Passive Aggression

There's combat on the surface, and meetings in the underground. Template:Comicnav

Transformers: Generation 1, Vol. 2: "War and Peace" #4

Writer: Brad Mick
Pencils: Pat Lee
Inks: Rob Armstrong
Backgrounds: Edwin Garcia
Layout assists: Ferd Poblete
Colors: Espen Grundetjern, Alan Wang & Gary Yeung
Letters: Ben Lee

• Originally published: July 2003
• Release date: ???
• Major characters (in order of appearance): Menasor, Ultra Magnus Roadbuster, Ramjet, Grimlock, Slag, Sludge, Snarl, Shockwave, Blitzwing, Ironhide, Bluestreak, Bumblebee, Mirage, Broadside, Hound, Gears Prowl, Smokescreen, Optimus Prime, Gnaw, Blurr, Wheelie, Hot Rod, Kup, Swoop, Runamuck, Arcee, Blaster, Springer
• Chronology: Modern era

Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot details follow. Please give an expiry date ({{spoiler|(story)|DATE}}) - either the date of the next episode/issue in the series or 30 days after release, whichever is sooner

With the Omnibots and Defensor already down, Security Team Dion do what they can to quell Menasor's terrorism of the city. During the combat, Ultra Magnus reflects on the differences and similarity between him and his brother, Optimus Prime. After some goading and taunting to unharmonize the individual Stunticons, a truck-to-the-face takes Menasor out of action. As Magnus helps Topspin, Twintwist points out evidence connecting Rumble and/or Frenzy to the crime scene (whom Magnus last saw leaving Shockwave's office), prompting even more suspicions from Magnus regarding Shockwave's agenda.

Elsewhere, the Dinobots remain en route to the obvious source of the corruption on Cybertron—Shockwave's tower. But Grimlock breaks from the group to personally visit Shockwave at the smelting pits. Before Grimlock can execute Shockwave, Blitzwing interferes, still angry about having his canon bent out of shape in Alaska.

Broadside and the Autobots from Earth head to an unknown destination. Under the cover of a cloud of smoke, Prowl and Ironhide are passed to Smokescreen, who starts to lead the two to a destination somewhere in Cybertron's wastelands. On the way, they pass some graffiti left by a separate Autobot movement.

File:Wheeliedw.jpg

McGruff here! I'm just reminding you to TAKE A BITE OUT OF PRIME.

Optimus, (last seen being both rescued and attacked by a Sharkticon) wakes up to see the Sharkticon's face again. Panicked and unaware of his location, Optimus strikes out at the Sharkticon while Blurr and Wheelie quickly and ineffectively try to detain the elder Autobot. Before anyone can be seriously hurt, Hot Rod arrives and forces Prime (at gunpoint) to relax. Then Kup shows up and lays it on the line.

Almost at their destination, the Dinobots are quickly taken out by a gigantic figure—Slag is barely able to radio to Grimlock for help. On the other end of the communication, Grimlock is preoccupied fighting against Shockwave and Blitzwing. A rocket from Ultra Magnus takes the Dinobot commander out of commission.

Kup gives Optimus a tour of the resistance group's base, introducing Arcee and Blaster. Blaster delivers news that Shockwave is broadcasting a code to exacerbate the recent surface violence. Springer arrives with Smokescreen, Kup, and Ironhide. Kup and Ironhide have a tender old-timers' reunion, when Springer reveals an immediate threat to any counter-Shockwave resistance effort: the reactivated Guardian robot.

Quotes

quotes needed

Items of note

• Ultra Magnus' defeat of Menasor is an abbreviated parallel of Optimus Prime single-handedly taking down Devastator in the previous volume.
• Like many Transformers action figures, Smokescreen's allegiance is revealed by rubbing his rubsign.
• All Autobots and Decepticons, after millenniums of war, either haven't already met each other (hence Smokescreen introducing himself) OR Smokescreen was re-introducing himself because he'd received a new form since the Autobots last left on the Ark.
• It's never made quite clear why Prime has to be taken through the slave trails first, then Prowl and Ironhide later.

Vagrant bounty hunter? Vagrant hobo? You decide!

• Hey, Devcon!
• That's not Omega Supreme on the last page. In Dreamwave Productions' Generation 1 continuity, several Guardian robots share Omega Supreme's design.
• It's unconfirmed if Sandstorm survived last issue.
• The "Wavelengths" page has a letter from the desk of Simon Furman.
• This is the first issue to have a "DW Letters" page, which has fans' mail answered by Matt Moylan and a piece of fan art by Nick Hunt.

Covers (2)

• Cover A: Springer, Gnaw, Arcee and the left side of the back of Prime's head (left), and
• Cover B: Kup, Hot Rod and the right side of the back of Prime's head (right), art on both by Pat Lee. The covers can connect to form a single image.

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  From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.