Editing Before & After

{{Comicstory|
|series=mtmte|issueno=12
|prev=Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading
|next=More than Meets the Eye issue 13
|caption=Call me crazy, but I think it's a bomb...
|image=MTMTE12_cvrA.jpg
|title="Before & After"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[December 19]], [[2012]]
|coverdate=December 2012
|story by=[[James Roberts]] 
|pencils by=[[Alex Milne]] (before)<br>[[Brendan Cahill]] (after)
|inks by=[[Atilio Rojo]] with Alex Milne (before)<br>[[Brian Shearer]] (after)
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]] 
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2012)]]
}}

'''In the wake of a battle with the Decepticons on the planet Temptoria, Rewind lies at death's door and Chromedome is pushed to the edge.'''

==Synopsis==
''Before... Aboard the scout ship ''[[Leading Light]]'', a shuttle of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', the rambunctious, fight-hungry 'bots in the craft's fore section are led in a war-chant by [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], and have to be silenced by [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] so he can deliver their mission briefing: they are heading for the planet [[Temptoria]], current home to a group of Decepticons they suspect of kidnapping the [[Circle of Light]]. Around the ship, [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] and [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] employ "[[Rung (G1)|Rungian]] Re-Experience Therapy", going to their "happy places" to calm themselves before battle; [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] discuss [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s appointment in the stead of the wounded [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]; [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] compliments [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] on his new leg-guns; and [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] and [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] argue over a promise Rewind has broken. Before that particular argument can get going, Whirl barges into the rear section and calls for Rewind to accompany him on the front lines to take footage.''

''In "the [[Battery]]", the Decepticon base down on Temptoria, [[Blip]] responds to a summons from [[Nautilator (G1)|Nautilator]], but finds himself more interested in the fact that the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] sounds exactly like [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]. When Nautilator finally gets him to pay attention to the security monitor, he sees that the Autobots are air-dropping out of the ''Leading Light'' right on top of them! A ferocious battle soon erupts; while Rodimus and Drift squabble over who gets to take on which 'cons, Tailgate and Swerve head off to sneak into the enemy base, though Tailgate delays a moment to marvel at Ultra Magnus's fighting prowess.''

After... The Autobots return to the ''Lost Light'', but the battle is not without victims: twenty-one crew-members have been gravely injured, including "massive contributors to the Autobot cause" [[Spoke]] and [[Lockstock]]... and Rewind. A panicked Chromedome tries to ask Swerve what happened, but discovers the little 'bot has had his face blown off. [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] rushes Rewind to the medibay where his [[spark]] is diagnosed to be rapidly fading. As Rewind's [[Conjunx Endura]], Chromedome is given the option of using First Aid's spark-jumpstarting procedure to save him—an easy choice to make, and with his spark a match for Rewind's rare type, he volunteers for the process himself. Just before they begin, Tailgate bursts in, dragging the wounded [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] behind him, begging for help.

''While the other members of their team handle the fighting, Rewind and Tailgate search the Battery for the Circle of Light, and discover that the Decepticons have captured not them, but the native organic Temptorians, and are somehow [[pink alchemy|converting them into fuel]]. A bomb is wired to the door of their cell, which Tailgate sets to work disarming while Rewind films; when Rewind asks what he is going to do, Tailgate calls upon him to hypothesize what the correct procedure would be, then proceeds to carry it out exactly as he describes. Whirl, Cyclonus and Swerve keep the Decepticons at bay just outside... although Swerve'' does ''manage to shoot himself in the face when Whirl tosses him [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s newest weapon, the [[Shoomer]].'' 

The jumpstart procedure complete, Chromedome waits with Tailgate outside the medibay. After Chromedome explains that the little vials left in the bay are symbolic offerings of [[innermost energon]] from the crew for Rewind, Tailgate is prompted to ask how the pair met. A little reluctantly at first, Chromedome relates Rewind's history: he was a member of the "[[disposable class]]" in the days of functionism, and was recruited to work as a data receptacle by campaigner [[Dominus Ambus]]. Rewind became friends with his new employer (whose list of achievements prompts Tailgate to take an immediate dislike to him), who was moved to fight for Disposables' rights, and accompanied him on a quest for [[Moonbase One|Luna-1]], only returning to Cybertron after the war had broken out. After some time, Dominus disappeared and Rewind began searching [[Relinquishment Clinic]]s—since repurposed as assisted suicide facilities—in hopes of discovering his friend's fate. It was in such a clinic that he met Chromedome, who was seeking death to escape the war, and together, the pair gave each other something to live for. But Rewind has never given up his search for Dominus—this is the reason for his hoarding of "snuff movies", and why he has broken his promise to Chromedome to stop entering danger zones. Tailgate argues that perhaps Rewind only goes into battle to be beside Chromedome, but then, First Aid emerges with bad news: Chromedome's own weak spark means the process has not worked.

The call goes out for other donors to save Rewind while Chromedome goes to his quarters in a grief-filled haze. As he sits in silence, a voice calls to him through the door... a voice that tells him it has discovered a way to wipe out the Decepticons and stop what happened to Rewind from ever happening again... an answer that lies in [[Overlord (Masterforce)|the basement]]. Suddenly, First Aid calls Chromedome on his comm and summons him to the medibay: Whirl has proven to have a compatible spark and has saved Rewind's life. On the other side of the bay, Tailgate is about to leave some of his innermost energon for Cyclonus when he suddenly awakens and knocks the vial from Tailgate's hand, shattering it. Cyclonus mocks the small 'bot for believing they share a bond, but upon noticing how many offerings have been left for Rewind by the others, while none were left for him, he silently kneels to help Tailgate pick up the pieces of glass. 

''After Whirl and Cyclonus finish off the remaining Decepticons, Whirl compliments Cyclonus on his fighting ability, and suggests they become friends and put that whole "death threat" business behind them. Cyclonus is not interested and reiterates his intent to kill Whirl some day, at which point Rewind calls for their aid: Tailgate has triggered a timer on the bomb, but refuses to leave until he can drain the explosives so the blast won't reach the prisoners. Cyclonus seizes his diminutive contemporary and hurls him out of the chamber to safety, only to be trapped inside as Whirl surreptitiously fakes a door malfunction to lock his would-be killer in with the bomb. Unfortunately Rewind is trapped inside with Cyclonus, but in the last second before the bomb detonates, Cyclonus tries to shield the little archivist from the blast, even as just outside, Whirl is blowing the door open.''

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.)<br>
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Powerflash]] (1)
*[[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] (2)
*[[Dogfight (G1)|Dogfight]] (3)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (4)
*[[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] (5)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (6)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (7)
*[[Atomizer]] (8)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (9)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (10)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (11)
*[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] (12)
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (14)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (15)
*[[Ambulon]] (16)
*[[Xaaron]] (17)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (18)
*[[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] (20)
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (21)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (22)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (23)
*[[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (24)
*[[Fizzle]] (27)
*[[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]] (28)
*[[Rollout (G1)|Rollout]] (29)
*[[Dipstick]] (30)
*Little generic's head (33)
*[[Pincher (G1)|Pincher]] (35)
*[[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]]'s fist (38)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (43)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (47)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Blip]] (25)
*[[Nautilator (G1)|Nautilator]] (26)
*[[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]] (31)
*[[Rage (G1)|Rage]] (32)
*[[Bulletbike (G2)|Bulletbike]] (34)
*Sureshot's generic victim (36)
*[[Seawing (G1)|Seawing]] (37)
*[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gar]] (39)
*[[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] (40)
*[[Turbo Master]] (41)
*[[Tailwind (G1)|Tailwind]] (42)
*[[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]] (44)
*[[Snaptrap (G1)|Snap Trap]] (45)
*[[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] (46)
|c4=
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] (13)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (19)
*''[[Flip Sides (G1)|Flip Sides]]'' (48)
*''[[Rosanna (KP)|Rosanna]]'' (49)
*''[[Dominus Ambus]]'' (50)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ultra Magnus informs me that running through the ''Lost Light'' shouting 'Who's up for a fight?' doesn't '''technically''' qualify as a 'briefing.'"
:—'''Rodimus'''


"I'm '''Nautilator''', by the way, one of '''Snap Trap''''s crew. I thought you'd want to see this."<br>
"Woah. Say that again."<br>
"What?"<br>
"You sound '''exactly''' like Megatron."<br>
"Everyone says that, but I really think you should look at the '''monitor'''."<br>
"'''Ha!''' Brilliant. Is that your actual voice? Say, ''um'', you know—something something '''tyranny.'''"
:—'''Nautilator''' and '''Blip'''


"D'you mind if I film this? If I die, I don't want my last recorded footage to be of Whirl punching himself in the face to prove he's ''''super-unvincible.''''"
:—'''Rewind'''


"The day I snuggle up to a bomb and '''don't''' fear for my life is the day I get '''sloppy'''."
:—'''Tailgate''', eyes flashing with panic as he sets to work.


"Please! I surrender! Don't shoot!"<br>
"That is un'''canny'''! Has anyone ever—?"<br>
"Megatron, yes, I know! Just '''don't shoot!'''"<br>
"Okay, you be Megatron, I'll be Prime. "You who are without mercy, now plead for it?" Wait wait wait. Try again: "You who are without—" Not '''deep''' enough. "You who are—" How can anyone's voice '''be''' that low? Ah, frag it."
:—'''Nautilator''' and '''Whirl''', just before Whirl shoots Nautilator in the head.


"I'll admit I've made no real '''effort''' to understand the '''warped moral code''' by which you live your '''atrocity''' of a life, but I assume you think that by helping me fight a common foe you've atoned for past sins. You're wrong. There's no '''before''' or '''after''' to our 'relationship': I'm still going to kill you. All that changes is the manner of your death, which becomes more elaborate and protracted by the day."
:—'''Cyclonus''', to Whirl

==Notes==

===Continuity notes===
*Magnus was seen returning from his reconnaissance mission in [[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|issue #10]]. Now we know where he went!
*Tailgate claims that, when in the [[Primal Vanguard]], he fought and killed organics. While immediately a bit jarring for such a naive, innocent little guy, it's been established for a while now that the Vanguard were [[Nova Prime]]'s off-world army, and given his [[expansion]] ideals, it shouldn't really come as any surprise that this is what they were up to for all those years.
*Judging from the 'bots present, Tailgate's "happy place" would appear to specifically be the "movie night" he attended in [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]].
*Trailbreaker has added guns to his legs in emulation of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], after drunkenly grumbling about the latter's legs back in [[Interiors|issue #6]].
*Blip was previously mentioned by Ultra Magnus as a Decepticon who thought he was a [[sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] in [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|issue #3]]. His slobbering monster [[alternate mode]] certainly helps sell his delusion, and explains why Nautilator confuses him with [[Blot (G1)|Blot]], who's also a filthy beast.
*While the Terrorcon leader has had his name spelled quite a few ways across various Transformers stories at this point, "Hun-Gar" is a new one. He was "Hun-Grrr" in his only named IDW appearance before now, in ''[[Spotlight: Sixshot]]''.
*One of the Decepticons in this issue is [[Tailwind (G1)|Tailwind]], who is usually a [[Micromaster]]. A Gorlamite appearing to be Tailwind appeared back in ''[[Spotlight: Hardhead]]''.
*On page 5, we see Pipes unconscious on the ground, apparently one of those Autobots injured in the fighting. This is the latest incident in his streak of bad luck that began in issue 4 (brought down by plague) and continued in issue 6 (gunned down by Fortress Maximus).
*Chromedome off-handedly mentions Rewind is "allergic" to ultraviolet light, the only known way to illuminate neuro-surgery insertion scars. But hey, that's probably a coincidence.
*The footnote regarding the conversion of organics into energon points readers to the deluxe hardback edition of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''; specifically, the process was seen in the short story included in that tome, "[[Escape (G1)|Escape]]".
*The substance [[propex]] was previously mentioned in "Shadowplay." There, "propex conduits" were blamed for some explosions.
*The nature of innermost energon is expanded upon after passing mentions in issues [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|
#3]], [[Rules of Disengagement (issue)|#7]] and [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|#8.]]
*Dominus Ambus was mentioned by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] in ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''.
*The disease cybercrosis was previously mentioned by Swerve in the [[Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|2012 Annual]].
*At this point, quite a few characters have mentioned seeking the missing [[Moonbase One|Luna-1]], intimating that many searches for it have taken place. We get a little bit of a reason for that with this issue, in that the moon lies at the centre of romanticized legend. We also find out that it's the same thing as the "Seething Moon", something included in a list of non-existent folk legends by Trailbreaker in issue #3.
*A relinquishment clinic was heavily implied to have played a role in Chromedome and Rewind's first meeting back in issue #6; we get the full story here.
*Rewind's "snuff movies" were introduced in issue #6.
*Tailgate's innermost energon is green, rather than the pink seen in all the other offerings. Although this gives it a resemblance to the propex Tailgate was seen draining earlier in the issue, James Roberts confirmed<ref>http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=325247&highlight=#325247 Post on the IDW Publishing Forums</ref> that it was his real energon being decanted.

===Transformers references===
*When Blip asks Nautilator to say "something something tyranny", he is evidently trying to recall Megatron's motto: "Peace through tyranny."
*The Decepticon base on Temptoria has [[Energon Driller]]s from ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Transformers: Prime]]'' stationed outside.
*Tailgate identifies the bomb as a "C-61"; this was the [[List of Japanese ID numbers|Japanese ID number]] of Tailgate's Generation 1 toy. Further, he recalls the bomb's progenitor, the "C-12S"; "12" was the ID number of [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] toy, which was [[retool]]ed to create Tailgate's.
*In attempting his Optimus Prime impression, as transcribed above, Whirl is, of course, quoting from Prime and Megatron's famous exchange from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Real world references===
*Whirl's upcoming film, ''Harder, Faster, Stronger, Wrecker'', is presumably a reference to the 2001 [[Wikipedia:Daft Punk|Daft Punk]] song, "[[Wikipedia:Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger|Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger]]".

===Trivia===
*The bomb Tailgate is studying on Cover A matches the alt modes of [[K-Class]] Decepticons seen in [[Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?|issue #8]]. This, coupled with a solicitation for the issue that mentioned "a band of rogue Decepticons", led pretty much the entire fandom to the conclusion that the ''Lost Light'' crew would be meeting [[Fulcrum]] and the [[Scavenger (group)|Scavengers]]. Whoops!
*Also, in an amusing little bit of foreshadowing of what will happen, the bomb Tailgate is examining on Cover A has the words "Keep Out of Reach of Small Bots" scrawled on the side of it.
*The transition from page 4 to page 5 makes a semantic juxtaposition of the phrases, "It's raining Autobots" and "Autobot down!"
*If you hadn't ''got'' Chromedome and Rewind's relationship from the rest of the issue, note that "Conjunx"—from "Conjunx Endura", the Transformer term for "significant other"—is Latin for "spouse". Not Roberts's [[Empurata|first use]] of Latin wordplay!

===Crew manifest===
*21 crew members are seriously injured, but with no fatalities as of yet.
*5 deaths, 5 new arrivals (plus 20 or so Faders) and 1 boxed since the launch.
*A number of Decepticons — those "too dumb to run" — are incarcerated in the ship's brig.

===Errors===
*Temptoria's capital is spelled differently the two times it's mentioned: "Sensensica" (page 2, panel 2) and "Sensenica" (page 4, panel 1). In the TPB the latter was corrected to Sensensica.
*On page 15, panel 2, "Cybertronian" is misspelled "Cybetronian". This was also corrected in the TPB.
*On the very last page, panel 3, Cyclonus' fingertips are colored green.

===Soundtrack===
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgE29oRPhrI "Airbag"] by [[Wikipedia:Radiohead|Radiohead]]
*[http://vimeo.com/23717610 "Prelude for Time Feelers"] by [[Wikipedia:Eluvium (musician)|Eluvium]]

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' Tailgate looks over a Decepticon bomb, by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Cover B:''' Ultra Magnus and Rodimus under fire, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
*'''Cover RI:''' The assembled crew of the ''Lost Light'', by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]], in homage to the cover of the [[Fab Four|Beatles]] album, ''[[Wikipedia:Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band|Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]''. Part of a theme month along with [[City on Fire|''Robots in Disguise'' #12]], which also features an incentive cover based on a famous album. 

<gallery>
File:MTMTE12_cvrA.jpg|
File:MTMTE12_cvrB.jpg|
File:MTMTE12_cvrRI.jpg|The ''[[Lost Light]]'' class of 2012.
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[City on Fire|#12]]
*''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight:]] [[The Hunting Party (IDW)|Thundercracker]]''
*IDW Limited
*''[[Doctor|Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time]]'' (back cover)

==References==
{{reflist}}