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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
Kimia Weapons Facility, eight months ago. Ironfist is in his lab, doing stuff and talking to Prowl via video. Prowl praises Ironfist for his Wreckers: Declassified datalog works on the Wreckers, jokingly calling him by his web alias, Fisitron. He informs Ironfist that a new team of Wreckers is being put together. He offers Ironfist a job, but then asks him how badly he wants it...
On Garrus-9 in the present, Guzzle and Kup are sneaking up on some Decepticons. Kup asks Guzzle to hold his cy-gar and proceeds to kill all four Decepticons single-handedly. Retrieving his cy-gar, he opens the cell door they were guarding, expecting to see Grimlock (whom they came to rescue so he could help) but he isn't there. Snare, the Decepticon who freed Impactor, comes up behind them and informs them that Grimlock is long gone—made to watch footage of G-9 being overrun, powerless to intervene, until he was driven mad. Guzzle thinks Snare is full of it, but Snare pleads for them to listen.
Meanwhile, a few floors away, Pyro, Perceptor, Topspin, Ironfist, and Verity Carlo look at Aequitas, revealed to be a gargantuan supercomputer. The Wreckers are there to download the contents of its hard drive. Topspin is furious at this, thinking the mission a fool's errand, and Ironfist abruptly agrees with him that they should leave it. Verity asks Perceptor why Aequitas is so big, to which he replies that it's a culpability drive that calculates guilt. Suddenly, Topspin goes into spasms, clawing at his face and mumbling, "Get out of his mouth..." Perceptor and Pyro go to boot up Aequitas, while Verity and Ironfist watch over Topspin, whose "vicarious perception" will apparently last only a couple of minutes. Verity asks Ironfist to tell her a story.
In the Spark Extinction Chamber, Springer wakes from unconsciousness. Impactor, inexplicably still online, informs him that Stalker, their torturer, went away to get something called an "endoscopic claw". Changing the subject, Springer says he thought that Impactor would have been sent to the rehab institute or one of the open prisons for his crime. Impactor contemptuously replies that after Springer's testimony, when he was plugged into Aequitas, it tore the Wreckers apart. Springer hates himself for reporting Impactor to command. He wants to forgive Impactor—and himself—but he says he can't until Impactor accepts that he violated every tenet of the Autobot code. Twin Twist comes online, now horribly disfigured, and asks how the two can argue at a time like this. Returning with the evil-looking "endoscopic claw" in hand, Stalker agrees. He then announces it is time for one of them to die.
At the Aequitas chamber, Ironfist begins his story. He tells of Squadron X, a twisted Decepticon Wreckers equivalent comprising Crosscut, Earthquake, Fang, Ferak, Tornado, Triton, and leader Macabre. Impactor was obsessed with tracking them down. Their battles came to a head on Pova, where Springer was left trapped under rubble and in the firing line, while Squadron X advanced ever closer. Impactor reluctantly agreed to Springer's idea of blasting at them through Springer's midsection. It worked, and the Wreckers were able to defeat Squadron X. With their foes in custody, the Wreckers cleaned up. Impactor fixed Springer up and called Prowl for a pick-up. Then Sandstorm staggered out of the cell, missing an arm—Squadron X was loose. Impactor left Springer and led the others into battle, where they killed the entire squadron.
Ironfist finishes his story, which he says epitomises everything he admires and loves about the Wreckers. Meanwhile, Topspin comes out of his spasms and gets up, and Perceptor calls everyone over. There's a problem: Aequitas is password-protected, and the only other way to activate it is by spark donation, so someone has to die to switch it on. Topspin suggests force-feeding it a Decepticon, but Perceptor says the donor must die willingly, or it won't work. It can't be Perceptor, since only he knows how to work the supercomputer. Nor Topspin—no sense in Twin Twist dying as well. Ironfist resignedly says that it'll have to be either him or Pyro. At this, Pyro freaks out, self-righteously claiming that he shouldn't have to die to switch on a computer; he's supposed to go out all guns blazing, saving a planet of innocents or something. As he spouts his dream death, Topspin sees through Twin Twist's eyes, a vision of Stalker leaning over him. Verity punctures Pyro's tirade, saying Ironfist is better than him and that Pyro is barely an Autobot. Ironfist gets angry at the two talking as if he's not there, so Verity asks him to speak.
Oh, it is so on.
Stumbling for words, Ironfist flashes back to his unpublished autobiography—how he killed his first Decepticon, his brief meeting with Optimus Prime, his many weapon inventions that killed thousands, his closest friends dying, and how he'd do anything to live his life again. Rather than continue, however, he prepares to die, stating he thought he wasn't ready, but he's accepted it now. Topspin, however, experiencing the pain Twin Twist is enduring, declares "enough is enough", and plugs himself in instead. Aequitas thanks him for his donation, then drains his spark. In the Spark Extinction Chamber, Twin Twist blows up. Stalker is disappointed, but shrugs it off and starts on the others. Perceptor plugs a headphone-like jack into Ironfist's head, transfers the contents of Aequitas's hard drive to it, then wipes the drive.
In the torture chamber, Stalker is about to gouge out Impactor's eyes when he's blasted away by Guzzle, arriving with Kup and Snare. Calling Snare a traitor, Stalker blasts the Decepticon's head. Springer gets released, grabs the discarded endoscopic claw and stabs Stalker through the head. Impactor watches over Snare as he slowly dies. He reiterates the "choice" Overlord gives each pit fighter after twelve wins—the choice Kick-Off was given: either fight Overlord or commit suicide—and he wonders what the difference is. Snare knows Overlord is coming, having heard Stalker radio for help before he died. He asks Impactor to kill him before Overlord gets there. Impactor obliges, crushing Snare's brain module. Overlord arrives by blowing a hole in the wall; Springer acknowledges that they're ready for him.
With the Decepticons about to break through the doors of the Aequitas Chamber, Perceptor suggests using Aequitas to detonate the deterrence chips inside their heads, since every ex-convict has one. Pyro doesn't want to, since that it will kill Impactor as well. Perceptor asks Ironfist for the deciding vote. Verity scoffs at the notion that Ironfist would choose to kill his hero, but now knowing the secrets from Aequitas, Ironfist votes yes.
"Well, unless it contains a fully sequenced cyber-genome, or the uncensored version of the Autobot code, or—let's think the unthinkable—a roadmap to peace, I'd respectfully suggest that High Command have sent us on a fool's errand!"
—Topspin is not impressed by Aequitas.
"They plugged you into Aequitas, and the first thing you said was "I saw him do it." The Decepticons tried for hundreds of years to rip the Wreckers apart. You managed it in five words."
—Impactor lets loose on Springer.
"It was never gonna be Perceptor, was it? Or Springer or Impactor or Kup, if they were here. No, it was always going to be one of us—the second-stringers".
"Yeah, just because we're not famous—not Ark-worthy—one of us has to bite the bullet.. well, I'm sorry, but this isn't how I'm supposed to die!"
—Ironfist and Pyro are uncannily aware of Transformers literary convention.
"I'm supposed to go out in a blaze of glory. Sacrificing myself to save a... a planet's worth of innocents! Yeah! The grand finale to a life well lived. Guns blazing, jaw jutting, outpaced by a five—no!—by a 15-kiloton explosion. And Prime's there, and he's...he's awestruck. And then, too late, he gets it: Me and him—we're the same. We're the very same."
—Pyro lets the mask slip.
"I fought my first campaign in the Manganese Mountains, where I spoke to Optimus Prime for the first and last time. He mistook me for somebody else."
In his weapons lab, Ironfist displays the sky-sled that Impactor used to rescue Xaaron, which he mentioned earlier as having purchased from a blind dealer. He also has the gun that he'll give to Guzzle in issue #2 on a table.
The Rung-penned personality profiles return (for this issue anyway). This time, they feature the bottomless well of Wreckers trivia, Ironfist, of all bots.
First appearances: Rack'n'Ruin, Nautilus, and all of Squadron X.
Squadron X is composed of random hi-then-die non-toy Decepticons from the MarvelGeneration 1 comics, both US and UK.
Hey, look, it's Rack'n'Ruin!
And holy crap, Nautilus!
It took twenty-four years of waiting, but sweet, sweet revenge belongs to Impactor. Take that, Macabre!
Pyro and Ironfist's angry declarations that they are "second stringers", "not Ark-worthy" and "not famous" are pretty direct commentary on the highly prominent roles played by characters from the early years of the Transformers franchise in nearly all Generation 1 fiction, and the much smaller parts accorded to characters originating in its later years.
Last Stand's UK roots are on show again in Ironfist's profile: the two Wreckers datalogs mentioned, "The Wreckers' Lightning Strike" and "Wreckers at the Pole", are named for two of the Ladybird Books, "Autobots' Lightning Strike" and "Decepticons at the Pole".
The Redan Nebula is named for Redan Place, the old mailing address for Marvel UK.
According to Snare, Overlord told his Decepticons that "play makes you free". This is a twist on the real-life German political slogan "[[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Arbeit macht frei|{{#if:Work makes you free|Work makes you free|Arbeit macht frei}}]]", which the Nazis co-opted by ironically displaying it at the entrances of many concentration camps.
Aequitas's role as a prison computer that calculates guilt is very similar to the one present in the British sitcom [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Red Dwarf|{{#if:||Red Dwarf}}]] episode entitled "[[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Justice (Red Dwarf)|{{#if:Justice|Justice|Justice (Red Dwarf)}}]]". Both computers were said to have 'culpability drives'.
Previously an error, Ironfist claims to have been created in "5th Cycle 522", but his profile says he was Autobranded much earlier than that in "1st Cycle 598". Since later uses of this dating system makes it clear that the war was in full gear by the 5th Cycle, it seems that Ironfist's story is in error. However, a still later issue mentions a new calendar, suggesting pre-war/post-war time periods.
Just like last issue, you can definitely tell which pages were done by Nick Roche by the hand-drawn insignias, where Guido Guidi's pages use digitally-inserted templates. Roche does, however, forget to draw Topspin's chest insignia again, though this time Burcham noticed the omission and inserted digital ones.
Roberts and Roche liked doing Pyro's reaction to dying, deciding they wanted to invert the stereotype of the Autobots always being willing to make that sacrifice.<ref>Moonbase 2 interview, 20:02 - 20:45</ref>
In the Swedish version of this story, Topspin's line about a roadmap to peace is changed to a reference to the map to Cyberutopia.
The hardcover trade of Last Stand reveals information about both Roche's original pitch and early Roche-Roberts scripts.
In Roche's pitch:
They do find Grimlock: he's been turned into a raging beast and forced into fights by chemicals. The Decepticons mockingly call him "the King" and have put a fake crown on his head.
Kup has a psychotic freak-out after losing his cy-gar and tears through enemies like in Spotlight: Kup. He even calls Guzzle "Outback"!
Perceptor dies in a cliffhanger, shot in the back of the head before he could land the necessary blow against Overlord.
In the early scripts:
Ironfist reacts much more angrily to learning that accessing Aequitas requires sacrificing a life. He lashes out at Perceptor who calmly states that he's not the one responsible for the situation. (This scene only exist in the form of handwritten notes, as it never made it into a full script).
Cover A: Bottom-up view of Springer, Sandstorm, Roadbuster, Whirl, and Broadside all staring down at something unseen, art by Nick Roche and colors by Josh Burcham.
Cover B: Springer firing his weapons with a profile silhouette of Ironfist in the background, art and colors by Trevor Hutchison.
Cover RI: "Virgin" title-free edition of cover B.
"We would highly advise you to stay dead."
"Ironfist made this terrible weapon. Isn't that awesome?!"
{{#if: Straight Outta Iacon |
"We would highly advise you to stay dead."
"Ironfist made this terrible weapon. Isn't that awesome?!"
Cover RI
