Editing The Falling, Chapter 5: Endless Forever

{{Comicstory
|series=op|issueno=20
|prev=The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing
|next=The Falling, Chapter 6: Unforgivable
|caption=Speech ''this''.
|image=OP20 cvrA.jpg
|title="The Falling<br>Chapter 5: Endless Forever"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[July 11]], 2018
|coverdate=June 2018
|written by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Kei Zama]]
|finishes by=[[Casey Coller]] (pg. 14-19)
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}

'''While chaos reigns on multiple fronts on Cybertron, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee try to escape Infraspace.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] thinks back to the time he first met [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]], and how he subsequently joined Orion's [[Autobot]] police force as they pushed back against the [[Decepticon]] uprising. As the fight wore on, however, Orion became more and more disillusioned and violent, to the point of physically abusing suspects, as he did to [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] on the day the Autobots raided his weapons-manufacturing warehouse. But still, Bumblebee stayed on Orion's side, because he owed his life to him... and later, when Orion cast off his darkness to rise up against the corrupt [[Zeta Prime]] and became Optimus Prime, Bumblebee knew he'd made the right choice. Four million years later, Bumblebee died by [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'s hand, and his body was sucked into a miniature singularity... but rather than moving on to the next world, 'Bee instead found himself trapped in the limbo realm of [[Infraspace]], between life and death. There, he has remained for years, alone—until right now, as Optimus Prime, thrown into the singularity by Shockwave, appears to join him. Optimus believes that this is the end, that he will be unable to save [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], but 'Bee is confident that, with the Prime at his side, together they can find a way to escape back to reality.

Back on Cybertron, [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]]'s confidence is waning as Shockwave's [[Maximal]] army slowly threatens to overcome her, with one even raking [[Sideswipe (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Sideswipe]]'s [[jet pack]] off her back. She hurls her sword at [[Optimus Primal (BW)|one of her opponents]], but the blade is snatched out of the air by [[Liege Maximo]]. Familiar with the Prime of Lies from her youth, Arcee is surprised to see him fighting alongside the "[[Eukaris|Eukarian]] army," but Maximo is quick to correct her: though the Maximals may ''look'' like the beasts of Eukaris, they are not. Unarmed, Arcee is overwhelmed by the Maximals, but surprisingly, is taken prisoner alive on Shockwave's orders—orders that Maximo hopes he'll soon rescind.

By the dead body of [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]], Shockwave observes [[Victorion]]'s battle with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], as the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]] combiner's sheer bloody-mindedness gives him the strength to push through the pressure Victorion subjects him to with her gravity-manipulating powers. [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]], meanwhile, slinks away, having had everything he ever wanted ripped out from under him as the punchline of some grand cosmic joke, while [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] and [[Aileron]] survey the damage done to Metrotitan, and Jetfire catches the Camien up on Shockwave's history. Aileron manages to find the bright side, concluding that, since "[[Onyx Prime]]" is actually just "some guy" in disguise and not actually a divine Prime, maybe they ''can'' beat him after all.

Elsewhere, [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] rejoins her fellow [[Council of Worlds|council]] members after conducting a futile search for Optimus Prime. [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] desires retaliation, ready to order [[Vigilem|Carcer]] to attack, but [[Marissa Faireborn]] advocates caution. The [[Mistress of Flame]] is more concerned with the chaos that has erupted in the streets, as Decepticons and Prime loyalists have come to blows, even as each faction falls to in-fighting over who to actually follow. [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]], now ''persona non grata'' after his role in the killing of [[Horri-Bull]] was exposed, hides in the shadows as angry Decepticons search for him, but things take a turn when the crowd spots Starscream, who is trying to make his way back to the authorities, so he can surrender, be put back in his cell, and go back to ''not worrying'' about everyone else's problems again. The other Decepticons haltingly suggest that... maybe... he could... be ''their'' leader again? After all, he did a good job leading the planet, and at least they ''know'' they're getting a cheating liar if they choose him. Starscream tries to fight the idea, but starts to realize that maybe the Decepticons genuinely don't have a better choice... which prompts an incensed Soundwave to take action.

In Infraspace, Bumblebee tells Optimus about his inexplicable ability to communicate with Starscream as a "ghost." Having had experience with Infraspace, Prime observes that they do not exist ''physically'' in the realm; they are just free-floating life-forces, untethered and adrift, without bodies. Perhaps, Bumblebee muses, Starscream's sense of not belonging in his own body was enough to bridge the gap between the realms and let them communicate. Whatever the reason, such thinking soon provides a potential avenue of escape. As Bumblebee apologizes to Prime for his failure to build a working government on Cybertron, and Prime tells Bumblebee he has nothing to apologize for, taking the blame onto himself, their conversation shifts to the [[Matrix of Leadership]], and how Bumblebee knows that, despite what devout believers in the Primes may say, it didn't change who Prime was at his core. Prime agrees; the Matrix is "just an idea." But in Infraspace... ''everything'' is "just an idea," a thought without physical form. And while the ''physical'' Matrix may be without power, if the ''idea'' of the Matrix and everything it represents was powerful enough to start the war all those millions of years ago, perhaps, in this realm, the power of that idea may be enough to free them. Prime opens his chest, and the Matrix glows brilliantly within...

Searching for Arcee, Jetfire and Aileron come upon the site of her battle, strewn with Maximal corpses and Sideswipe's jet pack. They fear the worst, but it seems the worst is yet to come, as Aileron's attention is drawn to the other side of the battlefield, where the singularity at the heart of [[Crystal City]] has begun to flare with light. Then, behind the pair, Shockwave appears, a vial of tainted [[energon]] in his hand, and the ''[[Nemesis (BWII)|Nemesis]]'' floating behind him. His plan, he declares, is near completion—but for the final step, Jetfire is needed!

==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"{{!}}
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime/Orion Pax]] (1)
*''[[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]]'' (2)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] (3)
*''[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]]'' (8)
*[[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] (10)
*''[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]'' (13)
*''[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'' (14)
*[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] (20)
*[[Victorion]] (35)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (37)
*[[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]] (38)
*[[Aileron]] (39)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
{{!}}}
|c2=
*''[[Space Case (G2)|Space Case]]'' (4)
*''[[Road Pig (G2)|Road Pig]]'' (5)
*''[[Snarler]]'' (6)
*''[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]'' (7)
*''[[Finback]]'' (9)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] (12)
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (34)
*[[Acid Storm]] (45)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] (47)
*[[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] (48)
*[[Octane|Tall Tankor]] (49)
*[[Flip Sides (G1)|Flip Sides]] (50)
*[[Swift (G1)|Swift]] (52)
*[[G'nur]] (53)
*[[Submarauder (G1)|Submarauder]] (54, see notes)
*[[Skullgrin]] (55, see notes)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] or [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] (56)

|h3=[[Maximal]]s|c3=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Jawbreaker]] (15)
*[[Archadis]] (16)
*[[Dead End (BWN)|Dead End]] (17)
*[[Apache]] (18) 
*[[Cohrada]] (19)
*[[Thunderhoof (BW)|Thunderhoof]] (21)
*[[Steel Jaw]] (22)
*[[Powerhug (BWII)|Powerhug]] (23)
*[[Snapper]] (24)
*[[Diver (BWII)|Diver]] (25)
*[[Scylla]] (26)
*[[Poison Bite]] (27)
*[[Lazorbeak]] (28)
*[[Tonbot]] (29)
*"[[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]" (30)
*"[[Megatron (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Megatron]]" (32)
*[[Mach Kick]] (33)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Transquito]] (55)
*[[Icebird]] (56)
*[[Drill Nuts]] (57)
*[[Lazorbeak]] (58)
*[[Tasmania Kid]] (59)
*[[Mantis]] (60)
*[[Scuba]] (61)
*[[DJ (BWII)|DJ]] (62)
*[[Heinrad (BWN)|Heinrad]] (64)
*[[Moon (BWII)|Moon]] (65)

:''(See notes)''
{{!}}}

|c4=
'''Cybertronians'''
*''[[Zeta Prime]] (11)
*[[Liege Maximo]] (31)
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (36)
*[[Mistress of Flame]] (40)
*[[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (41)
*[[Roadmaster]] (44)
*[[Tankor (BM)|Fat Tankor]] (49)
'''Humans'''
*[[Marissa Faireborn]] (42)
}}

==Quotes==
"Allow me to introduce Liege Maximo's '''Maximals.'''"<br>
"I stayed away from the ''Lost Light'' in order to '''avoid''' wordplay."
:—'''Liege Maximo''' and '''Arcee'''


"[Shockwave's] plans are usually quite '''bad''' for everyone."<br>
"'''Bad's''' a vague word, Jetfire. I mean, Pyra thinks '''Optimus''' is doing bad, but Starscream—"<br>
"Shockwave once attempted to '''collapse''' all of space and time to a '''point'''—to not only '''destroy''' the universe, but to cause there to have never '''been''' one."<br>
"Oh, you mean '''bad.''' Got it."
:—'''Jetfire''' and '''Aileron'''


"Enough."<br>
"'''Ha!''' That's the kind of thing a '''leader''' gets to say. When '''you''' say it, you sound '''pathetic'''. Give me '''one''' reason why that's enough."<br>
"I have '''six''' reasons '''loaded''', Needlenose. And another '''eighteen''' in the '''magazine''', if you require '''further''' explanation.'''"
:—'''Soundwave'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s just about had it with '''Needlenose'''


"Those who claim '''living well''' is the '''best revenge''' have never explored the benefits of '''time travel.'''"
:—'''Shockwave'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This issue's title, "Endless Forever," is paraphrased from a line delivered by Shockwave in [[Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|''Dark Cybertron'' #1]]: "A circle within a circle within the same circle... endless and forever." Optimus Prime idly draws a circle in the dirt later in the issue. 
*Following the events seen in flashback in [[New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|issue #5]], this issue's opening flashback continues to follow Orion Pax's descent from "optimistic hero cop" to "embittered violent lawman," leading in to how he was depicted in ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]''.
*As referenced in a footnote, Bumblebee met Orion Pax in the [[Ghost Stories|2017 ''Transformers'' annual]], and learned the lesson about being stronger together than apart.
*Jetfire mentioned the time Orion "stood up to the Senate," as seen in [[Chaos Theory Part 2|''The Transformers'' vol. 1 #23]].
*Swindle claims his license to sell arms was signed by "the mayor of [[Vos (polity)|Vos]]... or something." Undoubtedly, the signer was Starscream, who we know from both [[Starscream: The Movie (comic)|the 2018 ''Optimus Prime'' annual]] and [[The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|last issue]] served as precinct senator for Vos.
*Page 2, panel 4, recreates [[Overthrown|''Autocracy'' #8]], page 4, panel 2, showing Pax ripping off Zeta Prime's [[vamparc ribbon]].
*We also flash back to the events of ''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]'' [[Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|chapters 11]] and [[...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|12]], to see Bumblebee's death, and Optimus, Megatron, and Ultra Magnus try to outrace the singularity.
*Liege Maximo talks about Arcee "murdering [her] way across the galaxy," which was what she was in the middle of doing all the way back when we first met her in ''[[Spotlight: Arcee]]''.
*Fat Tankor recalls starring in the [[Starscream: The Movie (film)|movie]] about Starscream's life, which a footnote reminds us happened in the 2018 annual.
*On page 17, panel 2, one of the Decepticons visible in the crowd is the Decepticon bartender who appeared in [[The Transgressors|''The Transformers'' vol. 2 #44]]. He was nicknamed "G'nur" by that issue's colorist, [[Josh Perez]]; "[[Rung (G1)|Rung]]" spelled backwards, because of his resemblance to the Autobot psychiatrist.
*Flip Sides makes her first appearance in modern times, appearing with other Decepticons in the crowd. Having previously only appeared in flashbacks, she becomes the third known female Decepticon in IDW continuity, after [[Nickel]] and [[Swift (G1)|Swift]].

===Transformers references===
*[[Unicron Trilogy]] characters cameoing in this issue include [[Cyclonus (Armada)|''Armada'' Cyclonus]] and [[Sideways (Armada)|''Cybertron'' Sideways]] among the Decepticons in Swindle's sweatshop, and [[Thrust (Armada)|''Armada'' Thrust]] in the crowd of Decepticons who ask Starscream to lead them.
*In what is presumably a coincidence, Cyclonus's appearance here maintains his status as a Cybertronian from [[The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|''More than Meets the Eye'' #35]].
*More Maximals, more problems! Aside from recurring cameo stars Optimus Primal and Megatron, all the beasts seen in this issue are block-colored, so it's impossible to tell whether they're the American ''Beast Wars'' characters or the Japanese-exclusive characters with whom they share a mold. However, several unique characters are identifiable, including ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' [[Scylla]] and [[Moon (BWII)|Moon]] and ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' [[Dead End (BWN)|Dead End]], [[Cohrada]], and [[Heinrad (BWN)|Heinrad]]. For simplicity's sake, we've opted to take the presence of these Japanese-exclusive characters as an indicator and consider ''all'' the other characters to be ''Beast Wars II'' or ''Neo'' characters, for the purposes of our cast list above. We've made exceptions where this is impossible; for instance, since [[Hydra (BWN)|Hydra]] appeared and died on [[Regalis V]] in [[The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|issues #13]]-[[The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|14]], the character sharing his mold and striped deco pattern on page 19 must be [[Lazorbeak]].
*In addition to intact (or mostly intact) remains characters listed above, on page 19, dismembered ''parts'' of certain Maximals' bodies are visible after Arcee's done with 'em, including a bat wing we'll assume belongs to the [[Mutant (BW)|Mutant]] [[Soundwave (BW)|Soundwave]], and a claw that look to belong to [[Razorclaw (BW)|Razorclaw]]/[[Rockbuster]]. There is also a claw from [[Sea Clamp]] (certainly not [[Gimlet]]), though Sea Clamp appears intact and alive in [[Unicron issue 1|''Unicron'' #1]].
*Also appearing among the wrecks of Arcee's defeated Maximals foes on page 6 are 2015 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' characters [[Thunderhoof (RID)|Thunderhoof]] and [[Steeljaw (RID)|Steeljaw]], who have already been reimagined as Generation 1-continuity Maximals by [[Fun Publications]]' series of ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' prose stories.

===Errors===
*On page 17, panel 2, Skullgrin and Submarauder appear in the crowd. Skullgrin was established to have survived his apparent death in [[Stormbringer issue 3|''Stormbringer'' #3]] over in [[The Ties That Bind|''Lost Light'' #15]], so that's not a big deal—the error is that the pair are drawn to look exactly like their [[Pretender]] shells, which they've never had in IDW continuity.

===Other trivia===
*Originally solicited for release in June, this issue arrives late, in the second week of July.

===Soundtrack===
*"[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJNUk-O2RlY Never Land]" by {{w|The Sisters of Mercy}}
*"[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPG_TCX2Z0k A Means to an End]" by {{w|Joy Division}}

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' Optimus Primal and ''Beast Wars'' Megatron, by [[Kei Zama]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]
*'''Cover B:''' Our cast, within the silhouette of Bumblebee, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Black-and-white lineart version of Cover A
<gallery>
File:OP20 cvrA.jpg|Megatron's a Maximal now, yeeesssssss.
File:OP20 cvrB.jpg|Bumblebee's back. Yay?
File:OP20 cvrRI.jpg|This is just Prime!
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''Optimus Prime'' #21
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*''[[Micronauts: Into the Microspace]]'' TPB
*''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]] vs. The Six Million Dollar Man'' TPB
*''Atomic Robo: The Spectre of Tomorrow'' TPB
*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' #7
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]] Adventures'' Vol. 3 TPB

==External links==
*[https://graphicpolicy.com/2018/07/10/preview-transformers-optimus-prime-20/ Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Falling Chapter 5: Endless Forever, The}}
[[Category:Optimus Prime issues]]