Editing Maximum Dinobots issue 1

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Maximum Dinobots|''The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots'']] #1
|prev=Spotlight: Sideswipe
|next=Maximum Dinobots issue 2
|prev2=Devastation issue 6
|image=MaximumDinobots 1a.jpg
|caption=Ur title... It has a flava...
|publisher=IDW Publishing
|date=[[December 10]], [[2008]]
|coverdate=December 2008
|written by=[[Simon Furman]]
|art by=[[Nick Roche]]
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Chris Mowry]]
|edits by=[[Denton J. Tipton]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline#Maximum Dinobots|Maximum Dinobots]]
}}

'''Grimlock starts finding out just how much worse it can get.'''

== Synopsis ==
In the distant past on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] savagely obliterate a group of [[Decepticon]]s guarding an [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] silo. The team's motto was "crash and burn"... but in the present, Grimlock muses that he didn't think it would end quite so literally. His ship, the ''[[Skyfire (ship)|Skyfire]]'', is half-buried in [[New Zealand]]; he's been branded as a renegade by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and is being hunted by Scorponok; and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s Decepticons are poised to take over the [[Earth]]. Grimlock wonders how much worse it can get.

In the outskirts of [[Reno]], [[Nevada]], Agent Red orders Doctor Weston to give the other captive Dynobots a run through. They easily destroy 3 derelict vehicles. Red is impressed, but remarks that this seems awfully familiar: they thought all was in readiness before, but instead got Grimlock's disastrous escape. {{storylink|Spotlight: Grimlock}} Weston remarks that the software kinks from the past have ironed themselves out, but Red is not assured.

It turns out that Red is correct to worry, because Mister Kloss reports to Abraham Dante that he has planted a virus to bring the Dynobots under Dante's control. Dante stares out a window at his [[Sunstreaker clone|Headmaster]] army and muses that the [[Machination]] will rise.

At a Machination warehouse in [[Northampton]], [[Massachusetts]], a wall explodes and Sunstreaker emerges; he then destroys the warehouse with missiles. He's angry that he still hasn't found his real head, but Hunter O'Nion (as an [[Holomatter|avatar]]) reminds him that they've found a clue, leading them to something called "Dinobots" in [[Dallas]], [[Texas]].

Back at the ''Skyfire'', Grimlock sends an interstellar message to some [[Monsterbot|unspecified unsavory types]], seeking help in repairing his ship. Just then he's alerted to the presence of Dante's Headmasters, who have "bounced" to the crater and started firing on his ship. Grimlock sneaks behind them, transforms to dinosaur mode, and attacks. He easily tears through the Headmasters, but one is able to place a tracker device on Grimlock, which [[Orbital jump|orbital bounce]]s him back to [[Fallon]], [[Nevada]]. A public panic alerts [[Skywatch]], and Agent Red orders Weston to dispatch the Dynobots to intercept Grimlock.

This has all been engineered by Dante, who also has a visitor at the Machination's gates, in the form of Hot Rod. He's not too concerned, however, and as he combines with Scorponok, he announces that he will destroy Hot Rod after the Dynobots have been taken care of.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (1)
* [[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (2)
* [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (3)
* [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (4)
* [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (5)
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (10)
|c2=
* [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] (13)
|c3=
* [[Joshua Red]] (6)
* [[Doctor Weston]] (7)
* [[Kloss]] (8)
* [[Abraham Dante]] (9)
* [[Hunter O'Nion]] (11)
|c4=
* [[Sunstreaker clone]]s (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"Trapped in a combat-shunt variant form adapted for one specific mission profile, currently only able to make '''cosmetic''' changes. Marked as a renegade, or—worse—a deserter, by those I once deemed comrades-in-arms. '''Hunted''' by Scorponok, a rogue Decepticon with a penchant for technological piracy. '''Staring down''' Armaggeddon—a Decepticon army under the command of Megatron poised to take Earth by force!<br />
"Really, how much '''worse''' can it get?"
:—'''Grimlock''' makes the mistake of tempting the universe.


"I'm still no closer to finding my '''real''' head. The Machination has it, somewhere, and I want it '''back'''.<br />
"I '''know''' how you feel. Because, well, we feel the same stuff. Comes from sharing a brain. Think about it, Sunstreaker... holo-avatars notwithstanding, aren't we, well, talking to '''ourself'''?"<br />
"I suppose so. Still haven't got used to this whole Headmaster thing. Probably never will. No offense, but...I'm a serial 'me'."
:—'''Sunstreaker''' and '''Hunter O'Nion''' find out that this Headmaster stuff is hard.


''(Grimlock gets dumped by an orbital bounce into the middle of Fallon again in broad daylight)''<br />
"Oh...'''frag'''."
:—Cue things getting worse for '''Grimlock'''.



== Items of note ==
* '''Cameos''': (Decepticons in the beginning battle?), [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (flashback), [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (flashback), [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]
* Like several characters in ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'', Grimlock's robot mode, and to a lesser extent his dinosaur mode, have undergone some redesigning. ''Unlike'' the AHM reworkings, there's an actual explanation: It is the result of his attempts to remove his ''Tyrannosaurus'' mode, which resulted only in minor cosmetic changes. However, his original Cybertronian body, while using the same design as in ''[[Spotlight: Shockwave]]'', has a head shape along the lines of the [[Marvel Comics]]/[[S.O.S. Dinobots]] model.
* The Sunstreaker clones appear in four different color schemes: gold, black, white and red. Of those four, the white and red Sunstreaker clones pay homage to Sunstreaker's [[Diaclone]] Lamborghini Countach LP500S "Super Tuning" toy colors.
* The opening sequence is a raid on an energon silo in [[Sub-Sector Nine]]. This is presumably the same raid Shockwave would eventually become involved with, as mentioned in [[Spotlight: Shockwave]], ultimately leading to the Dynobots' fate on Earth.
* On page 3, you can clearly see Slag killing 'Cons who've surrendered. Also, once that battle has ended and the Dynobots have reconvened, Slag is seen bobbing the decapitated head of a slain Decepticon on his knee. Slag sure does like [[Octane|keeping around the heads of those he's killed]].
* The testing area for Skywatch is an homage to ''[[wikipedia:Jurassic Park|Jurassic Park]]'', as is the font for the series title.
* When Grimlock sends his message off, the symbols in the very middle of the screen are stylized renditions of the three [[Monsterbot]]s' beast mode heads.
* Also, the symbol in the top left (two figures, shaking hands) of the second panel in which Grimlock is writing is taken from the artwork to Radiohead's ''OK Computer'' album.
* Also present in the symbols is the [[IDW Publishing]] logo. 
* Sunstreaker has a USB port.
* This comic was released the same day as the birthday of Grimlock's [[Gregg Berger|first voice actor]].

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A:''' Grimlock in dino-mode "eating" the title card by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]].
* '''Cover B:''' Montage of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]], in their original ''Generation 1'' designs, with Scorponok and Grimlock overlooking them; art by [[Marcelo Matere]] and [[Priscilla Tramontano]].  This art was later used for the trade paperback.
* '''Cover RI:''' Grimlock "punching through" an ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'' cover as if it were a wall; art and colors by [[Nick Roche]].
<gallery>
Image:MaximumDinobots_1a.jpg|Much tastier than ''Jurassic Park''.
Image:MaximumDinobots_1b.jpg|Grimlock doesn't like [[GEEWUN]].
Image:AllHailGrimlock.jpg|Even Grimlock hates ''[[All Hail Megatron]]''!
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [[Maximum Dinobots issue 2|''Maximum Dinobots'' #2]]
* ''[[The Reign of Starscream]]'' TPB
* ''[[Transformers Animated: The Game]]''
* ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' comics
* [[Spotlight: Optimus Prime]] 3D
* ''[[More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets the Eye]] Volume 1''
* ''Speed Racer: the Next Generation''
* ''Pirat Tales''
* ''Ghost Whisperer: The Muse''
* ''[[Alliance issue 1|Transformers: Alliance #1]]''
* ''Angel: Smile Time'' (back cover)

==External Links==
* [http://gs102.photobucket.com/groups/m100/FL5HVS9QQG/ Nick Roche's gallery of the inks-only pages]

[[Category:IDW Generation 1 issues]]