Editing The Falling, Chapter 1: Surfeit of Primes

{{Comicstory
|series=op|issueno=15
|prev=The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)
|next=The Falling, Chapter 2
|caption=
|image=OP15 cvrA.jpg
|title="The Falling<br>Chapter 1: Surfeit of Primes"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[January 17]], 2018
|coverdate=January 2018
|written by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Kei Zama]]
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|assistant editor=[[David Mariotte]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}

'''Shadows of the past rise to haunt Cybertron as Onyx Prime returns at last.'''

==Synopsis==
The [[Mistress of Flame]] is troubled by a dream, and visits [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] to share a story from her past with him that she has long kept secret. Long ago, when [[Caminus]] was still a healthy world, and she was merely "Matriarch of Incaendium" (next in line to become Mistress), she accompanied the pilot [[Praesidia Magna|Praesidia]] and linguist [[Magrada]] to the world of [[Antilla]], to investigate a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] signal they had detected emanating from there. Upon the planet, they discovered an unnatural, mechanical mountain, the surface of which split open to reveal a colossal eyeball, emitting blazing light that illuminated a figure the Mistress could never have expected to see: [[Onyx Prime]], master of beasts; one of the original [[Thirteen|Thirteen Primes]]! Onyx slew Magrada, but the Mistress and Praesidia fled back to Caminus... only for Onyx to follow them there years later, and kill Praesidia as well. The Mistress marvels that she has encountered so many long-thought-legendary Primes in person, especially since coming to Cybertron—Onyx, Trion, [[Liege Maximo]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]], who she still believes is the nameless thirteenth Prime, the "Arisen." Also present for the Mistress's story is [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]], invited along by Trion, who scoffs her reverence of the Primes, his own lapsed faith have caused him to long since lose his belief that they are any more special than ordinary Cybertronians. The Mistress is offended, but as she leaves to meet with the other delegates to await a visit from Optimus Prime, she is given pause to reflect on how the myths and legends she grew up worshiping have let her down. Trion reminds Scoop that, for all his bitterness, it wasn't the Primes who let ''him'' down, and suggests he pay a visit to the one who actually did.

On [[Earth]], Optimus Prime, [[Marissa Faireborn]], and the [[President of the United States|President]] cut the metaphorical ribbon at the opening of a new [[Ore-13]] mine in [[Kentucky]], which will be worked by humans and Cybertronians together. Spirits aren't particularly high, however: there are protesters objecting, human workers worrying about the grief they're going to get, concerns about a Cybertronian-human pay gap, and general laments from [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]] matriarch [[Rum-Maj]], even as [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] tries to keep her spirits up. Off to the side, always listening, [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] hears it all...

Overhead, aboard [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], [[Aileron]] and [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] chat about the recent goings-on with the [[protoform]]s on Cybertron. But it seems a pleasant conversation can't last long these days; Aileron hears the discontented [[Slide]] once again ranting about how much she disagrees with Optimus's actions, and tries to break up the argument she is having with her fellow colonists—though Arcee's curiosity is piqued by a reference Slide makes to Aileron recently "burying the truth." Before Arcee can press the issue, Optimus Prime returns with the first load of Ore-13 from the mine, to be sent over the [[space bridge]] to Cybertron, and Aileron practically grabs Slide by the ear and drags her out in front of Optimus, daring her to repeat her insults to his face. Prime is already in a downcast mood, disappointed by the problems at the mine, but tries to offer Slide some comforting words. [[Pyra Magna]] intercedes; she tells him he has been removed from goings-on on Earth for too long, and proposes that while he is delivering the Ore-13 to Cybertron, Slide and the other colonists should visit the mine themselves so they can see with their own eyes what Optimus is trying to accomplish.

Optimus takes the Ore-13 through the space bridge, handing it over to the collected delegates of the [[Council of Worlds]], now led by [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] after her victory in the [[The Chosen One|recent election]]. Windblade's own ability to trust Optimus has [[First Strike issue 5|also recently suffered a blow]], but he reassures her that the shipment is the first of many, to be given freely without expectation. With the official matters dealt with, the Mistress attempts to take Optimus Prime aside and ask him about the prophetic dream he had [[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|soon after annexing Earth]], in light of the dream she had herself, but before their conversation can even begin, it is cut off by a shadow falling across the city...

In [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]'s prison, the recently-incarcerated [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] is enjoying life behind bars. Nobody is relying on him for anything, he tells the spectral form of [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]], and though it is now over, his time as ruler of the planet will ultimately be viewed by history as a comparatively positive one. A visitor soon arrives in the form of Scoop, but before the pair can sit down for a conversation to hash out their old quarrels, Bumblebee draws their attention to what is going on outside...

The mountain-sized eyeball seen by the Mistress of Flame on Antilla all those years ago now hovers in the sky over Iacon, blocking out the sun. Windblade believes that the recently-escaped [[Liege Maximo]] has returned to wreak his vengeance, but the Mistress is quick to correct her—Maximo ''is'' one of the figures on the hull of the massive craft, but he is in chains, kneeling at the feet of Onyx Prime. Onyx announces to the people of Cybertron that he has returned to pass judgement on the captive Maximo, and all who transgress against his homeworld. He is met with a reply from Optimus, cautioning him that Cybertron is under his protection, and inviting Onyx down to the surface to talk. Onyx agrees, warning that "Cybertron's reckoning is at hand"... and declaring that such matters are without a doubt Optimus's responsibility, for he is The Arisen!

==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:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] (7)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (8)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] (10)
*[[Aileron]] (18)
*[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] (19)
*[[Gimlet]] (20)
*[[Slide]] (21)
*[[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] (22)
*[[Bump]] (23)
*[[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] (24)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Thundercracker]] (25)
*[[Skyburst (G1)|Skyburst]] (26)
*[[Stormclash]] (27)
*[[Pyra Magna]] (28)
*[[Rust Dust]] (29)
*[[Dust Up]] (30)
*[[Jumpstream]] (31)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]]'s "ghost" (40)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] (17)

|c3=
*[[Marissa Faireborn]] (11)
*[[President of the United States]] (12)
*[[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]] (13)
*[[Chameleon (G.I. Joe)|Chameleon]] (14)

|c4=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Mistress of Flame]] (1)
*''[[Magrada]]'' (2)
*''[[Praesidia Magna|Praesidia]]'' (3)
*''"[[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]"'' (4)
*''"[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]"'' (5)
*[[Onyx Prime]] (6)
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] (8)
*Various [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] (9)
*[[Rum-Maj]] (15)
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] (16)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (32)
*[[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] (33)
*[[Vanquish (G1)|Vanquish]] (34)
*[[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] (35)
*[[Fireshot (G1)|Fireshot]] (36)
*[[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (37)
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (38)
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (39)
*[[Liege Maximo]] (41)
{{!}}}
}}

==Quotes==
"[The protoforms] were... '''interesting.''' Seeing these little metal things make '''synaptic connections''' and learn how to walk—to fight... well, I hope that's not '''all''' they do when they grow up. I named one of them '''Sideswipe.''' Which was probably not a good start to avoiding fights, now that I think about it." 
:—'''Arcee'''



"Was your speech successful, Optimus?"<br>
"You'd have liked it, Pyra. Getting the humans to do my '''bidding''', and all."
:—'''Pyra Magna''' gets some unexpected sass from '''Optimus Prime'''



"Any new '''surprises''' today? More '''protoforms?''' Or invasions? Maybe you've annexed the '''[[Solstar Order]].'''"
:—'''Windblade''' offers Optimus some sass of her own



"I killed '''Metalhawk''' and took control of Cybertron under '''false pretenses.''' I '''lied''' and '''deceived''' and did it all for '''glory''' and you know '''what?''' I'm '''still''' the best leader in the history of Cybertron. I didn't '''subjugate''' the populace for eons, I never plunged us into '''four million years''' of '''war'''—I didn't even come back from the grave to try and destroy the world '''multiple times.''' History will see me, at '''worst''', as a step in the right direction."
:—It's true, but '''Starscream''' shouldn't say it!

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The planet Antilla and its connection to Onyx Prime were introduced in [[Ghost Stories|the 2017 ''Transformers'' annual]]. The Mistress of Flame told Pyra Magna of her and Praesidia's visit to the planet, but not of their encounter with Onyx. Here, she also recalls Praesidia's death years later at the hands of Onyx, as seen in the annual.
*A mountain-sized ''eyeball'', you say? Now, [[Unicron|who do we know]] who's hanging around on the fringes of IDW continuity who's ''that'' sort of size...?
*Hey, it's Scoop! Ain't seen him in a while! His green coloration might make you momentarily go "huh--?"; he's only appeared on-panel looking like this once before, in [[All That Remains|''Windblade'' vol. 2 #3]], having been changed from his traditional orange colors when he was merged with the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to become part of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in [[You, Me, and the Universe|''The Transformers'' #41]].
*Scoop's former religiosity formed the basis of his character when he was introduced in [[Three Monologues|''Robots in Disguise'' #20]]. Alpha Trion mentions how he uncovered the "[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]" prophecy, as seen in [[Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|''More than Meets the Eye'' #23]]. Bringing this prophecy up again is not likely just an offhand comment; the dream Optimus Prime had in [[All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|''The Transformers'' #50]] (which the Mistress of Flame tries to ask him about in this issue) implied the possibility that the prophecy may have actually referred to Prime and the course his actions have set Cybertron on, rather than the events of the "Dark Cybertron" crossover itself. The dream also added additional lines to the prophecy beyond what was originally spoken by Scoop, all of which allude to the "black star" associated with the Onyx Prime plot thread.
*The events of the [[The Chosen One|2017 ''Till All Are One'' annual]] have taken place between last issue and this one, with Starscream having been locked up, and Windblade elected the new ruler of Cybertron. Windblade no longer has the trust in Optimus Prime she once did, after they found themselves on opposite sides in [[First Strike issue 5|''First Strike'' #5]].
*Protestors at the Ore-13 mine hold up signs reading "Colton Was Right!" and "Free G.I. Joe!", referring to [[Joe Colton]]'s attempt to destroy the Transformers in ''[[First Strike]]'' and his subsequent incarceration after his plan failed. 
*Slide's remarks about "burying the truth" that Arcee zeroes in on refer to the events of [[Primeless, Part 2|issue #12]], in which Aileron and Co. caught [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] running guns, but were forced to hush up the matter in the name of the greater good.
*Starscream recalls [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]]'s death at his hands, from [[Heavy Is the Head|''Robots in Disguise'' #16]].
*While defending his reign of Cybertron, Starscream lists off the sins of the planet's previous rulers namely: Subjugating the populace for eons (the [[Senate]] and/or the [[Functionist Council]]), starting the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] ([[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]) and rising from the grave to try and destroy the world multiple times. This last one may seem a callback to [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], given his [[Titans Return (comic)|recent history]], but Starscream is actually referring to [[Nova Prime]] who seemingly died twice and twice came back with dire consequences for everyone involved.
*The hologram Starscream is looking at was given to him by Windblade in the ''Till All Are One'' annual; it shows the image of his "true self," the way he might have looked if he had been forged rather than cold constructed, which first appeared in [[Your First Mistake|''Till All Are One'' #12]].
*Liege Maximo escaped captivity in [[Rubicon|''Till All Are One'' #8]].

===Transformers references===
*Prominent among the shadowy ranks of Onyx's beast army as the unmistakeable figures of [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Megatron]]. 'Bots resembling either them or their alternate modes have shown up among Onyx's army too many times at this point for it to just be an [[Easter egg]]; these really must be those characters. Primal's impending new toy in the [[Power of the Primes (toyline)|''Power of the Primes'' toyline]] also points toward a full and proper appearance by the character in the near future.
*Also among the shadows are an owl (possibly either [[Prowl II|Prowl II]] or [[Icebird]]), a winged, sickle-handed 'bot ([[Manterror]] or [[Mantis]]?), a pterodactyl ([[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]]? [[Lazorbeak]]?), and a rabbit that ''can't'' be the only pre-existing ''Beast Wars'' rabbit, [[Stampy (BWN)|Stampy]], because he already appeared as a regular Cybertronian in ''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers|Sins of the Wreckers]].
*The prominent Autobot standing near Optimus on page 8 is coloured blue, pink, and orange like [[Skram (G2)|Skram]], but beyond having a hood for a chest and wheels on his shoulders, it doesn't look much else like him. Plus, Skram was killed by [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] not long ago in ''[[The Transformers: Punishment]]''.
*With their tan-grey shirts, blue pants, and bright yellow hard hats and boots, the human miners' outfits are modeled by those worn by [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] and his fellow oil-rig workers in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]. None of them can ''be'' Sparkplug, though; [[Sparkplug Witwicky#IDW Generation 1 continuity|the IDW version]] was an Army general who got [[Earthfall Chapter 5: I Dream of Wires|vaporized]] by [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] years ago!

===Errors===
[[File:OnyxPrime cop idw infographic.jpg|right|thumb]]
*Okay gang, we talked about this back in the notes for [[Origin Myths|issue #10]], but let's clear this one up again—Onyx Prime is meant to be a ''centaur''. Four leggies! We've seen this in the 2017 ''Transformers'' annual, and in [[The Iron Klaw|''Revolutionaries'' #4]]. The problem is, the solitary full-body piece of reference art that existed for Onyx before he started showing up in IDW comics—published in [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]—is hard to read. It depicts the four-legged Onyx rearing up on his hind legs and kicking out his front ones, but the monochrome art means the forelegs get lost against his body, and it's very easy to interpret him as just having the two legs. That's the mistake [[Livio Ramondelli]] made in issue #10 when he drew Onyx as a biped. The way [[Kei Zama]] draws him, meanwhile—both in this issue, and on the cover of issue #10—seems to mistakenly treat "reared up" as Onyx's normal at-rest position, rendering him as standing on two legs at all times with two smaller legs sticking out of his waist, positioned and proportioned in such a way that it doesn't look like it's ''possible'' for him to stand on all four of them. However it appears, Zama would later state on [https://twitter.com/Golby_mkII/status/953724243102986240 her Twitter] that the way she sees it, Onyx's "normal" position is as a centaur but that he's prone to standing on his hind legs for the sake of appearing imposing.
*Meanwhile, [[Casey Coller]]'s rendition of the character on Cover B of this issue uses Zama's cover for #10 as reference, but misinterprets how she drew Onyx's forelegs; only one was visible on the cover, and Coller consequently renders Onyx with two legs and a ''tail-foot'' sticking out of his butt! See the infographic on the right for a visual explanation of all this.
*Moonracer is looking rather off-color on page 14, appearing in a pear-green instead of her usual mint. She's in her correct hues on page 15.
*In front of Moonracer on page 14, Vanquish is miscolored in two-tone purple-and-white. He and his twin Fireshot are looking a bit more like themselves on page 15, but Fireshot's got blue-black arms (like his toy) instead of the grey-and-blue he normally has in the comics, is missing his distinctive yellow visor and red [[mouthplate]], and the pair both have orange thighs instead of magenta.

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' Optimus, the Mistress, and Windblade stare up as Onyx's eye-ball ship stares back, by [[Kei Zama]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
*'''Cover B:''' Our cast, within the silhouette of the Mistress of Flame, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Optimus Prime versus [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], by [[Aaron Conley]] and [[Jean-Francois Beaulieu]]
<gallery>
File:OP15 cvrA.jpg|
File:OP15 cvrB.jpg|
File:OP15 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''Optimus Prime'' #16
*''Lost Light'' #15
*''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade: The Last City]]'' hardback collection
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*IDW ''Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters'' comic
*''[[Jem]]: Infinite'' TPB
*CGC comics
*IDW ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]: Forces of Destiny'' comic

==External links==
*[https://www.newsarama.com/38174-onyx-prime-returns-in-optimus-prime-15-preview.html Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Falling Part 1: Surfeit of Primes, The}}
[[Category:Optimus Prime issues]]