hellbat (6)
Vanquish (7)
Knockout (8)|

Autobots }}{{#if:* Turmoil (1) Gigatron (3) Grit (4) Hellbat (6) Vanquish (7) Knockout (8)\|	Decepticons }}{{#if:\|	Humans }}{{#if:* Deadlock/Drift (2)\|	Others }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}
Turmoil (1) Gigatron (3) Grit (4) Hellbat (6) Vanquish (7) Knockout (8) }}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:* Deadlock/Drift (2)\|	Deadlock/Drift (2) }}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}

Quotes

"This isn't going well."
"I got this."
"You really don't."
"I got this."
"Could you please, just for once, not be you."

—Ratchet and Drift

"I'm going to rip his head off. Clean off. With my hands. I'm going to rip it off and tear him apart. "Traitor"?! He's dead."
"You're a bit of a dark kind of guy, aren't you."

—Grit and Ratchet

Ratchet: "He's dying! Your boss is going to be furious if he loses his chance at finding that army."
...
...
Ratchet: "Well?!"
Knockout: "Well what? I'm supposed to be shocked, open the cell, and run in there so you can hit me on the head and escape? That guy's not even dying. Look at him. He's fine."
Drift: (face down on ground) "You don't know!"

Notes

Transformers references

While none of them appear to actually be the characters in question, the Decepticon grunts who attack our heroes in the throne room are colored in the paintjobs of Chuffer (definitely), Jallguar (likely), Drillhorn (also likely), Chameleon (possibly), and Nacelle (ehhh...?).
Jallguar and Drillhorn make definite appearances in More than Meets the Eye #39.
Grit and Knockout's friendship alludes to the pair's status as Micromaster Combiner partners in the Generation 1 toyline.

Errors

In panel 2, page 14, Knockout is colored the same golden-yellow as Grit, instead of in orange.

Covers (2)

Regular cover: The shadowy image of Gigatron looms behind Drift, by Guido Guidi and Josh Burcham
Subscription cover: Drift and Ratchet, by Alex Milne and Josh Perez

Reprints

Other than reprints of the full series

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