Parasites

|- {{#if: Autocracy 2.jpg | | colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; background-color:#ffffff;" align="center" | {{#if: My name is Zeta. I was built to destroy. ~~But I don't want to destroy any longer~~ |
My name is Zeta. I was built to destroy. ~~But I don't want to destroy any longer~~}}}} |-

|colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; background-color:#e7d492; color:black;font-weight:bold;" align="center" | "Parasites" {{#if: |

}}

|- {{#if: IDW Publishing | |Publisher || IDW Publishing}} |- {{#if: | |Published by || }} |- {{#if: | |Imprint || }} |- {{#if: | |Published in || }} |- {{#if: February 1, 2012 | |First published || February 1, 2012}} |- {{#if: | |Shipping date || }} |- {{#if: | |On-sale date || }} |- {{#if: | |Cover date || }} |- {{#if: | |Credits || }} |- {{#if: | |By || }} |- {{#if: | |Manga || }} |- {{#if: | |Manga by || }} |- {{#if: | |Original story || }} |- {{#if: | |Story & art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Story and color art || }} |- {{#if: | |Story || }} |- {{#if: Chris Metzen &
Flint Dille | |Story by || Chris Metzen &
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Carlos Guzman | |Editor || John Barber &
Carlos Guzman}} |- {{#if: | |Editors || }} |- {{#if: | |Editing || }} |- {{#if: | |Edits by || }} |- {{#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: Before the war | |Chronology || Before the war}} |- {{#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=}} Zeta Prime is a little crazy.

Synopsis

At a meeting of the Senate in the Citadel, Zeta Prime reviews the situation concerning Megatron's Decepticons, especially of their recruiting of Nyon's populace. It is fortunate, then, that he has found the perfect weapon to destroy them all: Jhiaxus's vamparc ribbon. As he is about to elaborate, Starscream arrives at the proceedings as a "delegate". Zeta Prime gives a firm reminder to the delegate that nothing forces him to respect his presence, but moves on to a demonstration of the vamparc. The subject: the captured Swindle.

In the Citadel's sparring rooms, Orion Pax wrestles with Ultra Magnus while the two talk of Orion's newly developed temper and of the morality of their efforts to contain the Decepticons.

In the Primacy Auditorium, Zeta Prime continues his demonstration of the vamparc ribbon, showing that it draws power from the nearest available source: in this case, Swindle. As the vamparc's energies are volatile, Zeta shoots the auditorium's ceiling to avoid the weapon's overload. Zeta goes on to further explain that larger vamparc ribbon units on the Omega Destructors require more power, and that the citizenry of Cybertron provides an excellent source of energy. Despite the protests of the Senators, Zeta explains that proceedings in Nyon have already begun. As part of Zeta's preparation, Orion Pax tells his warriors to get ready.

Starscream approves of Zeta Prime's plan, which surprises the Prime. But Starscream accidentally blurts that he has "done far worse in the name of—". To get Zeta off his scent, Starscream points out the Decepticon spy in their midst: Soundwave. His cover blown, Soundwave escapes and Zeta orders Orion Pax to hunt him down before he can reveal Zeta's plan to the populace.

Featured characters

{{#if:* Zeta Prime (1)

Orion Pax (5)
Ultra Magnus (6)
Bumblebee (7)
Ironhide (8)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |
Zeta Prime (1)
Orion Pax (5)
Ultra Magnus (6)
Bumblebee (7)
Ironhide (8) }}{{#if:* Starscream (2)
Soundwave (3)
Swindle (4)|

Autobots }}{{#if:* Starscream (2) Soundwave (3) Swindle (4)\|	Decepticons }}{{#if:\|	Humans }}{{#if:\|	Others }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}
Starscream (2) Soundwave (3) Swindle (4) }}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}

Quotes

"This Security Council has lost the will to do what must be done. That is why I was chosen to be Prime... because I am the monster the people need."

—Zeta Prime

Notes

Starscream is a delegate, but we're never told who he's meant to be a delegate for. Zeta doesn't seem to realise he's a Decepticon. Metzen later clarified that nobody is aware which Decepticons killed the old Senate and Starscream's role as a Decepticon is, at the time, unknown.<ref>Blizz Planet interview with Metzen and Dille for Autocracy issue 3: "no one survived that (very brazen) attack and all video coverage was quickly disposed of. Decepticons are very clever… and thorough! Thus, Starscream’s role as a Decepticon is still largely under wraps as Autocracy gets underway (at least as far as Zeta and these remaining senators are concerned). That entire attack was covered up pretty quick – so one has a clear picture of exactly which Decepticons were specifically involved."</ref>
While the comic has Zeta Prime as a full-on nutjob, the author's thinking was that Zeta had started out okay but became a monster to try and restore order.<ref>Blizz Planet interview with Metzen and Dille for Autocracy issue 3: "I believe Zeta started strong and wanted to be a Prime that really maintained order and security for the people. But Megatron really stoked the fires of unrest. I think there was a crazy escalation between Zeta’s conventional tactics and the Decepticons’ terror tactics. Over time, he concluded that fighting fire with fire was the only reasonable response to what Megatron represented."</ref>
This issue features one of only a handful of appearances by what must be assumed to be the original Ultra Magnus.

Errors

Nominus Prime is referred to by Zeta Prime as his predecessor who "couldn't contain this upstart rebellion", when Sentinel Prime was the Prime directly preceding Zeta and the one who failed to stop Megatron's rebellion in Megatron Origin. Metzen apologized for the error in an interview, stating "the mention of [Nominus Prime] getting whacked at the start of Chaos Theory was etched in my head as I was scripting Chapter 2 and I referred to the wrong guy".<ref>Blizz Planet interview with Metzen and Dille for Autocracy issue 3</ref> The mistake was rectified for the TPB.
When Zeta Prime mentions Jhiaxus as the inventor of the vamparc ribbon, the scientist's name is misspelled as "Jihauxus". This was also fixed for the trade.
Starscream's optics change color from red, yellow, and then blue.
Orion Pax has his Earth body when talking to Bumblebee and Ironhide.

Reprints

Other than collections of the full series.

N/A

References

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