Cold War (issue)

The name or term "Cold War" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Cold War (disambiguation).

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Cross-cover sucker punch!
"Cold War"
Publisher	Dreamwave Productions
First published	June 25, 2003
Cover date	June 2003
Story	Brad Mick
Pencils	Pat Lee
Inks	Rob Armstrong
Colors	Espen Grundetjern, Alan Wang, Gary Yeung
Letters	Paul Villafuerte
Continuity	Dreamwave continuity
Chronology	Modern era

Dinobots land, Shockwave masterminds, Starscream undermines, Ultra Magnus gets pissed. Autobots watch some TV.

Synopsis

3,000 years ago, Shockwave awakens alone on a deactivated Cybertron, as all the other Transformers are locked in a kind of hibernation. Soon, the Decepticon is overwhelmed by an army of ferocious Sharkticons, but before being digested, brutal salvation comes in the form of Scourge. In the present, Shockwave considers where the revelation of Scourge has brought him: the discovery and capture of Alpha Trion.

In Alaska, the Autobots who avoided detainment by Ultra Magnus investigate the disappearance of Scourge, who hasn't been seen since Shockwave shot him from behind. But while they investigate, the Autobots are monitored by humans. Kept in secret, humans have recovered Scourge and begun a study of his irregular technology.

The reactivated Dinobots arrive out of transwarp, the Decepticon ship they travel in barely holding together. From the Wastelands of Cybertron, they are spotted in the distance by Blurr, Springer, and Hot Rod.

Shockwave and his new lieutenant, the ever-silent Soundwave, dispatch Rumble and Frenzy to carry out some secret mission. On their way, the goons pass by a cantankerous Ultra Magnus, on his way to consult with Shockwave regarding the recent decision to deactivate the Autobots. Shockwave claims the captured Autobots are an unpredictable and dangerous lot and cites their behavior on Earth during the battle at San Francisco. In captivity (un-deactivated, despite Shockwave's orders) the Autobots observe the global broadcast of Shockwave's incriminating footage.

Traversing the Wastelands in a large tank, Octane stumbles across the dormant Dinobots. Being a brilliant and intelligent individual, he decides to poke them.

Rumble and Frenzy complete their mission for Shockwave, reawakening the Stunticons, but before they can vacate, Starscream (last seen ambushing Soundwave) conscripts the two goons.

Unable to get any response from Shockwave, Perceptor takes his evidence of scientific anomalies to the High Council at Central Hall. The council, feeling indebted to Shockwave, refuses to take any action. Ultra Magnus barges in and accuses the council of giving Shockwave too much authority, but the debate is halted by news of the Stunticons' escape and rampage. Ultra Magnus quickly assembles a team to restore the peace.

Octane, missing his everything below his neck, is unable to offer sufficient protest to the Dinobots commandeering his transport. The Dinobots start their assault on Iacon, which is noticed by both Shockwave and the Autobot prisoners. While the Dinobots make chaos, Sandstorm escorts Prime somewhere while Broadside relocates the rest of the Autobots.

Sandstorm leads Optimus through underground slave trails that are supposed to be abandoned, but this proved to be inaccurate as Sandstorm is crippled by a piercing laser blast from Runabout. Before Runabout can bring any harm to Optimus, both remaining Transformers are ambushed by a Sharkticon.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Others
Alpha Trion (4) Jazz (5) Windcharger (6) Brawn (7) Ratchet (8) Wheeljack (9) Swoop (10) Snarl (11) Sludge (12) Grimlock (13) Slag (14) Hot Rod (15) Blurr (16) Springer (17) Ultra Magnus (21) Topspin (22) Optimus Prime (23) Bumblebee (24) Prowl (25) Gears (26) Ironhide (27) Swerve (28) Seaspray (29) Tracks (30) Pipes (31) Tailgate (32) Smokescreen (33) Beachcomber (34) Warpath (35) Downshift (38) Overdrive (39) Perceptor (51) Skids (52) Red Alert (53) Inferno (54) Grapple (55) Whirl (56) Roadbuster (57) Leader-1 (59) Broadside (61) Sandstorm (62) Gnaw (64)	Shockwave (1) Scourge (3) Soundwave (18) Rumble (19) Frenzy (20) Sixshot? (36) Octane (37) Motormaster (40) Wildrider (41) Drag Strip (42) Dead End (43) Breakdown (44) Onslaught (45) Blast Off (46) Brawl (47) Swindle (48) Vortex (49) Starscream (50) Cy-Kill (58) Blitzwing (60) Runabout (63)	Sharkticons (2)

Quotes

"Well, if there's anybody who knows about dodging that big junkyard in the sky, it's got to be you, huh, Wheeljack?"

—Jazz (but that's really Optimus Prime's area of expertise)

"Don't move, primitive. Unless you want your face plate to end up lookin' like that hunk of scrap you rode in on!"

—Octane hasn't yet learned to let sleeping dogs lie

"Get rid of that thing already—you creeping me out!"

—Grimlock to Slag and his Octane trophy

"Stuff it, turncoat—we ain't movin'!"

—Ironhide rejects Sandstorm's rescue attempt

Notes

• Isn't it crazy that Shockwave's computer uses the English language and the Latin alphabet?
• After several million years of war, including service with the Wreckers, Sandstorm is killed... by Runabout? Jeez.

Continuity notes

• Now what's up with Shockwave having Alpha Trion tied up in his basement? Your guess is as good as ours, since Alpha Trion didn't reappear for the rest of Dreamwave's stories.

Transformers references

• In the human observer's spy vision, Jazz's "J" name is listed as Meister, which is his traditional Japanese name.
• Magnus swears by "the inferno".
• Octane refers to one of the Dinobots as a primitive. They take this rather poorly.
• Octane's transport is identical to one of Sixshot's modes. However, if it is the character, why did he let the Dinobots take him over?
• The scene of Ultra Magnus's group assembled to confront the Stunticons is a tribute to the Wreckers as they appeared in "Target: 2006".

Real-life references

• Shockwave's computer displays information in vertically displayed green code, as in The Matrix films, which were big at the time this comic was made.
• The Transformers melting to death in the smelting pools are Leader-1 and Cy-Kill, from the GoBots toyline, marking the beginning of a running "joke" in Transformers publications of Go-Bots showing up and dying horribly because they, like, sucked.

Other trivia

• The "Wavelengths" page contains three samples of fan-art.
• The entire first printing of this issue, which was presumably at least 70,000 copies, had to be pulped due to a mistake in the coloring depicting now-banned red-on-white crosses on Ratchet's shoulders (as previously seen in issue 1), which is actually a trademark of the Red Cross, who had previously taken Hasbro to court over its use.

Courtesy of my...

• Slag breathes fire as the Dinobots assault Iacon.

Covers (2)

What's that coming at me from that other cov- UNGH!

• Cover A: Swoop, Blitzwing, and Astrotrain (right), and
• Cover B: the rest of the Dinobots (top), art on both by Pat Lee. The covers can connect to form a single image. Within the issue itself, the Dinobots only fought against Octane, who is not on the cover.

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