Editing ...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale

{{Comicstory|seriesissue=''[[Dark Cybertron|The Transformers:<br>Dark Cybertron]]'' Finale
|prev=Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11
|next=A 'Bot and Her City
|next2=Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World
|next3=World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace
|image=DarkCybertronFinale_regcvr.jpg
|title="...And the Damage Done"<br>Dark Cybertron Finale
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[March 26]], [[2014]]
|coverdate=March 2014
|written by=[[John Barber]] and [[James Roberts]]
|layouts by=[[Phil Jimenez]]
|pencils by=[[Brendan Cahill]]
|inks by=[[Brian Shearer]]
|colors by=[[Josh Perez]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2014)]]
}}

'''As Optimus Prime and Megatron confront Shockwave together, the salvation of all reality hinges on one question: can a 'bot really change who they are?'''

==Synopsis==

As time and space collapse around [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s continue their seemingly-futile struggle against the insurmountable [[Ammonite]] legions. While [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] share a moment of levity amongst the chaos, aboard the ''[[Lost Light]]'', [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] calls for battle statistics, but [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] make it clear that they have barely made a dent in the seventy-billion-strong horde...

In [[Crystal City]], a bewildered [[Brainstorm]] recovers from the surprise emergence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s team through his chest. Before any explanations can be offered, [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] all collapse, the taint of the [[Dead Universe]] having left them unable to survive in the living universe. While Optimus Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] head off to intervene in [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'s currently-raging battle with [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]], the redemption-seeking [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] forgoes the thrill of battle for once to help get the stricken to Brainstorm's laboratory on the ''Lost Light'' for treatment. As they climb back up to the surface, Rodimus details for Brainstorm how they heard the singing that had been going on in [[Swerve's]] through a portal within [[Nova Prime]]'s corpse, and used his technology to turn the deceased despot into a [[space bridge]]; Brainstorm is puzzled as to why ''he'' was on the other side of Nova's portal, but Nightbeat explains that it is because the scientist has been rendered undead as a result of vicarious exposure to Dead Universe energies during his research. As the team emerges on the surface, things suddenly take an even more unfathomable turn: with all of time contracting to a single point, the sky above Cybertron comes alive with images from the past, as every moment in time starts to occur at once.

Back underground, [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] fights a losing battle against [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], who has replicated his new body with his [[reactive armor]], and is proving more adept at using it than Starscream himself. While they brawl, [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] accesses Jhiaxus's computers and learns how the [[Regenesis]] ores are being used to facilitate Shockwave's plan, channelled from Shockwave to the Ammonites through Jhiaxus's ship. With a final barb to Starscream on the nature of self-sacrifice, Metalhawk gives up his life to link the [[Ore-14]] that remains in his system into the delicate matrix, throwing the ores out of balance. Starscream is able to end Jhiaxus using the swords he didn't know his new body ''had'' until the scientist revealed them to him, then he and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] start heading back to the surface themselves...

...where Metalhawk's actions have successfully destroyed the Ammonites, causing them all to spontaneously explode and fall to Cybertron's surface in a burning rain. To take out the last remaining opponent, [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], Mainframe crashes the ''Lost Light'' ''straight into'' the combiner, shattering him into his component Decepticon pieces, then calls upon [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] and [[Nautica]] to help finish the separated villains off. The ship then picks up Rodimus, Brainstorm and the wounded (with Nightbeat expressing some interest in the ship's mysterious origins), but Brainstorm soon begins to suffer some performance anxiety as the magnitude of the task before him begins to sink in. Rodimus baits him by remarking that Perceptor would certainly be up to the task, and even though Brainstorm knows what his captain is doing, he sets to work with renewed vigor all the same.

No sooner have Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus arrived at the site of Megatron and Shockwave's battle than Magnus is felled by a blast from the cyclopean Decepticon. Prime attempts to remind Shockwave of the kindly [[Senate|senator]] he once was, using his own journey from Prime to Pax to Prime again as an example of how it is possible for a 'bot to change their path, but the words have no effect on Shockwave, so Megatron tries a more dramatic example: recovering the Autobot [[insignia]] from the fallen [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]]'s body and with a heartfelt speech inspired by Bumblebee's own words, he places it upon his own chest, and declares himself an Autobot. Confused and distraught at this display, Shockwave begins to lose his focus, and his control of the chronal drive integrated with his systems slips away, setting his mind adrift in time and space. His old, pre-[[shadowplay]] self begins to re-emerge, and horror seizes his mind at what he has become; Optimus reminds him again of their friendship, of simple and intimate details like a wobbly bench at their old meeting place... and Senator Shockwave quietly, calmly comes back to himself. Alas, he explains, the chronal drive cannot be deactivated, as it had been inextricably bound with him, and so he calls upon his old friend for one final, fatal favor. With the promise that he will always remember Shockwave as he was, Prime is joined by Megatron in firing upon Shockwave, destroying him and the time drive, which collapses into a singularity. Prime, Magnus and Megatron make a futile race for safety, forced to leave Bumblebee's body behind as the black hole expands... but at the last second, the ''Lost Light'' swoops in, and Rodimus and the rest of his successfully-cured team snatch the trio from the jaws of death, the singularity collapsing behind them.

Watching from afar, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] peers into Megatron's mind, and is aghast to see him wearing the Autobot insignia. [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] chooses that moment to make his entrance—rescued from Crystal City along with [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] by [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], he approves of Soundwave's disdain for Megatron's change of heart, and proposes a new approach...

Rattrap and Starscream haul themselves up to the surface, and Rattrap begins needling his "boss", suggesting that Metalhawk's sacrifice will mark the departed [[NAIL]] leader the hero of the hour, making it hard for Starscream to remain in control. Tired of the rat's scheming, Starscream drops his own dizzying spin on the situation, pointing out how Metalhawk's actions could be interpreted as the willful murder of seventy billion lifeforms, and making it very clear to Rattrap that treachery and distortion of the fact is ''his'' game to play. Of course, it turns out he's just done this in front of the assembled Autobots...

Some time later, Optimus and Megatron avail of a moment of isolation together on the ''Lost Light'' to talk through what has happened between them. Megatron vows that his change of heart is not a trick, while Optimus makes clear that if he could see through everything Shockwave had done and remember him as the friend he once had, he can do the same for Megatron. Together, the pair disembark the ship to meet the assembled crowd below, and to take the first steps into a new and different future.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in timey-wimey scenes.<br>
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (2)
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (3)
*? (4)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (5)
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (6)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slug]] (7)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (8)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (9)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (10)
*Blue guy (11)
*[[Rung (G1)|Rung]] (12)
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (13)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (16)
*[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] (17)
*[[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] (18)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (19)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] (20)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (21)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (26)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] (27)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] (28)
*[[Brainstorm]] (29)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (31)
*[[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (32)
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] (34)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]]'s corpse (36)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (41)
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (42)
*[[Nautica]] (43)
*[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (44)
*[[Prowl (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Prowl]] (56)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] (14)
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (15)
*[[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (30)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]] (35)
*[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] (37)
*[[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] (45)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (47)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (48)
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (49)
*[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (50)
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] (51)
*[[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] (52)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (54)
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (55)
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (57)
|c4=
*[[Ammonite]]s (1)
*[[Metalhawk (Masterforce)|Metalhawk]] (22)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (23)
*[[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] (24)
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (25)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]] (33)
*''[[Deceptigod]]''  (38)
*''[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]]'' (39)
*''[[Tyrest (G1)|Tyrest]]'' (40)
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] (46)
*[[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]] (53)
}}

==Quotes==
"There are '''billions''' of them and they're trying to kill us, '''Whirl'''!"<br>
"Well, yeah, no, I get '''that'''—but they're usually busy fighting their own war. They've been, like, super-evenly matched '''forever''', but..."<br>
"'''BUT?!'''"<br>
"A '''couple months''' back I might've '''accidentally''' ramped things up a bit. I killed their enemy's leader and one thing led to another and now they're helping '''Shockwave''' kill us"...<br>
"Somewhere in there is a lesson about '''unintended consequences'''..."<br>
"Did I ever tell you about how I started '''our''' war? You'll laugh your head off."<br>
"You know what, Whirl? We really should've hung out more..."
:—'''Arcee''' and '''Whirl'''


"'''That's''' how you want to end this, '''Jhiaxus'''—by '''cosplaying''' as me?"
:—'''Starscream''' is not too impressed with Jhiaxus's new look


"That's the single most unpleasant thing that's ever happened to me."<br>
"Could've been worse. We could've been doing the splits on the way out..."
:—'''Brainstorm''' just had five 'bots jump out of his chest, but '''Rodimus''' looks on the bright side


"All life '''is''' equal. I merely assign it a '''quantifiable value'''—'''zero.'''"
:—'''Shockwave'''


"Either someone just killed all the '''Ammonites''', or they're combining into a poorly coordinated '''fireworks display.'''"<br>
"'''Cop out!''' You can't just '''explode!''' Where's the fun in that?!"
:—'''Swerve''' and '''Whirl'''


"What have I '''done?''' What '''happened''' to me?! '''What have they turned me into?!'''"<br>
"'''Fight''' it, Shockwave! Fight the Shadowplay! Think of who you were! Think of '''us!''' Think of—think of—think of our '''bench!''' The '''Ark-1 Memorial Park'''—our bench by the inscription! Next to the '''energon bar''' that was never open. The bench with the '''broken leg!''' Remember? You'd say, 'Forget overthrowing the Senate—I'd settle for a decent bench!'"<br>
"...And I fixed it myself in the end, didn't I. My greatest achievement. From fixing a bench to breaking the '''universe'''. How did that happen?"
:—'''Shockwave''' is brought back to himself by '''Optimus Prime'''


"On behalf of everyone you helped—every '''[[Outlier]]''' you tutored—every '''function runt''' you took under your wing—every naive young law enforcer whose eyes you opened—and every miner you made sure was safe—Senator Shockwave, I '''promise you'''—I will remember you as you were."
:—'''Optimus Prime''', before delivering the final blow


"After all Shockwave '''did'''—not just '''now''', with the ores and Nova and the Titan, but throughout the war... were you '''really''' able to look beyond all that and recognize him as your friend?"<br>
"Does it matter?"<br>
"If it didn't I wouldn't ask."<br>
"Then you already know my answer."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Whirl cracks about starting the [[Great War (G1)|Transformers' war]], which he essentially did by showing Megatron the path of violence when he beat him to within an inch of his life while he was in custody, as seen in [[Chaos Theory Part 1|issue #22]] of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|2009-2011 ongoing series]]. He's entirely aware of the consequences of his actions, and although he's putting a morbidly humorous face on it here, [[Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|''More than Meets the Eye'' #10]] showed us he's carrying a lot of issues over it.
*The idea that those tainted by the Dead Universe are unable to survive outside of it was a major plot point back during [[Simon Furman]]'s tenure on the IDW books, but it hasn't been a factor in any subsequent plots until now.
*Nightbeat doesn't forget things, so when he gets Tailgate's name wrong and calls him "Tailpipe" instead, he's certainly doing it to aggravate Cyclonus. Per his ''[[Spotlight: Nightbeat|Spotlight]]'', Nightbeat is a longtime student of the Ark-1, so he's almost certainly making a deliberate reference to Cyclonus's Ark-1 crewmate [[Tailpipe (G1)|Tailpipe]], who was introduced back in [[Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|Chapter 1]].
*The images that appear in the sky as time collapses include Windblade, Tailgate leaping onto Tyrest's back from [[Remain in Light 5 of 5: This Calamitous Life|''More than Meets the Eye'' #21]], the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark-1]]'' leaving Cybertron, the Deceptigod, the aged Ironhide from [[Pax Cybertronia (issue)|ongoing #31]], Megatron in his battered stealth bomber body from somewhere between [[Chaos Part Four: Genesis|ongoing #30]] and [[Before the Dawn|''Robots in Disguise #14]], Megatron ripping the Matrix of Leadership out of Optimus from [[All Hail Megatron issue 7|''All Hail Megatron'' #7]], the aforementioned scene of Whirl beating up Megatron from ongoing #22, and Starscream in his original Earth-mode body.
*Nightbeat takes a curious interest in the ''Lost Light''; the ship's mysterious history has not been the subject of much discussion, but the unexpected presence of a [[sparkeater (creature)|Sparkeater]] on board in [[Liars, A to D Part 3: The Chaos of Warm Things|''More than Meets the Eye'' #3]] led [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] to speculate that "horrific things" must have happened on board the ship in its past. Further, in what seemed like nothing more than an easter egg at the time, Nightbeat observed Rung constructing a model of the ''Lost Light'' in a flashback to four million years ago in [[Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|''More than Meets the Eye'' #9]], which suggests the ship had a reputation even then.
*Prime vows to Shockwave that he will "remember [him] as he [was]", which was the hope pre-Shadowplay Shockwave expressed in [[Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading|''More than Meets the Eye'' #11]].

===Transformers references===
*Mainframe remarks on Prowl's "keen sense of spatial awareness", a reference to his ability to "observe 800 moving objects, compute their probable paths of movement, and determine the proper countermove" from his original ''[[The Transformers Universe|Universe]]'' profile (and countless James Roberts' issues).

===Real-world references===
*The title of this chapter is a reference to the [[Wikipedia: Neil Young|Neil Young]] song, "[[Wikipedia: The Needle and the Damage Done|The Needle and the Damage Done]]".
*When Starscream deploys his swords, the sound effect used it "Snikt", the sound effect used for [[Wolverine]]'s claws.

===Errors===
*Brainstorm's got his [[briefcase]] cuffed to his wrist this issue, when he didn't have it with him in the last chapter—though that's almost certainly an error on the last chapter's part, not this one's.
*Chromia and Nautica have reverted to the [[James Raiz]] versions of their character models, with simpler helmet designs and a large clear visor over the latter's face, after abruptly switching to alternate models with [[Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Chapter 9]]. Again, this is arguably something previous issues got wrong, that this issue corrects.
* Windblade has a similar model change, going back to her "monobreast" chest design. Unlike the other members of her group, it only lasts a single panel.

===Trivia===
*When originally released on digital platforms, this issue was missing its final page.

===Covers (3)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Shockwave versus Megatron atop of a pile of the fallen, by [[Phil Jimenez]] and [[Romulo Fajardo Jr.]]
*'''Sub cover:''' Shockwave crackling with power, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Josh Burcham]] (miscredited as [[Joana Lafuente]]).
*'''Cover RI:''' Wraparound cover of ''Generations'' Metroplex stomping over the surface of Cybertron as Optimus Prime leads a team of Autobots running ahead of him, by Jiminez and Fajardo Jr.

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===Advertisements===
*[[Dawn of the Autobots]], spotlighting [[Earthfall Part 1: Hello Cruel World|''Robots in Disguise'' #28]], [[A 'Bot and Her City|''Windblade'' #1]] and [[World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|''More than Meets the Eye'' #28]].
*''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]''
*[[Free Comic Book Day]]
*IDW: Getting Into Your Head for 15 Years (back cover)

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/20651-transformers-dark-cybertron-finale-preview-brings-all-out-action.html Preview]

[[Category:Dark Cybertron issues]]