Escalation issue 2

|- {{#if: Escalation 2a.jpg | | colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; background-color:#ffffff;" align="center" | {{#if: That's Wheeljack and his crazy inventions. |
That's Wheeljack and his crazy inventions.}}}} |-

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|- {{#if: IDW Publishing | |Publisher || IDW Publishing}} |- {{#if: | |Published by || }} |- {{#if: | |Imprint || }} |- {{#if: | |Published in || }} |- {{#if: December 20, 2006 | |First published || December 20, 2006}} |- {{#if: | |Shipping date || }} |- {{#if: | |On-sale date || }} |- {{#if: December 2006 | |Cover date || December 2006}} |- {{#if: | |Credits || }} |- {{#if: | |By || }} |- {{#if: | |Manga || }} |- {{#if: | |Manga by || }} |- {{#if: | |Original story || }} |- {{#if: | |Story & art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Story and color art || }} |- {{#if: | |Story || }} |- {{#if: | |Story by || }} |- {{#if: | |Story consultants || }} |- {{#if: | |Story concept || }} |- {{#if: | |Screenplay by || }} |- {{#if: | |Screenplay || }} |- {{#if: | |Adaptation by || }} |- {{#if: | |Adapted by || }} |- {{#if: | |Adaptation || }} |- {{#if: | |Based on || }} |- {{#if: | |Writer || }} |- {{#if: | |Writers || }} |- {{#if: | |Writing || }} |- {{#if: Simon Furman | |Written by || Simon Furman}} |- {{#if: | |Written & art || }} |- {{#if: | |Plotter || }} |- {{#if: | |Plotters || }} |- {{#if: | |Plot || }} |- {{#if: | |Plot by || }} |- {{#if: | |Plot/Script || }} |- {{#if: | |Scripter || }} |- {{#if: | |Scripters || }} |- {{#if: | |Script || }} |- {{#if: | |Scripting || }} |- {{#if: | |Script by || }} |- {{#if: | |Script and art || }} |- {{#if: | |Sript [sic] consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Translation by || }} |- {{#if: | |Artist || }} |- {{#if: | |Comic artist || }} |- {{#if: | |Artists || }} |- {{#if: | |Art || }} |- {{#if: E. J. Su | |Art by || E. J. Su}} |- {{#if: | |Additional art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Flashback art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Art assistant || }} |- {{#if: | |Art assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Line-art || }} |- {{#if: | |Line-art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Line art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciller || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencillers || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciler || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencilers || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencil art || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencils || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencils by || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciled by || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciling || }} |- {{#if: | |Guest penciler || }} |- {{#if: | |Layouts || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencil breakdowns || }} |- {{#if: | |Breakdowns || }} |- {{#if: | |Breakdowns by || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustration || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrations || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrator || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrated by || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustration by || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrations by || }} |- {{#if: | |Finished pencils || }} |- {{#if: | |Finishes || }} |- {{#if: | |Finished art || }} |- {{#if: | |Finishes by || }} |- {{#if: | |Inker || }} |- {{#if: | |Guest inker || }} |- {{#if: | |Inkers || }} |- {{#if: | |Inks || }} |- {{#if: | |Inks by || }} |- {{#if: | |Ink finishes || }} |- {{#if: | |Ink assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional inks || }} |- {{#if: | |Inking || }} |- {{#if: | |Backgrounds || }} |- {{#if: | |Backgrounds by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colorist || }} |- {{#if: | |Colorists || }} |- {{#if: | |Colourist || }} |- {{#if: | |Colourists || }} |- {{#if: | |Color || }} |- {{#if: | |Colors || }} |- {{#if: | |Color art || }} |- {{#if: | |Colour || }} |- {{#if: | |Colours || }} |- {{#if: | |Colored by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color by || }} |- {{#if: Zac Atkinson | |Colors by || Zac Atkinson}} |- {{#if: | |Color art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colors assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color assists || }} |- {{#if: | |Color assistance by || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional colors || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional colors by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colour/Computer FX || }} |- {{#if: | |Computer coloring/effects || }} |- {{#if: | |Color Reconstruction || }} |- {{#if: | |Flats || }} |- {{#if: | |Flats by || }} |- {{#if: | |MTMTE Profiles || }} |- {{#if: | |Letterer || }} |- {{#if: | |Letterers || }} |- {{#if: | |Lettering || }} |- {{#if: | |Letters || }} |- {{#if: Neil Uyetake | |Letters by || Neil Uyetake}} |- {{#if: | |Lettered by || }} |- {{#if: | |Lettering|Production || }} |- {{#if: | |Special Thanks{{#if: | To}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Collaborators || }} |- {{#if: | |Contributors || }} |- {{#if: | |Editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Editors || }} |- {{#if: | |Editing || }} |- {{#if: Chris Ryall & Dan Taylor | |Edits by || Chris Ryall & Dan Taylor}} |- {{#if: | |Compiled and Edited by || }} |- {{#if: | |Original series editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Original Edits by || }} |- {{#if: | |Deputy editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Assistant editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Editorial assistant{{#if: |s}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Editorial Assistance
provided by || }} |- {{#if: | |Senior editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Associate editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Story consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Project manager || }} |- {{#if: | |Production by || }} |- {{#if: | |Designer || }} |- {{#if: | |Design by || }} |- {{#if: | |Designed by || }} |- {{#if: | |Design/editorial || }} |- {{#if: | |Book design by || }} |- {{#if: | |Collection designer || }} |- {{#if: | |Collection editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Collection Edits by || }} |- {{#if: | |Graphic design || }} |- {{#if: | |Graphic design by || }} |- {{#if: | |Collection Design by || }} |- {{#if: | |Creative Director{{#if: | / Layout}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Contributing editors || }} |- {{#if: | |Research editor{{#if: |s}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Managing editor || }} |- {{#if: | |{{#if: |Editor-in-chief|Editor in chief}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Editorial consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Dinosaur consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Publishing manager || }} |- {{#if: | |Cover || }} |- {{#if: | |Cover art{{#if: |ist}}{{#if: | by}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Cover Design {{#if: |and Elements }}by || }} |- {{#if: | |Inside cover || }} |- {{#if: | |Apologies to || }} |- {{#if: 2005 IDW continuity | |Continuity || 2005 IDW continuity}} |- {{#if: Escalation | |Chronology || Escalation}} |- {{#if: | |ISBN || }} |- {{#if: | |TPB ISBN || ISBN }} |- {{#if: | |UPC || }} |- {{#if: | |Page count || }} |- {{#if: | |Price || }} |- {{#if: | |Packaged with || }} |- {{#if: | |Printed in || }} |- {{#if: | |Animation || }} |- {{#if: | |Music || }} |}{{#switch:{{#sub:xx|2|14}}|dark cybertron=}} Having lost one of their own, the Autobots seek to recover him. But they find something they did not expect.

Synopsis

Nine months ago, a senator of the United States government discusses stability in the Gulf with a US Army general during a stroll in Washington, D.C.—both are unaware that they are being observed by a black sports car.

Now, Optimus Prime, Jazz, and Wheeljack speed along the I-57 as Ironhide briefs them about the ambush that claimed Sunstreaker and Hunter O'Nion. Although the attack isn't out of pattern for the Decepticons, Prime refuses to assume the Autobots' enemies are behind it. Prime declines Ironhide's demand to attack the Decepticons and orders him to take Verity Carlo and Jimmy Pink back to Ark-19 while he, Jazz, and Wheeljack leave to retrieve Sunstreaker's remains.

Thundercracker and Skywarp are flying over the desert and, at Megatron's command, destroy the El Jira Power Plant. With this action, Megatron intends to destabilize relations between human governments and cause chaos on Earth. He's also looking for a place to exercise his new exo-structure.

Heading back to the ship, Ironhide explains to Jimmy and Verity how Decepticon facsimile constructs work and what happens during Siege Mode, Phase Two.

Jazz and Wheeljack arrive at the impound lot in Springfield, only to find Drake's Machination team has beaten them to it, and burst in while the humans are loading Sunstreaker's remains onto a truck. Prepared for Autobot interference, the humans use their scramblers to distract the two Autobots while escaping. Jazz and Wheeljack manage to disable the devices and leave the impound building, just before it explodes. The escaping truck takes off with Sunstreaker's remains, but doesn't get far because Optimus Prime intercepts the truck (by stepping in front of it).

Back on Ark-19, Ratchet looks over what's left of Sunstreaker and concludes that the material isn't the yellow Autobot; it's just a car. The Autobots reflect on who might be behind Sunstreaker and Hunter's kidnapping, and Optimus Prime expresses concern that the Autobots are too exposed to humanity.

Ironhide immediately notifies Verity and Jimmy that both Sunstreaker and Hunter may be alive, interrupting a news broadcast about Senator Alexander Holt, the senator under Transformer surveillance nine months before. That senator is now in play for the Presidency, and arguing for US military intervention in the Gulf.

Featured characters

{{#if:* Optimus Prime (4)

Jazz (5)
Wheeljack (6)
Ironhide (7)
Ratchet (20)
Prowl (21)|

{{#if:* Optimus Prime (4)

Jazz (5)
Wheeljack (6)
Ironhide (7)
Ratchet (20)
Prowl (21)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |
Optimus Prime (4)
Jazz (5)
Wheeljack (6)
Ironhide (7)
Ratchet (20)
Prowl (21) }}{{#if:* Runabout (3)
Megatron (10)
Runamuck (11)
Skywarp (12)
Thundercracker (13)|

Autobots }}{{#if:* Runabout (3) Megatron (10) Runamuck (11) Skywarp (12) Thundercracker (13)\|	Decepticons }}{{#if:* Alexander Holt (1) Jimmy Pink (8) Verity Carlo (9) Drake (14) Kamen (15) Weiss (16) Goss (17) Creel (18) Schmidt (19) Arcee Arthur (22)\|	Humans }}{{#if:* Deacon (2)\|	Facsimilies }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}
Runabout (3) Megatron (10) Runamuck (11) Skywarp (12) Thundercracker (13) }}{{#if:* Alexander Holt (1) Jimmy Pink (8) Verity Carlo (9) Drake (14) Kamen (15) Weiss (16) Goss (17) Creel (18) Schmidt (19) Arcee Arthur (22)\|	Alexander Holt (1) Jimmy Pink (8) Verity Carlo (9) Drake (14) Kamen (15) Weiss (16) Goss (17) Creel (18) Schmidt (19) Arcee Arthur (22) }}{{#if:* Deacon (2)\|	Deacon (2) }}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}

Notes

Continuity notes

The female anchor of the T-SPAN news program seen in the final panels of page 22 is identified as Arcee Arthur.
In "Man and Machine, Part Four", the Decepticons had to initiate an emergency warp-out, which Megatron claimed would drain the Decepticons energy reserves for many stellar cycles. This may have been a ruse on his part since Decepticons don't appear to be low on energy afterwards.

Transformers references

Megatron's gotten a rebuild, with his new form closely based on his original G1 appearance.

Real-life references

Jimmy's description of himself as being "pretty freaking far from okay" is a near-verbatim quote from the movie Pulp Fiction.
We're shown some political skullduggery in Washington, DC, with the Capitol and a statue of James Garfield visible in the background. Prime and company are passing by St. Louis, Missouri; while Ironhide is in Springfield Missouri. The Decepticon Command Bunker is in Oregon.
Louisiana Senator Alexander Holt is specifically cited as a Republican.
T-SPAN is one letter away from C-SPAN, the US government and public affairs channel.

Errors

During the senator's meeting at the start of the issue, "withdrawals" is misspelled "withdrawls".
The artwork of the James A. Garfield statue gives his birth year as 1851. The trade paperback changes this to 1831 to match the real world Garfield.
Ironhide refers to the replacement of Sunstreaker with fake wreckage as an "intricate slight of hand". He means "sleight" This error was corrected when the issue was published in trade paperback.
Runabout is drawn with an Autobot symbol on his chest on page six.
The list of covers on the interior back page misidentifies the issue as #1, rather than #2.
When Verity flashes back to the human remains she discovered in Infiltration #4, the corpse is wearing an Army uniform. In Infiltration he was wearing a Navy uniform. This is apparently so it now matches the uniform of General Deacon, who is influencing Senator Holt.
Wheeljack's eyes switch from red to blue throughout the issue.

Other trivia

The "Decepticomments" page has readers' mail answered by Dan Taylor and an ad for Escalation #3.

Covers (4)

Cover A: Wheeljack attacked by the Machination; art by E. J. Su.
Cover B: Ratchet examines Sunstreaker's remains; art by Klaus Scherwinski.
Cover RI-A: cover A uncolored
Cover RI-B: cover B uncolored

IIIIIII HAAAAVE THE POOOWEEEERRRRR!!!
Was Humpty Dumpty a yellow Lamborghini?
Cover RI-A
Cover RI-B

Reprints

In addition to collections of the full series.

N/A

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