Editing Games of Deception

{{picsneeded|Diamond edition cover}}
[[Image:Gamesofdeception-cover.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Hans plays with Lotte, Lotte plays with Jane.]]

'''A crew of Autobots arrive on Earth in pursuit of Bug Bite, who seeks to take control of the Decepticons for his own purposes.'''


{{comicnav | Timelines | Volume 2, #2 | seriesname= | prev=Dawn of Future's Past| next= }}


=Transformers Timelines Vol. 2 #2=

'''Story:''' [[Forest Lee]], [[Pete Sinclair]], [[Benson Yee]]<br>
'''Writers:''' [[Forest Lee]]<br>
'''Pencils and Inks:''' [[Alex Milne]]<br>
'''Colors:''' [[Drew Eiden]], [[Josh Perez]]<br>
'''Letters:''' [[Junemoon Studio]]<br>

*''Major characters (in order of appearance):'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Springer]], [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]], [[Bug Bite]], [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]], [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Ravage]].

*''Minor characters (in order of appearance):'' [[Huffer]], [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]], [[Strongarm (Classics)|Strongarm]], [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], [[Weirdwolf]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], [[Hot Rod|<strike>Hot Rod</strike> Rodimus]], [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. 

*''Originally published:'' July 2007


==Synopsis==
[[Image:Bugbitelikesyou.jpg|left|thumb|150px|And YOU, reading this comic!  Don't think I don't see you!]]

Aboard the Autobot battle cruiser [[Graviton (Classics)|Graviton]], Ultra Magnus and his crew arrive in Earth orbit, having followed a tip from Weirdwolf's abandoned Nebulan partner Monzo.    The crew assumes Earthen alternate modes and heads to the surface, while Huffer remains on the ship.

On the surface, Dreadwind laments leaving Darkwing behind, being stuck with Bug Bite's crew, and the general state of the universe.  Bug Bite is waiting for a contingent of Megatron's forces to arrive.

Much further south, Optimus and Jetfire return to [[Autobase Prima]] with the intert form of Rodimus, having barely escaped a Decepticon contingent that included Devastator.  Prime orders Barnett's forces to stay away from the Decepticons.  Inside, Grimlock makes contact with Springer from Magnus's crew, and flies off to meet them.  Mirage observes this and follows, invisible.

Starscream, Ramjet and Skywarp arrive to meet Bug Bite.  While Starscream discusses Bug Bite's proposal, Dreadwind and Weirdwolf catch wind of Mirage and blast him.  Magnus's crew observes this with displeasure from a nearby cliff.  Starscream is set to execute Mirage, when Bug Bite blasts him and his crew with modified [[Cerebro-shell|cerebro shells]], gaining control of them.  Bug Bite's control is not perfect, but enough for the job.

[[Image:Classics Ultramagnus Springer Grimlock comic.jpg|right|thumb|"No, you fool, we were told to comb the desert, so we're combing it."]]

The observing Autobots are prepared for this, however, and have shell jammer standing by.  Bug Bite leads his followers away to meet with Megatron; Swoop tracks them.

At Decepticon Earth Base, Megatron consults with the captive head of Shockwave about Bug Bite.  Bug Bite and company, with Swoop still following, arrive at the base.  Elita-One arrives and disables Ravage, who is guarding the entrance.

Formalities are short between Megatron and Bug Bite, as the latter makes his play almost immediately, his troops opening fire on Megatron, Soundwave and the Constructicons, implanting them with cerebro shells.  Megatron, retaining some free ability under Bug Bite's partial control, demands an explanation for his action.  Bug Bite explains that he comes from a parallel universe, one of quadrillions that exist, and one that was ravaged by some unknown action in this one.  Some few managed to escape, including Bug Bite, who has come for revenge.

[[Image:Dreadwindgod.jpg|left|thumb|"Well, ''I'' don't like you because you're choking me to death."]]

Megatron, however, is not so easily controlled; he's immune to the shell's effects.  He throttles Bug Bite, who orders his troops to defend him -- just as the Autobots jam the cerebro shells.  Decepticon fires on Decepticon, just as the Autobots burst into the room firing.  In the chaos, Bug Bite makes a grab for a weapon, but Megatron kills him at point blank range.  Springer destroys the Decepticon computers; the Autobots rescue Mirage and make a clean escape, leaving Megatron surrounded by lot of wreckage and deactivated Decepticons.  He swears lethal vengeance.

Grimlock join Magnus's crew as they head back into space to continue their hunt for Bludgeon.

{{-}}

==Diamond Edition==
A slightly-expanded version of the comic with a different cover was sold through Diamond, making the comic available through standard comic shops. It lacked the convention information, but added in its place:

* A new interior cover credits page with a CGI render of Thrust by [[Trent Troop]]

* Springer bio (lines by [[Dan Khanna]], colorist unknown)

* Bug Bite bio (lines by [[Marcelo Matere]], colorist unknown)

* [[The New World]] preview (text and illustration by [[Greg Sepelak]], colors by [[David Willis]])

* And some ads.

{{-}}
==Items of note==
* This issue was available at [[BotCon 2007]], and promoted the various exclusive toys available at the convention.  All of them make an appearance except for [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] and [[Beta Maxx]].

* The events of this comic take place ''after'' the conclusion of the 2007 arc of the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (comic)|Fan Club comic]].

* Bug Bite's modified shells seem to leave the victim in a normal state most of the time, until he activates a control mechanism.  While under the shell's control, Dreadwind continues to moan and complain, Thundercracker is happy to see Skywarp, and Starscream makes threats against Bug Bite.

* In the dark of Megatron's private chamber are [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s chassis and [[Galvatron II|Galvatron's]] arm-cannon, both presumably salvaged during the inteim between the end of the Marvel Generation 1 comics events and the Classics storyline.

{{-}}

==Errors==
[[image:Dirge_DeathTimelines.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Whoever he is, he's dead!]]

* Not an error per se, but it's possible to mistake Dirge's deactivated form for Ramjet, as the light-on-metal gleam makes it look as much like a white head with a shadowed side, rather than the blue head with a metallic shine that's intended.

* Strongarm's name is parsed as two words instead of one.

{{-}}
[[Category: Generation 1 issues]]
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