Editing Escape Part Two

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers: Escape]]'' #2
|prev=Escape Part One
|next=Escape Part Three
|caption=
|image=TFEscape 2 cvrA.jpg
|title="Escape Part Two"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[February 10]], 2021
|coverdate=January 2021
|written by=[[Brian Ruckley]]
|art by=[[Beth McGuire-Smith]]
|colors by=[[Priscilla Tramontano]]
|letters by=[[Jake M. Wood]]
|editor=[[David Mariotte]], [[Tom Waltz]], and [[Riley Farmer]]
|continuity=[[2019 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobot refugee convoy encounters dangerous enemies and an ancient ally in the wilderness, while the Insecticons go behind Shockwave's back to raise an army.'''

==Synopsis==
The [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s enter [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s hidden bunker—one which previously served as a stronghold of [[Exarchon]]'s during the [[War of the Threefold Spark]]. Pushing past [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]], they demand an audience with their would-be benefactor. A displeased Shockwave pointedly reminds them that he told them to keep a low profile, and their antics in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] have only jeopardised his efforts further and put them all at risk of discovery. [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] demands to know the status of his [[cloning]] project, but the scientist waves them off by telling them that he'll contact them when the time is right. As they go, Shockwave's minion [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] asks if he's told the Insecticons that he doesn't actually ''need'' the trio to finish his project. Shockwave answers: the Insecticons are dangerous, unknown quantities, and even ''they'' do not yet understand the full scope of their power... though he resolves to keep a close eye on Bombshell, the cleverest of the three, who's already probing the limits of his abilities.

[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]], and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] have scraped together a [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]]-bound evacuation convoy consisting of [[A'ovan]] refugees, former inhabitants of the [[Xeno-Quarter]], injured Cybertronians, and [[Autobot]] guards. As they trundle out of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Wheeljack wonders aloud why Hound cares so deeply for the A'ovans, and Hound explains that his time out among the colonies broadened his horizons, and opened his eyes to the value of all life. Long ago, he once visited the [[Na'conda|A'ovan homeworld]] with [[Crosscut (G1)|Crosscut]] and [[Meteorfire (G1)|Meteorfire]], who introduced him to the planet's delicate beauty... and when the [[Thraal]] attacked, that beauty was almost lost forever. Hound sees it as his duty to preserve whatever remains of that world and Wheeljack agrees, but reminds his friend that their plan hinges on whether [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and his compatriots can persuade Darkmount's notoriously temperamental senator to turn over the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]s.

In [[Crystal City]]'s [[Academy of Research]], Highbrow and his associates [[Geomotus]], [[Azimuth (G1)|Azimuth]], and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] put through a call to Highbrow's old colleague, the reclusive Senator [[Straxus (G1)|Straxxus]]. Haughty and arrogant as ever, the theoretician-turned-senator is far more interested in discussing his latest scientific findings regarding the planet's geology than the Arks. Geomotus, on the other hand, has read his recent papers and is quite interested in what he has to say—if Straxxus's calculations are correct, he postulates, then the increasing tremors could very well fracture the impermeable layer that surrounds the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]]. The idea horrifies his compatriots, but Straxxus finds these postulations intriguing—if these trends continue, he predicts then the planet could very well shake itself apart. That's why he's already hauled one of the Arks out of storage, and begun the process of refitting it into an escape vessel for the citizens of Darkmount should this prediction come to pass: he's quite happy to let Highbrow have the ''other'' three vessels, however... and an exasperated Highbrow groans that it would've been ''much'' easier if Straxxus had simply been upfront with them from the beginning.

As the Autobot convoy makes its way through a winding canyon road, they don't see [[Flywheels|Skytread]] and his [[Decepticon]]s camped out on the ridge above them. [[Roadtrap (POTP)|Roadtrap]] points out that these civilians pose no threat, but Skytread points out that these refugees are Decepticon subjects now. Not only are they being abetted by known enemies of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], they also don't have ''permission'' to leave, and Skytread orders his detachment to open fire on the caravan below. The ambush catches the Autobots off-guard, and Hound shouts for everyone to get to cover while he calls in [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]]. Nautica's bodyguard obligingly takes to the sky and draws [[Airwave (facility)|Airwave]]'s artillery fire, but warns Hound that she can't win this fight alone. Just as Hound calls in reinforcements, however, the ground shakes, heralding the arrival of [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]], whose very presence sends the four Decepticons running!

In Shockwave's laboratory, [[Shrapnel (G1)|Skrapnel]] wants a word with Skystalker; although the little Decepticon thinks that the Insecticon is just there to bully him some more, he's surprised when Skrapnel tells him that he's there to sympathise with his loss. Believing that he's found a sympathetic ear, Skystalker vents his emotions as he laments the disappearance of his friend [[Vigilem]] and so lost is he in self-pity that he doesn't see Bombshell creeping up behind him -until Skrapnel and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] suddenly pin him down while Bombshell jams a [[cerebro-shell]] into his neck! The Insecticons aren't interested in waiting for Shockwave: their new slave can procure the machinery they'll need, while the three Insecticons harvest the fuel to run them...

While Nautica and [[Mudslinger (G1)|Mudslinger]] chat with the A'ovan [[Pra'jak]], Wheeljack and Hound catch up with Dai Atlas. No Cybertronian in history has ''ever'' returned from [[Immersant|immersion]], but Dai Atlas explains as best he can: this body holds only a portion of his old self, while another part of him still continues his spiritual journey onwards to the [[Transformer afterlife|place where immersant Sparks go]]. Hound is just relieved that he showed up when he did to see the Decepticons off, but Dai Atlas corrects him—he ''renounced'' violence long ago, and specifically went immersant to find a place without conflict. Road Rage demands to know why he's come if not to help them fight their way through the trials to come... but before she can get a real answer to her question, the group receives a distress call from Nautica: the rearguard is under attack! Skrapnel attacks Nautica and [[Tote]], and though Road Rage arrives just in time to prevent Skrapnel from killing Nautica, Kickback and Skrapnel incapacitate her. Hound warns the Insecticons to back off, but the trio only mock his affection for the fragile organics. Determined to uphold his promise, the taunts only galvanize his resolve, and he squares up to take them ''all'' on by himself!

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashback.)<br> 

{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (7)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (8)
* [[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]] (20)
* [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] (22)
* [[Highjump (G1)|Highjump]] (23)
* [[Mudslinger (G1)|Mudslinger]] (24)
* [[Tote]] (26)

|c2=
* [[Shrapnel (G1)|Skrapnel]] (1)
* [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (2)
* [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] (3)
* [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] (4)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (5)
* [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] (6)
* [[Roadtrap (POTP)|Roadtrap]] (16)
* [[Flywheels|Skytread]] (17)
* [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]] (18)
* [[Airwave (facility)|Airwave]] (19)

|c4=
* ''[[Meteorfire (G1)|Meteorfire]]'' (9)
* ''[[Crosscut (G1)|Crosscut]]'' (10)
* [[Geomotus]] (11)
* [[Azimuth (G1)|Azimuth]] (12)
* [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] (13)
* [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] (14)
* [[Straxus (G1)|Straxxus]] (15)
* [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] (21)
* [[Pra'jak]] (25)
}}

==Quotes==
"There were these creatures that lived in the soil. And they transformed and became lighter-than-air. On a single night, they all rose into the sky and mated and died and disintegrated and fell back into the ground. Like snow. It was beautiful and terrible, fragile and ancient. That's how Meteorfire described it.	 It was... kind of '''glorious''', I suppose. It was all lost when that world was destroyed. The universe got smaller and less interesting. Turns out, I prefer my universe '''big'''."
:—'''Hound'''


"We save what we can, of the organic and the inorganic. The injured, the innocent, and the alien."
:—'''Wheeljack'''


"Shockwave thinks we can't do anything without him. He never did respect us. None of them ever did. But they feared us. Now we'll show them they never feared us '''enough'''."
:—'''Bombshell'''


"Ambidextrous. Huh. Is that a real word, Nautica?" <br>
"Yes, Mudslinger." <br>
"'''Hey, Tote!''' Did you know that there's a thing called ambidextrous? And that these organics aren't?"
:—'''Mudslinger''' and '''Nautica'''


"You're not '''seriously''' going to fight for all these soft creatures, are you?" <br>
"Yes, I am." <br>
"'''Why?''' They don't '''last''' anyway! They'll all be dead before long. Dying's what they '''do'''!" <br>
"There you go, making it even easier. Now I'd be fighting against '''you''', even if there was '''no one''' to defend."
: —'''Bombshell''' and '''Hound'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] last appeared in ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Rise of the Decepticons: All Fall Down|issue #19]], where he was distraught over [[Vigilem]]'s disappearance after his [[Titan (group)|Titan]] partner destroyed the [[Tether]]. He's still camped out in Shockwave's bunker where the Decepticon scientist ran [[the Rise]] before Megatron cleaned house in [[The Change In Your Nature Part Three|issue #15]]; indeed, Skrapnel mocks him for this prior defeat.
* [[Soundblaster (G1)|Soundblaster]] last appeared in the [[Storm Horizon Part 3|final issue]] of ''[[Transformers: Galaxies|Galaxies]]'', which ended with him returning to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] well before [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and the other 'bots aboard the ''[[Fist of Iacon]]''. That issue didn't ''entirely'' lay out what his deal was, but this one clarifies that he'd been sent out into space to gather the necessary parts to jumpstart Shockwave's cloning operations... though it's still not clear if Soundblaster himself is a clone of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]].
* [[Crosscut (G1)|Crosscut]] previously appeared as a diplomat during a flashback in [[Nautica: Home|''Transformers'' issue #11]], where he and Nautica helped negotiate a peace treaty between the Thraal and the [[Occulted Dremden]].
* The geologists [[Geomotus]] and [[Azimuth (G1)|Azimuth]] last appeared in [[Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|''Transformers'' #21]], where they were investigating tectonic anomalies out in the badlands for [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]].
* [[Highjump (G1)|Highjump]] appeared in a crowd scene with several other new Autobots in [[War World: Awakenings|''Transformers'' #26]]. He makes a cameo here along with fellow [[Off Road Patrol]] members [[Mudslinger (G1)|Mudslinger]] and [[Tote]]—traditional team leader [[Powertrain]] is conspicuously absent, however, perhaps because [[Storm Horizon Part 1|''Galaxies'' #9]] already depicted him as a crew member aboard Ultra Magnus's ship.

===Transformers references===
* [[Meteorfire (G1)|Meteorfire]] is based on the [[Meteorfire (Cyberverse)|the ''Cyberverse'' character of the same name.]] In that continuity, Meteorfire was an explorer who hosted the television program ''[[Alien Hunt!]]''; appropriately enough, this universe features him as a member of Cybertron's xenobiology division.
* The refugee convoy includes several injured Transformers recuperating inside [[stasis pod]]s, based on how they appeared in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'']] cartoon.
* Skytread swears by the [[Void]] upon seeing Dai Atlas, just as [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] did in [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five|''Transformers'' #11]].

===Errors===
* Gutcruncher's drawn with a visor, instead of the two optics he's usually got.
* On page ten, panel four, Airwave is coloured black.
* As he gloats on page thirteen, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s insect legs are mistakenly coloured purple rather than silver.

===Other trivia===
* Originally solicited for January 20, this issue arrives three weeks late.
* Cybertronians are apparently naturally ambidextrous.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A''': Hound, Wheeljack, and a Cybertron in jeopardy, by [[Beth McGuire-Smith]]
* '''Cover B''': Dai Atlas goes immersant, by [[Anna Malkova]]
* '''Retailer incentive cover''': Mirrored art of Bombshell, by [[Nicole Goux]]

<gallery>
File:TFEscape 2 cvrA.jpg
File:TFEscape 2 cvrB.jpg
File:TFEscape 2 cvrRI.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]''
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===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 4: Declaration of War''''' <small>([[January 19]], [[2022]]) ISBN 1684058066 / ISBN 978-1684058068</small>
** Collects [[Transformers (2019 comic)|''Transformers'' (2019)]] issues [[War World: Prime|#25]]–[[War World: We Are Not Meant To Be Darkness|30]], ''[[Transformers Valentine's Day Special]]'', and ''Escape'' issues #1–5.
** Bonus material includes alternate covers.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:TF-IDW-2019v4.jpg|'''''Volume 4: Declaration of War''''' – cover art by [[Cryssy Cheung]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://tformers.com/transformers-escape-2-comic-book-preview/40199/news.html Preview]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Escape Part 2}}
[[Category:Escape issues]]