Infiltration issue 0

|- {{#if: Infiltration 0a.jpg | | colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; background-color:#ffffff;" align="center" | {{#if: Freeze man, before I pop a cap in your afterburner. |
Freeze man, before I pop a cap in your afterburner.}}}} |-

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|- {{#if: IDW Publishing | |Publisher || IDW Publishing}} |- {{#if: | |Published by || }} |- {{#if: | |Imprint || }} |- {{#if: | |Published in || }} |- {{#if: October 19, 2005 | |First published || October 19, 2005}} |- {{#if: | |Shipping date || }} |- {{#if: | |On-sale date || }} |- {{#if: October 2005 | |Cover date || October 2005}} |- {{#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: John Rauch | |Colors by || John Rauch}} |- {{#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: Tom B. Long & Robbie Robbins | |Letters by || Tom B. Long & Robbie Robbins}} |- {{#if: | |Lettered by || }} |- {{#if: | |Lettering|Production || }} |- {{#if: | |Special Thanks{{#if: | To}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Collaborators || }} |- {{#if: | |Contributors || }} |- {{#if: | |Editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Editors || }} |- {{#if: | |Editing || }} |- {{#if: Chris Ryall | |Edits by || Chris Ryall}} |- {{#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: 2006-7 | |Chronology || 2006-7}} |- {{#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=}} A young woman steals an item from a businessman that turns out to be more than meets the eye.

Synopsis

At a bus station in Phoenix, Arizona, young Verity Carlo is picking her marks when she spies a high-end palmtop PC in use by an anonymous businessman. Eager to nab the device, she's unaware that she's not the only person interested in the computer: from a nearby black sports car, someone—or something—is just as intrigued...

Using a stolen ticket, Verity hops onto the same Los Angeles-bound bus as the businessman. While he's napping she lifts his palmtop computer. Then, with the help of a rancid bagel, she feigns illness and is left at the side of the road. The bus takes off — followed closely behind by the two seemingly normal sports cars.

In a bunker deep underneath Oregon, a report comes in: a target of interest has been "sanitized" but the "cache" is missing: a state of affairs that Starscream can't abide.

Alone on the side of the road, Verity sticks out her thumb at the next car and is picked up by an intense young man named Hunter O'Nion, who is rather self-conscious about his last name. Verity tries to figure out why a kid like him is in the middle of nowhere. After Verity grills him about his alien paraphernalia, O'Nion exasperatedly reveals why he's come to the desert, only to swerve suddenly when he spies trouble up ahead.

The two take a detour and discover that Verity's bus has been run off the road by two sports cars. Everyone's okay, except that the businessman whose palmtop Verity stole is missing. As the two depart, O'Nion explains his story: he runs a website devoted to alien conspiracy theories. Two years ago, he claims, Earth was invaded by aliens, and not just any aliens: these extraterrestrial visitors are, according to his findings, gigantic mechanoids who have escaped human detection by disguising themselves.

A skeptical Verity has a good laugh at his expense... until a red-light floods Hunter's van. Seconds later, the two humans realize that it's a scanning beam emitted by a blue fighter jet, who, on Starscream's orders, "contains" the two humans as they flee from their van, blowing their only means of escape to bits, and then prepares to "purge" the humans. Verity wonders if they can talk down the jet, but Hunter reveals that he got a good look at the jet's cockpit — and there's nobody inside!

As the jet comes around for another pass, the two humans try and make a break for it, but don't expect to be saved by an ambulance, who zooms to their rescue and sends the jet fleeing with a roof-mounted cannon. The ambulance's smiling driver reveals himself and tells them that, if they want to live, they'd better come with him!

Featured characters

{{#if:* Ratchet (8)| {{#if:* Ratchet (8)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |

Ratchet (8) }}{{#if:* Runabout (3)
Runamuck (4)
Starscream (5)
Thundercracker (7)|

Autobots }}{{#if:* Runabout (3) Runamuck (4) Starscream (5) Thundercracker (7)\|	Decepticons }}{{#if:* Stoker (1) Verity Carlo (2) Hunter O'Nion (6)\|	Humans }}{{#if:\|	Others }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}
Runabout (3) Runamuck (4) Starscream (5) Thundercracker (7) }}{{#if:* Stoker (1) Verity Carlo (2) Hunter O'Nion (6)\|	Stoker (1) Verity Carlo (2) Hunter O'Nion (6) }}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}

Notes

Continuity notes

As this is our intro to this new universe, it's told heavily from a human point of view. This also ties into the story's heavy emphasis on concealment and disguise.
The Transformers are shown to have concealed heavy artillery in their alternate modes. This will often be used in subsequent issues—the fight scenes in the next two issues are primarily done in vehicle mode.

Transformers references

The use of Ratchet and Thundercracker as primary characters in this introduction to IDW's continuity may homage early stories of the Marvel Comics continuity. Specifically, Ratchet was the lead protagonist in Bob Budiansky's first story arc for the US comic book. Thundercracker, meanwhile, served as a main antagonist (or the main antagonist, depending upon the version and the coloring) for the first original story appearing in the Marvel UK comic, "Man of Iron".
Further, the emphasis on Transformers remaining disguised in alternate modes, even throughout battles, also seems to homage Man of Iron. Other than Starscream's shadowed back, no Decepticons are seen in robot mode in this issue, similar to how only alt-mode Decepticons appeared until the very end of the Man of Iron storyline.

Real-life references

Ratchet's holomatter driver states, "If you want to live, come with me," in a reference to the often-used line from the Terminator franchise. Verity made fun of this in issue #1. Simon Furman would later be the author on a Terminator-based comic series called Terminator 2: Infinity.

Errors

Six fingers on each hand, six toes on each foot, a healthy baby girl.

After identifying herself as "Verity Carlo" in the narrative text, the character identifies herself to Hunter as "Verity Carter". An internal justification could be that "Verity Carter" is an alias she uses to prevent Social Services tracking her down, but when Ratchet asks for her name in issue #1 she answers with "Verity Carlo".
When Verity points her knife at the duffel bag on the bus, her right hand has six fingers. Also, when Verity whips out her dual mace spray attack, she has six fingers on each hand.
Hunter must possess both superhuman vision and nerves of steel to be able to see there is no pilot inside Thundercracker's cockpit as the Decepticon jet passes overhead.

Other trivia

The issue features a welcome page by Chris Ryall (as ChrisCharger), a 3-page interview with author Simon Furman, and 2 pages of sketches from artist E. J. Su, including a 1-page writeup.
Cover A features Jazz with his original Porsche 935 hood/chest, but when actually seen in the comic, he transforms into a current-model Porsche 911 (aka 997).

Covers (8)

Infiltration #0 cover A - Eat lead, dig?
Infiltration #0 cover B - Could it be? Respecting scale???
Infiltration #0 cover C - Forget Megatron, every girl in the city's got some serious cleavage!
Infiltration #0 cover D - Still function now, Megatron?

Infiltration #0 cover A: Autobots, by E. J. Su.
Infiltration #0 cover B: Decepticons, by E. J. Su.
Infiltration #0 cover C: Megatron in city, by James Raiz.
Infiltration #0 cover D: Optimus Prime fighting Megatron, by Milx.

Infiltration #0 BotCon 2005 exclusive cover - Featuring an Armada-style, proto-Slipstream (Animated) Female Seeker. Come on, Archer, finish the cover!
Infiltration #0 Gatefold Incentive cover - Totally cool, totally not in this comic! Yet.
Infiltration #0 Retailer Summit Exclusive (Boston) cover - Well, that's just Prime!
Infiltration #0 Retailer Summit Exclusive (Fort Wayne) cover - Pissed he won't be in the book for another 6 months.

Infiltration #0 BotCon 2005 exclusive cover: Optimus Prime sketches wraparound cover by Aaron Archer and assorted Hasbro artists
Infiltration #0 Gatefold Incentive cover: Shockwave wraparound cover by Ed McGuinness
Infiltration #0 Retailer Summit Exclusive (Boston) cover: Optimus Prime face by E. J. Su
Infiltration #0 Retailer Summit Exclusive (Fort Wayne) cover: Megatron face by E. J. Su

Reprints

Other than reprints of the full series

N/A

Infiltration issue 0

Contents

Synopsis

Featured characters