Editing Post

{{Comicstory
|series=op|issueno=25
|prev=A Sunrise Dark
|prev2=Ceremony
|next=
|caption=
|image=OP25 cvrA.jpg
|title="Post"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 21]], 2018
|coverdate=October 2018
|written by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Kei Zama]]
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era]]
}}

'''In the aftermath of the battle with Unicron, our heroes build a new future on Earth, and we look back on the life of Optimus Prime.'''

==Synopsis==
''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] looks back on his life and remembers...''

''As Orion Pax slowly comes online in an [[Iacon (polity)|Iaconian]] [[hot spot]], the [[blacksmith]] supervising his forging is impressed by his size and calls the ancient storyteller [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] to bear witness. Trion agrees there seems to be something special about Pax; that he is a 'bot who will be "worth weaving tales about." With some difficultly, Pax pulls free of the sparkfield, only for the first thing he witnesses to be the blacksmith mistreating the [[Scrounge (G1)|smaller 'bot]] who transforms into his medical equipment.''

Rebuilding on [[Earth]] continues in the wake of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s attack. [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] and [[Marissa Faireborn]] talk about the future—about a "ceremony" [[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Thundercracker]] is attending, about an upcoming funeral Arcee is going to miss—and Arcee tells Marissa the complicated story of her gender transition and how she's moved past the hardships she faced to find a job, friends, and a lover in [[Aileron]].

''Hoping to fight injustice, Orion Pax joins the Iaconian police force. During training, he is given his first gun by [[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]], who is amused by his wide-eyed innocence.''

While [[Jazz (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jazz]] oversees clean-up and rebuilding in [[San Francisco]], [[Sofía Orozco]] arrives on the scene to film a new story. [[Brad Emory]] guest stars to continue berating Cybertronians and their presence on Earth, and Sofía allows him to speak before approaching Jazz for his point of view. Jazz merely tells her he's not here for thanks, he's just here to do what's right.

''Orion Pax and [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] come upon fellow officer [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] roughing up [[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]] for drawing graffiti. Puzzled by the symbol he has scratched into a wall, Pax questions Ravage as to its meaning, but Outback kicks the cat-bot and explains that it's the mark of the "[[Decepticon]]s."''

Unsure what to make of themselves on Earth and thinking they might restart their old [[Chic Chips]] business, brothers [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] go to [[Pyra Magna]], the newly-appointed [[Mistress of Flame]], for some advice. Pyra is still getting used to her new role as spiritual adviser and isn't much help; Needlenose isn't surprised, regarding her as just another 'bot who abandoned everything they believed in, prompting Pyra to testily explain that she is attempting to bring new guidance to the [[Way of Flame]] in this post-Prime era, before  all but kicking them out so she can prepare for the coming funeral.

''Repeated confrontations with the Decepticons send Orion down a dark path, as his fury builds over the subversive, criminal acts they partake in, which overshadow their justifiable anti-authoritarian roots. Seeing Pax's anger when he apprehends [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] in a [[simultronic]] bust, [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] reminds him of the systemic oppression that gave rise to the Decepticons in the first place and rebukes him for having lost sight of that and becoming "part of the problem."''

In [[Little Cybertron]], [[Rum-Maj]] and [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] watch as graves are dug for all those who perished during the conflict with Unicron. The cost of victory weighs heavily on Rum-Maj to the point she is unsure if it was even a victory at all; Wreck-Gar opines that there ''aren't'' any victories in life because it goes on regardless, with or without you, and you just have to do your best for as long as you're around.

''When [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] extends an offer to Orion Pax to meet with him and talk, Orion discusses the matter with his closest allies. [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] thinks Pax should do it, in hopes that it will bring unity, but Ironhide disagrees, labeling all Decepticons murderers. Pax sides with 'Bee, telling Ironhide it's a chance to move past what has been and change the future for the better.''

In Africa, a group of poachers track a herd of elephants who have been displaced due to debris from Unicron landing on their grazing lands. Before the criminals can open fire on the animals, [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] swoops in to stop them. Acting in the deceased [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]]'s name, he decides that his old friend would understand if he made it so the poachers can't hurt anyone ever again...

''Following Pax's transformation into Optimus Prime, he successfully defeats and captures Megatron, but it is not long before a Decepticon raid frees Megatron from prison. [[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] fears that Megatron may spread the war to other planets, and deems Optimus's hope that the Decepticon leader will have seen the error of his ways and will start his movement over again peacefully to be "nuts".''

Bumblebee walks along a coastline as the sun sets on his last day on Earth, before he heads off to serve as the Cybertronian race's diplomatic envoy to the [[Galactic Council]] after the funeral the next day. Walking beside him is a familiar face: the deceased [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]], who gave up his life to ensure victory against Unicron, and who has traded roles with Bumblebee to somehow become a "ghost" only he can see. Bumblebee encourages the spectral Starscream to come with him on his mission, but Starscream doubts he would be welcome. Bumblebee jokingly accuses him of being mad that Optimus Prime is going to get all the credit for saving the universe; Starscream smiles and brushes it off, stating that he's sure people will remember him, and that will be enough.

''As Prowl predicted, the war moves off-planet, and civilizations die as a result. [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] accuses Optimus Prime of not caring, of believing the ends justify the means; [[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]] calms him to prevent a fight, but shares his beliefs, and tells Prime so to his face.''

Thundercracker and [[Buster (IDW)|Buster]] attend an awards ceremony where he is up for "Best Original Screenplay" for his biopic of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] [[Chuckles]]. Wracked with nerves that are made all the worse by the fact that one of his favorite actresses, [[Karen Fishook]], is announcing the winner, Thundercracker braces himself to hear the result...

''Optimus remembers his period of shifting identity, how he went from Prime back to Orion Pax and traveled the stars for a time until retaking the Prime title, then how [[Cybertronian colonies|Cybertron's colonies]] came to consider him [[The Arisen]], the Thirteenth Prime. He wonders, could it be true? Could ''that'' be why Alpha Trion was at his birth?''

Out in the void of [[space (the place)|space]], Aileron captains an exploration vessel crewed by Jetfire, [[Bob (IDW)|Bob]], [[D.0.C.]], and the remaining colonist ex-soldiers. When Jetfire picks up something unusual, Aileron orders them to set course for it with the intention of making friends, and tells [[Bump]] to contact Arcee on Earth so she can apologize to her for her inevitable late return.

''Following Optimus's annexation of Earth, he travels to the colony worlds to recruit new followers, exploiting their faith in his supposed divinity to convince them to join him. Prime's confidence in his new role concerns Aileron, as she remembers how naive and impressionable she was in the face of "The Arisen" not so along ago.''

Prowl oversees [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'s incarceration in an undersea facility. Shockwave reflects on the many faces he was worn in his life, and comments that he is no longer sure which of them was ever the real him. In a moment that's as much dark self-reflection as it is condemnation of Shockwave, Prowl tells him that they were ''all'' the real him, because a 'bot is defined by—and will be judged by—their actions, not what they hoped to attain when they carried those actions out.

''In advance of the final showdown with Unicron, Optimus Prime has one final conversation with Arcee. He removes his [[mouthplate]] and hands it to her, symbolically removing the "mask" of his identity so he can face Unicron as his true self. Recalling Alpha Trion's words at the moment of his creation, that he would be worth telling stories about, Prime tells Arcee that it is ''stories'', and the emotions and deeds they can inspire, that are truly important, moreso than the real-life person those stories happen to be about.''

Prime's discarded mouthplate now sits atop a coffin at the funeral everyone has been waiting for. With a small group of mourners that include representatives of various former colonies, the Earth heroes and organizations he fought with and against, and Prime's closest friends and fiercest detractors, [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] presides, and begins to read from a prepared speech... before she stops herself and instead begins to speak from her heart, delivering a eulogy that is both celebrates and damns with its truth. Prime has left no body; instead, they bury the ''idea'' of Optimus Prime—the idea of both the heroic warrior who fought oppression and saved lives and worlds, and the war hawk leader who pretended to divinity and lied and killed to achieve his desires—that he may be remembered always, and that they may move beyond him and build upon what he achieved to shape a better future on their new homeworld.

''Sinking into darkness, Optimus Prime thinks back on the successes and failures of his life one last time, and the fundamental contradiction they embodied: how could he claim to desire freedom for all beings when he presented that freedom as only achievable through him, with war and destruction ensuing when anyone opposed him? Now, at the end, Prime can see the truth, that "freedom" and "unity" are not in contradiction to one another, but two sides of the same coin, one only attainable through the other. In his life, he failed to find the harmony between the two.. but now that he is gone, he can see that it doesn't matter. Optimus Prime departs the living world with a smile on his face, knowing that life will go on without him, and the stories of his journey, of his ''trying,'' will inspire others to keep doing the same.''

And a story is exactly what these "flashbacks" turn out to be; perhaps the dying Prime's life flashing before his eyes, but also Arcee telling the story of Optimus Prime's life to her class of students, made up of human and [[Elonian]] children, and the new generation of young Cybertronians formerly cared for by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. [[Sideswipe (IDW)|Sideswipe]] questions how Arcee can know that what she is telling them about Prime's final realizations at the end of his life are true, since she wasn't there; Arcee responds that she knew what Prime thought and felt while he was alive, and that is enough to reach the same conclusion. Prime believed in a better future, she tells the children, and believing in the future means believing in the ability of people to change for the better. And all the stories of such change, like the story Arcee is telling them now... all those stories of triumph and failure, and all that they can teach and inspire... ''they'' are what will truly define that future.

==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]]'' (4)
*[[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]] (5)
*''[[Kup (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Kup]]'' (8)
*''[[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]]'' (9)
*''[[Outback (G1)|Outback]]'' (10)
*[[Jazz (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jazz]] (15)
*[[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] (17)
*[[Pyra Magna]] (19)
*[[Swift (G1)|Swift]] (20)
*[[Jumpstream]] (21)
*[[Slide]] (22)
*[[Skyburst (G1)|Skyburst]] (23)
*[[Dust Up]] (24)
*[[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] (25)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]] (26)
*''[[Hound (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Hound]]?'' (27)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*''[[Chromedome (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Tumbler]]'' (28)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (29)
*''[[Slag (G1)|Slag]]'' (36)
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (37)
*''[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]'' (38)
*''[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]'' (39)
*''[[Grimlock (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Grimlock]]'' (40)
*[[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] (44)
*[[Midnight Express (RID)|Midnight Express]] (45)
*[[Bump]] (47)
*[[Aileron]] (49)
*''[[Oiler]]'' (50)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (53)
*[[Strafe (IDW)|Strafe]] (55)
*[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (56)
*[[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock/Sovereign]] (57)
{{!}}}

|c2=
*[[Sparkstalker]] (12)
*''[[Ravage (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ravage]]'' (16)
*[[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] (18)
*''[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]'' (30)
*[[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] (34)
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]]'s ghost (35)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] (51)

|c3=
'''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'''
*[[Scarlett]] (58)
*[[Matt Trakker]] (59)
*[[Ayana Jones|Mayday]] (60)
*[[Zilong Qian|Talon]] (62)

'''Others'''
*[[Marissa Faireborn]] (6)
*[[Brad Emory]] (11)
*[[Sofía Orozco]] (12)
*[[Karen Fishook]] (43)
*[[President of the United States|President]] (61)
*[[Action Man]] (64)
*[[Sgt. Savage]] (65)

|h4=Other Cybertronians|c4=
*''[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]'' (1)
*''[[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]'' (2)
*''Unnamed [[blacksmith]]'' (3)
*[[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s  (7)
*[[Lightbright (G1)|Lightbright]] (13)
*[[Rum-Maj]] (31)
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] (32)
*? (33)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Thundercracker]] (41)
*[[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]] (54)
*[[Sideswipe (IDW)|Sideswipe]] (66)
*[[Slicer (Decepticon)|Slicer]] (67)

|h5=Others|c5=
*[[Livia]] (14)
*[[Buster (IDW)|Buster]] (42)
*[[Bob (IDW)|Bob]] (46)
*[[D.0.C.]] (48)
*''[[Unicron]]'' (52)
*[[Rom]] (63)
}}

==Quotes==
"Our job is to keep the '''peace.''' We only kill as the '''last option'''—when '''evil''' leaves us no choice."<br>
"'''Ha ha ha!''' Kid, I thought you were too '''serious'''—glad ta see a '''bleak''' sense of '''humor''' in ya."
:—'''Orion Pax''' and '''Kup'''


"This place is really popular, you know, '''Rummy-Cube,''' my love. But do you know '''why?''' Ask me why."<br>
"No."<br>
"It seems people are '''dying''' to get here!"
:—'''Wreck-Gar''' and '''Rum-Maj''' visit Little Cybertron's graveyard


"'''Winning?''' What does it '''mean?!''' Maybe there's no '''winning''', my dear, because the game doesn't '''end.''' Some '''pieces''' fall off the board, but new '''pink pegs''' get stuck in the car and we keep passing '''go''', keep collecting '''200 Shanix.'''"<br>
"Perhaps. Perhaps it '''is''' a victory when the '''game''' continues... '''regardless''' of the players."
:—'''Wreck-Gar''' and '''Rum-Maj'''


"'''Soundwave''' laid down his life so '''everybody''' could live. But for '''you'''... I think he'd understand if I made an '''exception.'''"
:—'''Buzzsaw''' attacks the poachers


'''Optimus Prime:''' "'''Find''' [Megatron]. But I want the '''opportunity''' for peace. We're fighting for the '''same thing,''' after all."<br>
'''Prowl:''' "He's '''nuts.'''"<br>
'''Bumblebee:''' "Heh. He's '''Optimus.'''"


"You '''know''' you saved the universe, right?"<br>
"Pfft. Not if you '''ask''' anyone."<br>
"Oh Primus. You're '''jealous''' that '''Optimus''' got all the credit."<br>
"Who, '''me?''' Jealous? It's '''okay.''' People will '''probably''' remember me. That's '''all''' I can ask for, I guess."<br>
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Starscream'''


"I was '''right''', you know. When it all comes down to it, everything is about '''resources'''... there is a finite amount of '''everything'''. Even '''identities'''. And I am no longer sure which version of '''myself''' was the '''real''' one."<br>
"They '''all''' were, Shockwave. All that was done to you, all that you did to yourself... all that you did to '''others.''' We are our '''actions'''... not our '''hopes.'''"
:—'''Shockwave''' and '''Prowl'''


"'''Today''', on his adopted world of '''Earth'''... we bury '''Optimus Prime'''. Not his '''body'''—that's gone. Not his '''spark'''—that belongs to '''Solus.''' We bury the '''idea''' of Optimus Prime. He was a warrior. A hero. A killer. A liar. '''Destruction''' was his company. Did he '''cause''' it—or prevent '''worse?''' The thing that made Optimus who he '''was'''... was that he '''asked''' those questions. Life is not '''simple''', and neither is '''death.''' We inter the '''idea''' of Optimus Prime into the '''soil''' of his '''adopted world'''... a world that has, in turn, adopted us '''all.''' [['Til all are one]]."
:—'''Windblade''' delivers a eulogy for Optimus Prime


"'''Freedom''' and unity (...) describe the same '''phenomenon.''' '''One''' cannot be free unless all are. And if '''all''' are '''free'''—they are as '''one.''' I fell short of '''achieving''' this... but it doesn't matter. The '''goal''' isn't important. The journey is. And it '''never''' ends."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s final words


"Believing in the future means believing we can '''change.''' The '''story''' of that change, the story of becoming what we '''are'''—what we were '''meant''' to be... '''that''' is the true history of the '''world.''' And '''this''', children, is our future. This is '''our''' world."
:—'''Arcee''' signs off

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*This issue is the final comic in the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity]]. Following on from the events of [[Ceremony|''Unicron'' #6]], it serves as an epilogue to that story, to the ''Optimus Prime'' series and John Barber's seven-year ''Transformers'' run, and to the IDW universe as a whole. In terms of chronology, however, portions of [[How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2|''Lost Light'' #25]] take place in the far future, long after this issue.
*Scattered remarks made here and there over the last few years of IDW comics have implied a recontextualization of Arcee's origins from her [[Spotlight: Arcee|controversial ''Spotlight'' back in 2008]], but with this issue, Barber—working with ''Transformers'' fan [[Jenevieve Frank]] to incorporate her own experiences—finally addresses the matter directly. In no uncertain terms, Arcee was (in her words) "forged male, which did not match [her] spark," and willingly agreed to the procedure Jhiaxus performed on her. Her erratic behavior following this was not the result of the transition itself, but the lack of aftercare Jhiaxus provided ("the Cybertronian equivalent" of "bad meds," Arcee and Marissa collectively conclude).
*Arcee also notes that [[Anode]] (a trans character featured in ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'') offered to help her, only to vanish. Given that Anode only realized her trans identity after leaving Cybertron to escape the war, this means she must have met Arcee when she returned to Cybertron just prior to events shown in [[Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|''Lost Light'' #1]], and her "disappearance" was her abduction to the future by [[Mortilus|the Necrobot]], seen in that same issue. The implication, then, is that the things Arcee discovered from Anode (like the fact she ''didn't'' have to have her [[CNA]] altered in order to transition) coupled with Anode's disappearance before she could help her triggered the rampage the already-unstable Arcee was on as ''Spotlight: Arcee'' began.
*Orion's first two flashbacks are the earliest points we have seen in his life in this continuity, prior to his previously-chronologically-earliest appearance in [[Chaos Theory Part 1|''The Transformers'' vol. 1 #22]]. The third also seems intended to be set before this issue, in his younger days before he became a police captain (Outback still calls him "rookie," and the narration implies it is before he addresses the Senate, as seen in [[Chaos Theory Part 2|''The Transformers'' vol. 1 #23]]), but see "Errors" below.
*Needlenose and Tracks were previously shown in business together selling Chic Chips before the war in [[The Transgressors|''The Transformers'' #44]].
*Following her acceptance into the ranks of the Torchbearers in ''Unicron'' #6, replacing the deceased [[Stormclash]], Slide is shown to have adopted their red-and-green color scheme. With Pyra ascending to the position of Mistress of Flame, Skyburst has become the new leader of the team, and Swift has joined them as the new sixth member and also taken their colors. Swift's not here for combining reasons, though; [[Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|''The Transformers'' #46]] explained there are always six Torchbearers, representing the hexagonal lattice of [[Solus Prime]]'s [[Creation Lathe]].
*Orion's fourth flashback takes place after the various flashbacks we've seen throughout the ''Optimus Prime'' series, but before ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', and depicts Orion in his "angry and violent" phase that he fell into following the events seen in [[New Cybertron Part 5: Future Glories Lost|''Optimus Prime'' #5]].
*[[Chromedome (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Chromedome]] appears with Pax's unit in this flashback; presumably he's there because he's still partners with Prowl in the [[Iaconian Mechaforensic Division]] at this time, as seen in [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|''More than Meets the Eye'' #9]]-[[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|11]]. Per those issues, his name at this time is "Tumbler."
*Process of elimination would indicate the block-colored sixth 'bot on Orion's team seen in this flashback is Hound, who was part of his unit in ''Autocracy'', but hasn't shown up in any of the other looks at the past in the ''Optimus Prime'' series. His cannon's on the wrong shoulder, though.
*This flashback sees Swindle mention a simultronic dealer named [[Marauder (G1)|Marauder]]. A 'bot by this name was previously referenced in [[Dissolution Part 3: A World Misplaced|''Lost Light'' #3]], one of the deceased Transformers whose essences were captured in one of the Necrobot's spark-flowers, whose death was apparently the work of Starscream.
*Orion's fifth flashback occurs between [[The Hunt for Soundwave|''Autocracy'' #3]] and [[Cause and Effect|#4]], but it retcons the precise circumstances of Orion and Megatron's meeting. Orion was not politely invited to meet with Megatron and given time to talk it over with his comrades; he was ''forced'' to do so by Decepticons who were holding Bumblebee hostage (with 'Bee even telling Orion not to go because it was a trap, versus his encouragement in his story) and had to go to the meeting right away.
*During the fifth flashback, Ironhide refers to the death of the Senate, as seen in [[Megatron Origin issue 4|''Megatron Origin'' #4]].
*Buzzsaw is defending elephants against poachers in Soundwave's memory because elephants were Soundwave's favourite Earth creatures, as he revealed in [[New Cybertron Part 4: Dance Among the Shadows|''Optimus Prime'' #4]].
*Captain of continuity to the very last, John Barber plugs one of the larger gaps in the IDW timeline with Orion's sixth flashback, which details how Megatron escaped captivity after he was imprisoned by the Autobots in [[Primacy issue 4|''Primacy'' #4]].
*Following his death in ''Unicron'' #6 and conspicuous absence from the gathering of the spirits of the dead seen in the same issue, Starscream is revealed to have persisted after death as a "ghost" who can only be seen by Bumblebee, in an inverse of their relationship for the last three years (spanning [[The Transgressors|''The Transformers'' vol. 2 #44]], though all of [[The Transformers: Till All Are One|''Till All Are One,'']] up to [[The Falling, Chapter 4: The Hallowing|''Optimus Prime'' #19]]). Exactly how Starscream has done this is left unsaid; perhaps his spirit has wound up in [[Infraspace]] like Bumblebee's did, given that the Talisman, which killed Starscream, showed the ability to project a 'bot's consciousness there in [[Ghost in the Machine (IDW)|''Revolutionaries'' #8]]. See also "Transformers references," below.
*Bumblebee is leaving to become the Transformers' diplomatic envoy to the Galactic Council. ''Lost Light'' #25 established that Prowl was reaching out to the Council to have them oversee Megatron's second trial, in the hope the Cybertronian race would finally be allowed to join. Sounds rather like he got his wish.
*Orion's seventh flashback showcases his tempestuous relationship with the Dinobots, which was the subject of ''[[The Transformers: Punishment]]''. Slug is correctly still referred to as "Slag" during this flashback, as it's set before he changed his name in [[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|''More than Meets the Eye'' #25]].
*One of the other writers competing with Thundercracker for his award is "Michael Costa," a tip of the hat to former IDW ''Transformers''  writer [[Mike Costa]], who rehabilitated Thundercracker all the way back in 2010's [[Things Fall Apart, Part 3: "Seasons in Flight"|''Transformers'' vol. 1 #4]] by establishing him as a fan of Earth television, thereby setting him on the path to this moment.
*Thundercracker was established to be a fan of Karen Fishook (who played the mother of the titular character of his favorite TV show ''[[Nurse Whitney]]'') in [[Starscream: The Movie (comic)|the 2018 ''Optimus Prime'' annual]].
*Orion's eighth flashback occurs during his solo space travels, somewhere between ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'' and [[Syndromica (1)|''Robots in Disguise'' #6]].
*While on a space adventure as part of Aileron's crew, D.0.C. is shown with a stuffed toy dog on a lead, with a visible "B" on its name tag. This is obviously a surrogate for Buster, as the pair became pals after sharing an adventure back in [[Conquerors Part 3: Helden|The Transformers #48]].
*Orion's ninth flashback falls somewhere between the end of ''[[Revolution]]'' and the start of ''Optimus Prime''. 
*It's not called out by name, but Shockwave appears to have been imprisoned on ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Lemuria]]'', a.k.a the former Decepticon spacecraft ''Nemesis'', which was being used as an underwater headquarters by G.I. Joe in [[G.I. Joe vol. 5|''G.I. Joe'' vol. 5]] following its capture by the [[Earth Defense Command]] in [[White Heat|''The Transformers'' vol. 2 #57]]. 
*The imprisoned Shockwave has been strung up with his arms and legs removed, a plight that was also suffered by [[Getaway]] in [[Speak, Memory! (Part 2)|''More than Meets the Eye'' #49]]. Perhaps this is standard Cybertronian protocol for exceptionally dangerous prisoners.  Additionally, the perspective and framing of Shockwave's dismembered body calls back to how he was similarly shown in [[Maximum Dinobots issue 2|''Maximum Dinobots'' #2]], and [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #3]], and [[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|''More Than Meets The Eye'' #11]].  In each of those other circumstances, Shockwave was being rebuilt and getting a new chance to further his schemes; here, he has been taken apart most likely for keeps.  
*Orion's tenth and final flashback is set during the events of [[Unicron issue 5|''Unicron'' #5]], and shows his decision to remove his faceplate prior to the end of that issue, which went unexplained at the time.
*Windblade begins Optimus's funeral by saying "Loss of life is only a tragedy if it is without..." before stopping herself. The next word is "purpose"; this rite was previously used by [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]] in [[Megatron Origin issue 3|''Megatron Origin'' #3]], and by Optimus at the funeral of Sideswipe in [[The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|''Optimus Prime'' #13]].
* The Elonian child on the final page appears to be the same young girl who appeared in ''Unicron'' issues [[Our Darkest|#1]] and [[Ceremony|#6]].
*And so the question of whether or not Optimus Prime truly is The Arisen is... left ambiguous. He ''might'' be the reincarnation of the Thirteenth Prime... or he might not. In the end, it doesn't matter; what matters is what he used the story that he was to accomplish.

===Transformers references===
*The text on the first page of this issue is taken from the [[bio]] included with the [[Tech Spec]]s of the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|original Optimus Prime toy]]. The "line graph" below it is based on (but is not an exact replica of) Prime's original Tech Spec graph itself.
*The little robot who transforms into the blackmith's medical equipment (apparently some kind of magnifying lens) is [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]], a comic-original character who appeared in [[The Smelting Pool!|issue #17]] of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel ''Transformers'' comic]]. He's made several silent cameo guest-spots dotted across IDW history that, like this one, have typically depicted him in unfortunate situations, but this is the first time we've seen his alternate mode. In the Marvel comic, he transformed into a wheel, and in homage to that, he's here seen chasing after a circular piece of his own [[kibble]] that's popped off and is rolling away.
*The freshly-forged Orion Pax's appearance is mostly based on his original look from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]" with a few embellishments, like the angular protruding windshield-chest reminiscent of the design created by [[Guido Guidi]] for his appearance in "[[Spotlight: Blurr]]."
*Multiple human workers seen throughout this issue are wearing tan shirt, blue pants, and yellow helmet and boots worn by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Sparkplug Witwicky|his father]] in the Generation 1 cartoon.
*On page 3, a sign is shown advertising [[energon goodie]]s as they appeared in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', as wafer-like "sticks of gum" kept in a square container.
*Orion Pax notes that, as a truck, Functionism permitted him to have become "a scientist, a librarian, or a dockworker" instead of a police officer. Orion was a dockworker in the Generation 1 cartoon, and a librarian in both [[Dreamwave Productions]]' [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|comic book continuity]] and the [[Aligned continuity family]]. "Scientist" was presented as a possible job he could have had in Optimus Prime's original Generation 1 profile, were he not leader of the Autobots instead, and may also be an allusion to the [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|live-action movie version of the character]], who in IDW's movie tie-in comics, was the head of Cybertron's [[Science Division]] before becoming a Prime.
*Swindle refers to a 'bot named "[[Shadowhawk]]," which was the Japanese-market name for [[Divebomb (Energon)|''Energon'' Divebomb]].
* Hound is shown holding Ravage in captivity -- a reference to their numerous bouts in Generation 1 fiction. 
*Starscream surviving death as a ghost is, of course, a concept that originated in the Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[Starscream's Ghost]]," and has seen a lot of play in subsequent media, particularly in Japan. If the Infraspace explanation isn't the case, perhaps IDW's Starscream really does just have the same "indestructible spark" as the original, which the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]] credited with his unique ability to persist after death.
*Midnight Express remarks that he likes the cold, an aspect of his personality derived from his original Japanaese characterization. This trait survived into the English-language bio included with Hasbro's release of the figure, but not into the English-dubbed version of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]].
*Optimus drops [[Furmanism#IT NEVER ENDS|a famous climactic Furmanism]] as the final line of his narration. 
*Arcee serving as a teacher for the next generation of Cybertronians alludes to her [[Arcee (Animated)|''Animated'' counterpart]], who was a teacher before the war.
*Several young members of that next generation appear along with the young Sideswipe on the final page. Apart from one who is drawn to look like the deceased [[Wheeljack (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Wheeljack]] (and coloured like Wheeljack's [[Action Master]] redeco, [[Slicer (Decepticon)|Slicer]]), the rest appear to be generics who colourist Josh Burcham has given the color schemes of other characters. One has been colored like [[Sideways (Armada)|''Armada'' Sideways]], and another like [[Turbofire]].

===Real-life references===
*Wreck-Gar uses a few board game metaphors:
**"...you know, Rummy-cube, my love..."-a slight allusion to {{w|Rummikub}}, a tile adaptation of set-collecting games like Rummy.
**"New pink pegs get stuck in the car"—a gameplay mechanic from {{w|The Game of Life}}.
**"We keep passing Go, keep collecting 200 [[Shanix]]"—an allusion to passing Go and collecting $200 in [[Monopoly]]
*Thundercracker has titled his Chuckles movie ''Last Laugh,'' which was the name of the real-life hardcover collection of the IDW ''G.I. Joe'' comic books telling the story that T.C. has based his screenplay on.
*Karen Fishook starts to read the result of the award ceremony by saying "And the winner is..." before correcting herself and saying "And the award goes to..." Her first impulse is how they used to announce the Oscars, before it was changed in 1989 to the latter (or rather, to "And the ''Oscar'' goes to...").
*The imagery of Bumblebee walking on a beach receiving guidance from someone who cannot be seen, showing only one set of footprints in the sand, is similar to common inspirational "--and that's when I carried you" allusions to [[Jesus]].

===Errors===
*The flashbacks showing Orion Pax and Ironhide as beat cops together contradict ''[[Old Ways|All Hail Megatron #13]]'', which showed the two being introduced by Kup after Pax was already a field commander.
*With regard to Orion's third flashback, it shows Ravage drawing graffiti of the Decepticon symbol when Orion was still a rookie beat cop... but [[Chaos Theory Part 1|''The Transformers'' vol. 1 #22]] showed that Orion had become captain of the Rodion precinct before Megatron ever thought the symbol up.
*During their flashback, Oiler and Slide are drawn with their Earth vehicle modes, rather than the Devisen forms they were depicted with in [[Time Will Rust|issue #23]].
*Shockwave says "There's is a finite amount of everything."

===Other trivia===
*Originally solicited for release in October 2018, this issue was held back until late November to ensure that it was released after the delayed ''Unicron'' #6.
*This issue features 24 story pages instead of the usual 20. The remaining four pages of the comic are taken up by the introductory "Tech Specs" page (described above), two bookend pages that simply read "The Beginning" and "The End," and a farewell letter from writer John Barber reminiscing about his time on IDW's ''Transformers'' comics and thanking his fellow creators.

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' A huge cast group shot surrounding a portrait of Optimus Prime, by [[Kei Zama]] and [[Josh Burcham]]; an homage to Marvel Comics' 25th anniversary covers from 1986. [[Heavy Traffic!|Marvel's ''The Transformers'' #22]] featured one of these covers, but the note on the credits page that it is drawn "after {{w|Walt Simonson|Walter Simonson}}" indicates it's specifically evoking the cover of [https://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Thor_Vol_1_373 ''Thor'' #373] and Simsonson's regal depiction of the God of Thunder.
*'''Cover B:''' Optimus Prime, with other members in the pieces of a shattered Autobot symbol behind him, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[John-Paul Bove]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' ''Robots in Disguise'' artist [[Andrew Griffith]] returns to draw key cast members from Barber's run one last time
<gallery>
File:OP25 cvrA.jpg|
File:OP25 cvrB.jpg|
File:OP25 cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''[[Sonic the Hedgehog|Team Sonic Racing]]'' one-shot

==External links==
*[http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/2018/11/16/exclusive-idw-preview-optimus-prime-25/ Preview]

[[Category:Optimus Prime issues]]