Termination: Difference between revisions
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The second [[Golden Age]] of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has come to an end. The armies created by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], cloned from some of the most infamous Decepticons in history and led by [[Megaplex (MW)|Megaplex]]—clone of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]—have swept across the galaxy, devastating the forces of the Autobots and Decepticons wherever they are found. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] falls in battle on [[Sigma Seven]]; with their leader left comatose, the understaffed Autobots on Cybertron divide their ranks, each polity headed by a [[City Commander]] charged with independently coordinating defense of their territory. A new war is looming: the Machine Wars. | The second [[Golden Age]] of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] has come to an end. The armies created by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], cloned from some of the most infamous Decepticons in history and led by [[Megaplex (MW)|Megaplex]]—clone of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]—have swept across the galaxy, devastating the forces of the Autobots and Decepticons wherever they are found. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] falls in battle on [[Sigma Seven]]; with their leader left comatose, the understaffed Autobots on Cybertron divide their ranks, each polity headed by a [[City Commander]] charged with independently coordinating defense of their territory. A new war is looming: the Machine Wars. | ||
Two days after the warning from Sigma Seven, as any and all able 'bots are being drafted for the coming conflict, [[Clamp Down]] interrogates [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[ | Two days after the warning from Sigma Seven, as any and all able 'bots are being drafted for the coming conflict, [[Clamp Down]] interrogates [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Electro]], intending to offer them freedom to fight in exchange for a full confession implicating Earth commander [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] in the smuggling of illegal war supplies to Cybertron. Electro defies him, insisting their actions (including the use of illegal body modifications on themselves) were necessary, but when an alarm starts blaring, Mirage quickly offers up the confession so that battle can be joined. They look out the window to see a huge fleet of bombers soaring overhead, wiping their city off the map. Frenzied communication ensues between the Autobots ensues, but within half a day, every major city on the planet is conquered, and the surviving Autobots are forced into hiding. | ||
Three-and-a-half days later, [[Thundercracker (MW)|Thundercracker]] and a platoon of his [[Thundercracker drone|drones]] respond to an incursion into his territory, but find that the trespassers are merely [[Empty|Empties]] from the [[Rad Zone]]. Believing they have merely come to scavenge the remains of the bombed-out city, he lets his guard down... and soon learns the folly of his actions, as the "Empties" cast off their cloaks to reveal that they are actually a rebel cell led by [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]! Battle erupts; the pacifistic [[Sandstorm (MW)|Sandstorm]] is loathe to use lethal force, but when a Thundercracker drone charges him, he inadvertently shoots it at point-blank range and terminates it, much to his horror and Strika's grudging respect. As the other drones begin adapting to the rebel's attack patterns, Strika hurls an explosive sphere into the sky, blasting a path through the clone ranks that allows Obsidian and tagalong [[Decepticon]] [[Octane]] to take to the air. Octane rankles under Obsidian's command, though, and reminds him he is merely there to help his old friend Sandstorm. Presently, they defeat the drones, and, over Sandstorm's protestations against her violent tactics, Strika coerces the coordinates to Megaplex's location from Thundercracker. | Three-and-a-half days later, [[Thundercracker (MW)|Thundercracker]] and a platoon of his [[Thundercracker drone|drones]] respond to an incursion into his territory, but find that the trespassers are merely [[Empty|Empties]] from the [[Rad Zone]]. Believing they have merely come to scavenge the remains of the bombed-out city, he lets his guard down... and soon learns the folly of his actions, as the "Empties" cast off their cloaks to reveal that they are actually a rebel cell led by [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]! Battle erupts; the pacifistic [[Sandstorm (MW)|Sandstorm]] is loathe to use lethal force, but when a Thundercracker drone charges him, he inadvertently shoots it at point-blank range and terminates it, much to his horror and Strika's grudging respect. As the other drones begin adapting to the rebel's attack patterns, Strika hurls an explosive sphere into the sky, blasting a path through the clone ranks that allows Obsidian and tagalong [[Decepticon]] [[Octane]] to take to the air. Octane rankles under Obsidian's command, though, and reminds him he is merely there to help his old friend Sandstorm. Presently, they defeat the drones, and, over Sandstorm's protestations against her violent tactics, Strika coerces the coordinates to Megaplex's location from Thundercracker. | ||
Revision as of 22:08, 20 August 2013
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| "Termination" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Fun Publications | ||||||||||||
| First published | June 27, 2013 (BotCon 2013) | ||||||||||||
| Writer | Jesse Wittenrich | ||||||||||||
| Art | Josh Burcham, Jimbo Salgado | ||||||||||||
| Layouts | David Reynolds | ||||||||||||
| Letters | Jesse Wittenrich | ||||||||||||
| Special Thanks | Lo, Jeremiah McNatt | ||||||||||||
| Creative Director | Lanny Lathem | ||||||||||||
| Managing editor | Pete Sinclair | ||||||||||||
| Editor in chief | |||||||||||||
| Continuity | Wings Universe | ||||||||||||
| Price | $4.95 | ||||||||||||
With Cybertron under the control of Megaplex and his clone armies, the scattered Autobot and Decepticon forces rally together in an attempt to retake their homeworld.
Synopsis
The second Golden Age of Cybertron has come to an end. The armies created by Jhiaxus, cloned from some of the most infamous Decepticons in history and led by Megaplex—clone of Megatron—have swept across the galaxy, devastating the forces of the Autobots and Decepticons wherever they are found. Optimus Prime falls in battle on Sigma Seven; with their leader left comatose, the understaffed Autobots on Cybertron divide their ranks, each polity headed by a City Commander charged with independently coordinating defense of their territory. A new war is looming: the Machine Wars.
Two days after the warning from Sigma Seven, as any and all able 'bots are being drafted for the coming conflict, Clamp Down interrogates Mirage and Electro, intending to offer them freedom to fight in exchange for a full confession implicating Earth commander Pyro in the smuggling of illegal war supplies to Cybertron. Electro defies him, insisting their actions (including the use of illegal body modifications on themselves) were necessary, but when an alarm starts blaring, Mirage quickly offers up the confession so that battle can be joined. They look out the window to see a huge fleet of bombers soaring overhead, wiping their city off the map. Frenzied communication ensues between the Autobots ensues, but within half a day, every major city on the planet is conquered, and the surviving Autobots are forced into hiding.
Three-and-a-half days later, Thundercracker and a platoon of his drones respond to an incursion into his territory, but find that the trespassers are merely Empties from the Rad Zone. Believing they have merely come to scavenge the remains of the bombed-out city, he lets his guard down... and soon learns the folly of his actions, as the "Empties" cast off their cloaks to reveal that they are actually a rebel cell led by Obsidian and Strika! Battle erupts; the pacifistic Sandstorm is loathe to use lethal force, but when a Thundercracker drone charges him, he inadvertently shoots it at point-blank range and terminates it, much to his horror and Strika's grudging respect. As the other drones begin adapting to the rebel's attack patterns, Strika hurls an explosive sphere into the sky, blasting a path through the clone ranks that allows Obsidian and tagalong Decepticon Octane to take to the air. Octane rankles under Obsidian's command, though, and reminds him he is merely there to help his old friend Sandstorm. Presently, they defeat the drones, and, over Sandstorm's protestations against her violent tactics, Strika coerces the coordinates to Megaplex's location from Thundercracker.
In Iacon, Megaplex surveys the devastated planet, haunted by the exhilaration it makes him feel. Starscream warns him he is beginning to sound like Megatron himself, prompting Megaplex, his distaste for the comparison barely disguised, to caution Starscream that he should strive to be less like his own template. Skywarp arrives to report the capture of Thundercracker, and given that Starscream's cannot send his drones in without fear of injuring their comrade, Megaplex decides to deal with the matter personally.
After waiting for an hour outside Iacon, Electro and Mirage are finally met by Obsidian's group, who have deliberately taken their time approaching to ensure they have been seen with Thundercracker, exploiting the clones' genuine concern for their own to prevent any attacks. Megaplex and his forces arrive and demand that Thundercracker be turned over, but Obsdian refuses, aggravating the clone commander by comparing him to Megatron. Casting his sword aside, Megaplex lunges for Obsidian, intending to crush him with his bare hands... at which points Obsidian orders Mirages to shut down his electro-disrupter, revealing the larger force of Autobots and Decepticons who have surrounded the clones. The Autobots withdrawing from the cities was a ruse, Obsidian reveals, allowing them to regroup and corral Megaplex's armies into one location. A mighty battle erupts; Electro seizes Megaplex's discarded sword and uses his Forestonite-granted Laser Rod powers to energize it, dispatching Starscream with its blasts. Megaplex is impressed, but as he battles Obsidian one-on-one, notes that he has plenty of impressive weapons of his own, like the fusion cannon he unleashes against the rebel leader. His rant is interrupted, however, by a howl of pain from Sandstorm, who undergoes a sudden change in personality, and vicious opens fire on Obsidian, cutting him down. Sandstorm is not, in the fact, the original pacifistic Autobot that everyone believed he was, but another of Jhiaxus's clones, hidden amongst the Autobot forces as a sleeper agent and trump card. Megaplex is indignant at Sandstorm's assumption of command, but moments later, Jhiaxus and the rest of his forces arrive on Cybertron to explain: the war has changed Megaplex, awakening the urges of his template within him. Jhiaxus has no need of a Megatron in his army, and so he offers Megaplex the same choice he gives the Autobots and Decepticons: leave Cybertron, or be destroyed...
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Cybertronians | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
Notes
Continuity notes
- As part of the Wings Universe, this story takes place in (a slightly different version of) the Generation 1 cartoon continuity. The Golden Age referred to at the start of the story dawned at the conclusion of the original cartoon, in "The Rebirth, Part 3".
- Octane refers to his friendship with Sandstorm, seen in the cartoon episode "Starscream's Ghost".
- Jhiaxus's clone schemes percolated throughout "A Flash Forward", the 2012 storyline published in the official club magazine. In particular, the "Machine Wars" were foretold by the precognitive Sizzle in the final chapter of the story.
Transformers references
- "Arms regulations SOU-246 and IRO-368" are references to the Arms Microns Sou and Iro.
- Established Transformers cities Iacon, Praxus, Protihex and Nyon are mentioned; Trigat is new, while Durax has only previously been mentioned in the name of the Durax Hospital for Protoforms from the Shattered Glass continuity.
- Following on from "A Flash Forward", which recast the assorted Generation 2 Go-Bots toys as clones of the characters they were named for, rather than the original characters themselves, this story repurposes the Machine Wars toys as clones as well. In particular, Hubcap, Prowl and Soundwave toys are based on their Machine Wars toys, while Megaplex, Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp and Sandstorm are represented by their BotCon 2012 toys, and the characters' Machine Wars toys are instead used as the basis for their drone armies.
Errors
Covers
- BotCon Edition: Art by Marcelo Matere and Evan Gauntt
- Retail Edition:
