Editing Interiors

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'' #6
|prev=How Ratchet Got His Hands Back
|next=
|caption=
|image=MTMTE6_cvrA.jpg
|title="Interiors"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[June 27]], [[2012]]
|coverdate=June 2012
|story by=[[James Roberts]]
|art by=[[Nick Roche]]
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Shawn Lee]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2012)]]
}}

'''A hostage situation grips the ''Lost Light'' as Fortress Maximus snaps, and not everyone survives the experience...'''

==Synopsis==

After his vicious display on [[Delphi]], [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] is instructed to undergo mandatory psychological evaluation with [[Rung]]. The sessions go very poorly, as Maximus actively lies about what he remembers of his experiences at the hands of [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] on [[Garrus-9]]—about how the deranged Decepticon never wanted [[Aequitas]], but what it served to hide—but Rung insists they continue.

Meanwhile, at [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]'s bar, [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] is displaying his talent for identifying an Autobot based purely on the sound of their [[transformation]] and ducking [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]'s questions about how he and [[Rewind]] met, while Tailgate himself bemoans his current education in the [[Autobot Code]] and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] gripes about Fortress Maximus's overblown reputation. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] soon arrives and arrests Swerve for running a speakeasy, assigning him the demeaning punishment of replacing every rivet on the exterior of the ship, after which Maximus himself enters the bar... and promptly shoots [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]]!

Maximus proceeds to go on a rampage through the ''[[Lost Light]]'', shooting [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Dogfight]], [[Turbine]] and [[Doubletap]] apparently at random, before holing himself up in Rung's office and impaling the psychiatrist's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], with a pipe. As [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]], [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] and Ultra Magnus watch through a security camera hacked by [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], and listen through an audio feed surreptitiously being broadcast by Rung through his thumb-microphone, Maximus beats the mocking Whirl into silence so he can issue his demands: take the ''Lost Light'' back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] so [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] can answer for taking three years to send help to Garrus-9, or the former warden starts killing hostages. Discovering that the conversation is being broadcast, Maximus rips off Rung's thumb, and Whirl resumes his taunting, deliberately trying to bait Maximus into killing him. He refuses to tell Maximus ''why'' he has a death wish, so Maximus threatens Rung instead, and Whirl is convinced to tell him his life story: how before the war, he defied Cybertronian convention by giving up his function to become a watchmaker, only to fall on hard times and wind up being press-ganged into the service of the [[Senate]]. He even reveals why he was kicked off the [[Wrecker]]s: he attempted to euthanize the comatose [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] using [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]'s [[Sparkeater (weapon)|Sparkeater weapon]].

As Whirl tells his story, Rodimus notices that Rung is tapping one of his model spaceships, indicating the windows. Catching his meaning, Rodimus contacts [[Rewind]], also on rivet duty with Swerve as punishment for bringing "snuff movie" data discs on board, and orders the pair to the window of Rung's office, from which a rivet gun can be used to take Maximus out. Before they can get there, however, Maximus flies into a fury upon realizing the ship has not yet changed course and prepares to kill Whirl. Rung tries to stop him, having come to the same conclusion that [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] have simultaneously reached by studying the uniform coloration of his Autobot victims: this is not about Prowl, it's about Overlord and the revenge Max will never get to have. At Rodimus's suggestion, Rewind projects footage of Maximus's torture and dismemberment at Overlord's hands through the porthole in order to shock and distract him, giving Swerve the chance to take the shot. Swerve protests, both because of his lack of skill and the fact that Rung, ever the dedicated carer, has knelt by the traumatised Maximus to calm him, but Rodimus insists that he try... and the fatal blast strikes not Maximus, but Rung, blowing his head open. Whirl uses the distraction to rip out the pipe pinning him, and takes Maximus down by impaling him with it.

A little later, after a speech has been delivered to mark Rung's passing and Maximus has been locked in the ship's brig, Rodimus talks with Drift about recent events. Drift comments warily on the absence of [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], who, unbeknownst to either, has taken the deceased [[Ore]]'s drill-arm to widen the crack in the bottom of the ship through which he believes he can hear a voice. And through the crack, where by all rights there should only be empty space, he finds in a hidden chamber, in which, immobilized, his weapons systems removed, begging to be killed...

...hangs Overlord.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.)<br>
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] (1)
*[[Rung]] (2)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (4)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (5)
*[[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] (6)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (7)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (8)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (9)
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (11)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (12)
*[[Boss (G1)|Boss]] (13)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (14)
*[[Brainstorm]] (15)
*[[Dogfight]] (16)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (17)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (18)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (19)
*[[Aquafend]] (20)
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (21)
*[[Deftwing]] (22)
*[[Powerflash]] (23)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (24)
*[[Siren]] (25, voice only)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (26)
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (27)
*[[Doubletap]] (28)
*[[Turbine]] (29)
*[[Rewind]] (33)
*''[[Springer (G1)|Springer]]'' (34)
*[[Ore]] (35)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] (3)
|c4=
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (10)
*''[[Heavies]]'' (30-31)
*''[[Empurata]]'' (32)
}}

==Quotes==

"You were in charge when G9 was attacked."<br>
"Yes."<br>
"What happened next?"<br>
"You '''know''' what happened next. '''Everyone''' knows. Even '''Tailgate''' knows, and someone had to draw him a picture of '''Optimus Prime''' the other day..."
:—'''Rung''' and '''Fortress Maximus'''


"We just spent six hours discussing the relevance of a '''semicolon.''' I say 'discussing'—it was more like a thrilling Magnus monologue. I say 'thrilling'—it was actually '''very, very boring'''."<br>
"And the semicolon?"<br>
"Ah! Turns out the semicolon isn't relevant '''at all'''."
:—'''Tailgate''' and '''Chromedome'''


"I mean, 'Fortress Maximus'—come '''on'''. What kind of a name is that? But everyone's like, 'Oh, Fortress Maximus, you're my '''hero!''' You've got '''guns in your legs''' and you killed tons of 'Cons at Simanzi...' And I'm like 'That was a '''thousand years ago!'''<nowiki>'</nowiki> He's a '''relic!''' He's a '''has-been!''' He's—"<br>
"Just walked in."<br>
"Great to '''see''' you, Max! Come on over! We were just talking about '''Simanzi!''' With the '''thing''' and the—the '''stuff!''' So... oh '''wow!''' You've got guns in your '''legs!''' How's that working out for you? That's '''awesome,''' man. '''You're''' awesome."
:—'''Trailbreaker''' and '''Chromedome'''


"'''Seriously''', all of this is a bit—it's a bit '''pathetic''' though, isn't it? Even for an epic, epic '''failure''' like you. I mean, not only do you practically '''beg''' the Decepticons to take G9 off your hands, but you curl up into a ball the moment Overlor—"<br>
''(Fortress Maximus pistol-whips Whirl.)''<br>
"Wow. If I'd known '''that''' was the best you've got, I'd have said something '''genuinely''' offensive."
:—'''Whirl'''

==Notes==

*The cast page at the end of the comic is updated this issue, removing Rung and adding First Aid, Trailbreaker and Pipes. Several of the brief write-ups have been modified to reflect what we've learned about the cast of late.
*Fortress Maximus's suffering at the hands of Overlord, of course, all occurred within the span of ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', off-panel between issues [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|#1]] and [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|#3]].
*Skids is again missing his gun this issue, but the updated cast page makes a point of highlighting this, suggesting that instances in past issues where wasn't holding it may not have all been the errors they appeared to be at the time.
*Fortress Maximus is revealed to have been part of the [[Simanzi Massacre]], an event in Cybertronian history mentioned in several places throughout James Roberts's previous IDW works.
*Whirl's brief involvement in "[[Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory]]" is alluded to, along with the circumstances that brought him to that point. In particular, it is noted that he used to be a flight instructor, and that he once changed his name: facts which combine to make it all but explicit that he was the "Jetstream" mentioned in [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]]'s backstory in "[[Bullets]]".
*Rewind was seen obtaining the incriminating data discs from [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] back in [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|issue #1]], who hinted at the perverse nature of their content. Red Alert implied he had found them [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|last issue]].
*Roadbuster's current assignment to watch over the recuperating Springer was the subject of "[[Zero Point]]".
*Roadbuster was noted to have been involved in some kind of "Sparkeater business" in "[[Bullets]]"; this issue implies that said business was his invention of the device seen here (or perhaps the repercussions of its creation). Logically, he must have named the weapon after the mythological Cybertronian [[Sparkeater (creature)|creature]], which we learned more about in [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|issue #3]].

===Errors===
* The lettering on Tailgate's arm is written as "Waste Disposal" when it should read "Bomb Disposal".
* When Drift is in Rodimus' office at the end of the issue, he's holding one of Rung's model ships.  It is however, mis-colored as part of his hands.

===Crew Manifest===
* Rung is accidentally killed by Swerve with a head shot.
* The fate of Delphi's Faders and other patients is not addressed.
* 6 deaths, 5 new arrivals (confirmed) since the launch.

===Covers (3)===
* '''Cover A:''' Rung in the sights of Fortress Maximus's gun, by Alex Milne and [[Josh Perez]].
* '''Cover B:''' Fortress Maximus is hurled to a mob of Overlords, by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Joana Lafuente]].
* '''Cover RI:''' Black and white lineart versions of Cover A.

<gallery>
Image:MTMTE6_cvrA.jpg|
Image:MTMTE6_cvrB.jpg|
Image:MTMTE6_cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

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[[Category:More than Meets the Eye issues]]