The New World

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Screw Klo, first he's got a new Transformer race to create.
"The New World"
Publisher	Transformers Collectors' Club (main story: online exclusive; prologue: published with Diamond Edition of "Games of Deception")
First published	July 25, 2007 (online at the Transformers Collectors' Club)
Writers	Greg Sepelak and Trent Troop
Illustrations	Greg Sepelak
Continuity	Marvel Comics continuity
Chronology	1992
Page count	18pp

The Mini-Cons are charged with rebuilding Cybertron... but some are not content to simply give up the world they've built to others.

Synopsis

15 years ago, Cybertron has been all but abandoned; with the planet tearing itself apart after Unicron's attack, and the new leaders of the factions taking off after each other, all that remains are a group of humans and Hi-Q, Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity's Powermaster partner. Carryi8ng his partner's life-force within him, the Nebulon leads the group to the Last Autobot, hoping his abilities can revitalize the Transformers' world. However, when the Last Autobot senses the pain of the Autobots on Klo, he uses his powers to create a new Transformer race. Taking data from Prime and Hi-Q's merged Action Master form, and using the Matrix energy scattered across Cybertron, he create the race of Mini-Cons, the first of whom is named Modus Prime. Giving each Mini-Con a sliver of his spark, allowing them to access his powers, the Last Autobot charges them with the restoration of Cybertron, and to destroy horrors that exist below the surface. Taking off, he leaves the Mini-Cons behind to prepare...'

Below ground, Broadside is accosted by three mutants known as Meathook, Sawtooth, and Guttersnipe. Unfazed by the larger Cybertronians threats to eat him, Broadside unleashes his payload into Sawtooth, the largest of the Mutants, who's head blows off before he can deal with the shell. The other two mutants prepare to attack, but members of the Predator Attack Team ambush the two remaining mutants. Guttersnipe is savagely attacked by Overbite, and while Meathook attempts to deal with Broadside and Snarl, Dreadwing tears his head from his shoulders. The bloodthirsty ground-based members of the Predator Attack Team laugh as they mess with the corpses of the mutants under the disdainful eye of Broadside. Distracted by the sudden clank of metal feet, the Mini-Cons are relieved when the Dinobots step out of the shadows, having just arrived from a nest of three mutants of their own. Hacksaw, the leader, greets the other group of Mini-Cons, his confidence even disarming the savage Predator Attack Team. While comparing their kills, Dreadwing suddenly flies off, a scream briefly piercing through the air. An impressed Hacksaw offers Broadside a drink, but the tank Mini-Con is lost in thought. The Predator Attack Team would be put away if it wasn't for the mutant threat, but even then, the numbers of the mutants are low. Along with the far more dangerous demon threat being eradicated, the threats have been mostly dealt with. Before long, however, Broadside's reverie is shaken by Overbite and Terrorsaur attacking each other, and the two leaders put their troops in line.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Mini-Cons	Mutants	Others
Modus Prime (3) Broadside (4) Overbite (8) Snarl (9) Dreadwing (10) Hacksaw (11) Knockdown (12) Terrorsaur (13) Maccadam's Mini-Con waiter (14) Sledge (15) Wide Load (16) Dirt Rocket (17) Flatbed Steel-Belt Road Hazard Yardarm Thunderwing Nightscream Steel Wind Divebomb Firebot Strongarm Remedy Grindor Oil Slick	Meathook (5) Sawtooth (6) Guttersnipe (7)	The Last Autobot (1) Hi-Q/Optimus Prime (2)

Notes

• Mentioned characters include: Unicron, Bludgeon, Grimlock, Primus, the group of humans who Hi-Q travels with,
• Characters seen in art but not in-story include: Thunderpunch, Rapture, G.B. Blackrock, a loader-type Mini-Con, a crane-type Mini-Con, three plane-type Mini-Cons.

Continuity notes

• The story is set in 1992, right after the events of Marvel's Transformers issue #80 in the Classics continuity. The prologue brings up many of events from the last 6 issues of the comic, including: the attack of Unicron in #75; the death of Optimus Prime in #76; the search for the Last Autobot and Grimlock and the Autobots's last minute escape in #79; the attack on Klo and the fusion of Optimus Prime and Hi-Q in issue #80.
• Demons, after originally appearing in Marvel UK's Transformers issue #246 (which isn't in Classics continuity), showed up about a year later in #75 of the Marvel US Transformers comics.

Transformer references

• The majority of the Mini-Cons from the Classics toyline appear. The only one who does not appear is Swoop, who is currently with Grimlock and the other Autobots off Cybertron. Hacksaw, an all-new character created for this story, takes his place.
• Modus Prime's name is derived from "Minimodus," the Canadian French/Spanish name for Mini-Cons used on Armada's toyline packaging.
• The mutants originally appeared in issue #245 of the Marvel UK comics, being ported over for the first time in Classics continuity.
• Likewise for Maccadam's.
• Scorponok and Zarak died in the great battle with Unicron.
• Hacksaw occasionally lapses into pronoun-less Dinobot-style speech: "Terrorsaur, you are stupid violent beast." "No, but makes sense anyway."
• "'Til all are one" is a common Autobot mantra.
• Ankmor Park would reappear in "Wreckers: Finale Part II". The name is derived from Terry Pratchett's writings.
• Other Cybertronian locations mentioned include the Memnon Overpass and Gygax.
• The Dirt Digger team use a data-con for their dirty work.
• Most of the Mini-Con teams are based on the Classics Mini-Con toy 3-packs. However, none yet have allegiance here. Several fiction-only teams are added to the mix as well.
• Broadside forms his Demolition Team here, but they are never mentioned by name. Sledge and Wide Load both appear as members of other fiction-only teams, which are subsequently destroyed.

Real-world references

• Three Decepticon-aligned Mini-Cons seen in the preview are based on three real life jets: the Northrop P-61 Black Widow (bottom, purple and green), the McDonnell Douglas X-36 (top, shades of green), and the unmade Short PD.13 (grey and purple). (See right)
• Sawtooth's general design is based off the "Guts Tank" boss from Mega Man 2.
• Snarl invites the mutants to "come out and plaaaaaay-ee-aaay!", quoting a famous line from The Warriors.
• Overbite mugs (ha!) with the severed face of a mutant ("Hey, look everyone! I'm a mutant! Booga-booga-booga!") in reference to the Far Side strip.
• The neon sign at Maccadam's refuses to stay lit properly, in the tradition of dive bars everywhere.
• "Sector Spellos" is in homage to voice actor Peter Spellos.
• They serve Siebenaler Vintage at Maccadam's.
• One assumes, based on the name, that the Urban Renewal Team tears down nice old things and replaces them with horrible new things.

Errors

• After the Last Autobot's quote, the story beings with a "Chapter 1" header...despite their not being any other chapters to the story. Presumably at some point, sections were going to be divided by chapters.

Other trivia

• Unlike most of the other Club stories, The New World was free to read to non-members. When the prose section went back up after an extended disappearance, however, all stories became free to read.

External links

• "The New World" at The Official Transformers Collectors' Club