Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity

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He's looking for the man who shot his pa.

Ironhide punches everybody, and then has an existential crisis.

IDW Generation 1 comics

This section covers fiction that is ongoing. It will be added to as the story progresses. If it isn't current, you can help by updating it.

In Principio

Back before the war, Ironhide was part of the Cybertronian Civil Militia, Old Ways and later the Security Services. Megatron Origin #2 He performed both public and private security work, keeping the streets safe while also overseeing specific businesses and events. Ironhide was working the crowds at the Cybertronian raceway when a small 'bot burst through the line and attempted to shoot Drag Strip, one of the star racers. Ironhide stopped the shooting and turned the little guy over to the authorities, paying little heed to his warnings about Megatron and the growing Decepticon movement. Iron in the Blood But the danger the would-be assassin forewarned soon came to pass: after Megatron murdered Bumper and Fastback, Ironhide attended their funeral (with a familiar fembot), where Security Services leader Sentinel Prime rallied them to begin fighting back against the Decepticons. Megatron Origin #3 Ironhide was on the streets with Sentinel Prime and Prowl during the Battle of Kaon, when the security forces tried to halt the rebel Decepticons, dishing out justice with his fists. Unfortunately, Sentinel was slain by Megatron during the fight, and his body dumped in front of Ironhide and the other officers, at which point Prowl ordered a retreat. Megatron Origin #4

When Zeta Prime rose to succeed Sentinel, he reorganized the security forces into an army to combat the Decepticon insurgency. Ironhide was selected by Kup to be a member of these so-called "Autobots", and was placed under the command of Orion Pax. Skeptical of the former police officer's ability to fight a war, Ironhide was not shy about telling the young 'bot so in the gruffest way possible, but Orion proved willing to take advice from the more experienced soldier. Old Ways During a mission to prevent an assassination attempt on Zeta Prime, Ironhide was part of an Autobot unit led by Kup and saved the confused racer Blurr from wandering right into their crossfire. Spotlight: Blurr

Ironhide was part of a unit led by Orionx Pax that broke up an arms deal between Swindle and a group of insurgents in Nyon. Law and Disorder Returning to base, Ironhide and Bumblebee busied themselves with a little target practice, until Orion arrived and instructed them to get ready for action, as a big operation from Zeta Prime was on the horizon. Parasites Minutes later, the team were sent to hunt down the Decepticon spy Soundwave, but Ironhide and Prowl's attempt to arrest him only resulted in Rumble dropping a bridge on them. The Hunt for Soundwave The mission ended with Orion Pax and Bumblebee taken to Kaon for a talk with Megatron, but Ironhide and the rest of the team busted into the meeting place and rescued them. Cause and Effect

Zeta Prime's next mission for Orion Pax's team was to capture the insurgent Hot Rod, whom they tracked to the Acropolex in Nyon. Ironhide didn't at all care for the spiritual theme of the building, doubting inscriptions claiming that all would be one and calling the Matrix of Leadership "superstitious mumbo-jumbo" and propaganda to make the Primes look big. In the end, the Autobots found that Hot Rod only wanted to enlighten them to Zeta Prime's horrible treatment of civilians. Ruins With this revelation, they turned on the Prime and tried to protect Nyon from his Omega Destructors, but even Ironhide's cyclone launcher failed to scratch the giants. Orion's team was soon defeated by Zeta himself and his vamparc ribbon. Purge Surprisingly, the Autobots were saved from certain death by Megatron, who wanted them to join forces with him against Zeta Prime's tyranny. Ironhide didn't get along with Thundercracker. Choices

While Orion and Megatron confronted Zeta himself, Ironhide led the attack on his Citadel and joined up with Ultra Magnus's unit when they also turned on the Prime. Overthrown As soon as Zeta Prime was dead, however, Megatron betrayed the Autobots and Ironhide was forced to go into hiding in Ultrix with Bumblebee and Ultra Magnus. He wanted to get out there and fight back against Megatron's rule, but before they could do much the Decepticons found the Autobots' safe-house and captured them. Transformation They were taken to the Citadel and prepared for execution, but fortunately Hot Rod decided to become an Autobot around that time and bailed them out of prison. Ironhide and the others then followed Orion's ID signal to Nyon, where they learned of his transformation into Optimus Prime and the awakening of the city robot Metroplex who had been the Acropolex the entire time. Rise Led by the new Prime, the Autobots marched on Megatron's Citadel where they would fight for control of Cybertron. Broadcast Though they won, driving the Decepticons out of Iacon, Ironhide knew they'd be back soon enough. Endgame

During the early days of Optimus's leadership, Ironhide aided him in the defense of the Toraxxis mega-refinery. Rage After the battle ended with the destruction of the refinery, he attended a memorial service dedicated to the lost lives. Fallout During the battle with Trypticon, he led a heavy weapons unit charged with distracting the monster with a fusion-borer assault. The Illusion of Control However, once he moved in to confirm that their target was down, Ironhide was attacked by Trypticon's dragon-like minions and trapped beneath rubble. Annihilation When the beast was finally brought down, Ironhide was not happy that the Autobots had to leave it in the hands of Megatron, but they had little choice and returned home to repair an injured Optimus Prime. Belly of the Beast

Ironhide accompanied Optimus Prime on his sabbatical journey to the Grav-Haraan glacier, where they encountered the long lost Omega Supreme and brought him back to civilization. Primacy #1 After then bearing witness to the battle between Metroplex and a returned Trypticon, he stood in defense of Iacon against a massive Decepticon attack. Primacy #3 The Autobots came out victorious, and Ironhide watched as Prime held a speech asking the Decepticons to stand down and look at the chaos they'd wrought. Primacy #4

Though the Decepticons had been bested that day, they were not stopped. The war would only continue, and Ironhide participated in the bloodiest battle of them all, on Varas Centralus, where he began a rivalry with Sky-Byte. A Better Tomorrow At another point he led a rescue team to extract Jazz and Tracks, whom Jazz was originally assigned to evacuate. They arrived just in the nick of time to ward off the Predacons and save their comrades. On the trip back to Iacon, Jazz told Ironhide what had happened and what to tell the blinded Tracks. After Jazz had left, Tracks asked Ironhide who had saved him. Ironhide said simply that he was just an Autobot like Tracks was, and that he should never forget what that meant. Spotlight: Jazz

In yet another of the war's countless battles, Ironhide fought the Seekers and Motormaster alongside Bumblebee and another yellow Autobot, who didn't make it. Drift #2

Over the course of the war, the student-and-teacher relationship between Optimus Prime and Ironhide evolved. Prime grew willing to go against Ironhide's counsel, once doing so to save the Autobots from Trypticon waiting in ambush, while also learning the benefit of sticking to your guns like the stubborn old soldier did, once insisting on saving Ironhide's life after a booby-trap left them badly damaging and hanging over a cliff-edge. Old Ways Four million years ago, Ironhide and Prime were defending a city from the Decepticon advance. They broke off from the other Autobots to intercept a Decepticon fuel convoy headed for Megatron's troops. Through grit and determination, the duo managed to capture the entire convoy without firing a single shot. The Autobots won the day and were eager to celebrate their victory that night by over-energizing a tad. Ironhide remained resolute, however, constantly scanning the crowd for trouble even amidst the festivities. Lucky that he did, because a Decepticon assassin named Axer had infiltrated the party, and pulled a concealed blaster to execute Optimus Prime from behind. True to his duty, Ironhide flung himself into the path of Axer's shot, taking the full blast for his friend and commander. Although he eventually recovered from his injuries, this incident would have long term consequences for Ironhide. The Iron Age

500,000 years ago Ironhide helped defend Metroplex during the city-bot's last stand, a battle that ended with Metroplex leaving Cybertron. Hello Cruel World I Dream of Wires

Et In Terra

In the modern era, Ironhide was second-in-command (under Prowl) of a detachment of Autobots that had operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon infiltration unit led by Starscream. When Ratchet went against orders and rescued a trio of humans who had become Decepticon targets, Ironhide joined Prowl and Sunstreaker in tracking him down, dispatching his Decepticon pursuer, then apprehending him and the humans. Infiltration #2 Ratchet's "arrest" was brief, as he had learned that the Decepticons were stepping up their protocol and entering "Siege Mode"; Prowl intended his team to deal with it personally, but Ironhide went behind his back and secretly sent a summons to Optimus Prime. Infiltration #3 A subsequent investigation by Ratchet, Bumblebee and the humans determined that the Decepticons had gone off-mission in order to acquire Earth's powerful Energon variant, and that Megatron had arrived on the planet—arrived, Ironhide realized, to put his house in order. Infiltration #5 Ironhide and the rest of the team observed as Megatron put down Starscream's rebellion, and, realizing there was nothing they could do with their current level of manpower, returned to base to find that in their absence, Optimus Prime had arrived in response to Ironhide's message. Infiltration #6

Ironhide's holomatter avatar is a pissed-off old man. Fitting.

As plans for escalated battle tactics were formulated, Ironhide and Sunstreaker were assigned the task of escorting Ratchet's human friends back to their homes and out of danger, with Ironhide transporting Verity Carlo and Jimmy Pink, and Sunstreaker carrying Hunter O'Nion. En route, stuck in traffic, they were ambushed by agents of the Machination, and Ironhide had to crash and bash his way through the gridlocked vehicles to get to Sunstreaker... only to find that he had apparently been destroyed by the humans. Escalation #1 When police arrived to remove Sunstreaker's remains, Ironhide followed them to a storage compound; mistakenly believing the whole thing was the work of the Decepticons using human facsimile constructs, he angrily advocated taking the fight to their enemies' door, but Optimus Prime refused and ordered him back to base. A unit led by Prime subsequently recovered Sunstreaker's remains, but an examination by Ratchet revealed that it was not Sunstreaker, and Ironhide realized the attack had been a feint. Escalation #2

Well, I guess they don't see eye to eye.

Believing he owed it to Sunstreaker to find him, Ironhide side-stepped the chain of command and petitioned Optimus directly to be allowed to join the search mission. Prime denied him, and an infuriated Prowl chewed him out and assigned him base duty while the other Autobots left for Brasnya to confront the Decepticons. Ironhide was having none of it, however; as soon as the others were gone, he joined up with Ratchet and the humans' on their mission to locate Sunstreaker and Hunter. Escalation #3 Their search led them to a Machination safehouse disguised as an auto-shop, which Verity and Jimmy snuck into while Ratchet and Ironhide waited outside. Escalation #4 When the humans failed to report back after the pre-arranged ten-minute interval, Ironhide just ram-raided the building, and discovered they had been hit with knock-out gas, and that a self-destruct sequence was counting down. Escalation #5 He and Ratchet used their holomatter avatars to lift the humans to safety, but Ironhide failed to get out of the building in time and was caught in the explosion. Escalation #6

Ironhide's shattered chassis was taken to a scrap yard by the local authorities, and it took the Autobots three weeks to track him down, finally locating him less than three hours before he was due to be crushes in a pneumatic press. Hot Rod and Wheeljack were sent to recover him, Devastation #1 but were delayed when they ran into more Machination agents on the way: clones of the captive Sunstreaker, controlled by human Headmaster pilots. Devastation #3 They prevailed, and made it to the scrap yard to start searching for Ironhide with less than ten minutes to spare, Devastation #4 but the Machination's Headmasters soon caught up to them. Devastation #5 The villains were dispatched for good with the aid of Hardhead, who had been sent to retrieve Hot Rod and the others by Optimus Prime; a more dangerous situation was brewing on Garrus-9, requiring the Autobots leave Earth to deal with it. Hot Rod refused to go though, wanting to see the Headmaster mystery to the end; Hardhead reluctantly let him go and took Wheeljack and Ironhide back to the Ark-32 with him. Devastation #6

A little later, Ironhide had been repaired and restored, and watched as Jimmy and Verity were reunited with Hunter, who Hot Rod had rescued from the Machination along with Sunstreaker. Maximum Dinobots #5

On the brink

Ironhide.

When the Autobots returned to Earth to pick up where they had left off, they discovered that the Decepticon had disappeared. They spent a year searching for leads, but could find no intel; All Hail Megatron #7 Prowl advised taking no action, but Ironhide, able to speak more to the warrior inside of Optimus, advised proactive steps. Everything in its Right Place A chance soon fell into their laps: Mirage discovered that the Decepticons had supposedly suffered a schism, and were now split into two factions led by Megatron and Starscream. Seeing an opening, the Autobots staged an attack on what was supposed to be the weakened Starscream's faction, but upon striking, they discovered they had been lured into a trap: the schism had been faked, and the unified forces of the Decepticons overpowered the Autobots. Ironhide and his comrades were all exiled to the dead Cybertron through a space bridge, and Optimus Prime was taken offline by a failed attempt to prevent their fate. All Hail Megatron #7 All Hail Megatron #1

Punches.

Frustrations ran high in the Autobot camp. Tracks attempted to lift their spirits by telling the story of the time he was saved by a mysterious Autobot. Though Ironhide knew it was Jazz who had saved Tracks that day, the old story gave them hope, and he thanked him for it. Spotlight: Jazz This did little to assuage Ironhide's simmering anger, however; already harboring guilt over Optimus's situation, he suspected that Mirage had sold the Autobots to the Decepticons, deliberately feeding them the intel about the supposed schism, but found himself being shut out by Prowl and Jazz, resulting a feeling of helplessness that only worsened his temperament. All Hail Megatron #8 When Prowl refused to entertain the notion of Mirage's betrayal without proof, implying that any Autobot, even Ironhide himself, could have been responsible, Ironhide finally lost it and slugged him. Jazz interceded before the situation could escalate and took the old 'bot aside to talk out his grievances, but couldn't give Ironhide all the answers he wanted. Eager for something to punch, Ironhide accepted Cliffjumper's invitation to investigate an emergency message from Wheeljack and Bumblebee, who were out on a scouting patrol. After instructing Sunstreaker to keep a close eye on Mirage in his absence, he and Cliffjumper headed out, and ran across Hot Rod—or rather, in the darkness, Ironhide mistakenly ran his fist across Hot Rod's face. All Hail Megatron #4 They took Hot Rod back to their camp, and listened has he explained how he and the rest of his unit, led by Kup, had made their way back to Cybertron. All Hail Megatron #5

EVERYONE!

Soon after the rest of Kup's unit arrived to join up with Prime's battered team, Ironhide tried to tell Roadbuster his suspicions about Mirage, but was cut off mid-sentence by a brief attack by of one of the Insecticon swarm. All Hail Megatron #6 The Autobots proceeded to recover energon supplies from Kup's ship the Trion, but while taking a rest stop on the way back to camp, Ironhide observed the irate Sunstreaker storming out of a building and tried to calm him down. Sunstreaker angrily explained that his brother Sideswipe had just lectured him about his and Ironhide's hostile attitude towards Mirage, and how it was only making things worse among the Autobots—and that was the last straw for Ironhide. Cornering Mirage, Ironhide proceeded to beat him near to death. All Hail Megatron #7 Kup chewed him out for his actions, and for always seeing the worst in other 'bots, but before their conversation could reach resolution, the Swarm caught up to them. The Autobots poured on the speed, intending to blow up the bridge leading back to their camp after they had crossed it to prevent the Swarm from following, but as they were arguing amongst themselves who would risk their lives detonating the explosives, Ironhide noticed Sunstreaker had already stepped out onto the bridge. Following the younger 'bot, Ironhide demanded to know what he was doing... at which point, a guilt-wracked Sunstreaker revealed that he, not Mirage, was the real traitor, having made a made a deal with Starscream that would supposedly have resulted in Megatron's demise. Before more could be said, both were assaulted by the Swarm; Drift got Ironhide to safety, but Sunstreaker remained to blow up the bridge, killing himself and taking a large portion of the Swarm with him. The tormented Ironhide went to rest and recover, and was soon approached by Drift, who told him that Sunstreaker had not been solely responsible for their plight. All Hail Megatron #8

Seen shortly before being reminded of how he used to hate Op's guts.

Rightly feeling like a complete prat, Ironhide attempted to apologize to Mirage, but was angrily rebuffed. All Hail Megatron #9 Soon after, Optimus Prime was back on his feet, and Ironhide learned what Jazz and Prowl had been hiding from him: Megatron had stolen the Matrix of Leadership right out of Optimus's chest. Optimus requested that Ironhide not hold it against the pair, and Ironhide agreed, calling him the "greatest bot I've ever known"—something Prime found amusing, considering how they clashed when they first met. The Autobots then had to contend with the Swarm laying siege to their camp; Ironhide found himself side by side with Mirage at the front line defenses, and refused to let the comrade he had so badly mistreated sacrifice himself, even when Mirage tried to encourage him to get to safety. All Hail Megatron #10

Saved by the timely arrival of Omega Supreme, Ironhide and the Autobots were then taken to Earth by their giant ally, where they engaged the Decepticons in battle. Ironhide was concerned about the threat posed by Devastator, but fortunately, his worry was unfounded, as Omega stepped in and slagged Devastator. All Hail Megatron #11 The battle reached its end when human soldier Spike sniped Megatron; Ironhide called Starscream a coward when he ordered the Decepticons to retreat. All Hail Megatron #12 In the aftermath, Ironhide admitted to Optimus Prime that he was tired of the neverending war and was considering retiring from the Autobot army. He changed his mind following some reminiscing over the many bonds he and Prime had forged over the years. Old Ways Soon after, when Bumblebee went missing in one of the human disaster areas in a ruined New York, Ironhide was part of an Autobot squad who managed to retrieve him. Hidden

Reborn against the Swarm

Either Hot Rod's jinxed or he secretly wants the entire 1984 cast dead.

The Autobots remained on Earth for two years, Optimus Prime's guilt over the devastation their war brought to the world preventing them from leaving the humans behind. Unfortunately, the humans weren't at all interested in Prime's guilt, but were actively hunting Autobot and Decepticon alike. Ironhide thought Hot Rod was out of line criticizing Prime for his choices, but Prime actually agreed with Hot Rod and sanctioned the rescue of several captured Autobots from the clutches of Skywatch. Ironhide supported the decision, and agreed to Prime's request for him to be part of Hot Rod's team, promising that nothing would happen to the young 'bot, When the rescue attempt deteriorated into a firefight and the humans began responding with lethal force, Ironhide threw himself into the path of a particle cannon turret aimed Hot Rod and Prowl, taking a fatal shot through the chest to protect his field leader and keep his promise to Prime. Prowl brought Ironhide's body back to the Autobots' hidden base after the battle, and Optimus blamed himself for his old friend's demise, which served as a catalyst for his resignation from the Autobots. ...For All Mankind Ironhide's body lay in state in the Autobots' med-bay, where it was later examined by Ultra Magnus. A Rude Awakening

Ironhide's death was.... short-lived. Seeking to return Cybertron to a habitable state, the ancient Autobot sage Alpha Trion required a powerful warrior to obliterate what remained of the Insecticon swarm that still infested the planet, and chose Ironhide for the task. That he was dead was immaterial: Trion built a brand new body for Ironhide on Cybertron and restored his spark from the "core". However, it transpired that the wound Ironhide had suffered saving Optimus Prime from Axer's assassination attempt four million years prior had disrupted his spark's connection the core, and that all of Ironhide's memories from after that point had not been recorded. Ironing Out the Details Thus, when the restored Ironhide awoke in a deserted lab, he had no recollection of anything from after Axer's attack, and was horrified at the ruined state of his homeworld. The Iron Age Wandering through the husk of Iacon in a daze, he found himself set upon by the swarm, and while he initially enjoyed the chance to vent his frustrations against them, the adrenaline soon wore off and panic set in. Driving wildly through the streets, fearing that the insectoid monsters were all that was left of his people, Ironhide crashed and knocked himself out, then experienced an unsettling dream of his own funeral. He was awoken by a small drone, which asked him to simply "Follow", and with nothing better to do, Ironhide accompanied the little robot to a brightly lit and functioning complex. Iron in the Blood

Inside, Ironhide was greeted by Alpha Trion, whom he had never heard of before, and whose self-important attitude got on his nerves. Filled in on the history of Cybertron's ruination by Trion, Ironhide was incredulous, but soon turned his attention towards a nearby screen, which was detecting a life signal on the planet. Ironhide ignored Alpha Trion's warnings and headed out to save the 'bot, who he discovered was a heavily-damaged but still-functional Sunstreaker. Having no memory of his betrayal, Ironhide couldn't understand what he kept apologizing about, and fought his way through even more Insecticons to bring him back to Alpha Trion. Upon arriving, Ironhide demanded to know what Sunstreaker just was talking about, and Trion explained the story behind Ironhide's death and amnesiac resurrection. Ironing Out the Details

Accepting the Insecticon-exermination duty Trion had chosen him for, Ironhide outfitted himself with as many weapons as he could carry and went head-to-head with hundreds of the creatures. He stumbled upon the wreckage of the Trion and managed to use its guns to destroy a portion of the swarm, though he was forced to self-destruct it when the monsters got too close for comfort. In the end, he was fighting an estimated 200 of the creatures with his bare hands, and was forced to call Alpha Trion for help. His call was heeded, and Trion revealed that his base of operations was actually the gigantic Autobot Metroplex, who smashed the remaining members of the swarm with one hand. This got Ironhide rather angry, as Metroplex could've done the work instead of him, and it didn't help that Alpha Trion just dismissed his worries and prepared to leave him on the planet to exterminate the last few swarm monsters. He finally snapped and socked the old guy in the face. Though surprised, Alpha Trion shrugged off his act of assault and explained that he was only a small piece in a large game, and he didn't need to know everything. Before Trion left for space, Ironhide asked him with one last question: given that Trion had claimed to have started reconstructing Ironhide's body and memories before he had actually been killed, how had Trion known that he was going to die? The answer gave him something to think about: Trion believed he was always going to end up getting himself killed sooner or later, thanks to his self-sacrificing nature. Soon, Ironhide and Sunstreaker were left as the only Autobots on Cybertron, with a lot of stuff to catch up on and a lot of things to think about... Any Old Iron

As time passed, Ironhide and Sunstreaker exterminated what was left of the swarm, even managing to domesticate one, only for another threat to reach Cybertron: an army led by Galvatron. After a first wave of attacks, a ship landed nearby, and Ironhide smashed his way into it, assuming it to be a Decepticon vessel he could use. As a pleasant surprise, he instead found it crewed by Hot Rod (now going by "Rodimus") and Wheelie (plus Garnak, an alien friend of theirs who mistakenly attacked him). After some catching-up, they were attacked by Sweeps, but managed to escape on Rodimus's ship and head to Earth for reinforcements. Out of the Silent Planet

Upon arriving on Earth for the "first time", Ironhide commented that it smelled bad. Needless to say, the Autobots there were confused to see him alive, but their new leader, Bumblebee, had them refrain from asking him questions. Ironhide himself was mostly confused as to how Bumblebee managed to become leader and why they had stayed on Earth for so long, but Bumblebee couldn't respond to that very well. Led by Optimus Prime, Ironhide and most of the other Autobots boarded Omega Supreme and left for Cybertron the next day, taking with them the captive Megatron, who had surrended to Autobot custody shortly before Ironhide's arrival.

"I'll beat a motherfragger with another motherfragger!"

Orphans of the Helix During the journey, Ironhide talked to Prime about Megatron's boggling decision, and suggested he sit down and talk to the captured Decepticon leader. Chaos Theory Part 1 After several interrogations of Megatron failed to shed any light on his actions, Ironhide warned Optimus Prime against letting it get to him. Appreciating the sentiment, Prime told him it was nice to see him so young again, but Ironhide only responded that he didn't feel young.

Ironhide was telling his fellow Autobots of his time with Alpha Trion when Omega Supreme arrived at Cybertron, at which point he and several other Autobots went down to the planet and met with Galvatron. When they refused to join his army, Galvatron decided to destroy them, but Ironhide stopped him from shooting Optimus Prime, then proceeded to wail on him with the corpse of one of his own soldiers until he retreated. Lamentations Alongside the rest of the Autobots, he then fought in a huge battle with Galvatron's army of Sweeps. Numbers Optimus Prime took Ironhide, Rodimus and Drift and broke away from battle to chase Galvatron himself as he moved towards the core of Cybertron, but halted when Drift stabbed himself in order to not be brainwashed by the Heart of Darkness. Kings When ordered to bring the injured Autobot to safety, Ironhide protested that Optimus needed him as a bodyguard, but relented when Rodimus asked him to save one more life. Genesis

The new Cybertron

Optimus Prime defeated Galvatron and stopped his plans by purifying Vector Sigma with the Matrix of Leadership. Cybertron was reborn in a flash of white light, and in that flash, Ironhide had a vision of the distant future in which he was an ageing veteran, the last of those who had fought in the Great War, living on a prosperous and peaceful Gorlam Prime. As the last remnant of a bygone era, he was revered by the young Transformers, but he struggled with finding his place in the new civilization. He was accompanied by Alpha Trion, who would comfort his friend with his importance to the history of the race. Pax Cybertronia A Better Tomorrow

After Ironhide awoke from his vision, Megatron's Decepticons were captured, and neutral Cybertronians who had fled the war long ago began returning home, called back to Cybertron by Vector Sigma. Unfortunately they didn't like having the Autobots in charge and started a riot which Ironhide had to help beat down. The Death of Optimus Prime The mysterious rebirth of Cybertron had also made the planet's terrain alive and very hostile, so Ironhide—now fitted out with a new Cybertronian-mode body—spent his time testing how far from civilization he could get before being forced to turn back. The Autonomy Lesson He was present during the memorial service for the crew of the Lost Light, a ship captained by Rodimus which seemingly exploded on launch. The World & Everything in It

When mysterious explosions began occurring around the city, caused by stray energy waves from Vector Sigma, Ironhide and Wheeljack constructed and launched a rocket that gave the energy something to latch onto, allowing it to detonate harmlessly off-planet. Stick Together Neutrals continued to arrive regularly, and one turned out to be Ironhide's old rival Sky-Byte, whom he took on a tour of the city and filled in on recent events Sky-Byte was left suspicious of the Autobots' motives, so Ironhide suggested he go see if the Decepticons were any better, but when that resulted in Sky-Byte being captured with Needlenose and in danger of being lynched by an angry mob, Ironhide calmed the crowd by telling them they needed to pursue a peaceful future of equality. The next day, Prowl, angry that Ironhide's actions had led to Bumblebee's deactivation of the I/D chips being used to keep the Decepticons in check, asked the old 'bot how he could be so sure things would work out. And Ironhide told him: it was because of his vision of the future, when grudges were no more because all the Autobots and Decepticons were dead. A Better Tomorrow

Realizing that everyone thought his circuits were a bit sizzled from that vision story, Ironhide decided he needed to get out of Iacon for a while and accepted a mission to search for the missing Aerialbots. Together with the Dinobots, he traveled into the Cybertronian wilderness, where they discovered signs of battle and a strange signal that was messing with their minds, causing them to suspect Megatron was out there. He also told the Dinobots of his vision, which to his surprise they believed in, but expressed worry that the "Pax Cybertronia" he had witnessed was still made up of a universe conquered by the Cybertronians just like Megatron or Nova Prime had wanted. After they set up camp for the night, the Dinobots were driven crazy by the signal and turned on each other, with Ironhide caught in the middle. Dinobot Hunt While escaping, he discovered a recorded message left by Silverbolt, who revealed that the same thing had happened to the Aerialbots and warned that Ironhide's comrades would soon team up against him. Ironhide tracked down the source of the transmission, all the while fending off the combined attacks of the Dinobots, but what he found at the end wasn't the Aerialbots, but a combination of them calling itself Superion. Night and the City

With Ironhide, Superion and the Dinobots all in the same place, the mind-bending signal was spread too thin and soon ceased to affect them, allowing the Dinobots to calm down. Second Exodus As they made their way back to Iacon, Ironhide caught a news transmission in which Metalhawk tried to suppress the Decepticon riots breaking out in the city. The Verge They arrived just in time to witness Megatron gather his army and unleash Devastator in an attempt to conquer the planet once more. Before the Dawn While Superion challenged Devastator, Ironhide and the Dinobots took to the streets to lead their fellow Autobots in the battle with the Decepticon forces. Plan for Everything After Superion failed, Ironhide took it upon himself to take down Devastator, whose head was now made up of a brainwashed Prowl. He belted the giant straight in the face and told him that his time in the wilderness had made him realize the future wasn't as set as his vision had made it seem—they could change themselves and change the future, and so could Prowl. His words reached his fellow Autobot, enabling him to remove himself from Devastator. The Autobots were able to defeat Megatron once again, but the NAILs had had enough of their war and, under Starscream's leadership, banished both factions from the city. Heavy Is the Head

Knowing the dangers of the wilderness, Ironhide questioned Starscream's decision, but like most Autobots, he relented on the basis that staying would only cause more conflicts. Soon after the Autobots had set up camp outside the city, Ironhide had to break up a fight between Arcee and their surprising new allies, the Constructicons. Worried that the signal that drove the Dinobots into their frenzy and created Superion might still be active and able to affect lone Transformers during the night, he then tried talk Arcee into being more of a team player. Second Exodus As a light lit up on the horizon, the Autobots went to investigate and got front row seats to witness the arrival of Shockwave's Necrotitan. Dark Dawn Confused, Ironhide and the others could do little but point their guns at the giant at the mysterious, immobile giant and wait for something to happen. Black Metal The standoff was interrupted by the arrival of Decepticons, but the ensuing battle was short as the Necrotitan unleashed a deadly energy wave, Winners & Losers causing damage on both sides but leaving a fortunate Ironhide unscathed. Into the Abyss

Putting their differences aside, the Autobots and Decepticons joined forces to stop Shockwave's plan to summon Nova Prime and Galvatron from the Dead Universe. Ironhide was charged with preventing the ancient Transformers' transition through a portal in Megatron's chest, and was able to beat Nova back into the Dead Universe before Shockwave brought the Necrotitan crashing into his base. Injured in the attack, he was carried to safety by Megatron before the Decepticon leader got ambushed by Galvatron. Finest Hour Soundwave and Frenzy bore him the rest of the way as they all escape the collapse of Shockwave's base, No Exit after which the Autobots returned to Iacon to defend the city from the advancing Necrotitan. Their efforts had no effect and Ironhide and Arcee ended up caught in an explosion, Burning Bright but they were unharmed and met up with the rest of the Cybertronians, including the returning crew of the Lost Light, to celebrate the Necrotitan's defeat at the hands of Metroplex. The Becoming Their troubles didn't end there though, as Shockwave summoned an army of Ammonites to keep Autobots and Decepticons from interfering with his master plan, forcing Ironhide and his comrades back into battle. Black Planet Once Shockwave was finally defeated, Ironhide witnessed the emergence of Megatron as an Autobot. ...And the Damage Done

Ironhide attended the trial for the surrendered Megatron at Raskol Arena, Towards Peace where he witnessed a group of Decepticons unsuccessfully attempt to free their leader. Predestination: A Beginner's Guide After the trial was over, Ironhide remained on Cybertron to keep an eye on Starscream and aid Cityspeaker Windblade in taking care of Metroplex. Hello Cruel World

Forging a new future

As it turned out, Shockwave's machinations had led to the destruction of Gorlam Prime, contradicting Ironhide's vision of the future and shaking the conviction he had in it. He spent the next six months wandering the insides of the ancient Metroplex in hopes of finding answers to what it all meant. This gave him a fairly intimate knowledge of the city-bot's layout, which led Windblade to go to him for help when she was searching for the location of junction T134, to which power was being mysteriously diverted. While she was alone with the old soldier, Windblade—a newcomer to Cybertron and unsure who to trust—asked him for his opinion of Starscream, but Ironhide declined to answer, advising instead that she ask some of Starscream's fellow Decepticons to get a more accurate answer. A 'Bot and Her City Windblade's continued investigation into the power diversion resulted in an attempt on her life; she believed Starscream was responsible, and while Ironhide wasn't as convinced, he helped her and Chromia dig up some more leads to solve the case. Windblade vol. 1 #2

When Wheeljack recovered from injuries sustained during the battle of Iacon, Ironhide was present for his emergence from the stasis tube that healed him, but quickly slipped away. Wheeljack followed him out to the remains of Shockwave's Crystal City base, where Ironhide confided that he now felt lost and uncertain about everything ever since his vision had been proven untrue. Wheeljack tried to cheer him up by telling him no one knows what the future holds: that sense of uncertainty is just called "being alive". Soon after, Wheeljack set to work repairing Superion at Starscream's request, but he had Ironhide and Windblade watching his back. The World of Tomorrow

Soon after, Optimus Prime returned to Cybertron to commemorate the anniversary of his receiving the Matrix, and Ironhide and Chromia had to step in to break up a street-fight when a gang of Decepticons attacked Prime and Windblade. The quartet then met with Wheeljack in Metroplex's space bridge chamber, where it was revealed that Starscream stood poised to use the Titan's now-active space bridge to make contact with the thirteen lost colony worlds, starting with Windblade and Chromia's homeworld, Caminus. First Contact Starscream initiated contact with a scheme to place the Camiens in his debt; he secretly had Menasor attack the planet so that he could send the Superion—restored by the Enigma of Combination—to save it. Suspecting Starscream's involvement, Ironhide and Chromia nonetheless pitched in to save Caminus, battling the Stunticon combiner. The Sum and Its Parts

After the threat had been put down, a slumbering Ironhide saw what appeared to be another vision of the future: of Cybertron, Caminus, and Earth all burning, with himself and Mirage in the middle of it all. Willing to discount it as a bad dream, Ironhide attended the ceremonies that formally established contact between Cybertron and Caminus, and led the first team the colony world to help in the relief effort. The Possible Light Though initially skeptical of the Decepticons who volunteered to join the effort, Ironhide was pleasantly surprised to see them legitimately helping out. Chromia had harsher words, which prompted Ironhide to reveal that he knew that she had been the one responsible for the supposed attempt on Windblade's life—actually a scare tactic to try and convince her to leave Cybertron. Ironhide did not judge her for her actions, however; all 'bots make mistakes, he said, and he could see she looked up to Windblade the way he did Optimus. Their bonding moment was soon interrupted by the sudden appearance of Devastator—Prowl had gone rogue, and, still able to combine with the Constructicons, was determined to keep Cybertron and the colony worlds separate for fear that Starscream would use them to build an empire. Ironhide and the others all took on the giant, and their fight spilled back through the space bride to Cybertron, where Superion and Starscream's newest combiner Defensor defeated Devastator. Mistakes and Mayhem

And taste the rainbow, while you're at it!

Ironhide retired to Maccadam's for a drink with Mirage and Sunstreaker, where all three buried the hatchet over their old animosities. Mirage, it transpired, had returned from Lost Light because he too had had a vision identical to Ironhide's, and Sunstreaker proposed that perhaps it not a vision, but a case of them somehow sharing "mindspace" with someone else, and seeing what this other party had planned for the future. The trio took their concerns to Prime, who was visiting the incarcerated Prowl, but arrived just as Prowl's contingency plan went into action: his agent, Rattrap, stole the Engima of Combination, and used it to merge Optimus, Prowl, Sunstreaker, Ironhide, and Mirage into a new combiner. You, Me, and the Universe Within the mind of his new gestalt, Ironhide, Optimus, Mirage, and Sunstreaker united their way of thinking—their belief in the strength of individuals, and their refusal to accept Prowl's numbers-and-statistics view of the world—to shut out Prowl's control of their merged form. Declaring themselves Optimus Maximus, the combined Autobots subdued the renewed threat of Devastator—rebuilt by Starscream but now out of control—then separated so that Prowl could be arrested for his crimes. All That Remains

When contact with the second colony, Velocitron, was established, Windblade recruited Ironhide for a mission to the planet. They materialized right in the path of one of Velocitron's huge moving cities, with the searing heat of the planet's sun burning up the landscape behind it. Windblade vol. 2 #4

Notes

• The fact that the recovery of Ironhide was not actually shown in Devastation #6 was a bone of contention at the time, with some readers being confused as to whether they successfully managed it, although Simon Furman attributed not showing it to a simple lack of page space As a result, Nick Roche drew the sketch to the right as an "insert" for Spotlight: Cyclonus to "fix" it.
  • Guido Guidi would later cite the sketch as an "unintentional" influence for the way he drew Ironhide on Cover A of All Hail Megatron #4.
• Ironhide was actually Mike Costa's second choice to kill off in "...For All Mankind". His original intention had been to kill Bumblebee, believing it was the most shocking death he could do. Hasbro said "NO". Ultimately, Bumblebee would be killed off four years later, during the "Dark Cybertron" event story.