The War Within issue 5

Prime and Megatron see visions of the Matrix, while Starscream begins his destructive hijacking of Megatron's plan. Template:Comicnav

Writer: Simon Furman
Pencils: Don Figueroa
Inks: Elaine To
Lettering: Dreamer Design
Colors: Rob Ruffolo

• Characters (in order of appearance): Megatron, Grimlock, Kup, Ironhide, Wheeljack, Shockwave, Prowl, Starscream, Scrapper, Optimus Prime, Motormaster, Fortress Maximus, Hot Rod
• Release date: February 12, 2003
• Chronology: Early War

Synopsis

As Grimlock's team descends deeper into Cybertron, Kup makes casual conversation, questioning Grimlock's attitude. Grimlock, of course, just reasserts that he's a badass. Following Prime's energy signature, they discovers one of Megatron's planetary turbines. Adapting the plan, Grimlock orders the rest of his team to sabotage whatever the Decepticons are up to.

Shockwave delivers a killing blow to two Guardian robots, giving the Decepticons a clear path to the last remaining core of Iacon. From their staging grounds in the Decagon, Prowl and his teammates prepare to make their final stand.

Inside of a vision from the Matrix, Prime and Megatron witness future incarnations of themselves battling at some alien location. When not-future Megatron continues his attack on not-future Optimus, the scenery again re-aligns itself further into the future, where Headmasters and Targetmasters continue the war. After another shift, the two arrive back in the present, but the Matrix teleports Optimus to Grimlock. Grimlock gives Optimus his sword, suggesting the Autobot leader take more active measures in dealing with Megatron.

Starscream, planning to destroy everything on Cybertron's surface, disregards Scrapper's warnings about how the turbines function. Ironhide, Kup, and Wheeljack overhear the plan, but are discovered by two other Constructicons. With the plot discovered, Starscream activates the engine beneath Iacon. As Shockwave stands victorious, the Autobots' capital city is devastated by superheated plasma.

Quotes

"I know it's the image, right? "Me Grimlock-- badass", but c'mon...
..there must have been someone you respected."

—Kup, on the subject of Grimlock

"Me, Grimlock--
--badass!"

—Grimlock, on the same subject

"You don't think too much of our current Prime, I can see that. But Sentinel Prime? He had his head screwed on."
"Eh. Not at end he didn't."

—Kup and Grimlock

"I get a real bad feeling about this."

—Kup, doing a Han Solo impersonation

"Hn.
Hm?
Fh!
Tt.
Ff!
Hn."

—Grimlock has FURMAN POWER

Items of note

• On the side of the massive turbine, the logo for the Transformers forum the Allspark is visible. But while the turbine pumps hot boiling plasma that destroys cities, the forum has a mildly different function. Usually.
• the letters "BBTS" on one of the buildings at the Sherman Dam is a reference to online toy store Big Bad Toy Store.

Covers (2)

• Regular Cover: The Lightning Strike Coalition by Don Figueroa
• Incentive Cover: Optimus Prime by Pat Lee

Advertisements

• The War Within #6 (with the incentive cover by Pat Lee, which is actually the incentive cover for this issue)
• War and Peace #2 (double page)
• Armada #10
• Armada trade paperback
• Titan Books collections
• More Than Meets The Eye #1 (back cover)
  
  
  From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.