Editing All Hail Megatron issue 14

{{disambigr|Rebirth|the three-part episode that made up season 4 of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]|The Rebirth}}
{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' #14
|prev=All Hail Megatron issue 13
|next=All Hail Megatron issue 15
|image=Megatron14c.jpg
|caption=Communist propaganda about a bodyless Autobot
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[August 19]], [[2009]]
|coverdate=August 2009
|written by=[[Shane McCarthy]] <span style=font-size:10px>"Replay"</span><br>[[Andy Schmidt]] <span style=font-size:10px>"Rebirth"</span>
|art by=[[Emiliano Santalucia]] <span style=font-size:10px>"Replay"</span><br>[[Andrew Griffith]] <span style=font-size:10px>"Rebirth"</span>
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Chris Mowry]]
|edits by=[[Denton J. Tipton]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|''All Hail Megatron'']]
}}

'''One's a head, the other's a [[zombie]]. It's the Cybertronian odd couple!'''

=="Replay"==
===Synopsis===
'''Sunstreaker's life flashes before his eyes.'''

''On a distant world, Sunstreaker and his squad have driven a [[Decepticon]] army off the planet. Sunstreaker tells one of his squad units to inform [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] of the victory, and as he climbs on a stack of [[energon (power source)|energon]] crates, the rest of his squad chant his name in victory. The squad member returns and tells him of Prime's congratulations, as well as giving him co-ordinates from Prime, as he is now reassigned to another squad on another planet called [[Earth]].''

''On Earth, a scientist named Douglas is talking to his superior. It seems he and his crew are having difficulty in shutting up the robot the [[Machination]] have captured. Douglas suggests taking it offline, but his superior will have none of it, as it would erase all the data it contains. The superior wants the readings immediately, and he reminds Douglas that it's a machine and that its "screaming" is an automated response. Douglas doesn't care, as he find the noise distracting. The superior then suggests that he get some earplugs and get the job over with.''

''At night, a scientist tries to seduce his girlfriend, but she is creeped out by the head of the robot, thinking that it's looking at them. The scientist tries to reassure her that it's not looking at anything, but she isn't convinced, as the robot is the most hideous thing she has ever seen, although the scientist retorts that ''she'' had wanted to see it. Suddenly, it speaks, calling for help. The scientist is amused, while the girlfriend is disgusted. Excited, the scientist prods the robot head to speak again.''

''Hunter O'Nion, who had been turned into one of the Sunstreaker [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s, confronts Sunstreaker's head. Sunstreaker begs for the human to kill him, but Hunter refuses. Sunstreaker begs once more, but Hunter refuses again and asks Sunstreaker to teach him how to be a Headmaster, while Sunstreaker begs for a third time to Hunter to kill him...''

''At an Autobot repair bay, Ratchet is giving Sunstreaker his diagnosis. The [[CR chamber]] has done wonders to Sunstreaker and everything looks good, but Ratchet needs to do more tests to be certain. Sunstreaker asks if he can go and Ratchet permits it, saying he will let 'Streaker know when the tests are done. Ratchet next mentions that he's about to finish restoring Hunter back to normal if Sunstreaker wants to see, but Sunstreaker turns his back. In response to Ratchet's query, Sunstreaker turns and, with a false smile, says that being in the CR chamber made him unsteady and he just wants to go for a walk. Ratchet reminds him that it wasn't easy to undergo, as this had never happened to him (or anyone) before. Ratchet is concerned that Sunstreaker might have neural trauma, due to the bonding with and separation from Hunter, and he's worried about what else the Machination scientists might have done with him. Sunstreaker once again says that he's fine—couldn't be happier, in fact, thanks to having his head and body back together again. But as soon as he leaves the repair bay, Sunstreaker walks down the corridor, looks at himself, then staggers to an empty room and holds his head.''

The images repeat themselves through the eyes of Sunstreaker's disembodied head on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], as it, along with pieces of the deactivated [[Insecticon swarm]], lie in ruins below, where above, a bridge once stood...

===Featured characters===
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (1)
* Unknown Autobots (2)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (3)
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (4)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (9)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (10)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (11)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (12)
|c3=
* [[Douglas]] (5)
* various [[Machination]] employees (6)
* Someone's girlfriend (7)
* [[Hunter O'Nion]] (8) 
|c4=
* [[Insecticon swarm]] (13)
}}

===Quotes===
* TBA

===Errors===
* While ''[[Spotlight: Ultra Magnus]]'' noted that [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] operated through front companies that employed local inhabitants, some of whom who didn't know whom they ultimately served, wouldn't it be logical for the Machination employees working on the top-secret [[Headmaster (technology)#IDW_comics_continuity|Headmaster]] project to know that Sunstreaker is a living robot? Also, in the same regard, why would Scorponok require them to gather "data" if he is already familiar with Cybertronian anatomy?
* In this issue, it is implied that Hunter somehow forced Sunstreaker to agree to his idea of becoming the Autobot's Headmaster. However, in [[Devastation issue 4|''Devastation'' issue 4]], Sunstreaker had a sort of agreeable attitude to Hunter's question of whether there was "room for one more" in the Autobot's mind. On top of that, let's not beat around the bush: This issue ''abridges and alters'' a scene from [[Devastation issue 3|''Devastation'' issue 3]], cutting that Hunter proposed being a Headmaster so they could both ''fight back'' against Scorponok's plan to use Sunstreaker to hurt Autobots. It also adds a plea for death after Hunter's proposal, so it looks like he's deliberately ignoring the Autobot's wishes, even though in [[Maximum Dinobots issue 4|''Maximum Dinobots'' issue 4]], he showed he ''was'' willing to kill Sunstreaker!  <!--If the events as shown in this story are just Sunstreaker's deluded, warped view of what had occurred, this is not made clear in any fashion.-->

===Items of note===
* Two of the unnamed Autobots [[Side Burn (RID)|look]] [[Roulette|familiar]].

=="Rebirth"==
===Synopsis===
'''Galvatron survives!'''

On [[Garrus-9]], Galvatron emerges from the [[solar pool]] with a scream. [[Darkness (G1)|The Darkness]] has consumed him whole, and he tries to endure it...

On [[Gorlam Prime]], Cyclonus, who has managed to survive the events of the [[Expansion]] thanks to his [[Dead Universe]] regenerative powers, believes that either life or death would be a blessing, as he and the Dead Universe inhabitants have been marooned on the planet for what he thinks is an eternity. Cyclonus and the inhabitants of the Dead Universe were part of the first ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' expedition, which was a scientific voyage that encountered a parallel universe that had no life and no evolution, and it changed them. They returned to Gorlam Prime, but Cyclonus is the lone survivor, having lasted the longest "out here". On reflection, he realizes that he's been away from his home universe for so long that he feels like an outsider. He is now the last Dead Universe inhabitant, as his comrades Scourge and [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] are dying and [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] is now dead. For the survivors, death is a release for the static hell they found. All that remains is recycling his fallen men, even though they, the scientific elite and his warrior brothers, deserved better.

Cyclonus's thoughts are broken by Scourge, who weakly states that he's alive. Cyclonus tries to reassure his teammate that he won't last long. The best gift Cyclonus can offer is recycling him into the solar pools, though he wishes he had more. Suddenly, Galvatron arrives. Now infused with the Darkness, he tells Cyclonus to stop whatever he was doing. Cyclonus tells him that they're no longer alive; with no purpose and no function, they're now little more than illumination units, and that melting them in the solar pool is the only way restore their honor and regain their dignity. Galvatron says that Cyclonus is wrong; he now has the power and the will, and, most importantly, a ''mission'', and he's going to join with Cyclonus to achieve it. Galvatron states that if they wanted a function, he'll now give it to them, then fires at the solar pool.

Cyclonus angrily thinks that he's gone binary (insane), but Galvatron asks if that's what he was going to do  anyway. Cyclonus disagrees, stating about their honor. Scourge, emerging from the pool, again proclaims that he still functions. Seeing this, Galvatron gives him power to live again, then throws him back to the solar pool, as he needs an army. The pool explodes and does its job as Scourge screams. Cyclonus wonders what Galvatron has done, but Galvatron says that the Darkness, not he, wouldn't let Scourge die.  Just then, Scourge bursts out of the solar pool, calling Galvatron's name, restored to full capacity, as the pain has allowed him to live once again. Galvatron explains they all are more than they were before, and that the Darkness that consumed Nova Prime is now with him. Galvatron is no longer the robot they once knew, the Darkness isn't what it was with Nova, and they have become something different and ''new''.

Galvatron then sees his new army approach, but his anticipation turns to anger when he realizes that his troops have been made in Scourge's image, rather than his own. Galvatron pronounces that Scourge is now in charge of his [[Sweep]]s, that they are now bonded to him, and that if he keeps them in line, he will become a warrior king. Cyclonus thinks this is madness, as there is no [[spark]] and no honor in being a warrior slave.  As a warrior, a patriot, and a [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]], he won't allow Galvatron to do this to him. Galvatron reassures Cyclonus that such will not be his fate; Cyclonus' cunning and spirit refuse to die, as he is noble and incorruptible, which is what helped him survive longer than the rest in the normal universe. Galvatron wants Cyclonus to trust him, join him, and ''seek'' for him. 

With his spark restored, Cyclonus feels that he was weak, but Galvatron tells his new lieutenant that he now has strength. Galvatron orders his army to get started, and Cyclonus asks what their mission is. Galvatron says that their mission as explorers, looking to discover the forces of the universe, is over, though they have paid for what they've learned. There is only one constant, universal force: change. They are now a part of that force, a catalyst sparking upheaval, igniting revolution and feeding chaos with every hate-filled action. The universe had their way with them, and now it's their turn. Scourge wonders what that means, and while Cyclonus has no idea, he tells Scourge that their function is to seek and that they follow Galvatron.

===Featured characters===
{{featuredcharacters
|c4=
* [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (1)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (2)
* Unknown Cybertronians from the [[Dead Universe]] (3)
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (4)
* [[Sweep]]s (5)
}}

===Quotes===
"I won't let you do this to me! I was a patriot!  I was a warrior! A '''Seeker'''!"
:—'''Cyclonus''' fears the Darkness


"Scourge?"<br>
"Yes?"<br>
"They were supposed to be in '''my''' image!"
:—'''Galvatron''' is unhappy with '''Scourge''''s Sweeps

===Errors===
* ''Ark'' is misspelled "Arc".
* In ''[[Revelation (IDW)|Revelation]]'', it was Galvatron, not Cyclonus, who could remain in the normal universe for long amounts of time without being destroyed.  Writer Andy Schmidt has admitted that he misremembered what had been established in ''Revelation'', and that this was just a flat-out biff. <ref>http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=6553</ref>
* Hey, remember how [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] referred to Scourge as a Decepticon? {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6}}
* Oh, and remember how [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] was on [[Earth]] when the Autobots closed the [[Benzuli Expanse]]? {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

===Items of note===
* No mention is made of [[Grindcore (G1)|Grindcore]], who was last seen with Straxus.
* This issue now retroactively establishes Cyclonus and Scourge as [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s.
* This is the first time we've seen Scourge in IDW continuity, but by the power of [[retcon]] he's ''always'' been with the Dead Universe faction.
* Like last issue, more nods are made to ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', with Galvatron now commanding Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps, as well as him being considered insane (as in season 3 of the cartoon).
* The two comrades of Cyclonus that are about to be "put to rest" are two members of the original Ark bridge crew as seen in Galvatron's Spotlight issue.

==Covers (3)==
*'''Cover A:''' Sunstreaker's severed head; art by [[Emiliano Santalucia]] with colors by [[Josh Burcham]].
*'''Cover B:''' Galvatron rises from the pool of flame; art and colors by [[Andrew Griffith]].
*'''Cover RI:''' Art deco of Sunstreaker's severed head; art and colors by [[Trevor Hutchison]].
<gallery>
Image:AHM14a.jpg|Guh.
Image:AHM14b.jpg|Now ''that'' was a hot bath!
Image:Megatron14c.jpg|Ah'll be back!
</gallery>

==Advertisements==
* [[All Hail Megatron 15|''All Hail Megatron'' #15]]
* ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]: Helix''
* ''Nanovor: Game Day'' 
* ''The Adventures of Digger and Friends''
* ''The Dreamer''
* ''[[Tales of the Fallen]]'' #2
* ''[[Best of UK: Prey]]'' #1
* ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac]]'' 
* ''[[I Am Optimus Prime (Robot Heroes)|I Am Optimus Prime]]''
* ''[[The Complete Ark]]''
* IDW digital comics (back cover)

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:IDW Generation 1 issues]]