Editing Race Against the Light

{{Comicstory
|series=windblade2|issueno=5
|prev=Windblade vol. 2 issue 4
|next=
|image=Windbladev2-5-regcvr.jpg  
|caption=
|title="Race Against the Light"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[July 29]], [[2015]]
|coverdate=July 2015
|written by=[[Mairghread Scott]]
|art by=[[Corin Howell]]
|colors by=[[Thomas Deer]]
|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2015)]]
}}

'''In a vicious race without rules, Blurr's going to need a little Titan-manipulating help from Windblade in order to win.'''

==Synopsis==

Windblade realizes that the wall of fire chasing the [[Velocitron]]ian city is actually the light of the planet's sun scorching its surface, and that this is the reason Velocitron's cities have to constantly move. Desperately trying to keep up with the city as the burning dawn nips at their heels, the team radios [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]], who directs them to an access hatch that will allow them to safely enter the mobile metropolis. [[Ironhide (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ironhide]] almost doesn't make it, but [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]]'s refusal to leave his side gives him the encouragement to make the final leap through the hatchway. Once everyone is inside, they are met by Moonracer, who explains that she earned her position as ambassador by keeping pace with the city—actually the planet's capital, [[Delta]]—for an entire day. An incredulous Ironhide wonders what being fast has to do with being suited for politics; Moonracer wearily agrees that it's a nonsensical system of government, but she can't change the way the planet works. She details the three unofficial tiers of Velocitronian society—the racers, who rule everything; the well-respected "direct support" who aid the racers physically and medically; and everyone else—then introduces them to her assistant, [[Clocker (G1)|Clocker]]. Matters then turn to the race [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] is here to participate in: the [[Benefit 500]], a race in which there are no rules, and one which he will have to not just win, but win ''spectacularly'' in order to get the planet's people on his side. This is especially necessary because the planet leader [[Override (BW)|Override]]'s power is tenuous at the moment, with her rival [[Ransack (G1 Veloctronian)|Ransack]] vying for control, and massive public support will be necessary for any decision she makes based on Blurr's win.

While Moonracer leads Blurr and Ironhide to the racetrack, Windblade and Chromia have Clocker take them to the brain of [[Navitas]], the [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Titan]] upon whose body Delta is built. Perturbed by the decadence of Velocitron society, Windblade is even more appalled to discover how neglected Navitas is, his brain chamber having gone undisturbed for years. Using her cityspeaking talents, Windblade converses with Navitas, explaining her origins and the reasons for her presence on Velocitron, but soon discovers that Navitas's mind is impaired when he immediately forgets who she is in mid-conversation. Lacking the time to fix him or merge with him, Windblade begins examining the inner workings of his brain, searching for the connections that control the racetrack...

Ironhide, Blurr, and Moonracer are stopped by a pair of guards when they try to enter the track, but Blurr's speed quickly puts them to shame and the trio are allowed access. Blurr heads down to the starting line, where he meets the arrogant [[Racemaster]], and soon, Override—watching from a spectator's box overhead—calls for the race to begin. Blurr gets a taste of Velocitronian dedication to victory almost immediately when Racemaster rakes him with blades protruding from his side, but Blurr's refusal to play dirty by fighting back despite the fact the race is specifically "no holds barred" intrigues Override.  [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]], meanwhile, is disgusted when he realizes who Blurr is, but Moonracer smiles and informs the pair not to count the Cybertronians out yet. Her words prove prophetic, as Windblade manipulates Navitas's brain to control the surface of the racetrack, re-shaping it and hurling obstacles in the path of all the other racers, while providing Blurr with the ramps and jumps he needs to soar to the finish line. The victorious Blurr introduces himself to the frenzied audience and invites them to experience the thrill of racing on all new worlds by joining with Cybertron; Override calls for a vote on his proposal, and thunderous applause from the stands ensures that the Cybertron/Velocitron alliance is now a certainty. Windblade barely has a moment to enjoy the win, however, as [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] radios her to let her know that [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] is about to meet with ambassadors from [[Eukaris|another]] of the colony worlds...

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (1)
*[[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] (2)
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (3)
*[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (4)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (14)

|c4=
*[[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] (5)
*[[Override (BW)|Override]] (6)
*[[Ransack (G1 Velocitronian)|Ransack]] (7)
*[[Clocker (G1)|Clocker]] (8)
*[[Navitas]]'s brain (9)
*[[Racemaster]] (10)
*[[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] (11)
*Knock Out's Conjunx Endura (12)
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==

"This place is '''huge!'''"<br>
"No need to be polite, Blurr. The Benefit has always been held on one of our smaller tracks."
:—'''Blurr''' is shocked by what '''Moonracer''' considers "small" on Velocitron



"They call me... '''Racemaster.'''"<br>
"Heh... not the most '''original''' name I've ever heard."<br>
"Who cares about originality? I've got '''speed'''."
:—'''Racemaster''' and '''Blur'''

==Notes==

===Continuity notes===
*Knock Out's [[Conjunx Endura]], mentioned last issue, appears in the crowd at the race. We know it's him because, per Mairghread Scott's comments after last issue, he looks like [[Breakdown (WFC)|''Prime'' Breakdown]], but we don't know what his name is, because there's [[Breakdown (G1)|already a Breakdown]] in this continuity.
*Ransack appeared in a montage of Velocitron last issue, but with a different color scheme.

===Transformers references===
*Delta was first named as a major city on Velocitron in the ''[[Transformers: Exiles]]'' novel.
*Ransack was just a troublemaking shmuck in the [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]]; his position of importance in Velocitronian society originates with the [[Ransack (Prime)|version of the character]] from the ''Exiles'' novel.
*Clocker is based on the [[Movie (toyline)|live-action movie toyline]] [[Clocker (Movie)|Clocker]], who was a redeco of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Velocitronian [[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]].
*Clocker mentions that Ransack might beat Override in "the next Speedia race"; the [[Speedia 500]], seen in the [[Beginning|final episode]] of the ''Cybertron'' cartoon, is the race which decides the overall leader of the planet. The same race also played a similar role in ''Exiles''.
*"Racemaster" takes his name and red-and-gold color scheme from the ''[[Transformers United EX]]'' alias for [[Rapido]]. Does that mean he ''is'' the IDW continuity version of Rapido? We're not sure.
*Navitas refers to Windblade as "Caminus' sparkling." The term "sparkling" is used in some parts of the fandom to refer to the idea of a Transformer child, often a literal "baby" robot. This marks it's first use in official fiction, carrying a similar connotation as Windblade like all Camiens was born of the hot spot carried within Caminus.

===Errors===
*On page 9, Navitas speaks of "Cybertron's decent into superstition." That ought to be "descent".

===Covers (3)===
*'''Regular cover:''' Windblade, Chromia, and Blurr, [[Priscilla Tramontano]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' Blurr in action, silhouetted by Windblade, by [[Casey Coller]] and [[Joana Lafuente]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' One of a series of "[[Pan Cybertronian Spaceways]]" travel posters by [[James Biggie]] that make up the Retailer Incentive covers on IDW's July Transformers titles; this one promotes [[Caminus]].
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===Advertisements===
*''Windblade'' #6
*[[An Uneventful Night|''Combiner Hunters'' #1]]
*''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets The Eye]]'' [[The One Where They Go to Earth|#43]]
*''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]'' [[South of Heaven|#43]]
*''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' [[Pax Megatronus|#8]]
*''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Robots in Disguise issue 1|#1]]
*IDW ''Transformers'' graphic novel library
*''Walt Disney's Comics and Stories'' #721 (back cover)

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/25337-transformers-exclusive-previews-transformers-more-than-meets-the-eye-43-transformers-combiner-hunters-special-one-shot-transformers-windblade-5.html Preview]

[[Category:Windblade issues]]