The Hanging Sword

The Transformers: Bumblebee #1 »
I picked out the new carpet... does the leader do anything else?
"The Hanging Sword"
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	December 16, 2009
Cover date	December 2009
Writer	Zander Cannon
Artist	Chee Yang Ong
Colorist	Moose Baumann
Letterer	Neil Uyetake
Editor	Andy Schmidt
Associate editor	Denton J. Tipton
Continuity	2005 IDW continuity
Chronology	Current era (2010)

Bumblebee adjusts to his unexpected role and tries to forge a new alliance.

Synopsis

And there was much rejoicing

The election of Bumblebee as Autobot leader is full of cheer, but within a few days, Bumblebee wishes he could give up the title. Tensions are high as the Autobots either stay in hiding, or forge out on their own. Ratchet rebukes a disrespectful Wheeljack, who later receives a transmission from Colonel Gordon Horiuchi. While Bumblebee is explaining to Omega Supreme that he must hide in a very uncomfortable cave, Wheeljack listens to the Colonel, who states that he is part of a small group of rebels within Skywatch who want to work with the Autobots to capture Decepticons. Wheeljack decides to make contact.

Bumblebee and Ratchet are furious when they find out, but agree to meet the Colonel anyway. At a neutral location, Horiuchi meets with Bumblebee and explains his desire to work with the Autobots. He cites Skywarp as an example, who has recently attacked two defense suppliers. Unbeknownst to all of them, Skywarp is secretly stockpiling weapons for the day when Megatron returns. Horiuchi gives Bumblebee a set of badges that will mask Transformer signals from Skywatch's scanners. Bumblebee takes the badges back to base where they are soon installed on each Autobot.

The Autobots soon capture six Decepticons, the latest being Frenzy, who is lost without Soundwave and has taken to spending his days bloodily slaughtering cattle with his drills. The next on the list is Scavenger, but instead, Horiuchi wants them to capture Blurr, who had earlier left the team. When Cliffjumper loudly objects to capture one of their own, Horiuchi has his tech activate an immobilizer built into Cliffjumper's badge, locking him into vehicle mode. The Autobots are aghast, but Horiuchi explains it is merely until he calms down. The Autobots all realize that with these badges installed on all of them, they are now pawns for Horiuchi, essentially slaves, to be used as the Colonel sees fit, to capture friend and foe alike.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans
Bumblebee (1) Ratchet (2) Silverstreak (3) Hound (4) Cliffjumper (5) Wheeljack (6) Omega Supreme (9) Blaster (18) Blurr (on-screen display only) (19)	Skywarp (7) Frenzy (12) Cindersaur (13) Gutcruncher (14) Axer (15) Squawkbox (16) Scavenger (17)	Colonel Gordon Horiuchi (8) Lieutenant Daniel Klonowski (10) Skywatch personnel (11)

Quotes

Bumblebee: This is what it's like to be leader?! First, Optimus Prime surrenders because he has no faith in himself... Then, Hot Rod leaves because he has no faith in the humans... More Autobots leave with him because they have no faith in me... And now we've got Ultra Magnus down here investigating us because he's got no faith in anyone. I mean--is it too late to turn down this job?"
Wheeljack: "Well, you just listed all the reasons no one else would take it, so... Yeah, I think it's too late."

Ratchet: "It's not hard to be brave when you're as big as Optimus Prime... Or as fast as Hot Rod. But Prime's made a decision that's too big... and Hot Rod's made one too fast. We're counting on you, Bee, to make good decisions--ones you won't regret."

Horiuchi: "Now, I have to say, from Wheeljack's description, I expected a Japanese car. I mean, you know--small, compact, fuel efficient--"
Bumblebee: "Well, ah... No, I guess I'm a German design. But... He--he said that about me?"
Horiuchi: "Oh, well, I'm sure he meant nothing by it."

Notes

Continuity notes

• First appearance: Cindersaur
• Cindersaur, Gutcruncher, Axer and Squawkbox are revealed to have been part of the Decepticons' invasion force from All Hail Megatron.
• Blurr deserted in issue 3 of the ongoing.
• Soundwave left Earth three years ago. You'd think Frenzy would be used to it by now.

Real-world references

• The title is a reference to the ancient Greek story of the sword of Damocles.

Errors

Wolverine publicity is one thing, but this is ridiculous.

• Silverstreak was listed as having left with Hot Rod in issue #2 of the ongoing, but a very Bluestreak-looking Autobot is among those cheering for Bumblebee on the second page. Perhaps Silverstreak is a different character? Or maybe it's supposed to be Smokescreen?
• The buttons on the communications array have been crudely labelled, appearing straight and vertical within the frames, rather than following the angles of the buttons as they face the reader.
• Bumblebee lists six Decepticons captured (with mugshots of six Decepticons behind him), but just a few panels later, Col. Horiuchi says it's five Decepticons captured, with the sixth mugshot (Scavenger) representing the next target.

Other trivia

• Though the character designs for this miniseries are very different from the ongoing title, it's still odd that Cliffjumper retained his All Hail Megatron design while Bumblebee has been changed to his Generation One design.

Covers (3)

• Cover A: Happy Bumblebee and a mad Hot Rod; art by Guido Guidi with colors by Josh Burcham.
• Cover B: Unhappy Bumblebee standing on the Autobot symbol; art by Chee Yang Ong with colors by Moose Baumann.
• Cover RI: Black and white sketch version of cover B.

• 
  Back to my G1 character model—YES!
• 
  Ok, I'm small, get over it!
• 
  RI cover

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Reprints

Other than collections of the full series

• N/A