Editing Infiltration issue 1

{{Comicstory
|series=infiltration|issueno=1
|prev=Infiltration issue 0
|next=Infiltration issue 2
|image=Infiltration 1c.jpg
|caption=Okay, I believe already!
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[January 18]], [[2006]]
|coverdate=January 2006
|written by=[[Simon Furman]]
|art by=[[E. J. Su]]
|colors by=[[John Rauch]] & [[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]] & [[Robbie Robbins]]
|edits by=[[Chris Ryall]] & [[Dan Taylor (IDW)|Dan Taylor]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Infiltration]]
}}
'''Hunter, Jimmy, and Verity discover that their pursuers are robots... in disguise!'''

==Synopsis==
''[[Mechatopia.com]] shows [[Hunter O'Nion]]'s recent theories regarding an invasion of [[Earth]] by [[Transformer|alien mechanoids]]. And while his theories sound preposterous, he believes.''

[[Verity Carlo]] and Hunter are speeding through the desert of Southern [[California]] inside an [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|ambulance]] with a perpetually smiling, blond driver. Hunter realizes that not only were they being attacked by one of the disguised mechanoids he's been seeking—but that the ambulance they're sitting in is ''also'' one of them!

Suddenly, two sports cars—[[Runamuck (G1)|one white]], [[Runabout (G1)|one black]]—join [[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|the jet]] in pursuit of the ambulance. The driver asks if the two [[human]]s can be trusted as the steering wheel and instrument panel transforms into a sophisticated holographic 3D map. The ambulance rams the cars and fires at them from hidden gun ports. Badly damaged, the cars end the chase, but the jet is still after them. The ambulance deploys a smokescreen and drives away. 

Verity logs onto her [[SM-40|palmtop]] and finds the fugitives a place to hide—the automotive workshop of [[Jimmy Pink]] in [[Riverside]]. Jimmy and the ambulance driver get to work on the repairs while Hunter and Verity have a chat. She reveals that she and Jimmy are both net-hikers, members of a community of drifters who use the Internet to maintain their mutual-assistance network. 

Meanwhile, the jet and sports cars are back on patrol, but can't find their targets. They do have a lead on the palmtop signal; all they need is for someone to activate it again, which Hunter does covertly as he tries to discover the device's true origin. 

Jimmy has finished the repairs to the ambulance, and marvels at its sophistication. Hunter then throws around accusations: the ambulance is an alien robot in disguise, Verity's palmtop is stolen and it's the very item that the jet and sports cars are trying to recover. He confronts the ambulance driver with a picture stored on the palmtop of a [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|robot]] in mid-transformation. To Verity's surprise, the ambulance driver says that Hunter's theories are true. Sick of conspiracy paranoia, she takes the palmtop back from them and walks outside.

Within a second, she's back inside, babbling frantically about [[Decepticon]]s. The garage door is explosively ripped from its mount, sending debris everywhere, and smothering the smiling ambulance driver. But suddenly he's in the driver's seat of the ambulance, demanding the three of them get in.

Too late. The side of the building is ripped away, revealing two giant robots—one black, one white—who demand they hand over the palmtop.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (9)
|c2=
*[[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] (4)
*[[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] (5)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Thundercracker]] (8)
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (11)
|c3=
*[[Hunter O'Nion]] (1)
*[[Verity Carlo]] (3)
*[[Jessie]] (6)
*[[Stoker]] (7)
*[[Jimmy Pink]] (10)
}}

==Quotes==
"How's that?"<br />
"Actually — it kind of tickles."
:—'''Jimmy''' starts tinkering with '''Ratchet'''.


"Ohh... ignore him. He'd have you believe this ambulance is some kind of alien robot in disguise!"
:—'''Verity Carlo''', with tongue firmly in cheek.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The first page shows Hunter's website, which mentions "[[Dinobot (G1)|dinosaur-variant mechanoids]]" found at [[Eureka]], [[Nevada]], a plot thread that will play out  in ''[[Spotlight: Shockwave]]''.
* The site also mentions the eruption of [[Mount St. Helens]], which will tie into ''[[Spotlight: Soundwave]]''. 
* It appears the current Autobots and Decepticons only came to Earth in 2002, as no real evidence of them dates before that; they got noticed by nerds after the "Buchanan crop manifestations" in [[Iowa]].
* '''First appearances:''' a miscolored Prowl; Jimmy Pink.

===Transformers references===
* The mention of the eruption of [[Mount St. Helens]], and its given date of [[1984]], are both obvious nods to the origins of the original Generation 1 stories.
* This second issue of the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity]] also has several plot similarities with the [[Power Play!|second issue]] of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Transformers comic]]. In both, a human ally take a wounded Autobot to an auto shop, where the mechanic comments that he's never seen a car like this. After the Autobot is repaired, some Decepticons appear, a battle ensues, and the location gets wrecked. In that earlier story, Verity and Hunter are replaced by [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], Jimmy by [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], Ratchet by [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]], and the Battlechargers by the entire earthbound Decepticon army.

===Real-life references===
* Apart from the mentions of Nevada and Mount St. Helens, the primary action is set in southeast [[California]], and the Ark-19 is shown parked at the bottom of [[Lake Michigan]]. 
*Hunter's workstation includes DVDs of ''Ghost in the Shell'' and the ''Matrix'', along with an "I want to believe" poster as popularized by ''The X Files'', and a [[Yoda]] toy.

===Errors===
*Prowl is miscolored as [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] on page 12.
*If ''[[Ark-19]]'' is in [[Lake Michigan]], why are there sharks in the water? Sharks are predominantly a saltwater fish.
*Runabout and Runamuck are pretty much color-swapped the entire issue, until the last page. How can you tell? Because Ratchet blows out Runabout's window in the [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] battle, but on the last page, [[robot mode]] Runamuck is the one with the blown-out window.

===Other trivia===
*The "Decepticomments" section featured mail answered by Chris Ryall and a contest to win a full set of covers from issue #0.

===Covers (15)===
<gallery>
File:Infiltration 1a.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover A''' - Where's your party now, Ratchet?
File:Infiltration 1b.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover B''' - Tubbs and Crocket
File:Infiltration 1c.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover C''' - How much are those Battlechargers in Ratchet's window?
File:Infiltration 1d.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover D''' - Let's shoot the kid-friendly character!
</gallery>
*'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover A:''' Ratchet, by [[E. J. Su]].
*'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover B:''' Battlechargers, by [[Andrew Wildman]].
*'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover C:''' Verity and Hunter with the Battlechargers in Ratchet's reflection, by [[James Raiz]].
*'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover D:''' Bumblebee, by [[Guido Guidi]].
<gallery>
File:Infiltration 1ria.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover RI-A'''
File:Infiltration 1rib.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover RI-B'''
File:Infiltration 1ric.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover RI-C''' - No one told Wildman about the redesigns. Oopsie!
File:Infiltration 1 new dimensions exclusive cover.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #1 New Dimension Comics cover''' - Me Grimlock say it clobbering time!
</gallery>
*'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover RI-A:''' Gold foil version of cover C.
*'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover RI-B:''' Gold foil version of cover D.
*'''''Infiltration'' #1 cover RI-C:''' Battle wraparound cover, by Andrew Wildman.
*'''''Infiltration'' #1 New Dimension Comics cover:''' [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] vs [[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]], by [[Don Figueroa]] (cover is an homage to ''[[Fantastic Four]]'' #1). The back of the comic had an area to draw for the convention.
<gallery>
File:Infiltration 1gcc.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #1 Graham Crackers Comics cover''' - What is Starscream standing on?
File:Infiltration 1rc.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' #1 Ruppsworld Comics cover''' - Homage to [[A Savage Circle|Marvel US #78]]?
File:Infiltration manga.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' "Manga" TPB'''
File:Infiltration_tpb.jpg|'''''Infiltration'' TPB'''
</gallery>
*'''''Infiltration'' #1 Graham Crackers Comics cover:''' Starscream and Thundercracker, by [[Nick Roche]].
*'''''Infiltration'' #1 Ruppsworld Comics cover:''' Starscream pile driving Ratchet, by Don Figueroa.
*'''''Infiltration'' TPB cover:''' reuse of [[Infiltration issue 0|issue #0]]'s cover A.
*'''''Infiltration'' "Manga" TPB cover:''' reuse of issue #0's cover A.
<gallery>
File:Premier Collection 1.jpg|'''''Premiere Collection'' Volume 1'''
File:IDWCollection1.jpg|'''''IDW Collection'' Volume One'''
File:phase-1-omnibus.jpg|'''''Phase One Omnibus'''''
</gallery>
*'''''Premiere Collection'' Volume 1 cover:''' crop of [[Infiltration issue 6|issue #6]]'s cover C.
*'''''IDW Collection'' Volume One cover:''' Megatron, by E. J. Su.
*'''''Phase One Omnibus'' cover:''' reuse of issue #6's cover C.

===Advertisements===
*[[Transformers: Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|10th Anniversary ''Beast Wars'' toys]]
*[[Infiltration issue 2|''Infiltration'' #2]], including a 2-page B&W sketch preview
*3-page preview of ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]''
*''The Gathering'' (back cover)

===Reprints===
*'''''[[The Transformers: Infiltration]]''''' TPB <small>([[September 13]], [[2006]]) ISBN 1600100104 / ISBN 978-1600100109</small>
*'''''The Transformers: Infiltration'' Manga''' TPB <small>([[November 29]], 2006) ISBN 1600100198 / ISBN 978-1600100192</small>
*'''''[[The Transformers: The Premiere Collection]]''''' Volume 1 HC <small>([[December 5]], [[2007]]) ISBN 1600101186 / ISBN 978-1600101182</small>
*'''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume One]]''''' HC <small>([[May 26]], [[2010]]) ISBN 1600106676 / ISBN 978-1600106675</small>
*'''''[[The Transformers: Phase One Omnibus]]''''' TPB <small>([[September 10]], [[2014]]) ISBN 1631401130 / ISBN 978-1631401138</small>