Editing The World In Your Eyes Part Three

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' #3
|prev=The World In Your Eyes Part Two
|next=The World In Your Eyes Part Four
|caption=
|image=TF2019 03 cvrA.jpg
|title="The World In Your Eyes Part Three"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[April 17]], 2019
|coverdate=April 2019
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Angel Hernandez]] (pg. 3-18), [[Cachét Whitman]] (pg. 1-2, 19-20)
|colors by=[[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]] and [[Tom Waltz]]
|continuity=[[Transformers (2019 comic)|2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Orion Pax's concerns mount as Megatron unveils his new counterterrorism unit, while Rubble's tour of Cybertron takes an unexpected detour.'''

==Synopsis==
A concerned [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] and his compatriots watch as [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] broadcasts a new proclamation for all of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to hear: announcing that the  [[Autobot]]-controlled [[Senate]] and its [[Security Operations]] are no longer capable of keeping the planet safe in the wake of [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]'s death and the recent attack at his latest [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]] rally in [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]], Megatron unveils his new [[Ascenticon Guard]], a selection of volunteers who will police Ascenticon gatherings for any potential threats—internal or external. [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] is immediately alarmed by the presence of [[Quake]] amidst the guardsmen, chilled by the prospect of Megatron hiring a such violent 'bot as his private enforcer.

While Orion heads out to an emergency [[Senate]] meeting, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and Chromia lay out their findings so far: Chromia informs Pax that twenty members of [[The Rise]] are now in Autobot custody, though Prowl points out that none of them are part of the group's innermost members, leading him to conclude that, since the leadership have conclusively gone to ground in anticipation of a police crackdown, the group is ''definitely'' implicated in the murder.

The tense conversation is interrupted by a hysterical [[Froid]]; believing Orion to be at fault, the psychologist demands an explanation for why Quake has resurfaced as a member of Megatron's militia. Froid briskly reminds Orion of Quake's dark history: a veteran of the war against the [[Threefold Spark]], Quake's sociopathic love of violence fueled his ability to spread destruction, but rendered him unable to cope with the realities of peacetime— thus making Quake one of the very few patients that Froid and his myriad therapies were unable to conclusively treat. Orion manages to keep Froid's concerns at bay by telling him that he'll investigate the matter, but as soon as they're out of earshot the Senator reminds his compatriots that solving Brainstorm's murder comes first. Chromia prepares to lead a conclusive sweep of the [[energon transmission station]] for clues while Prowl reports on his progress with Cybertron's [[Voin]] community in the hopes of tracking down the unlicensed scavenger [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] encountered on the night of the murder, though the highly individualistic nature of the species has impeded his inquiries.

With Senate head [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] offworld, and with Cybertron now caught between a paralyzed Senate and increasingly riled Ascenticon sympathizers, Orion takes command and orders [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] to keep Sentinel updated on the situation as it unfolds. As Ironhide departs to do so, he points out the remarkable luck of the rally crashers, who were able to strike at Megatron ''and'' slip away unscathed, and Orion can only agree...

Elsewhere, at a deserted testing track, [[Rubble]] is supposed to be learning about potential [[alternate mode]]s and watches as [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] puts his own vehicle form through its paces, though ''he<nowiki>'</nowiki> s'' more interested in taking in the sight of the [[Winged Moon]] as it concludes its nightly [[energon]] harvest. Undeterred, Bumblebee decides to approach the topic from another perspective, drawing Rubble's attention to another of Cybertron's denizens as she trundles past the outskirts of the city. Though Rubble initially mistakes the colossal crawler for a [[Titan (group)|Titan]], Bumblebee explains that her name is [[Leviathan (G1)|Leviathan]]: an immense Cybertronian who uses her own alternate mode to endlessly traverse the plains of Cybertron and harvest ore to be melted down and processed into usable materials, including the [[living metal]] from which all Transformers, including Rubble, are forged.

The lesson imparted, Bumblebee turns Rubble's attention back to the task at hand and asks if he wants to [[Scanning|scan]] any of the model vehicles kept on the track for this purpose, but when 'Bee soon realizes that Rubble's attention is starting to wander again, he concludes that his time with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] has inspired the little 'bot. Next time they visit Wheeljack, he assures Rubble, they'll take the [[Tether]] all the way up to the moon itself... but Rubble doesn't have time to respond before Windblade arrives with an urgent message for Bumblebee, telling him that he's needed at the Senate building. Windblade promises to take Rubble back to his quarters, and as he transforms and speeds off Bumblebee tells his protégé to use their private channel on his communicator if he needs to talk.

As the pair walk through the busy streets, crowded with Cybertronians and [[alien]]s alike, Rubble confides in her that he's worried that Bumblebee is disappointed in him. Windblade emphatically refutes this: with the [[Nominus Edict]] limiting the forgings of new Cybertronians, newborn Transformers like Rubble are a rare sight, and Bumblebee was overjoyed to be selected as a mentor. His attitude, she opines, is due to the fraught situation with the Ascenticons and the unpleasant business with Brainstorm; a long-lived species such as theirs has not had to grapple with the concept of death in a long, long time.
Inside Rubble's apartment, however, the pair are surprised to see Chromia and her consultant [[Geomotus]]. Rubble is initially confused when Geomotus bluntly asks him to move so that he can see his "shapes," a set of geometric blocks that he carries with him at all times, until Chromia and Windblade take it in turns to explain to Rubble that Geomotus is another of Froid's clients, a neurodivergent 'bot whose knowledge of Cybertron's geology lets him pick up details that others might miss. Indeed, Geomotus has used his unusual talents to assist with police investigations as a specialist more than once in the past—so long as he limits his interactions with the notoriously abrasive Prowl. 

With security shortstaffed, Chromia explains, she needs Windblade by her side as they conduct another sweep of the energon transmission station, in the hopes that Geomotus's expertise might be able to turn up a new lead. After linking Rubble's communicator to Windblade and Chromia's, the three head out. Once out of Rubble's apartment, however, Windblade pointedly asks Chromia if she's installed a tracker in the communicator link. She's understandably shocked when the answer is a "yes", but Chromia cuts her off—the tracker will only activate if they have a good reason to do it. After all, she reminds Windblade, the odds are that Rubble is completely innocent, but they can't take any chances, and ''anyone'' could be a suspect...

As night falls, Orion is on a mission of his own out in the barrens. Passing the silent bodies of those Transformers who have chosen to merge with their homeworld, he forces open a heavy vault door and strides inside. It's not long before Orion comes face to face with the looming shape of [[Codexa]], her still-living body almost completely ensconced by the fabric of Cybertron itself... and tells her that they need to talk.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.<br>
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] (10)

|h2=[[Decepticon|Ascenticon]]s|c2=
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatro]] (1)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (2)
* [[Elita One|Elita-1]] (3)
* [[Flywheels|Skytread]] (4)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Refraktor]] (5)
* [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] (6)
|c4=
* [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (7)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (8)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (9)
* [[Froid]] (11)
* ''[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]'' (12)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (13)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (14)
* [[Rubble]] (15)
* [[Leviathan (G1)|Leviathan]] (16)
* [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (17)
* [[Geomotus]] (18)
* [[Codexa]] (19)
}} 

==Quotes==
"Killing other Cybertronians ought to be anathema to the so-called 'Rise'. We should take that name '''away''' from them. It has too much of a hopeful tone for my liking."
:—'''Orion Pax'''


"I've been talking to their representative, but you know what the Voin are like. Radical individualists, if they're feeling friendly. I think the 'representative' thing might be some sort of humorous '''punishment''' for the nominee."
:—'''Prowl'''


"Cybertron provided our bodies. It provided the '''spark''', that rose from the core to shape and fill them. We're '''made''' of Cybertron. And as it lives and changes, so can we. Change isn't just in our nature, it's what we're '''made''' of."
:—'''Bumblebee''' to Rubble


"Bumblebee was '''so''' excited when he was chosen. He acted calm, but you could tell he felt like a '''Titan''' on the inside. He wants more than '''anything''' to be a good mentor to you."
:—'''Windblade''' gives Rubble a pep talk

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Elita-1 made some crowdfilling cameo appearances in both of the preceding issues before making a full appearance here, while Skytread also appeared as a participant in Megatron's rally in [[The World In Your Eyes Part Two|issue #2]].
* Our first hint that this version of Cybertron isn't quite as idyllic at it seems comes from Froid's mention of a prior war against the forces of the "[[Threefold Spark]];" it's not yet clear what this conflict entailed, and if it somehow connects to the [[Nominus Edict]], though it's likely we'll find out sooner rather than later.
* Rubble mentioned [[The World In Your Eyes Part Two|in the previous issue]] that Transformers could choose to merge with Cybertron in lieu of dying; Codexa—and the many comatose Cybertronians that flank her chamber—have presumably chosen to do so.

===Transformers references===
* Megatron's new "Ascenticon Guard" are a bit of a toyetic hodgepodge; in addition to concurrently-released ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege (toyline)|Siege]]'' toys [[Flywheels|Skytread]] and [[Reflector (G1)|Refraktor]]—both specifically introduced with their [[trademark]]-friendly ''Siege'' monikers—there's also [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], who's drawn to resemble his 2017 ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' toy, and a wholly original design for [[Elita One|Elita-1]], seemingly based loosely off her ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' toy while also using that toyline's parsing of her name. As of writing, it's not yet clear if Elita will put in an appearance in the ''Siege'' toyline, but if she does, it's not impossible that she'll look something like this.
* Quake's characterization as a violence-addicted berserker is a character trait established all the way back in his ''[[The Transformers Universe|Universe]]'' profile in [[All Fall Down|issue #66]] of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]], though it's not something any depictions of the character had really leaned into until now.
* Hey, it's [[Froid]]! Debuting as a minor antagonist in the pages of ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'', Froid has the honour of being the first IDW-original character to appear in the reboot. While this version of Froid ''seems'' to be more benevolent—noted to have treated a wide variety of clients that include both Quake and Geomotus—Orion's comments that the Senate has barred him from visiting a certain, unnamed prisoner ''do'' seem to hint at a shadier side...and remember that in ''More than Meets the Eye'', Froid enjoyed a decidedly twisted partnership with [[Sunder (G1)|Sunder]], a convicted serial killer...
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] also puts in an appearance as one of the participants in the war against the Threefold Spark, hearkening back to his ''More than Meets the Eye'' depiction as an ancient warrior, rather than his more "traditional" origin as a creation of [[Unicron]].
* [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] is namedropped  as head of the Senate; surprisingly, this is a reference that's ''not'' lifted from the [[2005 IDW continuity|original IDW continuity]], as that version of Sentinel (or, rather, [[Infinitus]]) was merely an ''employee'' of the Senate, serving as head of security. ''This'' take on the character hews closer to the [[Aligned continuity family]], where both the ''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'' novel and the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|2010 ''War for Cybertron'']] games depicted [[Sentinel Zeta Prime]] as the ''de facto'' leader of Cybertron. That said, the aforementioned Nominus Edict ''does'' seem to hint at the existence of a broadly similar "lineage" of Primes, as per the first IDW universe. 
* Bumblebee's alternate mode is revealed to be based on his [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|G1 cartoon counterpart's]] Cybertronian form: a manta ray-like hovercar which made a brief, if memorable, appearance in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]." 

===Errors===
* Another art/dialogue mismatch on page eight: as he shows off his altmode, Bumblebee notes that he's "got some heat in [his] wheels"... though his vehicle mode is depicted as a hovering saucer.

===Trivia===
* Originally solicited for April 10th, this issue arrives a week late, the first (and hopefully last!) delayed book in the new IDW continuity.

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A:''' Orion opens the door to Codexa's chamber, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
* '''Cover B:''' Windblade and Bumblebee pass by a mural of Megatron and Orion, by [[Anna Malkova]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover:''' A Marvel-styled clash between Bumblebee and Starscream to commemorate the franchise's 35th anniversary, by [[Guido Guidi]]
* '''The Fellowship exclusive cover:''' [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], by [[John Gallagher]]. 	
<gallery>
File:TF2019 03 cvrA.jpg|
File:TF2019 03 cvrB.jpg
File:TF2019 03 cvrRI.jpg
File:TF2019 03 cvrRE.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Clue: Candlestick''
* ''[[Ghostbusters]]''
* ''Usagi Yojimbo''
* ''[[Star Trek]]: Year Five''

==External links==
* [https://www.allspark.com/2019/04/transformers-3-full-preview/ Preview]

[[Category:Transformers (2019) issues]]