New Cybertron Part 3: Behind My Bleeding Back: Difference between revisions
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|letters by=[[Tom B. Long]] | |letters by=[[Tom B. Long]] | ||
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]] | |editor=[[Carlos Guzman]] | ||
|continuity=[[ | |continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]] | ||
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era]] | |chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Soundwave launches a mission to discover the Junkions' true intentions, and recalls his first meeting with Optimus Prime.''' | '''Soundwave launches a mission to discover the Junkions' true intentions, and recalls his first meeting with Optimus Prime.''' | ||
==Synopsis== | ==Synopsis== | ||
''Four million years ago, [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW | ''Four million years ago, [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] leads [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] to a [[Decepticon]] bolthole to meet the 'bot who told him about Pax: [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]].'' | ||
In the present day, while Optimus Prime makes a visit to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Jetfire, Soundwave, and [[Arcee (G1)/IDW | In the present day, while Optimus Prime makes a visit to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Jetfire, Soundwave, and [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] debate the authenticity of the [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s' alleged motives in coming to [[Earth]]. Upon receiving a communication from an unknown "colleague," Soundwave puts a plan into action, calling [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] on [[Sanctuary Station]] and requesting his help on a stealth mission. Though the Junkions' anti-stealth shielding is highly advanced, it is made of a junky conglomeration of other worlds' tech, and Soundwave hopes that the stealth-shielding developed by Jetfire on Earth, which the Autobots have been using since returning to the planet, will be enough to get by it. | ||
In [[Cairo]], [[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW | In [[Cairo]], [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]] has agreed to consult on Cybertronian technology for [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. He and [[Chameleon (G.I. Joe)|Chameleon]] start chatting about their respective pasts with [[Marissa Faireborn|Marissa]] and [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]], and Thundercracker becomes very interested in the exciting life of espionage Chameleon has lived. The subjects of their conversation, meanwhile, are talking in a nearby cafe about something else entirely: Thundercracker's condition for helping out was that Marissa be invited to join G.I. Joe, but Marissa isn't overly keen on serving under Flint... who is her father! | ||
On Cybertron, Optimus Prime speaks before the [[Council of Worlds]] to argue for the peaceful sharing of Junkion technology with [[Earth]]. The [[Mistress of Flame]] sees no harm in it, given the things Prime has done to "divinely" prove the humans' world is a valid Cybertronian colony, but [[Starscream (G1)/IDW | On Cybertron, Optimus Prime speaks before the [[Council of Worlds]] to argue for the peaceful sharing of Junkion technology with [[Earth]]. The [[Mistress of Flame]] sees no harm in it, given the things Prime has done to "divinely" prove the humans' world is a valid Cybertronian colony, but [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] is far from convinced. Earth has not been officially accepted into the council, he angrily explains, and does not even have a representative; it remains an unaffiliated world, and so sharing the Junkions' tech with it is a breach of the [[Tyrest Accord]]. The hearing comes to an end, and Prime departs, clearly frustrated. But Starscream's grandstanding has made clear the path Prime must take to ensure Earth a place on the council... | ||
''Soundwave speaks of the compromises it is necessary for one to make to achieve their goals, but Orion Pax disagrees; Jetfire accuses him of being blind to the problems of society, ignoring the moral compromises his own side has made while condemning the Decepticons' for theirs. Prowl steps in to question Soundwave directly about [[Hefter]], inquiring whether the allegation that he was running guns from off-world is true. Soundwave refutes the claim, insisting that the compromises the Decepticons have made do not define their goals or lives going forward, but Orion isn't convinced; he offers Soundwave immunity from prosecution if he will tell them the truth. Soundwave reiterates that Hefter—and all the Decepticons—are innocent of such crimes.'' | ''Soundwave speaks of the compromises it is necessary for one to make to achieve their goals, but Orion Pax disagrees; Jetfire accuses him of being blind to the problems of society, ignoring the moral compromises his own side has made while condemning the Decepticons' for theirs. Prowl steps in to question Soundwave directly about [[Hefter]], inquiring whether the allegation that he was running guns from off-world is true. Soundwave refutes the claim, insisting that the compromises the Decepticons have made do not define their goals or lives going forward, but Orion isn't convinced; he offers Soundwave immunity from prosecution if he will tell them the truth. Soundwave reiterates that Hefter—and all the Decepticons—are innocent of such crimes.'' | ||
In [[Mexico City]], [[Jazz (G1)/IDW | In [[Mexico City]], [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] reaches out to the woman who was injured in the recent shooting, who shunned his help when offered. The woman has nothing but hate for him, having lost her uncle in the [[Decepticon]] invasion of Earth, but Jazz does not want to convince her otherwise—he just wants to listen to her, to try and understand. | ||
Though Flint doesn't give him a clear answer when he inquires if Marissa has accepted his offer, Thundercracker agrees to perform the necessary calculations on the Junkion ship. By comparing Thundercracker's estimate of the energy output of the ship's system to the total radiation they can detect emanating from the vessel, [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]] and [[Sanjay Bharwaney|Hi-Tech]] set about trying to deduce the size of the Junkion force inside. Soundwave arrives at the Joe camp as they are in the middle of their equations, offering to lend a hand—an offer happily accepted by a surprised Mainframe, but with slightly more trepidation by [[Zilong Qian|Talon]]. | Though Flint doesn't give him a clear answer when he inquires if Marissa has accepted his offer, Thundercracker agrees to perform the necessary calculations on the Junkion ship. By comparing Thundercracker's estimate of the energy output of the ship's system to the total radiation they can detect emanating from the vessel, [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]] and [[Sanjay Bharwaney|Hi-Tech]] set about trying to deduce the size of the Junkion force inside. Soundwave arrives at the Joe camp as they are in the middle of their equations, offering to lend a hand—an offer happily accepted by a surprised Mainframe, but with slightly more trepidation by [[Zilong Qian|Talon]]. | ||
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''Prowl, Jetfire, and Orion Pax leave Soundwave, but no sooner have they stepped out the door than Starscream emerges from the shadows. Soundwave turns to face him and reacts with shock to see him carrying a huge weapon. Starscream grins; the newest shipment of weapons has arrived from off-world...'' | ''Prowl, Jetfire, and Orion Pax leave Soundwave, but no sooner have they stepped out the door than Starscream emerges from the shadows. Soundwave turns to face him and reacts with shock to see him carrying a huge weapon. Starscream grins; the newest shipment of weapons has arrived from off-world...'' | ||
With his stealth coating active and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] on board as back-up, Cosmos approaches the Junkion spacecraft in vehicle mode and is able to successfully enter it. The trio carefully creeps through the garbage-strewn hallways of the ship, sadly unaware that the stealth coating was ''not'' enough to hide them from the Junkions' sensors, and that their every move is even now being watched by [[Rum-Maj]]. When one of her Junkion attendants offers to go after the intruders, however, she tells him not to bother... as Cosmos, Rumble, and Frenzy have just walked into a seemingly empty chamber, only to be set upon by a horde of ravenous [[Sharkticon ( | With his stealth coating active and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] on board as back-up, Cosmos approaches the Junkion spacecraft in vehicle mode and is able to successfully enter it. The trio carefully creeps through the garbage-strewn hallways of the ship, sadly unaware that the stealth coating was ''not'' enough to hide them from the Junkions' sensors, and that their every move is even now being watched by [[Rum-Maj]]. When one of her Junkion attendants offers to go after the intruders, however, she tells him not to bother... as Cosmos, Rumble, and Frenzy have just walked into a seemingly empty chamber, only to be set upon by a horde of ravenous [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]! | ||
==Featured characters== | ==Featured characters== | ||
| Line 42: | Line 42: | ||
{{Featuredcharacters | {{Featuredcharacters | ||
|c1= | |c1= | ||
* ''[[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]]'' (1) | |||
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (2) | |||
* [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] (3) | |||
* [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] (11) | |||
* [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] (13) | |||
* [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] (30) | |||
* [[Aileron]] (35) | |||
* | |c2= | ||
*[[ | * [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (4) | ||
*[[ | * [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (5) | ||
*[[ | * [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] (6) | ||
*[[ | * [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (7) | ||
*[[ | * ''[[Ravage (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ravage]]'' (8) | ||
* [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] (9) | |||
| | |h3=[[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]|c3= | ||
* [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] (hologram, 10) | |||
* [[Rum-Maj]] (38) | |||
*[[ | * Various [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] (39) | ||
*[[ | |||
* | |||
| | |h4=[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]|c4= | ||
*[[Chameleon (G.I. Joe)|Chameleon]] (14) | * [[Chameleon (G.I. Joe)|Chameleon]] (14) | ||
*[[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]] (18) | * [[Flint (G.I. Joe)|Flint]] (18) | ||
*[[Zilong Qian|Talon]] (31) | * [[Zilong Qian|Talon]] (31) | ||
*[[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]] (32) | * [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]] (32) | ||
*[[Sanjay Bharwaney|Hi-Tech]] (33) | * [[Sanjay Bharwaney|Hi-Tech]] (33) | ||
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/IDW | * [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike]] (34) | ||
| | |h5=Others|c5= | ||
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent" | {{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent" | ||
{{!}}- | {{!}}- | ||
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}} | {{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}} | ||
*[[ | * [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] (12) | ||
* [[Buster (IDW)|Buster]] (15) | |||
*[[Buster (IDW)|Buster]] (15) | * [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]] (16) | ||
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW | * [[Marissa Faireborn]] (17) | ||
*[[Marissa Faireborn]] (17) | * [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] (19) | ||
*[[Starscream (G1)/IDW | * [[Mistress of Flame]] (20) | ||
*[[Mistress of Flame]] (20) | * [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (21) | ||
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (21) | * [[Tigatron (BW)|Tigatron]] (22) | ||
*[[Tigatron]] (22) | * [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (23) | ||
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (23) | * [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (24) | ||
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}} | {{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}} | ||
*[[ | * [[Fireshot]] (25) | ||
* [[Vanquish]] (26) | |||
*[[ | * [[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] (27) | ||
*[[Moonracer (G1)|Moonracer]] (27) | * [[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] (28) | ||
*[[Knock Out (G1)|Knock Out]] (28) | * [[Sofía Orozco]] (29) | ||
*[[Sofía Orozco | * [[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]] (36) | ||
*[[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]] (36) | * [[Longtooth]] (37) | ||
*[[Longtooth]] (37) | * [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]] (40) | ||
*[[ | |||
{{!}}} | {{!}}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
| Line 128: | Line 129: | ||
"Marissa '''hatched''' out of you? I think that's how it works, anyway..." | "Marissa '''hatched''' out of you? I think that's how it works, anyway..." | ||
:—'''Thundercracker''' learns that Flint is Marissa's father | :—'''Thundercracker''' learns that Flint is Marissa's father. | ||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
===Continuity notes=== | ===Continuity notes=== | ||
*When they first meet, Soundwave has heard of Orion Pax from the time he addressed the [[Senate]], as seen in "[[Chaos Theory Part 2]]". | * When they first meet, Soundwave has heard of Orion Pax from the time he addressed the [[Senate]], as seen in "[[Chaos Theory Part 2]]". | ||
*Pax, similarly, knows Soundwave by his reputation as part of the squad who ''killed'' that same Senate in [[Megatron Origin issue 4|''Megatron Origin'' #4]]. Soundwave notes that there's no recorded evidence to prove exactly ''who'' was responsible for that; a subtle retroactive justification, perhaps, for the fact that Starscream, who was also part of the kill squad, was able to wind up a member of the new Senate that replaced the dead one, as seen in ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]''. | * Pax, similarly, knows Soundwave by his reputation as part of the squad who ''killed'' that same Senate in [[Megatron Origin issue 4|''Megatron Origin'' #4]]. Soundwave notes that there's no recorded evidence to prove exactly ''who'' was responsible for that; a subtle retroactive justification, perhaps, for the fact that Starscream, who was also part of the kill squad, was able to wind up a member of the new Senate that replaced the dead one, as seen in ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]''. | ||
*Soundwave begins his summary of his relationship with Optimus Prime by noting they were "briefly allies", referring to the short period of time Orion was allied with the Decepticons against [[Zeta Prime]] in ''Autocracy''. | * Soundwave begins his summary of his relationship with Optimus Prime by noting they were "briefly allies", referring to the short period of time Orion was allied with the Decepticons against [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]] in ''Autocracy''. | ||
*Cosmos was last seen in [[All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|''The Transformers'' #55]], being taken to Sanctuary Station for repairs by Laserbeak and Buzzsaw. Evidently, he's decided to stay ever since; not a surprise, as he was a big fan of Soundwave's endeavour to create the station. | * Cosmos was last seen in [[All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|''The Transformers'' #55]], being taken to Sanctuary Station for repairs by Laserbeak and Buzzsaw. Evidently, he's decided to stay ever since; not a surprise, as he was a big fan of Soundwave's endeavour to create the station. | ||
*When talking about her own complex history (chronicled in [[Mike Costa]]'s various ''Cobra'' titles across quite literally the entire span of IDW's ''G.I. Joe'' comics), Chameleon refers to "a guy in a Hawaiian shirt." As later name-dropped by Thundercracker after hearing the story off-panel, she's talking about [[Chuckles]], an undercover G.I. Joe agent whose story was told in the first two ''Cobra'' series, in which he and Chameleon became romantically entangled. | * When talking about her own complex history (chronicled in [[Mike Costa]]'s various ''Cobra'' titles across quite literally the entire span of IDW's ''G.I. Joe'' comics), Chameleon refers to "a guy in a Hawaiian shirt." As later name-dropped by Thundercracker after hearing the story off-panel, she's talking about [[Chuckles]], an undercover G.I. Joe agent whose story was told in the first two ''Cobra'' series, in which he and Chameleon became romantically entangled. | ||
*Flint's defensive reaction to Marissa thinking Chameleon is his girlfriend ("What? '''No.''' Good Lord.") alludes to the time they bumped uglies in {{i|Cobra vol. 2|''Cobra'' vol. 2}}. | * Flint's defensive reaction to Marissa thinking Chameleon is his girlfriend ("What? '''No.''' Good Lord.") alludes to the time they bumped uglies in {{i|G.I. Joe: Cobra vol. 2|''Cobra'' vol. 2}}. | ||
*This issue doesn't go into any more detail on the subject of Marissa being Flint's daughter, but a little more backstory is provided on Marissa's ''Revolution'' trading card, which was one of several available to buyers of IDW's ''Revolution'' "Humble Bundle" in October 2016. Marissa was raised by her biological mother and stepfather (surname "Bishop"), and was unaware that Flint was her father until their divorce, whereupon she changed her name to his. Marissa was a college student circa ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' (taking place in [[2008]] according to the timeline in [[Crisis Intervention|''Revolutionaries'' #1]]), so she must be in her mid-to-late twenties now; as such, Flint must have fathered her while in his late teens or very early twenties, because that dude ain't fifty. | * This issue doesn't go into any more detail on the subject of Marissa being Flint's daughter, but a little more backstory is provided on Marissa's ''Revolution'' trading card, which was one of several available to buyers of IDW's ''Revolution'' "Humble Bundle" in October 2016. Marissa was raised by her biological mother and stepfather (surname "Bishop"), and was unaware that Flint was her father until their divorce, whereupon she changed her name to his. Marissa was a college student circa ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' (taking place in [[2008]] according to the timeline in [[Crisis Intervention|''Revolutionaries'' #1]]), so she must be in her mid-to-late twenties now; as such, Flint must have fathered her while in his late teens or very early twenties, because that dude ain't fifty. | ||
*Cybertron is recovering from the attack by [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'s undead [[Titan ( | * Cybertron is recovering from the attack by [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'s undead [[Titan (group)|Titan]] army, which took place in ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]'' #5-8—a story that had yet to conclude at the time of this issue's publication. [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] is mentioned as recuperating from unspecified injuries— though we didn't know it at the time, this surely refers to her traumatic mental merge with [[Vigilem]]— explaining why the Mistress of Flame is temporarily substituting as Caminus's representative on the Council. | ||
*The woman Jazz talks to in Mexico City must be the same one who gave him a mouthful back in [[New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|issue #1]]. A poster for the [[Misfits]], rival band to [[Jem|Jem and the Holograms]], from the Hasbro girl-band franchise of the same name, hangs in the woman's room. Apparently, IDW's ''Jem and the Holograms'' comics also set in the [[Hasbro Universe]]. | * The woman Jazz talks to in Mexico City must be the same one who gave him a mouthful back in [[New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|issue #1]]. A poster for the [[Misfits]], rival band to [[Jem|Jem and the Holograms]], from the Hasbro girl-band franchise of the same name, hangs in the woman's room. Apparently, IDW's ''{{i|Jem and the Holograms (comic)|Jem and the Holograms}}'' comics are also set in the [[Hasbro Universe]]. | ||
*Soundwave and Mainframe previously worked together to defeat [[Baron Karza]] in [[Valley Forge|''Revolution'' #5]]. Talon, meanwhile, remembers his own less-than-pleasant encounter with Soundwave from [[All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|''The Transformers'' #54]]. | * Soundwave and Mainframe previously worked together to defeat [[Baron Karza]] in [[Valley Forge|''Revolution'' #5]]. Talon, meanwhile, remembers his own less-than-pleasant encounter with Soundwave from [[All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|''The Transformers'' #54]]. | ||
*Cosmos is using the stealth-tech employed by the Autobots during the second "season" of ''Robots in Disguise/The Transformers'', which gives them [[Black | * Cosmos is using the stealth-tech employed by the Autobots during the second "season" of ''Robots in Disguise/The Transformers'', which gives them [[Black redeco|cool black paintjobs]]. | ||
*Sharkticons were previously established to live on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] in ''[[The Transformers: Monstrosity|Monstrosity]]'', but is ''that'' why the Junkions have a room full of them, or is it to do with the [[Quintesson|race]] they got their ship from...? | * Sharkticons were previously established to live on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] in ''[[The Transformers: Monstrosity|Monstrosity]]'', but is ''that'' why the Junkions have a room full of them, or is it to do with the [[Quintesson|race]] they got their ship from...? | ||
===Transformers references=== | ===Transformers references=== | ||
*Marissa being Flint's daughter is a plot point plucked right out of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original Generation 1 cartoon]]. It was always implied by their shared surname, but the closest the show got to making it explicit on-screen was when a hologram of Marissa's father briefly appeared in "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]", designed to look like an elderly Flint and voiced by actor Bill Ratner, who performed Flint over on ''G.I. Joe''. The relationship has been alluded to in several other piece of Transformers and Joe media, but this issue marks the first time that father and daughter have ever actually co-starred alongside one another. | * Marissa being Flint's daughter is a plot point plucked right out of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original Generation 1 cartoon]]. It was always implied by their shared surname, but the closest the show got to making it explicit on-screen was when a hologram of Marissa's father briefly appeared in "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]", designed to look like an elderly Flint and voiced by actor Bill Ratner, who performed Flint over on ''G.I. Joe''. The relationship has been alluded to in several other piece of Transformers and Joe media, but this issue marks the first time that father and daughter have ever actually co-starred alongside one another. | ||
*Cosmos' stealth | * Cosmos' stealth paintjob makes him look like [[:File:Ehobbygobotscatalog.jpg|the toy prototype]] whose colors were used for [[Path Finder]]. | ||
===Real-life references=== | ===Real-life references=== | ||
*As with all chapters of "New Cybertron", this issue's subtitle is taken from the lyrics to the {{w|Covenant (band)|Covenant}} song, "{{w|Sequencer (Covenant album)|Babel}}". | * As with all chapters of "New Cybertron", this issue's subtitle is taken from the lyrics to the {{w|Covenant (band)|Covenant}} song, "{{w|Sequencer (Covenant album)|Babel}}". | ||
*When Soundwave calls up Cosmos to send him on the stealth mission, he labels the operation "atramentum protocol". "Atramentum" is a word referring to a very black, usually liquid, substance. | * When Soundwave calls up Cosmos to send him on the stealth mission, he labels the operation "atramentum protocol". "Atramentum" is a word referring to a very black, usually liquid, substance. | ||
*Thundercracker mistakenly refers to Flint as "Funt". This is a gag relating to comic book lettering at the importance of good font and kerning choices; if care is not taken, the L and I of all-caps comic book text can run together to look like a U, hence "FLINT" can become "FUNT". It's why you have to extra-careful in a comic with a character named Clint who flicks things. | * Thundercracker mistakenly refers to Flint as "Funt". This is a gag relating to comic book lettering at the importance of good font and kerning choices; if care is not taken, the L and I of all-caps comic book text can run together to look like a U, hence "FLINT" can become "FUNT". It's why you have to be extra-careful in a comic with a character named Clint who flicks things. | ||
===Errors=== | ===Errors=== | ||
*On page 14, "Rum-Maj" is misspelled as "Rum-Mag." | * Starscream is drawn in his ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' body, rather than the new one that debuted in [[Ping|''Till All Are One'' #5]]. | ||
* On page 14, "Rum-Maj" is misspelled as "Rum-Mag." This was corrected in the trade. | |||
===Covers (4)=== | ===Covers (4)=== | ||
*'''Regular cover:''' Starscream, Soundwave, Bumblebee, Prowl, and Optimus Prime, by [[Kei Zama]] and [[Josh Burcham]]. An early version of this cover used for the issue's solicitation showed Bumblebee with his normal white face, but for the finished issue, he's been changed to have a yellow face like he did in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]]. | * '''Regular cover:''' Starscream, Soundwave, Bumblebee, Prowl, and Optimus Prime, by [[Kei Zama]] and [[Josh Burcham]]. An early version of this cover used for the issue's solicitation showed Bumblebee with his normal white face, but for the finished issue, he's been changed to have a yellow face like he did in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]]. | ||
*'''Subscription cover A:''' Optimus Prime meets the Junkions in the style of a Silver Age monster comic, by [[Casey Coller]]; one of a series of black-and-white "Artist's Edition" covers on IDW's January titles. | * '''Subscription cover A:''' Optimus Prime meets the Junkions in the style of a Silver Age monster comic, by [[Casey Coller]]; one of a series of black-and-white "Artist's Edition" covers on IDW's January titles. | ||
*'''Subscription cover B:''' Marissa, Flint, Chameleon, and Thundercracker, by [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Josh Perez]]; Chameleon's looking a little dark in complexion. | * '''Subscription cover B:''' Marissa, Flint, Chameleon, and Thundercracker, by [[Andrew Griffith]] and [[Josh Perez]]; Chameleon's looking a little dark in complexion. | ||
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' Optimus Prime stares up at the Earth, by [[Joana Lafuente]] | * '''Retailer incentive cover:''' Optimus Prime stares up at the Earth, by [[Joana Lafuente]] | ||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
File:OP3 regcvr.jpg| | File:OP3 regcvr.jpg|Those are some weird clouds! | ||
File:OP3 subcvrA.jpg| | File:OP3 subcvrA.jpg|"Take me to your leader!" | ||
File:OP3 subcvrB.jpg| | File:OP3 subcvrB.jpg|She's just Flint's good friend. His REALLY good friend. | ||
File:OP3 cvrRI.jpg| | File:OP3 cvrRI.jpg|"Smaller than I thought it was." | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
===Advertisements=== | ===Advertisements=== | ||
*''Optimus Prime'' #4 | * ''Optimus Prime'' #4 | ||
*"The Hasbro Tribune" editorial page promoting January's [[Hasbro Universe]] titles, including | * "The Hasbro Tribune" editorial page promoting January's [[Hasbro Universe]] ''[[Reconstruction]]'' titles, including [[G.I. Joe vol. 5 issue 2|''G.I. Joe'' #2]], [[M.A.S.K. issue 3|''M.A.S.K.'' #3]], [[Dissolution Part 2: Anomie|''Lost Light'' #2]], this issue, [[Desperate Measures (Till All Are One)|''Till All Are One'' #7]], [[Enter the Shadow|''Revolutionaries'' #2]], [[Micronauts issue 9|''Micronauts'' #9]], [[Micronauts Annual 2017|''Micronauts'' Annual 2017]], [[Cold Fire|''ROM'' Annual 2017]], and [[Reinforcements, Part 3|''ROM'' #7]]. | ||
*''[[Action Man]]'' trade paperback | * ''[[Action Man (comic)|Action Man]]'' trade paperback | ||
*''[[Revolution]]'' trade paperback | * ''[[Revolution]]'' trade paperback | ||
*IDW on Comixology Unlimited | * IDW on Comixology Unlimited | ||
===Reprints=== | |||
* '''''Optimus Prime Volume 1''''' <small>([[June 21]], [[2017]]) ISBN 1631409697 / ISBN 978-1631409691</small> | |||
** Collects ''Optimus Prime'' issues #1–6. | |||
** Bonus material includes art from most covers. | |||
** Trade paperback format. | |||
* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]] Volume 78: New Cybertron''''' <small>([[November 14]], [[2019]])</small> | |||
** Collects ''Optimus Prime'' issues #1–8. | |||
** Bonus material includes a sketch gallery by [[Kei Zama]], a cover gallery and an intro by [[Simon Furman]]. | |||
** Hardcover format. | |||
* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Three: Volume 2]]''''' <small>([[April 6]], [[2022]]) ISBN 1684058775 / ISBN 978-1684058778</small> | |||
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]'' issues [[Heavy|#9]]–[[Your First Mistake|12]], ''Optimus Prime'' issues #1–6, and ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' issues [[Dissolution Part 1: Some Other Cybertron|#1]]–[[After Megatron (A Dissolution Epilogue)|7]]. | |||
** Hardcover format. | |||
<gallery> | |||
File:OP_V1_TPB.jpg|'''''Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Kei Zama]] and [[David García Cruz]] | |||
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v78.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection Volume 78: New Cybertron''''' – cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] and [[Casey Coller]] | |||
File:IDWCollectionP3V2.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Phase Three: Volume 2''''' – cover art by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]] | |||
</gallery> | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
*[http://www.newsarama.com/32822-back-to-the-old-days-of-orion-pax-in-optimus-prime-3.html Preview] | * [http://www.newsarama.com/32822-back-to-the-old-days-of-orion-pax-in-optimus-prime-3.html Preview] | ||
[[Category:Optimus Prime issues]] | [[Category:Optimus Prime issues]] | ||
Latest revision as of 02:27, 9 March 2026
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| "New Cybertron Part 3: Behind My Bleeding Back" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | IDW Publishing | ||||||||||||
| First published | January 25, 2017 | ||||||||||||
| Cover date | January 2017 | ||||||||||||
| Written by | John Barber | ||||||||||||
| Art by | Kei Zama | ||||||||||||
| Colors by | Josh Burcham | ||||||||||||
| Letters by | Tom B. Long | ||||||||||||
| Editor | Carlos Guzman | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | 2005 IDW continuity | ||||||||||||
| Chronology | Current era | ||||||||||||
Soundwave launches a mission to discover the Junkions' true intentions, and recalls his first meeting with Optimus Prime.
Synopsis
[edit]Four million years ago, Jetfire leads Orion Pax and Prowl to a Decepticon bolthole to meet the 'bot who told him about Pax: Soundwave.
In the present day, while Optimus Prime makes a visit to Cybertron, Jetfire, Soundwave, and Arcee debate the authenticity of the Junkions' alleged motives in coming to Earth. Upon receiving a communication from an unknown "colleague," Soundwave puts a plan into action, calling Cosmos on Sanctuary Station and requesting his help on a stealth mission. Though the Junkions' anti-stealth shielding is highly advanced, it is made of a junky conglomeration of other worlds' tech, and Soundwave hopes that the stealth-shielding developed by Jetfire on Earth, which the Autobots have been using since returning to the planet, will be enough to get by it.
In Cairo, Thundercracker has agreed to consult on Cybertronian technology for G.I. Joe. He and Chameleon start chatting about their respective pasts with Marissa and Flint, and Thundercracker becomes very interested in the exciting life of espionage Chameleon has lived. The subjects of their conversation, meanwhile, are talking in a nearby cafe about something else entirely: Thundercracker's condition for helping out was that Marissa be invited to join G.I. Joe, but Marissa isn't overly keen on serving under Flint... who is her father!
On Cybertron, Optimus Prime speaks before the Council of Worlds to argue for the peaceful sharing of Junkion technology with Earth. The Mistress of Flame sees no harm in it, given the things Prime has done to "divinely" prove the humans' world is a valid Cybertronian colony, but Starscream is far from convinced. Earth has not been officially accepted into the council, he angrily explains, and does not even have a representative; it remains an unaffiliated world, and so sharing the Junkions' tech with it is a breach of the Tyrest Accord. The hearing comes to an end, and Prime departs, clearly frustrated. But Starscream's grandstanding has made clear the path Prime must take to ensure Earth a place on the council...
Soundwave speaks of the compromises it is necessary for one to make to achieve their goals, but Orion Pax disagrees; Jetfire accuses him of being blind to the problems of society, ignoring the moral compromises his own side has made while condemning the Decepticons' for theirs. Prowl steps in to question Soundwave directly about Hefter, inquiring whether the allegation that he was running guns from off-world is true. Soundwave refutes the claim, insisting that the compromises the Decepticons have made do not define their goals or lives going forward, but Orion isn't convinced; he offers Soundwave immunity from prosecution if he will tell them the truth. Soundwave reiterates that Hefter—and all the Decepticons—are innocent of such crimes.
In Mexico City, Jazz reaches out to the woman who was injured in the recent shooting, who shunned his help when offered. The woman has nothing but hate for him, having lost her uncle in the Decepticon invasion of Earth, but Jazz does not want to convince her otherwise—he just wants to listen to her, to try and understand.
Though Flint doesn't give him a clear answer when he inquires if Marissa has accepted his offer, Thundercracker agrees to perform the necessary calculations on the Junkion ship. By comparing Thundercracker's estimate of the energy output of the ship's system to the total radiation they can detect emanating from the vessel, Mainframe and Hi-Tech set about trying to deduce the size of the Junkion force inside. Soundwave arrives at the Joe camp as they are in the middle of their equations, offering to lend a hand—an offer happily accepted by a surprised Mainframe, but with slightly more trepidation by Talon.
Prowl, Jetfire, and Orion Pax leave Soundwave, but no sooner have they stepped out the door than Starscream emerges from the shadows. Soundwave turns to face him and reacts with shock to see him carrying a huge weapon. Starscream grins; the newest shipment of weapons has arrived from off-world...
With his stealth coating active and Rumble and Frenzy on board as back-up, Cosmos approaches the Junkion spacecraft in vehicle mode and is able to successfully enter it. The trio carefully creeps through the garbage-strewn hallways of the ship, sadly unaware that the stealth coating was not enough to hide them from the Junkions' sensors, and that their every move is even now being watched by Rum-Maj. When one of her Junkion attendants offers to go after the intruders, however, she tells him not to bother... as Cosmos, Rumble, and Frenzy have just walked into a seemingly empty chamber, only to be set upon by a horde of ravenous Sharkticons!
Featured characters
[edit]Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Junkions | G.I. Joe | Others | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Quotes
[edit]"[Flint] offered me a second chance years ago... now a third one. Maybe he can do the same for Marissa."
"Sounds like a trope."
"A trope?"
"Yeah. See, I'm a screenwriter. I write movies."
"Really."
"So I know about tropes. A patriarchal figure who rescues troubled young women. It's super-cheesy. Offensive, even."
"Well, if you want something unique, you should hear about me. A life of espionage, betrayal, and a guy in a Hawaiian shirt."
"Hawaiian shirt? Tell me more."
- —Chameleon and Thundercracker
"You think I'm an idealistic fool? Is—"
"No, I think you're comfortable. You're happy to point out your opponents' faults, but you're not even aware of what your side's compromised. At least Soundwave understands the problem. You ignored it until killing became background noise."
- —Orion Pax and Jetfire
"Soundwaves, right?"
"Soundwave."
"Only one? Huh. Okay."
- —Prowl and Soundwave
"Sometimes, breaking a law is not enough. Sometimes one must—perhaps—break the lawmakers."
- —Soundwave
"Marissa hatched out of you? I think that's how it works, anyway..."
- —Thundercracker learns that Flint is Marissa's father.
Notes
[edit]Continuity notes
[edit]- When they first meet, Soundwave has heard of Orion Pax from the time he addressed the Senate, as seen in "Chaos Theory Part 2".
- Pax, similarly, knows Soundwave by his reputation as part of the squad who killed that same Senate in Megatron Origin #4. Soundwave notes that there's no recorded evidence to prove exactly who was responsible for that; a subtle retroactive justification, perhaps, for the fact that Starscream, who was also part of the kill squad, was able to wind up a member of the new Senate that replaced the dead one, as seen in Autocracy.
- Soundwave begins his summary of his relationship with Optimus Prime by noting they were "briefly allies", referring to the short period of time Orion was allied with the Decepticons against Zeta Prime in Autocracy.
- Cosmos was last seen in The Transformers #55, being taken to Sanctuary Station for repairs by Laserbeak and Buzzsaw. Evidently, he's decided to stay ever since; not a surprise, as he was a big fan of Soundwave's endeavour to create the station.
- When talking about her own complex history (chronicled in Mike Costa's various Cobra titles across quite literally the entire span of IDW's G.I. Joe comics), Chameleon refers to "a guy in a Hawaiian shirt." As later name-dropped by Thundercracker after hearing the story off-panel, she's talking about Chuckles, an undercover G.I. Joe agent whose story was told in the first two Cobra series, in which he and Chameleon became romantically entangled.
- Flint's defensive reaction to Marissa thinking Chameleon is his girlfriend ("What? No. Good Lord.") alludes to the time they bumped uglies in Cobra vol. 2.
- This issue doesn't go into any more detail on the subject of Marissa being Flint's daughter, but a little more backstory is provided on Marissa's Revolution trading card, which was one of several available to buyers of IDW's Revolution "Humble Bundle" in October 2016. Marissa was raised by her biological mother and stepfather (surname "Bishop"), and was unaware that Flint was her father until their divorce, whereupon she changed her name to his. Marissa was a college student circa All Hail Megatron (taking place in 2008 according to the timeline in Revolutionaries #1), so she must be in her mid-to-late twenties now; as such, Flint must have fathered her while in his late teens or very early twenties, because that dude ain't fifty.
- Cybertron is recovering from the attack by Sentinel Prime's undead Titan army, which took place in Till All Are One #5-8—a story that had yet to conclude at the time of this issue's publication. Windblade is mentioned as recuperating from unspecified injuries— though we didn't know it at the time, this surely refers to her traumatic mental merge with Vigilem— explaining why the Mistress of Flame is temporarily substituting as Caminus's representative on the Council.
- The woman Jazz talks to in Mexico City must be the same one who gave him a mouthful back in issue #1. A poster for the Misfits, rival band to Jem and the Holograms, from the Hasbro girl-band franchise of the same name, hangs in the woman's room. Apparently, IDW's Jem and the Holograms comics are also set in the Hasbro Universe.
- Soundwave and Mainframe previously worked together to defeat Baron Karza in Revolution #5. Talon, meanwhile, remembers his own less-than-pleasant encounter with Soundwave from The Transformers #54.
- Cosmos is using the stealth-tech employed by the Autobots during the second "season" of Robots in Disguise/The Transformers, which gives them cool black paintjobs.
- Sharkticons were previously established to live on Junkion in Monstrosity, but is that why the Junkions have a room full of them, or is it to do with the race they got their ship from...?
Transformers references
[edit]- Marissa being Flint's daughter is a plot point plucked right out of the original Generation 1 cartoon. It was always implied by their shared surname, but the closest the show got to making it explicit on-screen was when a hologram of Marissa's father briefly appeared in "The Killing Jar", designed to look like an elderly Flint and voiced by actor Bill Ratner, who performed Flint over on G.I. Joe. The relationship has been alluded to in several other piece of Transformers and Joe media, but this issue marks the first time that father and daughter have ever actually co-starred alongside one another.
- Cosmos' stealth paintjob makes him look like the toy prototype whose colors were used for Path Finder.
Real-life references
[edit]- As with all chapters of "New Cybertron", this issue's subtitle is taken from the lyrics to the Covenant song, "Babel".
- When Soundwave calls up Cosmos to send him on the stealth mission, he labels the operation "atramentum protocol". "Atramentum" is a word referring to a very black, usually liquid, substance.
- Thundercracker mistakenly refers to Flint as "Funt". This is a gag relating to comic book lettering at the importance of good font and kerning choices; if care is not taken, the L and I of all-caps comic book text can run together to look like a U, hence "FLINT" can become "FUNT". It's why you have to be extra-careful in a comic with a character named Clint who flicks things.
Errors
[edit]- Starscream is drawn in his Combiner Wars body, rather than the new one that debuted in Till All Are One #5.
- On page 14, "Rum-Maj" is misspelled as "Rum-Mag." This was corrected in the trade.
Covers (4)
[edit]- Regular cover: Starscream, Soundwave, Bumblebee, Prowl, and Optimus Prime, by Kei Zama and Josh Burcham. An early version of this cover used for the issue's solicitation showed Bumblebee with his normal white face, but for the finished issue, he's been changed to have a yellow face like he did in the Marvel comic.
- Subscription cover A: Optimus Prime meets the Junkions in the style of a Silver Age monster comic, by Casey Coller; one of a series of black-and-white "Artist's Edition" covers on IDW's January titles.
- Subscription cover B: Marissa, Flint, Chameleon, and Thundercracker, by Andrew Griffith and Josh Perez; Chameleon's looking a little dark in complexion.
- Retailer incentive cover: Optimus Prime stares up at the Earth, by Joana Lafuente
-
Those are some weird clouds! -
"Take me to your leader!" -
She's just Flint's good friend. His REALLY good friend. -
"Smaller than I thought it was."
Advertisements
[edit]- Optimus Prime #4
- "The Hasbro Tribune" editorial page promoting January's Hasbro Universe Reconstruction titles, including G.I. Joe #2, M.A.S.K. #3, Lost Light #2, this issue, Till All Are One #7, Revolutionaries #2, Micronauts #9, Micronauts Annual 2017, ROM Annual 2017, and ROM #7.
- Action Man trade paperback
- Revolution trade paperback
- IDW on Comixology Unlimited
Reprints
[edit]- Optimus Prime Volume 1 (June 21, 2017) ISBN 1631409697 / ISBN 978-1631409691
- Collects Optimus Prime issues #1–6.
- Bonus material includes art from most covers.
- Trade paperback format.
- Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection Volume 78: New Cybertron (November 14, 2019)
- Collects Optimus Prime issues #1–8.
- Bonus material includes a sketch gallery by Kei Zama, a cover gallery and an intro by Simon Furman.
- Hardcover format.
- The Transformers: The IDW Collection Phase Three: Volume 2 (April 6, 2022) ISBN 1684058775 / ISBN 978-1684058778
- Collects Till All Are One issues #9–12, Optimus Prime issues #1–6, and Lost Light issues #1–7.
- Hardcover format.
-
Volume 1 – cover art by Kei Zama and David García Cruz -
The Definitive G1 Collection Volume 78: New Cybertron – cover art by Don Figueroa and Casey Coller -
The IDW Collection Phase Three: Volume 2 – cover art by Sara Pitre-Durocher
