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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
{{#if: "I did the right thing, didn't I? It all worked out, in the end." ""In the end?" Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends." | "I did the right thing, didn't I? It all worked out, in the end." ""In the end?" Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends."}}}}
Stiletto calls for order among the gathered representatives of Cybertron, twenty five solar cycles after the destruction of the Grand Mal, the Grand Uprising, the Fourth Great Cybertronian War is over. All agreements have been made and accounts settled. She declares it Unity Day. Once the applause dies down, she promises that as the chair of the newly minted Cybertronian parliament to do her best and maintain the peace. She states that while she has no illusions the peace will last forever, every moment they maintain it is a victory.
One solar cycle later Bisk's been having a grand old time to himself, exploring the ancient tunnels beneath Cybertron, now that the MOBs chasing after him have gone. Already he's found all kinds of neat encounters, and puzzles, not to mention giant rats, leeches, bats, and those weird nigh-invulnerable sentry-things. Drawing on his experience with the MOBs, he manages to create a distraction for the sentries and slips by. After a decacycle, and an encounter with the giant spider endboss, he's found the final dungeon, and the loot inside: A strange golden disc, covered with runes. Pocketing it, Bisk has a feeling he's got a lot more adventures ahead...
One deca cycle later
"The crank file? Whatever, take some initiative. I leave it entirely in your hands."
Galvatron, now alone in his hidden base in the Rad Zone, stands triumphant over his work: Three remastered Vehicon drones. He thinks of his former partners, Doomshot, Krunix, and Nucleon, whose expertise helped bring him his triumph, but who sadly had to go. The future belongs to him, and his Vehicons. Of course, Galvatron has no use for puppets, especially not if someone steals his generals just as he did. So, using the three sparks he has to hand, Galvatron brings them to life. As Tankor, Thrustor, and Jetstorm activate, Galvatron, already formulating plans within plans, promises they will do great things, and laughs...
One orbital cycle later
At the new Constructicon training ground, Buckethead speaks to the potential Constructicon recruits, to replace her fallen comrades. She's not looking for wannabe-entertainers, she's looking for hard 'bots, and smart ones, and preferably ones who can hold their drink. After getting them to transform, she already determines some who won't make the cut. She's not looking for 'bots who want to break things, but for those who want to build. On the post-war Cybertron, Devastator is needed, especially by those who want to build things. She's almost tempted to call it off. No-one will replace Bone Crusher, Hightower, and Long Haul. But then she sees the hope on their faces...
Later, former ThrottlebotWideload is beaming with pride. He's made the team, along with Road Hauler, and Steam Hammer. The ceremony swearing them in is closing, with a speech from Hot Rod himself, something Wideload finds odd, given Hot Rod was the reason he'd left the Autobots, so long ago. His train of thought is broken at the sight of his old C.O., Goldbug, watching from the stands. Overcome by emotion at seeing the 'bot whose last words to him had been to call him a traitor, Wideload says hello, and gets a musical reply back. Then, he helps form the new Devastator, a smarter Devastator, who drinks in the cheers of the Builder crowd, determined to do them proud.
One stellar cycle later
In Shockwave's secret lair in Ultrix, an elderly Deluge finds himself with a visitor, his "son", Rampage. The decaying scientist knows from the off Rampage is there to kill him, but that the proto-former has questions he wants answered first, such as "why?" Deluge answers with Unicron. It had been the height of the Great War when the Chaos Bringer arrived, and all Cybertronians had united to fight it off. And most of them had died, but there were some who managed it, a few with unique sparks. Those sparks had inspired Deluge's curiosity. Using the war, he acquired living specimens to study their nature. And he was so certain he'd been close to a breakthrough when peace had been enforced, and with that it had been declared "unseemly" to experiment on folk. But as time passed, and the Maximals and Predacons had arrived, Point One Percenters had just stopped appearing, and the Cybertronian race became quieter. Reasoning a cataclysmic event would one day happen again, Deluge took it upon himself to try and create new ones all the same. And those two were Rampage and Trans-Mutate. He asks after Rampage's "sister", only for Rampage to state she is none of his concern. But still, he reasons, the two of them were all that was needed. Rampage is appalled at the suggestion that the Vehicon Apocalypsejustifies what Deluge did. Deluge shoots back that what he did was give Rampage power, and he should be grateful.
Rampage retorts that he'll never know the sheer hell he put Rampage through. Though Deluge wants to, he realizes his drink has been poisoned: cyber venom. Even as he suffers from the effects, he congratulates his creation on his choice of revenge. A cyber-venom death for a sedentary Macromaster like him would take mega-cycles. Rampage, however, has other plans, and shoots him point blank. Deluge dies thanking him.
Rampage leaves the burning laboratory, and the twisted remains of Deluge's last experiments on some captive Vehicons, behind. As he gets clear, Trans-Mutate gets back in contact, asking if it's done. He confirms it is, but when she asks if he thinks it'll make a difference, he bluntly replies it won't. But it had to be done. Trans-Mutate, still thinking of the data she'd found on the experiments, can only agree.
One decade later
At Dinosaur City on Metascan Omega, Longrack's told he's got an incoming call. Dinosaur City is flourishing, not just home to Cybertronians, but visitors of all kinds, including tourists. The Maximal can't help but feel pride at what he's done. Watch officer Randy calls in, saying they've caught someone coming through customs, but he's cut off before he can say who. Before Longrack can demand his call comes back, he sees some newcomers: Three strange, skull-like aliens descending. The Vok have arrived. They declare that Metascan Omega was never meant for mortals, and the Cybertronians are going to have to prove their "cosmic worth", or else.
Panicking, Longrack tells Dnavi to call everyone and anyone she can. As he wonders who else to call, a newcomer asks if he can help, and then Longrack realizes what Randy had been trying to tell him.
One century later
The human ship The Problem of Infinities is under attack from the Shi-Lai, who are dramatically violating the Treaty of Prysmos, and taking a pounding. Captain Una refuses to surrender. Psychal crewmember B-Tom informs her they'll be getting a call in seventeen seconds. Salvation comes in the form of a ship disabling one of the Shi-Lai in one shot. It's Cybertronian, the Rusty Mace, captained by a mech named T-Wrecks. Crewmember Ne'll is dubious of Cybertronian rescue, but Una tells her to roll with it, before telling T-Wrecks they owe him one. T-Wrecks asks if they're willing to repay that right now. His ship's moment of heroism has gotten it a little beaten up. Deciding there are some things a little more important than regulation, Una assures him she'll send someone over, just so long as it's not a trick.
That someone is Ne'll, who determines it's not a trick, as she sees (and smells) the damage done. She's introduced to the chief engineer, a bot called Rapticon, and is surprised to find he's... interesting. She quickly finds Rapticon's intelligence and unorthodox methods intriguing, the two establishing a rapport as they discuss human culture and history. And then they're interrupted by the realization they've finished repairs. In their moment of triumph, Ne'll wonders what she's doing. Cybertronians and humans are enemies, have been for centuries, even after the last few decades...
And then she and Rapticon make history.
One millennium later
On the edge of the Triangulum Galaxy, the Terrastar bursts into existence again, breaking the Convoy Council's decree about departing the Milky Way. Not that the Maladroid crew care about that sort of thing. Just as the ship's captain, a 'droid named Lockjaw, starts talking about their new freedom, crewmech Ragtop detects they've been followed. Acting quickly, Lockjaw orders them to hide behind the nearby planet. None of them are going back home. As the ship moves, Ragtop expresses an opinion: They're all gonna die.
The Commandron colony ship Hyperborea emerges into realspace, in hot pursuit of the Terrastar. Ship captain Astral Knight is uneasy, what with that hold full of crystalline containment vessels filled with memory engrams, but his orders are clear. Going extra-galactic risks bringing the attention of things "beyond mortal ken", as Rhetoric Convoy put it. Science officer Deep Blue detects their target going over to the nearby planet, a gorgeous thing of blue and green, with two moons orbiting it. A quick glance from Astral Knight at his console suggests there's something... off about one of them. And more pertinently, he's detecting Angolmois capsules, which is alarming given how far out they are. He orders Blue to contact the Terrastar, but there's no response. As they 'round the moon, the ship comes under attack, and not from the Maladroids. Deep Blue complains as the ship's blasted. They're just a science vessel! As Astral Knight orders them to fight back, they're hailed by the locals, who call themselves the Skriix. They're not too happy about the visitors. Energoa and its sacred Mother Computer are theirs, and these intruders dare contaminate it with their impure technorganic bodies. So naturally the Skriix are going to kill them.
The Commandrons aren't taken with dying, and fight back, but they can't tell if they're even damaging the attacking ship. Another shot takes out the stasis hold, and sends them plummeting down to earth. Astral Knight orders all the crystals launched in orbit, where they'll be safer than they will on a crashing ship, with a Skriix closing fast. Then, they read the Terrastar attacking the other ship, their crew hailing to say they're helping out while the Commandrons set down for repairs.
The ship doesn't manage to set down gently. And as they crash, they notice another ship falling through the sky, the Terrastar. Astral Knight thinks to himself on how he's out of his depth. He's not qualified to deal with a new world, hostile aliens, a weird moon, a dangerous power source, some mysterious ruins and a band of criminals all at once. But he vows to try his best to get his crew home.
Galvatron is working on three Vehicon generals to expand his plans to control the remaining Vehicon drones on the planet. His Cyberdroid companions Nucleon, Doomshot, and Krunix almost certainly provided the sparks he used to bring life to Jetstorm, Tankor, and Thrustor.
Buckethead's segment has her looking for new Constructicons to replace the fallen Bone Crusher, Long Haul, and Hightower, who all died of injuries sustained during the climax of "Derailment" while in their combined Devastator form.
Deluge compliments Rampage's current name, noting its use by Deluge's Great War colleague of the same name. Having identical names is not socially common in the Uprising universe; Stiletto in "Cultural Appropriation" had asked Rampage if he intentionally chose a name like that of the original Rampage.
Longrack, and the city formerly known as Trypticon, make a reappearance resolving what happened to them at the end of "Intersectionality", along with all the other crew members of the Dinosaur.
Lio Convoy departed Cybertron at the conclusion of "Derailment".
Una returns, last having been seen in "Cultural Appropriation". A crewmember aboard the Spooky Action at a Distance in that story, she has since been promoted to command of her own vessel. Sadly, it seems humanity as a whole didn't share her desire to try and make nice with the scary robots, and are still mistrusting of them at first.
Ne'll is surprised to find the Rusty Mace using an old tachyon gate system as a backup propulsion system. Back in "Intersectionality", Una and Chak discussed the Cybertronians still using it, having figured they'd moved on by the 24th century, and T-Wrecks does note that theirs is old.
The super-advanced humans of the Uprising verse, previously able to steamroll Decepticon armies as per "Micro-Aggressions", find themselves on the receiving end of an ass-kicking due to a resource-sapping conflict between the human Celestials and Traditionalists. The divides among the Terrans were set up in earlier stories.
The cover for this story is based on the cover of the first issue of Marvel's Transformers comic. Elements from the original composition are replaced with characters and objects corresponding with this story's scenes - in order, these are:
The sun is replaced with the Golden Disk, as found by Bisk
Gears is replaced with Tankor, as created by Galvatron
Starscream is replaced by Devastator, as formed from the new recruits
Bisk's questing into the depths of Cybertron utilize elements from both the Generation 1 cartoon and the Headmasters anime: the Centurion droids and worker drones from "The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1", and the assorted creatures from "Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime".
Looks like Bisk found a Golden Disk! The plot device of the original Beast Wars finally makes its own inevitable appearance. Going by the runes, it seems to be the one originally belonging to the Vok, rather than the one from the Voyager probe. Mention is made of one rune changing as he watches it, a reference to a moment from "Before the Storm" where one of the runes on the disk changes on-screen.
Appropriately enough, a Jetstorm retool of Generations Armada Starscream with a retooled head and legs was originally in the works for the BotCon 2016 boxed set of exclusives before the theme of that set became Combiner Wars-themed.
Deluge name drops the Swarm, the Star Harvester, and the Hate Plague as Macromaster-era crises, along with the previously mentioned Rending and the Underbase. He also blames the Unicron Truther movement on information creep.
The "Book of Logos" seemed to depict the Swarm as the cause of Optimus Prime's final death in the Uprising continuity.
Ne'll and Rapticon's discussions name-drop Sector Seven, the Intelligence and Information Institute, Skywatch, and Unit:E, all government agencies from previous Transformers fiction and, perhaps not incidentally, all but the last of them have been opposed to Cybertronians in general.
The final segment is one great big gloriously blatant homage to the very first episode of Beast Wars, with the fleeing ship of criminals emerging from a tear in the fabric of space-time, the pursuing science vessel commanded by an inexperienced captain, and the subsequent crash-landing of both ships on a blue-green planet after partaking in a brief skirmish in space. Though, there are a few key differences. Instead of being shot down by the criminals, the government-sponsored ship is shot down by the Skriix, who take the place of the Vok, being a liiiitle bit more tetchy about the Cybertronians touching "their" stuff.
The Skriix also take offense at the Cybertronians "contaminating" their planet with their techno-organic forms, much like how in Beast Machines Megatron took offense at the organic alt-modes of the Maximals.
The Cybertronians of the 34th century are wary of going beyond their galaxy thanks to a run-in with the Ammonites, the tiny, multi-formed, infinitely combining faction of Stentarians from the IDW Generation 1 comics.
The Commandrons are all Generation 1-continuity imports of characters from the Aligned video game Transformers Online, and those guys all got Anglicised names in 2015 and 2016 by... Jim Sorenson, on grounds that could make them easier to end up in fiction!
The Maladroids hold in high regard Omega Trion, a G1 version of Omega Trion from Spacewarp's Log, which nebulously depicted him as a maybe-Decepticon version of Alpha Trion. The "Book of Logos" had previously mentioned Alpha Trion and Omega Trion as "companions in tribulation, the first and last".
The name "Commandron" comes from the 1980s Tomy toyline of the same name.
Una rattles off a string of classic Star Trek technobabble when her ship is confronted by eight Shi-Lai vessels.
Galvatron begins to ponder "plans within plans within plans", similar to the "plans within plans" and "feints within feints within feints" mentioned in [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Dune (novel)|{{#if:Dune|Dune|Dune (novel)}}]].
The author's notes say the format of both this story and "Derailment" are based on Babylon 5's episode "[[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}The Deconstruction of Falling Stars|{{#if:||The Deconstruction of Falling Stars}}]]" and the book [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}World War Z|{{#if:||World War Z}}]]. The former also features a skipping-around timeline to show the unstoppable march of time and events after the story has ended, and future historians taking a brutal revisionist view of the main heroes.
Goldbug's response to Wideload is "You can go your own way...go your own way", referencing the song "[[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Go Your Own Way|{{#if:||Go Your Own Way}}]]" by [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Fleetwood Mac|{{#if:||Fleetwood Mac}}]]. The narration specifically mentions [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Lindsey Buckingham|{{#if:||Lindsey Buckingham}}]] as the singer.
Operation Staple Gun, where over 700 Cobra scientists are given work with U.S. intelligence agencies, is a reference to both [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Operation Paperclip|{{#if:||Operation Paperclip}}]] and Japan's notorious [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Unit 731|{{#if:||Unit 731}}]]: both are moments where the United States took in Axis nation scientists and turned a blind eye to their wartime acts. Hence the Cobra scientists being compared to Von Braun.
On Page 7, "Autobot" and "Autobots" are misspelled as "Aubotot" and "Aubobots" respectively.
The term "proto-formers" is rendered without the dash as "protoformers" on Page 11, one of just two such instances in the series, alongside an example in "Lio Convoy: Unity Through Tyranny".
The name of Captain Una's ship is given as The Problem of Infinities and The Problems of Infinities within a few paragraphs of each other on Page 15.
And thus the saga of Beast Wars: Uprising comes to a conclusion. But, of course, it never ends!
The story comes with an afterword written by Jim Sorenson and David Bishop.
During the Maladroid section, the narration sneakily avoids giving any gender for the crews. However, Lockjaw does declare "mechs and femmes", indicating there are at least two females and two males among the six of them.
The Cybertronix in the section breaks of this story goes even further into the future, being the opening section of the historical paper "Lio Convoy: Unity Through Tyranny", written 10,000 years after the Grand Uprising.
Originally, Sorenson and Bishop were given just one story to wrap up the Uprising universe. Realising they needed more space, they persuaded the higher-ups to split that story into four parts - resulting in the finale. Later, they requested an additional "coda"; part of their pitch included pointing out that there were eleven other prose stories and this would have left the website's prose fiction page with an unsightly gap at the very bottom. As it stands, there's a gap towards the top where "Last Sunset" should go. Hey, it's the thought that counts.
Guido Guidi's Vehicon General art was a requirement from Fun Publications for inclusion in the prose stories somehow, as at the time they were planning to release these toys at a convention. At the time there were no plans to include the Generals in the story, but it proved easy enough to slot them in. Jim has stated that it was unusual for the higher-ups to request specific things with the Uprising prose stories like this.
The Vehicon General concept resulted in Galvatron's plotline seemingly getting dropped from what appeared at the time to be the final Uprising story. Sorenson and Bishop had hoped for the Coda to be a surprise, with a week between its release and that of "Derailment". They only ended up with a day! Surprise!
{{#if: "I did the right thing, didn't I? It all worked out, in the end." 