Editing The World of Tomorrow

{{Comicstory|
|series=rid|issueno=33
|prev=Earthfall Chapter 5: I Dream of Wires
|next=
|caption=
|image=RID33 regcvr.jpg
|title="The World of Tomorrow"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 24]], [[2014]]
|coverdate=September 2014
|written by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Sarah Stone]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2014)]]
}}

'''Repaired and reactivated, Wheeljack is faced with a Cybertron unfamiliar to him, and must decide where his loyalties lie in this new world.'''

==Synopsis==

After months offline, the fully-repaired [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] awakens at last, unceremoniously toppling out of his stasis tube in front of a waiting crowd. [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] is legitimately happy to see Wheeljack up and about again; that doesn't immediately endear the scientist to [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], but Wheeljack is less concerned with her opinion of him, and more with the startling revelation that Starscream is now the ruler of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]!

After being caught up on the last six months, Wheeljack is shown around a shanty-town being built outside of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] by those who have elected to leave the city after the recent bombing—unfortunately, they are mostly [[Decepticon]]s, angry at what they see as the failings of Starscream's leadership, and Starscream and Wheeljack quickly find themselves being "encouraged" out of the area by a hail of debris thrown by furious civilians. Unfazed, Starscream proceeds to lead Wheeljack to a facility containing the bodies of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], explaining the [[combiner]]'s origins to the shocked scientist and how he came to be injured by [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. Wheeljack swears to do what he can to help save the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]' lives, but Starscream needs more: in order to protect his Cybertron against any potential threat that the Prowl-controlled [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] might pose, he requires a combiner that will serve him. Already unconvinced that his friend Prowl could really be as dangerous as Starscream says, Wheeljack further points out that [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] seems beyond saving; in response, Starscream introduces him to [[Alpha Bravo]] and [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]], who have volunteered to become part of Superion in order to ensure the success of the project.

[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] throws a party to celebrate Wheeljack's return at [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]], but the scientist is distracted throughout, surrounded by strangers and feeling very alone. Rising early the next morning, he pays a visit to Starscream in order to hash the matter out, but finds his way barred by [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]]. The smaller 'bot lets him pass with noticeably little argument... allowing Wheeljack to overhear Starscream seemingly arguing furiously with ''himself''. [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] appears, already aware of Starscream's apparent descent into insanity; she and Wheeljack properly introduce themselves to one another, and she takes him to Metroplex's damaged [[space bridge]], telling him a little more about recent events and her attempts to repair the bridge and help Cybertron's colony worlds. They both realize that it is difficult to trust Starscream, but that the current situation means that to help him is to help Cybertron, and that means they are both on the same side.

Seeking perspective, Wheeljack heads out to the badlands to regard the tiny singularity that [[Crystal City]] collapsed into when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s "[[Dark Cybertron]]" plot was foiled. There, he meets [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], who has become withdrawn now that the vision of the future he saw has been rendered impossible by Shockwave's machinations. He despairs over the loss of the surety in the future that the vision had granted him, but with good humour, Wheeljack tells him that that state of uncertainty is just called "being alive".

Returning to Metroplex, Wheeljack walks into Starscream's chambers as he is in the middle of another rant... and discovers that he ''hasn't'' gone insane, he's simply communicating with [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]], his agent on [[Earth]], over an undetectable comm channel. Starscream shows Wheeljack a selection of images sent from Earth by Scoop of Devastator on the rampage, and gives one final speech: whatever anyone else may say about Starscream, whatever Wheeljack may ''think'' about him, his ''point'' is still true, and Cybertron needs a combiner on its side because all its potential enemies have one already. Wheeljack cannot disagree, and gets to work on Superion... because however untrustworthy Starscream may be, Wheeljack knows he has his friends Windblade and Ironhide to watch his back.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks or recorded images.<br>
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (1)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (2)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (3)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (7)
*''[[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]'' (9)
*''[[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]]'' (10)
*''[[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]]'' (11)
*[[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (12)
*[[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (13)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Alpha Bravo]] (14)
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (15)
*''[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]'' (22)
*''[[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'' (23)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]]'' (24)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*''[[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'' (8)
*''[[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]]'' (25)
*''[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]'' (26)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (4)
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] (5)
*[[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]] (6)
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (16)
*[[Sky-Byte (G2)|Sky-Byte]] (17)
*[[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (18)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (19)
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (20)
*[[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] (21)

}}

==Quotes==

"So, ah, should I call you 'glorious leader'? ''Ha ha''."<br>
"Please, just '''Lord Starscream.'''"<br>
"Uh ''huh''."
:—'''Wheeljack''' and '''Starscream'''


"'''Slingshot.''' We used to listen to '''Nebulon rock operas''' together. They were '''terrible.''' He had '''terrible''' taste in '''music'''."
:—'''Wheeljack''' laments


"The future you saw... was it '''good?'''"<br>
"I... I don't know. I can't tell anymore. I can't tell what's '''good''' or '''bad'''... and I don't know what's gonna '''happen.'''"<br>
"''Heh.'' Pal. You just described '''bein' alive.'''"
:—'''Wheeljack''' and '''Ironhide'''


"There's a '''war''' coming, and you can trust me on '''exactly''' one thing: I won't let Cybertron fall again."
:—'''Starscream'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Wheeljack mentions his friendship with [[Ferak]], an old relationship mentioned just once before, in Ferak's profile in the ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' hardcover. However, see "Errors", below.
*Wheeljack also recalls the time he built a new body for Orion Pax, as seen in ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]''.
*He also brings up a "trip to [[Las Vegas]]", which happened in ''[[Infestation (IDW)|The Transformers: Infestation]]''. He describes the experience as "kinda fuzzy", likely a reference to the story being a crossover with another property, or a gag about Wheeljack's non-presence in the story, as he essentially only ever appears on-panel during it in order to do something science-y, then disappears again. Of course, it could also be a reference to {{w|Sin City (description)|the kind of weekends}} that the city is well known for providing.
*Wheeljack appeared to die back in [[Before the Dawn|issue #14]]. He was revealed to have survived in [[Three Monologues|issue #20]].
*This story takes place a few weeks after the conclusion of the ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' mini-series; nobody really wants to tell Wheeljack exactly what went down during it, for obvious reasons (seriously, Chromia might want to check her 'tude).
*The Decepticon slums outside Metroplex were seen in the previously-released but chronologically-later ''[[The Transformers: Punishment|Punishment]]'' mini-series.
*Omega Supreme has been injured and offline since [[The End of the Beginning of the World|issue #11]]; Superion has been out of action since [[Plan for Everything|issue #15]].
*Slingshot is noted to have a fondness for Nebulon rock operas; [[Nebulos]], homeworld of the Transformers' [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]], [[Targetmaster]] and [[Powermaster]] in other fiction, hasn't appeared in IDW continuity since its early days, when it was ravaged in an attack by [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] during ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]''.
*Powerglide was formerly a member of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' crew; here we see he left the ship to remain on Cybertron after "[[Dark Cybertron]]".
*Dirge turns up in Maccadam's, having last been seen back in issue #20. It's nice to see he's gettin' along okay!
*Crystal City was consumed by a black hole in ''[[...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|Dark Cybertron Finale]]''.
*The precise specifics of how Shockwave's actions altered the future Ironhide saw aren't gone into on-panel, but we as an audience know that the Decepticon's plan resulted in the destruction of [[Gorlam Prime]], which was the ''setting'' for Ironhide's future vision, rendering it impossible.
*Scoop is revealed to be with the Decepticons on Earth; he was last seen among their number on Cybertron in a flashback in [[Earthfall Part 4: Full Fathom Five|issue #31]]. 
*The images Starscream shows Wheeljack are of the Autobots' attack on the EDC's Bikini Atoll base last issue.
*Monstructor is revealed to still be at large; his components were last seen doing battle with the female Autobots during ''Dark Cybertron Finale''. 
*Starscream recalls Swindle's creation of Menasor from the first arc of the [[The Transformers (IDW)|2009-2011 ongoing series]]. The Stunticons haven't combined again since that first story.

===Transformers references===
*The build-up to ''[[Combiner Wars]]'' begins here; new Superion component [[Alpha Bravo]], whose toy was debuted at [[Hasbro's Transformers 30th Anniversary San Diego Comic-Con Press Breakfast|San Diego Comic Con 2014]], is introduced, and Powerglide, whose new ''Generations'' toy becomes an extra piece for Superion's gun, puts in an appearance.
*Powerglide's got his original [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] speech patterns, dropping his Jackie Gleason-inspired catchphrase, "Awaaaaay we go!"

===Real-life references===
*The title of this issue seems to be a reference to ''{{w|Futurama}}''; in the debut episode "{{w|Space Pilot 3000}}", upon emerging from stasis to find that the world has changed, like Wheeljack does in this issue, series protagonist {{w|Fry (Futurama)|Philip J. Fry}} is greeted by [http://theinfosphere.org/Terry a cryogenic scientist] who proclaims "WELCOME TO THE WOOOORLD OF TOMORROOOW!"

===Errors===
*Ferak is misspelled "Ferax".
*On page three, as the water in Wheeljack's tube drains away, it drains ''upward''.
*In the flashback of Starscream's coronation, he is depicted in his Armada body. Of course, he doesn't get this body until the [[Dark Dawn: Dark Cybertron Chapter 1|first issue of Dark Cybertron]].
*In the final panel of page 14, Windblade is misspelled "Windblae".
*Menasor appears in his new ''Combiner Wars'' design, which he logically shouldn't have yet.

===Covers (4)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Wheeljack's hand emerges as Ironhide, Blurr, Starscream and Windblade look on, by [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Josh Perez]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' Starscream and Rattrap perch on the fallen Superion, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Priscilla Tramontano]]
*'''30th Anniversary cover:''' Ironfist declares "Bang", as seen during his showdown with [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] in [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #5]], by Sarah Stone; the third in September's series of 30th Anniversary covers commemorating moments from IDW history.
*'''Giant Robot Comics exclusive cover:''' Optimus Prime, Arcee, Ironhide, Prowl, Jazz and Sideswipe on {{w|Angus L. Macdonald Bridge}} in Halifax, Nova Scotia, by Casey Coller and [[John-Paul Bove]]. Exclusive to Giant Robot Comics (who are based in Halifax); a companion piece to their exclusive cover to [[Less Than Zero|''Regeneration One'' #0]] from the previous September.
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==External links==
*[http://www.comicosity.com/preview-transformers-robots-in-disguise-33/ Preview]
{{DEFAULTSORT:World of Tomorrow}}