Transformers (2023) issue 9

« Transformers #9 »
Where's Dai Atlas when you need him?
Publisher	Image Comics Skybound Entertainment
First published	June 12, 2024
Cover date	June 2024
Written by	Daniel Warren Johnson
Art by	Jorge Corona
Colors by	Mike Spicer
Letters by	Rus Wooton
Editor	Ben Abernathy
Continuity	Energon Universe

The battles on Earth and Cybertron finally collide, with horrifying consequences for Optimus and his allies.

Synopsis

As the Autobots near the Decepticons' location in the Pacific Ocean, Soundwave activates a device from the bridge of the Nemesis. From an antenna atop the ship, a whirlpool begins to form and a beam of pink energy fires into the sky which grazes Jetfire, sending the Autobot jet careening to the bottom of the ocean floor. As the Autobots are thrown from their companion, they are confronted by the Constructicons as they work on the device — a space bridge, through which Shockwave steps through! The Autobots scramble to fight back as the Decepticons converge on them. Cliffjumper is cornered by Soundwave, wielding Shockwave in his gun mode, but is saved from execution by Ratchet taking the blast for him and allowing Optimus Prime to intervene. Shockwave quickly engages the Autobot leader, eager to pay him back after their last encounter.

In Farmingham, Wheeljack, Arcee, and Carly make their way back to the dam, hoping to repair their energon turbine with supplies from the Ark. Carly is eager to learn how to fight, but Arcee informs her that being linked is more about looking out for each other than it is fighting. However, a mile out from the dam, they are confronted by the Farmingham milita. Carly rushes out in front of the militia and urges them to stand down, telling them the Autobots are the good guys. Meanwhile, at Farmingham Hosptial, Spike Witwicky learns from the doctor that his spine was grazed by the bullet when the militia accidentally shot him. Spike asks if he'll ever walk again, but the doctor's words of reassurance are interrupted by the sound of Astrotrain, who has come looking for Spike. Though he doesn't wish to to harm any "lesser beings", he threatens to destroy the hospital if Spike doesn't come with him; Spike agrees without hesitation.

"Aren't you a little short for—Oh wait wrong franchise".

On Cybertron, Elita One and Ultra Magnus are cornered by the Combaticons. Unable to find an escape, Elita follows a pink glow at the end of a corridor, discovering the portal Shockwave used to come to Earth, arriving on the alien world in the midst of Optimus and Shockwave's battle. The Combaticons begin to follow them through, with Onslaught giving the order to merge. Without missing a beat, Elita grabs Prime's ion blaster and fires at the space bridge. Onslaught leaps through, but Brawl is caught in between the portal and is bisected as it closes. Soundwave orders the Decepticons to eliminate the rest of the Autobots and they open fire on Cliffjumper and Jazz. Elita insists that she and Optimus retreat, dragging both him and Magnus away from the combat. Soundwave prepares to go after them, but Shockwave tells him to focus on repairing the space bridge. The cyclopean Decepticon then discovers the abandoned Cliffjumper and Jazz, eager to have new subjects to "experiment" with.

As Astrotrain approaches the Pacific, he tells Spike about how Cybertron has been plagued with disease, but that the resources of Earth will help the Decepticons save their world, even at the cost to the humans. Spike protests, but Astrotrain nonchalantly says that it is simply the way for "a weaker species." Astrotrain also reveals that he will be delivered to Shockwave as an offering from Soundwave to experiment with the native lifeform. As they approach the coastline, a blue-and-white machine attaches to the Decepticon, shutting off his engines and sending him crashing to the shore. The side of Astrotrain is torn open by Beachcomber, who's here to rescue Spike!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans
Jetfire (1) Cliffjumper (2) Optimus Prime (3) Ratchet (6) Jazz (7) Wheeljack (14) Arcee (15) Ultra Magnus (24) Elita One (25) Beachcomber (29)	Shockwave (4) Soundwave (5) Bonecrusher (8) Mixmaster (9) Scrapper (10) Scavenger (11) Long Haul (12) Thundercracker (13) Astrotrain (21) Onslaught (22) Swindle (23) Blast Off (26) Vortex (27) Brawl (28)	Carly (16) Militia (17) Doctor (18) Spike Witwicky (19) Hospital security (20)

Quotes

"Still sniveling. Still slimy. Still weak."
"Weak? Did you forget our last meeting, Shockwave? Shall I make you cry for mercy a second time?"

—Shockwave and Optimus

"You fought dirty last time, Optimus. But I have learned much since that day. Your ending shall be slow and brutal."

—Shockwave drives home how he's changed.

"It must be surprising to you, seeing us standing in front of you, in all our metallic glory. But where we hail from is a shell of its former self. Our home is in need of sustenance. And look at the land you live in. Your resources are immeasurable and ripe for the taking."
"But... this is our home!"
"Such is the way for a weaker species. I feel sorry for you, human."

—Astrotrain teaches Spike how colonization works.

Notes

Continuity notes

• Jetfire is now sporting an Autobrand, something which must have occurred in between panels last issue.
• The Decepticons who fired on Elita's team in issue #7 are confirmed to have been the Combaticons. In their previous appearance, only their shadowed silhouettes were seen.
• Spike was shot by one of Sparky's militia in issue #3.
• So why does Soundwave want Spike as a test subject for Shockwave when presumably any human will do? Could it perhaps have something to do with the fact Spike is responsible for Ravage getting shot in issue #1 and this is a bit of petty revenge?
• So we weren't crazy, that was Beachcomber hiding in the shadows last issue. He didn't appear to be part of the resurrected Ark crew and he didn't come through with Elita and Magnus, so how the heck did he get to Earth?

Transformers references

• The Combaticons are colored in their Generation 1 cartoon colors.
• In something of a counter-reference, Shockwave is acting unusually emotional throughout the issue, even laughing at one point. In a series that has taken pains to recapture the personality traits of the G1 cast, this is a glaring exception; time will tell if it was artistic license (or, uh, error) or a setup for an upcoming in-story personality adjustment.
• Faced with Astrotrain's attack on the hospital, the security guard quotes the phrase “IT NEVER ENDS!”.
• Shockwave refers to the stranded Cliffjumper and Jazz as "gifts from Primus", the first indication that the character (or, at least, the faith) exists in this continuity.

Real-world references

• Shockwave paraphrases the human idiom "tickled pink," replacing "pink" with his own "purple."
• As noted in the opening blurb of the letters page, Daniel Warren Johnson is ecstatic that Jorge Corona didn't bat an eye at the direction of drawing Shockwave performing The Undertaker's signature Tombstone Piledriver finishing move on Optimus.

Errors

• Shockwave uses the word "welp" as an insult. It should be spelled "whelp"; the word "welp" is a corruption of "well", typically used to express helpless exasperation.

Other trivia

• In a franchise first, Shockwave's gun mode is shown to shrink down to a size that a "normal" character like Soundwave can wield. In all prior media, Shockwave's gun mode had been a gigantic levitating contraption, not requiring anyone to hold it and in any case too big for all but the largest bearers.
• On the letters page, one paragraph explains how size changing works in the Energon universe...by copying word for word this wiki's own description of how the process was explained by Dreamwave's More than Meets the Eye, a genetic ability that automatically kicks in when a Cybertronian transforms, even using the identical terminology of "mass conversion".
• In the "director's commentary" for this issue, Daniel Warren Johnson stated that he originally wanted to have Astrotrain threaten a ward of babies at the hospital. However, Skybound vetoed the idea, deeming it too dark. In a rather sly nod to this, artist Jorge Corona included a baby among Astrotrain's would-be-victims in the corner of the final panel.

Covers (11)

• Cover A: Optimus holds the world on his shoulders à la Atlas, by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer.
• Cover B: Shockwave and his victims, by Jorge Corona & Mike Spicer.
• Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive): Connecting cover, by Karen S. Darboe.
• Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive): Shockwave, by Jonathan Wayshak & David Baron.
• Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive): The Combaticons, by David Baldeón & Rex Lokus.
• Cover F: Energon Universe Anniversary connecting cover, by Jason Howard & Annalisa Leoni.
• Cover G: Energon Universe Anniversary connecting cover (line-art), by Jason Howard.
• Big Time Collectibles Cover: by John Giang.
• Black Saber Comics Cover: by Alan Quah.
• Carnivore Comics Cover: by Santa Fung.
• TopShelfComic Cover: by Marcelo Matere.

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Reprints

• Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion (November 13, 2024) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270
  • Collects Transformers issues #7–12.
  • Trade paperback format.
  • Variant covers:
    • Direct Market Exclusive: by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer. ISBN 978-1534354869
    • TopShelfComic Exclusive: by David Mack. Limited to 300 copies.
    • Verse Comics Exclusive: by Kei Zama. ISBN 978-1534326729

• Transformers Deluxe Edition Book 1 (April 30, 2025) ISBN 1534328238 / ISBN 978-1534328235
  • Collects Transformers issues #1–12.
  • Hardcover format.
  • Variant covers:
    • Bookdelivery Exclusive: by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer. Limited to 200 copies. ISBN 978-1534328679
    • Direct Market Exclusive: by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer. ISBN 978-1534329607
    • Hasbro Pulse Exclusive: by Tom Whalen. ISBN 978-1534398414
    • TopShelfComic Exclusive: by Marcelo Matere. Limited to 200 copies.

• 
  Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer
• 
  Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion Direct Market Exclusive – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer
• 
  Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion TopShelfComic Exclusive – cover art by David Mack
• 
  Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion Verse Comics Exclusive – cover art by Kei Zama
• 
  Deluxe Edition Book 1 – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer
• 
  Deluxe Edition Book 1 Bookdelivery Exclusive – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer
• 
  Deluxe Edition Book 1 Direct Market Exclusive – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer
• 
  Deluxe Edition Book 1 Hasbro Pulse Exclusive – cover art by Tom Whalen
• 
  Deluxe Edition Book 1 TopShelfComic Exclusive – cover art by Marcelo Matere

External links

• Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Corona