Editing Heavy

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|The Transformers:<br>Till All Are One]]'' #9
|prev=Rubicon
|next=The Price of You
|image=TAAO9 cvrRI.jpg 
|caption=
|title="Heavy"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[May 3]], [[2017]]
|coverdate=April 2017
|written by=[[Mairghread Scott]]
|art by=[[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|additional colors=Sara Pitre-Durocher (pgs 9-10)
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}

'''The weight of leadership presses down on Starscream as he finds himself confronted with a series of unwinnable situations.'''

==Synopsis==
Now that the twin threats of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'s undead [[Titan (IDW)|Titan]] army and the reawakened [[Vigilem]] have been quelled, [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] turns to rebuilding. [[Cityspeaker]]s work to repair [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], while [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] voluntarily returns to jail, with [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]]'s fate going undisclosed. [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]], meanwhile, adjudicates the trial of the [[Badgeless]] officer accused of murdering [[Drunkatron|a Decepticon]], which set off the chain of events that led to [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'s rampage through the city. The 'bot pleads innocence in the face of the prosecutor's aggressive questioning, and though the wearying Starscream internally ''believes'' him, he wonders if giving an honest ruling even  ''matters'', when declaring the accused guilty will make everyone happy.

When [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] arrives with a message for him, Starscream calls a recess. Unfortunately, his aide does not bring ''good'' news, but rather, a recording of a TV broadcast of [[Elita One]] speaking to the press, accepting public accolades for "[[Vigilem|Carcer]]"'s defeat of the undead army, and passive-aggressively undermining Starscream for ordering the attempt to take control of the Titan from her by force. The furious Starscream demands Rattrap find Elita and summon her to his office, and stomps off to wait for her there, only to find the [[Mistress of Flame]] waiting for him with an issue of her own. As she observes his frazzled state, Starscream testily informs her that her problem must wait, and invites her in to wait for Elita with [[Fireshot (G1)|Fireshot]], [[Tigatron]], and [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]].

When Elita arrives, Starscream demands to know the truth about the secrets she was keeping involving Vigilem and [[Liege Maximo]], who the group now knows escaped from his prison within Vigilem's body before the Titan's death. The Mistress, being the only one present who was unaware of these events, is shocked and horrified, but Elita's anger is reserved for Starscream, whose attempt to take control of Vigilem she blames for causing Maximo's release. Elita recounts the history of Maximo and Vigilem, and how, in ancient times, those that followed Maximo were inspired by his silver tongue, and treated "helpful lies" as more beneficial than "harmful truths." But when Maximo's ambitions grew, and he used his lies to cause [[Solus Prime]]'s death at [[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'s hands, his own followers turned on him and willingly became his jailers when he was sealed within Vigilem's deactivated body and banished to the stars. The group insists that Elita should have told them the whole truth, but she has no remorse for not doing so; in fact, Maximo's escape only convinces her she was in the right. Starscream threatens to release all this information to the public, but Elita counters that if he does, she will simply blame him and Windblade for Maximo's escape. That said, Elita is not interested in rivalries or in-fighting; it will take weeks to repair Vigilem's ship mode and ''years'' to get him out of orbit, meaning that she and her crew will be dependent on Cybertron for a long time, and it is important that they all remain united in the face of the looming threat the freed Liege Maximo now represents. That, Elita concludes, is the choice Starscream and the council now face: keep the secret and the peace, or reveal it and risk disunity and panic.

After Elita excuses herself, the Council finds itself split down the middle on how to proceed: Tigatron and Moonracer want to inform the people, while Fireshot and the Mistress believe the secret should be kept. Left with the deciding vote, Starscream requests time to think it over. The group leaves, but the Mistress lingers to bring up her own issue with Starscream: in honor of the fact that Windblade, a Camien, was the one who saved Cybertron using Vigilem, she requests that Chromia be released into Camien custody. Starscream balks at the notion, to which the Mistress proposes that he hand over [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] instead, that Camien justice might be visited upon them for their attack on the planet. Left alone to consider the three rulings he must now make, Starscream is once more visited by the hallucinatory "ghost" of [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]], who urges him to make the right choices: don't give in to Elita, hand over Chromia to the Mistress, and rule the Badgeless innocent. The stressed Starscream points out that to do the "right thing" is to give up his advantage in every corner; he recognizes Elita's ultimatum as a power grab, and he needs to keep Bruticus and Menasor in his arsenal to fight her if need be. That's just the problem, 'Bee points out: Starscream is ''choosing to fight'', when he can find another, better way.

A short time later, Starscream returns to the courtroom, where he delivers his verdict. Bumblebee's face falls as Starscream's declaration of "guilty" condemns the innocent 'bot. Starscream, it seems, cannot find a better way.

After the trial, Starscream releases Chromia into the Mistress's custody, with one caveat: that she hunt down and kill Liege Maximo. Doing so will remove the Sword of Damocles Elita has hovering over Starscream's head, and, of course, will also spare Cybertron Maximo's wrath... but Chromia can tell that's not the ''real'' reason he's doing it. Resignedly, Starscream admits the full truth. Bumblebee believed he could be better, but he is beyond hope. Windblade believed Chromia could be better... and Starscream does not want her to waste that opportunity and end up like him.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.<br>
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] (hallucination, 4)
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (6)
*[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (19)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]]'s hand (10)

|c4=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Air Hammer]] (2)
*Accused [[Badgeless]] (3)
*Dead [[Titan (IDW)|Titans]] (5)
*[[Vigilem]]'s corpse (7)
*[[Lightbright (G1)|Lightbright]] (8)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (11)
*[[Elita One]] (12)
*[[Longtooth]] (13)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]] (14)
*[[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] (16)
*[[Fireshot (G1)|Fireshot]] (17)
*[[Tigatron]] (18)
*''[[Amalgamous Prime]]'' (19)
*''[[Nexus Prime]]'' (20)
*''[[Vector Prime]]'' (21)
*''[[Micronus Prime]]'' (22)
*''[[Prima]]'' (23)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*''[[The Arisen]]'' (24)
*''[[Solus Prime]]'' (25)
*''[[Alchemist Prime]]'' (26)
*''[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] (27)
*''[[Onyx Prime]]'' (28)
*''[[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'' (29)
*''[[Quintus Prime]]'' (30)
*''[[Liege Maximo]]'' (31)
{{!}}}
}}

==Quotes==
"What is justice after all we've done?"
:—'''Starscream'''


"Starscream. You appear distressed."<br>
"And I'm sure you care deeply about that, Ms. '''of Flame'''. But unfortunately, my distress is keeping me somewhat busy at the moment."<br>
"Clearly. When you've been in power a bit longer, perhaps you will become more accustomed to its rigors."
:—'''Mistress of Flame''' and '''Starscream'''


"'''Consensus''' and '''truth''' do not always align."
:—'''Elita One'''


"I won't let them think of you as the hero who sacrificed her ship to save us when you admit you've pushed us all the brink of extinction '''twice'''!<br>
"Will you tell them the '''truth''' then? Because truth is always messy, and few but Carcerians seem able to truly hear it."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Elita One''' get into it


"A unified, repopulated Cybertron is a dream that only holds sway as long as everyone agrees not to wake up from it."
:—'''Elita One'''


"Just because I will not lie does not oblige me to correct every lie I hear."
:—'''Elita One'''


"You know, there's a saying on Earth. Something about a crown being heavier than you'd expect."<br>
"I hate you."<br>
"You hate a lot of people."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Starscream'''


"I know someone who thought I could be better than I am. And they were wrong. '''You''' knew someone who thought you could be better than you were and you still have a chance at it. Chromia of Caminus, I hereby banish you from Cybertron. Be better... for both of us."
:—'''Starscream'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The Badgeless is on trial for the shooting in [[07:00:00|issue #1]]. He blames his partner, but we know from that issue that it was actually [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]], who stole his partner's armor to disguise himself.
*Everyone in the stands at the trial is a generic Transformer, except, oddly, for [[Air Hammer]] (in the top-left corner of the panel). He previously occupied this unusual role of "sole recognizable character in a group of generics" in [[The Line Between Us|issue #4]].
*The story keeps Windblade's fate following her apparent death last issue a secret ("Speaking of corpses... well, I won't get into that," says Starscream), but... c'mon, we all know she's going to be okay. And not just because [[New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among the Shadows|''Optimus Prime'' #4]] upgraded her condition from "dead" to "injured", either!
*It's a little unusual to see Fireshot without his twin [[Vanquish (G1)|Vanquish]], but he (along with [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] and [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]]) is absent for a reason: the only 'bots in the room besides Starscream and the Mistress (who Screamer invites) are those who were present for Windblade's merge with Vigilem and the reveal of the Titan's true identity, and are the only ones who know about it, save the incarcerated Chromia.
*Elita One mentions that "[[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] must be brought back online." The former Decepticon capital was discovered intact beneath the surface of the planet in the [[The Last Autobot|''Titans Return'' one-shot]].
*Starscream recalls the time Elita One wanted to kill him for lying, as seen in [[The Will of the Few|''Windblade'' vol. 2 #7]].
*The Mistress reminds Starscream of Swindle and Menasor's attack on Caminus, which took place in [[The Sum and Its Parts|''Windblade'' vol. 2 #1]]. Starscream in turn cites Chromia's public confession from issue #4.

===Transformers references===
*Numerous aspects of the Thirteen's story from the [[Aligned continuity family]] are imported for their history here:
**As with all previous appearances of members of the group in IDW continuity up to this point, they all appear in Elita One's flashback based on their "Aligned" designs, as seen in ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]''. In particular, this includes the unnamed Thirteenth Prime, known in IDW continuity only as "[[The Arisen]]", who appears as an indistinct figure whose features are obscured by the light emanating from within him.
**Solus Prime is explicitly established to have been killed by Megatronus (previous issues had only said he "broke a promise" to her). The image of Megatronus killing Solus Prime is based heavily on the image of the same scene from the ''Covenant of Primus''. It's unclear if Solus' passing has something to do with the dearth of [[Female Transformers]] on the post-war, pre-Council Cybertron.
**Elita One mentions that Transformers are still broadly split along the lines set by the Thirteen, following the "Aligned" idea that the Thirteen were the "archetypes" on which future Cybertronians were based. This gels nicely into the IDW fiction which had previously portrayed ancient Cybertron as a far more diverse place than the era just before the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] – by this time, the Primes had either died or departed their homeworld, leaving behind a largely homogeneous planet of male-identifying vehicle-formers.
*One of Maximo's whispering lie-spreaders has a face that looks a lot like the Decepticon symbol. Though modern incarnations of Megatronus tend to identify him as the original Decepticon, this seems to be evoking Maximo's mostly-discarded status as the progenitor of the faction, as he alluded to in his original appearance way back at [[A Rage in Heaven!|the close]] of the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Generation 2'' comic book]].

===Real-world references===
*The title of this issue is derived, as Bumblebee alludes to in-story, from the saying "heavy is the head that wears the crown," which itself actually a common paraphrasing of a quote from Shakespeare's ''{{w|Henry IV, Part 2}}'', "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." It was previously used in reference to Starscream as the title of [[Heavy Is the Head|''Robots in Disguise'' #16]].

===Errors===
*When Elita recounts the history of Liege Maximo and Vigilem, Vigilem's starship mode is depicted with his "modern day" appearance as it leaves Cybertron, when we know from last issue's flashback that he is supposed to have had entirely different colours and proportions when he was banished, only changing to his current appearance over time as the Carcerians used their own bodies to repair and sustain him.

===Other trivia===
*Originally solicited for release in April 2017 (following a skip month; no issue of the series was solicited for released in March), this issue arrived just a smidge late, in the first week of May.
*Starscream has had stained glass windows of ''himself'' installed in the courtroom. Screamer, you're so extra.
*Despite the reveal of "Carcer's" true identity, Elita One continues to refer to her people as "Carcerians". Obviously, she and her crew choose to identify themselves by the Titan's alias, as his jailers, rather than be thought to associate themselves with his true identity as a follower of Liege Maximo.   

===Covers (3)===
*'''Regular cover:''' The Mistress of Flame and Chromia, by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]; first in a series of themed two-character covers for this arc by Pitre-Durocher.
*'''Subscription cover:''' Starscream looks unhappy as the crowds cheer for Elita One, by [[Priscilla Tramontano]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Starscream, Windblade, Elita One,  and Chromia, by [[Jin Kim]]; part of a series of incentive covers by Kim for April's Transformers titles.

<gallery>
File:TAAO9 regcvr.jpg|
File:TAAO9 subcvr.jpg|
File:TAAO9 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''Till All Are One'' #10
*"The Hasbro Tribune" editorial page promoting April's [[Hasbro Universe]] titles, including this issue, [[G.I. Joe vol. 5 issue 5|''G.I. Joe'' #5]], [[Wrath of Karza issue 1|''Micronauts: Wrath of Karza'' #1]], [[New Cybertron End: Feel Safe Without Regrets|''Optimus Prime'' #6]], ''Revolutionaries'' #5, and [[Dissolution Part 5: Modes of Production|''Lost Light'' #5]].
*[[Free Comic Book Day]] 2017
*''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe: The Movie Adaptation]]''
*''Judge Dredd: The Blessed Earth'' #1

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/34292-starscream-s-head-is-heavy-as-supreme-ruler-in-sransformers-till-all-are-one-9.html Preview]

[[Category:Till All Are One issues]]