Grimlock the Rebel

	{{#if: He's a rebel, he's a saint, he's the salt of the earth, and he's dangerous. \|; He's a rebel, he's a saint, he's the salt of the earth, and he's dangerous.}}}}
	"Grimlock the Rebel" {{#if: \| {{#if: \|; (')}} {{#if:\|; ""}}}}
Publisher	IDW Publishing}}
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First published	August 4, 2021}}
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Cover date	July 2021}}
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Written by	Steve Orlando}}
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Art by	Agustin Padilla}}
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Colors	Jeremy Colwell}}
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Letters by	Jake M. Wood}}
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Editor	David Mariotte, Tom Waltz and Riley Farmer}}
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{{#if: KingGrimlock 1 cvrA.jpg | {{#if: IDW Publishing | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: August 4, 2021 | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: July 2021 | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Steve Orlando | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Agustin Padilla | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Jeremy Colwell | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Jake M. Wood | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: David Mariotte, Tom Waltz and Riley Farmer | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: |

{{#switch:{{#sub:xx|2|14}}|dark cybertron=}}

A magic spell leaves Grimlock stranded in a realm of swords, sandals, and sorcery—an untamed world where only the strongest can survive.

Synopsis

Brutal, bullheaded, and unpredictable, Grimlock and his Dinobots have never seen eye-to-eye with Optimus Prime's compassionate approach to warfare. As the two work together to defend the city of Harmonex from rogue Mecannibals, this divide is sharply illustrated by how they treat their defeated foes: while Prime intends to honor Cybertron's agreement with Master Mouth and ship the survivors back to Nebulon Station for punishment, Grimlock insists that they must make an example of their enemies and does so by cleaving the aliens in half with his sword. Prime reminds Grimlock that mercy is a strength all its own; before they continue this debate, however, the ground beneath their feet glows green with unusual energy. Although Prime thinks that it's an automated security field, the Dinobot leader senses something isn't right and shoves Prime to safety—moments before the light glows brighter, then engulfs Grimlock completely...

In an alien jungle, a cockatrice chases its prey through the undergrowth... until it's promptly crushed underneath Grimlock's huge metal fist as the Dinobot leader gets his bearings. Grimlock has no idea where he is or what's happened to him; as he tries and fails to raise Optimus on his communicator, he realizes that he might be lost, but he's not alone—without warning, a pack of huge, cat-like creatures charge toward him and nearly trample him underfoot! Grimlock fights back, but the monsters have weight and numbers on their side; although they quickly overwhelm Grimlock and drag him down, but they're only flesh and blood and can't pierce his metal hide. Thinking quickly, Grimlock counterattacks by transforming into dinosaur mode, swatting his attackers away with his tail, and unleashes a mighty gout of flame that reduces the creatures to cinders.

As Grimlock returns to robot mode, a voice compliments him on his victory over the leodon pack; Grimlock turns to see a group of unfamiliar humanoids, who hail him as the answer to their prayers! Their leader introduces himself as Arnak, elder of Valerift and the one responsible for summoning Grimlock to the land of Menonia. Many centuries ago, he explains, Cybertronians liberated Menonia with the help of the Golden One—but time moves differently in this realm and the Golden One's power corrupted the once-wise ruler into a cruel despot. The rebels who opposed him could not defeat him themselves; their only hope was to cast a spell to summon the Cybertronian leader who'd saved them once before—Optimus Prime. Grimlock bristles at that name: he is not the Autobot leader, and snarls that if they want Prime then they can keep looking for him. Although Arnak's daughter Arko hates the sight of her father begging Grimlock for assistance, Arnak has no other choice and takes a different tack: it took all of their remaining power to bring Grimlock to Menonia—the only way Grimlock gets home is if he helps them defeat the Golden One and uses his magic to return to Cybertron.

Far away, in a towering citadel illuminated by the sun's rays, the Golden One himself uses his magically-enhanced senses to spy on Grimlock from the safety of his castle. The ruler of Menonia is intrigued that the rebels' plan has successfully worked, but can't hide his delight at the fact that they've summoned the wrong Cybertronian—as he explains to his servant Clatta, Optimus might have rallied the rebels, but Grimlock is a blustering fool whose arrogance will only further divide them.

Arko interrupts to snap that the Golden One could attack at any moment—if their "saviour" won't do his job, then they'll just have to save themselves. Arnak explains to the new arrival that the Golden One punishes all Menonians who worship the "anti-sun" by shapeshifting into a mighty dragon and terrorizing the countryside by burning everything in his path. Grimlock might be the only being in Menonia who can defeat the Golden One... but the Dinobot growls that while their enemy is strong, they are not. Fighting their battles for them won't make Arnak and his men strong—the only way they can learn true strength is if they save themselves. Arnak again tries to get Grimlock to see reason, by reminding him that there's only one way for him to return home, but Grimlock stubbornly stomps off into the woods. As one of Arnak's compatriots shouts that Optimus would never abandon them, Grimlock retorts that he's not Optimus and never will be; if the punishment for that is being stuck in Menonia alone for the rest of time, then so be it. Arko won't give up so easily, however: clearly, Grimlock has no patience for weakness and neither does she. As the Dinobot pushes his way through the jungle and stumbles on a trio of monstrous cyclopes wielding weapons bearing the Autobot insignia, Arko follows his trail of destruction. If she can't persuade Grimlock to help, she vows, then she'll have to make him...

Featured characters

{{#if:* Slug (1)

Grimlock (2)
Swoop (4)
Kup (5)
Optimus Prime (6)
Sludge (7)|

{{#if:* Slug (1)

Grimlock (2)
Swoop (4)
Kup (5)
Optimus Prime (6)
Sludge (7)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |
Slug (1)
Grimlock (2)
Swoop (4)
Kup (5)
Optimus Prime (6)
Sludge (7) }}{{#if:|

Autobots/Dinobots }}{{#if:|

Decepticons }}{{#if:* Arnak (8)

Arko (9)
Other Menonians (12, 13)|

Humans }}{{#if:* Mecannibals (3)

The Golden One (10)
Clatta (11)|

Others }}{{#if:|

Misc }}{{#if:|

Misc }}

}}{{#if:* Arnak (8)

Arko (9)
Other Menonians (12, 13)|

Arnak (8)
Arko (9)
Other Menonians (12, 13) }}{{#if:* Mecannibals (3)
The Golden One (10)
Clatta (11)|

Mecannibals (3)
The Golden One (10)
Clatta (11) }}{{#if:|

}}{{#if:|

}}

Quotes

"There is strength in mercy, Grimlock. The universe cannot run on fear."

—Optimus Prime

"That what you call a roar?"
-CHOOM-
"That a roar."

—Grimlock vs the leodons

"Too bad for you human. After day like today... me Grimlock nobody's prayer."

—Grimlock

"How can you speak like this, Father? Where is your pride?"
"Be silent, Arko. You'd doom us all. The fields are filled with the prideful dead."

—Arko and Arnak

"But you'll be trapped here, to walk this savage world alone forever!"
"Exactly."

—Arnak and Grimlock

"Grimlock is the first real warrior this place has seen in ages. No matter what dangers await in Menonia... he'll know how to crush them."

—Arko

Notes

Continuity notes

Like many of IDW's recent miniseries, King Grimlock appears to be set in its own little universe distinct from IDW's ongoing Transformers continuity. Most notably, the Grimlock (and presumably the other Dinobots) of this continuity does not actually seem to be an Autobot, though he wears their insignia; in his exchanges with Optimus and Arnak, Grimlock identifies himself as a Dinobot only. He even directly states to Arnak that "[him] Grimlock not Autobot."

Transformers references

This miniseries wastes no time in setting itself up as a pulp-fantasy inspired riff on "Madman's Paradise", a memorably strange episode of the original Generation 1 cartoon which saw Grimlock and Daniel Witwicky travel to the other-dimensional realm of Menonia, a land of magic and sorcery ruled by Quintesson Mara-Al-Utha in the guise of "The Red Wizard". This comic seems to incorporate a version of this episode as having occurred in its distant past; Arko notes that Optimus once travelled here as a "liberator" and installed the Golden One on the throne, but differences large and small abound.
While the cartoon version of the Golden One was a benevolent ruler whom Daniel and Grimlock helped return to the throne after deposing Mara-Al-Utha, this version has since become a more sinister figure: like the cartoon, he's a shapeshifter who can become a golden dragon, but unlike the cartoon he's now a tyrannical ruler who uses that form to terrorize towns and villages who don't worship him. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that Arnak and his followers worship something called the "Anti-Sun"—given that the cartoon-universe Golden One derived his powers from solar radiation, he might have ulterior motives for going after followers of this deity.
The Cybertronian city of Harmonex debuted in IDW's Monstrosity miniseries, which also gave it the nickname "The Singing City". Grimlock and the other Autobots are shown fighting Mecannibals, ravenous aliens who memorably guest-starred in issue #52, of Marvel's The Transformers comic, and Prime namedrops their leader Master Mouth.
Prime notes that the surviving Mecannibals will be deported to Nebulon Station for punishment, a location from the "Earthrise" season of the War for Cybertron cartoon. This might also be a double reference—their debut story in the Marvel comics had the Mecannibals hanging out on another space station.
The D&D-esque character sheet in the backmatter uses the same stats as the original Grimlock toy's Tech Specs.
Grimlock and Optimus in this series use their evergreen designs. Unlike the first IDW continuity or Cyberverse, which used stylised takes on the aesthetic, both are more direct translations of the original concept art.

Real-life references

This issue's chapter is named after the 1980 novel, [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Conan the Rebel|{{#if:||Conan the Rebel}}]], featuring the eponymous barbarian.
"Grimlock strongest there is", boasts the Dinobot leader, copping one of the Hulk's many catchphrases.

Other trivia

Backmatter for this plus-sized issue includes concept art of both Arko and Grimlock, plus a Grimlock profile written in the style of a Dungeons & Dragons character sheet—in RPG terms, our hero is a Chaotic Good barbarian with 1984 experience points (the year the Transformers franchise debuted).

Covers (3)

Cover A: Arko meets Grimlock, by Cary Nord
Cover B: The Dinobot leader arrives in Menonia, by Agustin Padilla and Jeremy Colwell
Retailer incentive cover: Grimlock rolls for initiative, by Mateus Santolouco and Marcelo Maiolo

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