Editing Sins of the Wreckers issue 5

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|The Transformers:<br>Sins of the Wreckers]]'' #5
|prev=Sins of the Wreckers issue 4
|next=
|image=SOTW5_regcvr.jpg
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[June 29]], [[2016]]
|coverdate=May 2016
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|art by=Nick Roche
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2016)]]
}}

'''The final secrets come out as the Wreckers make their last stand against Tarantulas.'''

==Synopsis==
Using [[size changing|mass displacement]] to enlarge his spider mode to massive size, [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] interfaces with a retinal scanner to activate his backdoor escape plan: shrinking the [[Tor]] itself down to pocket size so that he can safely transport the facility out of the collapsing [[Noisemaze]]. The spider then turns on [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]], [[Verity Carlo|Verity]], and [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]], gloating over how he has healed Verity's illness purely to score imaginary points by accomplishing something Prowl could never do. [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], in the process of planting charges in the pit below to destroy the Tor, know they cannot abandon their task to help, and so are forced to split up: Springer—weary and determined that this will be his final job as a [[Wrecker]]—continues to place the explosives, while Impactor takes the [[Obtenteum]] they need and goes to aid the others. The pair agree to use a call-and-response system, and if Springer stops transmitting at any point, Impactor is to trigger the charges. At Impactor's direction, Arcee slices Tarantulas's web out from under him, sending the mad scientist tumbling into the pit, but he just keeps growing bigger and bigger and climbs his way back out. Tarantulas pontificates about his need for revenge on Prowl, prompting Impactor to drop a bombshell—it was ''not'' Prowl who pushed Tarantulas into the Noisemaze all those years ago, but Impactor himself. This news matters little to Tarantulas; it was done at Prowl's order, after all, so Prowl is still the one he wants. After a moment, however, he realizes the deeper meaning of the revelation: Prowl never gets his own hands dirty, which means that he would never have killed [[Ostaros]] as he claimed he did. Tarantulas once again demands to know what became of his greatest creation; Prowl struggles for words, but betrays the truth with a mere turn of his head at the sound of Springer's voice crackling over Impactor's comm. Positively insane with delight to realize that Ostaros is Springer, and that he is in his presence, Tarantulas forgets his vengeance and instead turns to climb into the pit so that he can reunite with his child. Impactor hands the Obtenteum off to Prowl and orders him and Verity to get outside and follow through with their plan to feed it to Tidal Wave, while he and Arcee try to stymie Tarantulas. Arcee does so with characteristic flair, slicing the spider's beast mode head clean off and tossing it to Impactor, who uses it to activate the retinal scanner and halt the Tor's contraction.

Prowl and Verity emerge from the Tor to the dramatic sight of [[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]] punching his way through ''[[Debris]]''. Coffins spill from the shattered space station's mausoleum; Verity is brought to tears as [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s body lands right in front of her. The pair link up with [[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] and [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] and explain the plan—though not before Kup get in one strong and very satisfying slug across Prowl's jaw. Resisting his own desire to consume the Obtenteum himself, Guzzle uses his own cannon to blast himself up into the air, jamming the crystals into the startled Tidal Wave's mouth. Tidal Wave is driven to gleeful madness by the sudden power surge and takes out his frustrations with his life in general by attacking the Tor itself, forcing [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] to unwittingly play into the Wreckers' hands by using his [[Outlier]] power to forcibly convert Tidal Wave to whale mode. The g-forces of the giant's transformation—amplified by the Obtenteum—are the last push needed to trigger the Noisemaze's complete and irrevocable collapse.

Arcee and Impactor sense the increase in instability as the maze crosses the point of no return... but so does Tarantulas, still very much alive despite the loss of his beast head. The spider leaps into the pit after Springer; Impactor tries to radio him to warn him, but Springer contacts him first, explaining that he can no longer hear Impactor's transmissions, and insisting he stick to the plan. Arcee, now understanding the depths of Springer's determination and heroism and why Prowl chose him for the rescue mission, convinces Impactor that Springer is right, and the pair escape outside. Tarantulas reaches Springer, but his words are distorted by the Noisemaze, and Springer, unaware of what the spider is trying to tell him, attacks. Consequently, he can no longer transmit his part of the call-and-response signal, and Impactor, with the utmost reluctance, presses the button to set off the explosives.

As the Tor is consumed in white fire, Kup, Prowl, and Guzzle all clamber inside ''Debris'', but no sooner are they onboard than Guzzle plants the barrels of his pistols into the backs of Kup and Prowl's heads, still determined to claim revenge for the deaths of his friends on [[Tsiehshi]]. Verity tries to talk him down, but he is unwilling to listen... forcing Impactor to end the threat by putting his harpoon through Guzzle's brain.

Time passes, and Impactor recounts the events that followed. After the Wreckers extracted ''Debris'' from the Noisemaze, Prowl ran back inside and dragged the still-living Springer to safety before the maze's final collapse. Kup and Arcee returned to Optimus Prime's ranks on [[Earth]], their ties with Prowl now thoroughly severed. And Impactor himself has taken up Carnivac on his offer to join [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]], joining their crusade to bring down those in power who use 'bots like Impactor as pawns.

Back in [[Nome]], [[Alaska]], Verity and Springer stare up at the Northern Lights together, fulfilling Verity's long-held dream of seeing them—only now, she will live to see them again and again. The pair wonder how long they have until the insanity of their lives catches up to them once again, and conclude that it could happen at any time, so they should enjoy the normalcy while it lasts.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]] (3)
*[[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] (4)
*[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] (6)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (8)
*[[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (10)
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (11)
*[[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]]'s corpse (12)

|h2=[[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]]|c2=
*[[Tidal Wave (G1)|Tidal Wave]] (1)
*Various Chimeracons (2)
*[[Prowl II]] (5)
*[[Stampy (BWN)|Stampy]] (13)
*[[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] (14)
*[[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Verity Carlo]] (9)

|c4=
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"Hey '''Tarantulas... spinnerettes are for chumps'''."
:—'''Impactor''' uses his harpoon-hand to show Tarantulas a better way of swinging from a thread



"Some stuff simply '''can't be taught'''. Otherwise, I could '''tell you''' what it was I '''just did.'''"
:—'''Impactor'''



"A '''helpless life''', cut '''short''', in need of '''nurture''' and '''care'''. What would '''that''' mean '''to you''', anyway? Do you not '''see?''' '''This''' is what '''I''' was capable of '''too''', Prowl. '''Giving life,''' instead of '''taking it'''. The human is '''whole''' again; '''repaired'''. You could '''never''' give that '''gift'''. In '''this way'''—a way that '''counts'''—I will '''always''' be '''better''' than '''you'''."
:—'''Tarantulas''' overuses bold emphasis



"Wrap yer '''baleens''' around '''this''', kelp-licker."
:—'''Guzzle''' force-feeds Tidal Wave



"'''Kup and Prowl'''. All those '''Autobots,''' lookin' '''up''' to you. '''Red badge''' might as well be '''purple''' to you two. Sign of '''a sucker'''. '''Kup''', you '''killed''' some of my '''friends''' a while back. A '''lot''' of 'em. They said cuz you were '''crazy; sick'''. That's not '''good enough''' for me. And '''Prowl'''—never '''seen''' a '''murderer's hands''' so '''shiny white'''. But we ain't your '''toys'''. None of us are."
:—'''Guzzle''' gets in on the excessive bold emphasis game



"After all we'd '''done''' for him, after '''all''' we'd '''risked''', that '''idiot''' ran '''back in'''. We asked him afterwards, what was he '''thinking'''? He said he'd run '''every permutation''' of '''every scenario''' through his head, and '''none of them''' could guarantee what he did would work. So he asked himself, 'What would a '''Wrecker do?'''' and '''that's''' when he decided to go '''back.''' That's when '''Prowl''' decided to go '''back''' for '''Springer'''."
:—'''Impactor'''



"How long do you think we have?"<br>
"Till it '''catches up''' with us? Till our lives go back to normal and stop being... '''normal?''' Could happen '''any time.''' Today. Tomorrow. This could end at '''any moment.'''"<br>
"Sounds like being human to me."
:—'''Verity''' and '''Springer'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*In [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 4|issue #4]], [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] related how [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] had been released from prison by Prowl as a favor to Impactor, and wondered how he could possibly owe him one so big. Now we know: it was Impactor, not Prowl, who was the masked figure who broke into Mesothulas's lab, as seen in the flashback in [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 3|issue #3]]. This explains why Impactor knew about the evil scientist and the Noisemaze, and why he knew where the gate to the maze was in that same issue: because he hid it himself. If you were being attentive, you might have noticed that in that scene, the figure's right hand was constantly hidden or off-panel, thereby concealing the presence of Impactor's harpoon-hand and maintaining the illusion that the disguised 'bot was Prowl.
*Springer being Ostaros means all of the flashbacks, including Prowl collaborating to false-flag massacre a city, happened ''before'' the events of ''[[The_Transformers:_Autocracy|Autocracy]]'' (where Springer shows up) and the war fully kicking off. It's not... ''un''workable, but it feels a bit iffy.
*Guzzle makes his play for revenge for the events of ''[[Spotlight: Kup]]''.
*Springer and Verity end the series by watching the Northern Lights, which Verity previously talked with the Autobot about in [[Sins of the Wreckers issue 2|issue #2]].
*On the final page, just above "The End," a tiny spider hangs from a web inside Springer's wheel well. Whatever it means for the possibility of Tarantulas being alive, it was inspired by a moment when Roche sat down to write the issue, and "on the page he was about to write was a very small spider crawling across the page. Oh, the Alan Moore-ness of it all..."

===Transformers references===
*As with last issue, there are several "[[generic]]" Chimeracons who do not appear to be based on pre-existing characters, including a puffin-bot who gets blasted by Kup on page 1. However, on the same page, lying on the ground, smoking, is the ''Beast Wars'' character [[Prowl II]], recognizable by his owl alternate mode, winged shoulders, and taloned feet.
*Several times this issue, Springer actually uses the leaping ability for which he is named, which is an extremely rare occurrence for the character.
*Impactor's line about spinnerettes, quoted above, seems like a callback to [[Kick-Off (G1)|Kick-Off]]'s line, "Alt-modes are for wimps!", from Roche's [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #1]]. 

===Errors===
*On page 12, panel 1, there's an uncolored Chimeracon who's just lineart with the background colors showing through him.
*Prowl's eye is fixed at the end of the issue, despite it still being missing in the previously-released but chronologically-later [[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|''The Transformers'' #50]]. The broken eye wound up persisting in the later-still [[Ten to Midnight|''More than Meets the Eye'' #56]].

===Other notes===
*Following the January 2016 release of issue #3, family issues for Roche led to a two-month delay for the final two issues which saw this issue solicited for a late release in May. Unfortunately, some further production delays held the issue back and it did not see release until the final week of June.
*Guzzle's last moments are an adaptation Roche's original pitch for ''Last Stand'' (as revealed in the second hardcover), where Guzzle would kill Kup at the end of the [[Garrus-9]] mission and be gunned down himself.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Regular cover:''' The Wreckers in Tarantulas's web, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Subscription cover:''' Arcee, Springer, and Verity by [[E. J. Su]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Perceptor by [[Guido Guidi]]
<gallery>
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==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/29869-preview-transformers-sins-of-the-wreckers-5.html Preview]

[[Category:Sins of the Wreckers issues]]