Editing City of Steel (issue)

{{disambig2|the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] issue|the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 episode]]|City of Steel (episode)}}
{{Comicstory|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Punishment]]'' #1
|next=Fight or Flee (issue)
|image=Punishment1 Madefirecvr.jpg
|title="City of Steel"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=June [[2014]]
|coverdate=2014
|story by=[[John Barber]]
|art by=[[Livio Ramondelli]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|build by=[[Cody Garcia]]
|edited by=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|sound and music by=[[Yuponce]]
|composer=[[Wendell]]
|exec producer=[[George Englund, Jr.]]
|sound supervisior=[[Jerry Yamashita]]
|sound designer=[[Chris Faamausili]],<br>[[Colton Becker]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2014)]]
|price=Free (Windows 8 Madefire app, initial)<br>??? (Other digital platforms)
}}

'''Optimus Prime's arrival on Cybertron coincides with the aftermath of a Decepticon triple homicide.'''

==Synopsis==
At a secluded location on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Brisko]], [[Treadshot (Universe 2003)|Treadshot]], and [[Wilder]] meet and plot to steal [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]]'s hoarded "junk" using a map of his quarters in [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] to stake out a better life on another planet. They are interrupted when [[Sandstorm (G1)|a mysterious robot]] arrives and kills all three [[Decepticon]]s.

Five hours later, the massacre site is visited by Starscream, [[Barricade (G1)|Barricade]], [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]], and [[Slag (G1)|Slug]]. Slug is dismissive of the murders, believing the Decepticons were up to no good and deserved it, while Barricade argues to Starscream that all Cybertronians deserve equal consideration. When Sludge sniffs out the map, Starscream dismisses the entire thing as hijinks gone wrong, but allows Barricade to investigate if he really wants to.

[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] arrives from [[Earth]] on a personal errand and is welcomed by Starscream, [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] and Sludge. While walking through Metroplex, Sludge mentions the murders, garnering Optimus's interest. The welcoming committee also talk to Optimus about the living conditions of Cybertron, including the fact that the Decepticons are consigned to a ghetto outside Metroplex in the ruins of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], being unable to find jobs or be accepted into the greater society. Slug considers it just treatment for their acts throughout the war, but Optimus is unconvinced and takes a walk through the ghetto to see for himself.

Optimus's walk attracts some aggressive Decepticons, including [[Sparkstalker]], who angrily asks why the [[Autobot]] is in Decepticon territory. Optimus can only plead as all of the Decepticons gang up on him. His savior comes in the form of Starscream, who notes one just can't reason with the "rabble" as he lifts Optimus from their grasp.

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (7)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slug]] (8)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (9)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] (10)
*[[Skram (G2)|Skram]] (11)
*[[Fireball]] (12)
*[[Lander (Masterforce)|Lander]] (13)
*[[Diver (Masterforce)|Diver]] (14)
|c2=
*[[Brisko]] (1)
*[[Treadshot (Universe 2003)|Treadshot]] (2)
*[[Wilder]] (3)
*[[Barricade (G1)|Barricade]] (6)
*? (15)
*[[Sinnertwin (G1)|Sinnertwin]] (16)
*[[Cindersaur (G1)|Cindersaur]] (17)
*[[Flamefeather]] (18)
*[[Sparkstalker]] (19)
*[[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] (20)
*? (21) <!--gray Decepticon with box behind head, pg 7, shows up again on pg 9-->
*? (22) <!--Decepticon behind Acid Storm and Sparkstalker, pg 7, shows up again on pg 9-->
*? (23) <!--Decepticon left of Heavy Barrel-->
*[[Heavy Barrel (G1)|Heavy Barrel]] (24)
*? (25) <!--tan/olive green Decepticon-->
*? (26) <!--Decepticon right of Optimus, pg 9-->
|c4=
*[[Sandstorm (G1)|Killer]] (4)
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (5)
}}

==Quotes==

'''Treadshot:''' "C'mon. What could '''possibly''' go wrong?"<br>
'''Brisko:''' "That's '''it.''' I'm '''out.'''"<br>
'''Treadshot:''' "What?"<br>
'''Brisko:''' "That's the '''kiss of death!''' Who would even '''say''' that?"<br>
'''Treadshot:''' "I don't get it."<br>
'''Wilder:''' "You don't '''say''' nothing's going to go wrong, Treadshot. It's the kiss of death."


"It looks like a triple homicide, '''Starscream.'''"<br>
"'''Really?''' Well, thank you, '''Barricade.''' I thought maybe the Cybertronian '''book club''' had a '''reading accident.'''"
:—'''Barricade''' and '''Starscream'''


"Some 'Cons got themselves '''killed'''—and '''that''' means they were doing something to '''deserve''' it."
:—'''Slug'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*Optimus Prime returns to Cybertron after leaving Earth in [[Onyx Interface Part One: Signals, Calls, and Marches|''The Transformers'' #37]], though that issue wouldn't be published until five months after ''Punishment''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s original digital release.
*Similarly, the Decepticon ghetto introduced here would be chronologically seen for the "first" time in [[The World of Tomorrow|''Robots in Disguise'' #33]].
*Hey, it's Skram! This guy hasn't been seen in IDW continuity since [[Simon Furman]]'s tenure, during which he occasionally appeared as a member of a unit led by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. He last appeared in ''[[Spotlight: Sideswipe]]''.

===Transformers references===
*This issue is named after the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode, "[[City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel]]".
*The killer's first three victims are a curious little collection of continuity quirks.
**Treadshot is the [[Treadshot (Universe 2003)|''Universe'' incarnation of the character]], whose had never been provided a continuity of origin until now. He's a G1 guy now, baby!
**Brisko is traditionally a [[Nebulan]], headmaster partner to [[Fangry]], but here he appears as a full-size Transformer.
**Despite the appearance of Brisko, it's not Fangry who shares the scene with him, but [[Wilder]], Fangry's identical Japanese counterpart from ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|Super-God Masterforce]]''. Wilder's normally a human controlling a [[Transtector]], but has also been depicted as a wholly robotic individual before, so it's not ''so'' odd to see him appear as such here. 
*Barricade is visually based on the [[Barricade (WFC)|''War for Cybertron'' character]], with the function of police officer in homage to the [[Barricade (Movie)|live-action movie Barricade]].
*Though not named until later in the mini-series, new Autobot character [[Fireball]] is based on [[Vroom (G1)|Vroom]], a 'bot who has put in one previous appearance in IDW continuity, in ''[[Spotlight: Arcee]]'', which he might not have survived.

===Errors===
*After Wilder clarifies Brisko's "kiss of death" remark, the next piece of dialogue ("Exactly. That's '''literally exactly''' what I '''said'''.") is supposed to come from Brisko, but the dialogue balloon points to Wilder (who's the only 'bot in the panel anyway).

===Covers (2)===
*'''Digital cover:''' Optimus Prime and the Dinobots, by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
*'''Print cover:''' Expanded version of the same image
<gallery>
File:Punishment1 Madefirecvr.jpg
File:TFPunishment.jpg
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==External links==
*[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=25604 Preview]

[[Category:Punishment issues]]