All Hail Megatron issue 5

« The Transformers: All Hail Megatron #5 »
All Hail... Autobots?!
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	November 26, 2008
Cover date	November 2008
Written by	Shane McCarthy
Art by	Guido Guidi & Casey Coller
Colors by	Josh Burcham
Letters by	Neil Uyetake & Chris Mowry
Edits by	Denton J. Tipton
Continuity	2005 IDW continuity
Chronology	All Hail Megatron

It's the Transformers version of Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos.

Synopsis

Shouldn't they be walking away from a nuclear explosion?

Hot Rod is telling his story to Optimus Prime's group of Autobots. He says that their ship was surrounded by Decepticon battlecruisers, and they were shot down. Thinking that the Decepticons would look for them, they took the energon that they found and searched for a hiding place. Hot Rod is just mentioning that orders were given to look for more energon, and that was the reason he sent a message beacon, but then Kup arrives with his own group of Autobots, saying that messages were a waste of time, and wonders who's in charge of the stranded Autobots.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Colonel Witwicky is visited by his son, who is a commander for the United States Army, and tells him of the situation. Commander Witwicky is given a photograph of Megatron, and is charged by his dad to take him out. Outside, Colonel Hawke has a discussion with his aide about the suicide mission, which the aide thought that Colonel Witwicky would stop, but Hawke mentions that Colonel Witwicky had ordered it.

On Cybertron, Jazz talks with Kup, who is surprised that Jazz is taking charge instead of Prowl. Kup thinks that Jazz's "specialty" could use some work, but Jazz says that he could handle it. Kup then mentions Jazz's special ops training, and dares him to try it, which Jazz does by taking out Springer and Blurr with ease (and possibly some contempt). Jazz then mentions to Kup that it wasn't that there were no sentries, but that they didn't see them... at which point Mirage emerges among members of Kup's crew. After "proving themselves", Jazz takes Kup to the room where Optimus Prime lies in stasis.

On Earth, Commander Witwicky and his band of men set out to New York City when they are attacked by Ratbat, who dives in and presumably kills the men. At headquarters, Colonel Witwicky and his officers watch in horror as the soldiers' heart rate monitors flatline and assume the worst.

Kup surveys the damaged body of Optimus Prime and is upset that Megatron did this to him, along with Jazz mentioning about the Constructicons. Jazz also tells Kup that they suspect a traitor in their midst, but aren't sure who it is. Kup believes that the traitor also had access to the Trion's system codes, and tells Jazz that he's currently doing a good job of keeping his group of Autobots in check. Kup also asks Jazz about the secret that he was keeping from Optimus's group, and Jazz confirms it: Megatron now has possession of the Matrix of Leadership.

On Earth, Colonel Witwicky laments to Hawke that he has just killed his own son, and fears that he now has to call his wife and tell her the bad news. However, unseen by anyone else, someone has survived Ratbat's assault... Commander Witwicky!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans
Blurr (1) Blaster (2) Hot Rod (3) Kup (4) Perceptor (5) Springer (6) Cliffjumper (7) Ratchet (8) Bumblebee (9) Ironhide (10) Jazz (11) Trailbreaker (12) Prowl (13) Wheeljack (14) Sunstreaker (15) Sideswipe (16) Tracks (17) Roadbuster (18) Drift (19) Mirage (25) Optimus Prime (32)	Megatron (23) Devastator (On-screen displays only) (24) Ratbat (31)	Hawke (20) Daniel Witwicky (21) Spike Witwicky (22) Wilder (26) Finley (27) Morin (28) Diaz (29) Bowers (30)

Notes

Continuity notes

• Through the issue, Kup is seen with a robotic cigar in his mouth. How bad(ass) is that? (There was no reason at the time, and a creepy one later...)
• Kup's line "then they've finally perfected it..." is bit of soft retcon to explain the Decepticons' gestalt technology, which originally had the side effect of making the participants murderously insane. This brings up the question of how the Decepticons managed to recapture Monstructor (last seen as operational) to study the technology, and how they managed to perfect the process in one year given the genius of Jhiaxus was never able to do the same.
• The missile tanks on Colonel Witwicky's base are the same design and color as Universe Dropshot, right down to the "DC02077" marking on the missile launcher. How foreshadowy...
• Ratbat, previously sporting a Sony Mylo alt-mode, has now reverted to his cassette-tape design. We're sure there's a good reason for this!
• First appearances: Drift, possibly Dropshot

Transformers references

• Amusingly (or not), the photo of Megatron has given him the codename "Megaman", apparently a nod to a different Megatron, although Shane McCarthy has said that he wasn't a fan of the movie.
• Because the series wasn't G1 enough already, the arrival of Kup's crew essentially gives us the Autobot cast of The Transformers: The Movie.

Errors

• Sparkplug's monologue has him refer to Spike as saying "I'm enlisting, I'm joining the army", but "commander" doesn't exist in the real-world United States Army; the Army equivalent of a Navy commander, pay grade O-5, would be a lieutenant colonel, and either rank is much too high both for Spike's apparent age and for the operation he's doing. The reference to "enlisting" doesn't make sense, either, as both are commissioned officer ranks. While you can justify it (maybe Sparkplug's using "commander" informally in reference to Spike being the commander of his team? Maybe when he said he was enlisting, Sparkplug talked him into getting a commission instead?), it's a bit of a hard sell.
  • A later issue of All Hail Megatron sees him referred to as "major" (a real Army rank, O-4) after a promotion, which would presumably retcon him into being an Army captain (O-3) here, which makes more sense. However, an even later issue refers to him as attending the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis! It's probably just best to think of him as "some kinda military guy".

Trivia

• The first four pages are drawn by Casey Coller. Shane McCarthy would later state other artists had to be brought in because too short a lead-in, family illness, personal illness, and the sheer amount of pages overpowered Guido. And he still kept drawing!
• The issue includes a 'Decepticomments' section where "DoubleDenton" answers readers' mail.
• Throughout the opening sequence on the Trion, the Autobots' optics are glowing white, signifying their connection to the ship's systems.
• Nick Roche previously assumed he'd be rehabilitating Kup, and has said this issue was a valuable "wake-up call" in how work-for-hire comics worked: "I don't own Transformers, I don't own Kup", and other writers will be given the characters. He also said that McCarthy's Kup is how he envisioned IDW Kup being "had he been well".

Covers

• Cover A: Kup, Springer, and Blurr; art by Casey Coller
• Cover B: Jazz and Kup staring off; art by Trevor Hutchison
• Cover RI: Colored sketch of Drift (cybertronian robot mode) by Guido Guidi

• 
  B.A. Barracus, Hannibal and Face
• 
  It don't matter if you're black or white
• 
  Love me or else!

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Reprints

Other than full or partial collections of All Hail Megatron.

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