Editing Departure

{{comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|''Transformers: The Wreckers]]'' No. 1
|prev=Apelinq's War Journals
|prev2=Primeval Dawn Part 3
|next=Betrayal
|image=Universewreckers1b.jpg
|caption=We've seen this cover layout [[wikipedia:Giant-Size X-Men|somewhere]]...
|title="Departure"
|publisher=[[3H Productions]]
|date=
|coverdate=[[July 13]], 2001 ([[BotCon 2001]])
|story=[[Glen Hallit]]
|script=[[Glen Hallit]]
|art=[[Dan Khanna]]
|lettering=[[Richard Starkings]] and [[Comicraft]]
|editor=[[Rob Gerbracht]], [[Jon Hartman]], Dan Khanna
|continuity=''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]''
}}

'''The Oracle gathers a motley crew of Transformers and sends them on various missions. '''

==Synopsis==
:''In the near future, [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (now grown to adulthood) and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] are killed while engaged in a battle against a horde of [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbirds]]. This sends Daniel's friend [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] into a deep state of depression. [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] talk about undergoing the [[Great Upgrade|Maximal Upgrade]].''

Three hundred years later on [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]-controlled [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] and [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] are transporting the three [[Deployer (BM)|Deployer]]s while under attack from Vehicons. They are rescued by [[Ramulus]] and [[Primal Prime]], who take them to meet the rest of the [[Wrecker]]s team. [[Apelinq (BM)|Apelinq]] recounts for Optimus their [[Terminus (issue)|mutual battle]] against [[Shokaract]], which Optimus does not fully remember. 

In the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] chamber, the Wreckers are joined by the [[Mutant (BW)|Mutants]] and [[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobots]]. The Oracle, after propounding vaguely at length, sends the three teams on a series of missions. Optimus and Nightscream are deemed to "have witnessed too much", and their memories of these meetings are purged. 

Meanwhile, [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] has created two new Vehicon generals to hunt down these new wayward Cybertronians.

The Wreckers meet up with Rodimus, who has been trying to convince the morbid Arcee to join them. After she bids them leave, [[Fractyl]] gives it one last try, to which Arcee is more open... only for Fractyl to get blown away by the arriving Vehicon generals. Furious, Arcee blasts [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] and [[Blastcharge (BM)|Blastcharge]] out of the way and attempts to heal Fractyl.

[[Image:Apelink Transfer Interlink.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Apelinq remorselessly steals someone else's catchphrase. ("Choom")]]

Looking for a [[Autobot shuttle|starship]], the Wreckers arrive at [[Shuttle Complex Ohm]] in [[Dodecahex]], only to find it overrun with Vehicons under [[Spy Streak]]'s command. A battle ensues. The arrival of the Wreckers' air support ([[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], and [[Rotorbolt (Universe)|Rotorbolt]]), as well as Arcee and the newly-Transmetalized Fractyl, turns the tide against the Vehicons. Blastcharge gets sliced in half by Fractyl while [[Tigatron]] vaporizes Quake. The Wreckers escape on the shuttle, leaving Spy Streak trapped in the rubble as Cyclonus detonates explosives that destroy the entire complex. Megatron observes their escape and advises them to run while they can.

In space, the Wreckers have little time to relax, as a stowaway has showed up and started beating up passengers for no apparent reason. He says his name is [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]]...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in the past or in flashbacks.)<br>
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Autobot]]s/[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (2)
*''[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]'' (3)
*''[[Sky Garry (ROC)|Sky Garry]]'' (6)
*''[[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]'' (8)
*''[[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]]'' (10)
*''[[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]]'' (11)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (12)
*''[[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'' (13)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (16)
*[[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (19)
*[[Ramulus]] (20)
*[[Primal Prime]] (21)
*[[Apelinq (BM)|Apelinq]] (22)
*''[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'' (25)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'' (27)
*''[[Windrazor (BW)|Windrazor]]'' (29)
*[[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]] (43)
*[[Tigatron]] (44)
*[[Packrat]] (46)
*[[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] (60)
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] (61)

'''Dinobots'''
*[[Magmatron]] (35)
*[[T-Wrecks]] (36)
*[[Striker]] (37)
*[[Rapticon]] (38)
*[[Dinotron]] (39)
*[[Airraptor]] (40)
*[[Triceradon (BM)|Triceradon]] (41)
*[[Terranotron (BM)|Terranotron]] (42)

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s/[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]/[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Tank Drone]]s (18)
*''[[Shokaract]]'' (23)
*''[[Sandstorm (BW)|Sandstorm]]'' (24)
*''[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'' (26)
*''Generation 1 [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'' (28)
*[[Fractyl]] (45)
*[[Spittor (BW)|Spittor]] (47)
*"[[Stealth drone]]s" (48)
*[[Spy Streak]] (49)
*Beast Era [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (50)
*[[Quake (G1)|Quake]] (51)
*[[Blastcharge (BM)|Blastcharge]] (52)
*[[Quake's drones]] (53)
*[[Blastcharge's drones]] (54)
*[[Scavenger (BM)|Scavenger]] drones (55)
*"[[Chase-model drone]]s" (56)
*[[Rotorbolt (Universe)|Rotorbolt]] (57)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (58)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (59)

|c4=
*''[[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]]s'' (1)
*[[Oracle (BM)|The Oracle]] (30)

'''[[Human]]s'''
*''[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]'' (4)
*''[[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist|Doctor Fujiyama]]'' (5)
'''[[Nebulan]]s'''
*''[[Spoilsport]]'' (7)
*''[[Pinpointer (G1)|Pinpointer]]'' (9)

'''[[Deployer (BM)|Deployers]]'''
*[[Rav (BM)|Rav]] (14)
*[[Mol]] (15)
*[[Dillo]] (17)

'''[[Mutant (BW)|Mutants]]'''
*[[Razor Claw]] (31)
*[[Icebird]] (32)
*[[Soundwave (BW)|Soundwave]] (33)
*[[Poison Bite]] (34)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*"Depature" and the following issue, "[[Betrayal]]", will make a number of references to plot points and events from the 1980s cartoon. This is in contrast to the previous [[Shokaract]] stories, which nodded more to the comics. 
*[[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist|Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist]] and the Nightbirds previous appeared in [[Enter the Nightbird]] Apparently he learned zilch since then.
*In 3H continuity, the [[Maximal Upgrade]] is coming in almost immediately after the Pax Cybertronia is signed.
*Springer refers to Rodimus as "kid" and the guy protests he's Rodimus "now", implying this is Hot Rod changing his name and he isn't currently the Matrix-bearer. Whoever ''is'' running the Autobots (presumably a resurrected Optimus) goes unmentioned. 
*Amusingly, Optimus Primal realizes that Primal Prime uses his old body, the Primal Prime toy being a redeco of Optimal Optimus, but fails to note the same with Apelinq, who is a redeco of Transmetal Optimus Primal.
*It's only here that we learn people did ''not'' die in a big explosion when Shokaract went up in "Departure". Instead, transwarp portals were opened to get everyone to safety between panels! It's not stated who opened them, though. The panel art implies [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] is opening at least one.
*Many new characters are [[protoform]]s abandoned on Earth after the Beast Wars, explaining what happened to all those pods launched in the cartoon.
*The Oracle's memory wipe of Primal and Nightscream is intended to make sure this issue doesn't conflict with the events of the television show. Within the story, however, it is so that Optimus continues on his path of the technorganic reformatting of Cybertron-which the Quintesssons believed would let them conquer it, as show in later issues.
*Blastcharge is a Great War vetera
*Fractyl has lost a friend, which is almost certainly a reference to his fellow BotCon Pred [[Vice Grip]]. Nothing specific is said and this may have been intended for "[[Primeval Dawn]]".

===Errors===
*Cybertron is celebrating peace on page 7 but this is several months after the treaty. Is it a really long party?
*When the Oracle is first addressing the crowd, all the text in the speech bubble ("It will soon be...") is repeated in the next bubble.
*The Oracle keeps calling T-Wrecks "T-Rex". 
*Optimus and Nightscream have their memories wiped, but they'd travelled 100 kilometres in search of the Deployers, who are now with the Wreckers, so shouldn't this lengthy gap and lost equipment leave them with more questions than it prevents?
*Becoming a Transmetal was unprecedented until the Beast Wars and was presented as something that required transwarp explosions or weird science, yet Arcee became one centuries ago! 
*Megatron has a scene devoted to his new generals but Spy Streak is completely absent, yet there he is suddenly showing up at the battle and sentient. Primal Prime even says "the two generals" in the page after Streak speaks, implying he apparently isn't one. 
*Rotorbolt's excessively loud in his alternate mode, but as we don't have the WHUPWHUPWHUP sound effects until "[[Betrayal]]" there's no actual sign of this beyond a line.

===Transformers references===
*The shuttle that the Autobots, minus Daniel and Wheelie, use to escape the horde of Nightbirds is actually the Autobot [[Sky Garry (ROC)|Sky Garry]] from ''[[Transformers: Return of Convoy (franchise)|Return of Convoy]]''. The transport it drops is a [[Micro Trailer]], though here, there's nothing "micro" about it!
*As Arcee looks sullenly at the image of her and Daniel, the weapons seen mounted on the wall nearby are Hot Rod's photon pistols (drawn to toy-accurate specifications), and the laser-sword and shield he used during his duel with the [[auto-combatant]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*For Rodimus, undergoing the [[Great Upgrade|Maximal Upgrade]] means a change from his original cartoon [[character model]], magenta coloration and all, to an accurate rendering of his [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Generation 1|original Generation 1 toy]].
[[File:Primalprimetheborrower.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb]]
*Ramulus and Primal Prime pinch [[Action Master]] Optimus Prime's big entry in "[[End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!]]". Primal Prime will later borrow an Ultra Magnus pose from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*The Mutants' origin as failed Megatron experiments is their tech spec origins to a tee.
*The story takes a stand on fandom's [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Who_is_Cyclonus.3F|"Was it Bombshell or Skywarp who became Cyclonus?"]] debate by having Skywarp standing next to him.

===Real-world references===
*The Nightbirds are functionally identical to each other, but their accent colors vary between blue, orange, red, and purple. This is a reference to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, whose bandanas were the same colors.

===Production notes===
*This issue debuted at [[BotCon 2001]]. ''The Wreckers'' title would be rebranded as part of the [[Transformers: Universe (comic)|''Universe'' storyline]] the following year.
*This issue also contained "[[Primeval Dawn Part 1]]" as a backup story.
*The inside cover has a row of [[insignia]]s. The Decepticons are left out but the [[Blendtron]] symbol is here, as referencing [[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|a then-little seen anime passed on by internet rumours]] is the sort of thing 90s and early 00s nerds loved.

==External links==
*[http://www.botcon.com/archive/story/2001/index.html Departure online at Botcon Archives]

[[Category:3H issues]]
[[Category:Universe issues]]