New World Order

Drawn to a convergence at Alaska, the Autotobots and Decepticons battle, only to be interrupted with news the the war they fight is long over - Shockwave has united Cybertron and come to Earth to collect the lost Transformers.

Dreamwave Volume 2 #1

Writer: Brad Mick
Pencils: Pat Lee
Inks: Rob Armstrong
Backgrounds: Edwin Garcia
Layout assists: Ferd Poblete
Colors: Espen Grundetjern, Alan Wang, Rob Ruffolo
Letters: Paul Villafuerte

• Originally published: April 16th 2003
• Followed by: Brothers' Burden

• Characters (in order of appearance): Starscream, Prowl, Megatron, Optimus Prime, Mirage, Thundercracker,

Sideswipe, Scourge, Bumblebee, Shockwave, Sandstorm, Broadside Blitzwing, Octane, Astrotrain, Huffer, Ravage, Ironhide, Brawn, Hound Trailbreaker, Jazz, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, Soundwave, Rumble, Frenzy Ratchet, Bluestreak, Ramjet, Dirge, Ultra Magnus

Synopsis

At the shores of Alaska, Optimus Prime tries to recall how he and the Autobots arrived in the current predicament, trying to recover an Autobot vessel when they were ambushed by the Decepticons. When Prime manages to get the advantage against Megatron, the vessel opens and from it emerges Scourge, who brings news that the war on Cybertron is over.

But before Scourge can explain, Shockwave arrives and shoots Scourge out of commission, but validating Scourge's claims of Cybertron's unification. He explains how while the Autobots and Decepticons were on Earth, he united Cybertron and had come to Earth to take the stranded Transformers home as prisoners - but Megatron reacts negatively and the skirmish re-starts.

A pair of missiles of from Shockwave's henchman Blitzwing takes out Megatron, but before Blitzwing injures Optimus, Grimlock arrives and bends Blitzwing's canon out of shape, but despite Grimlock's arrival, Shockwave's side of the conflict gets the upper-hand thanks to their technological superiority. Optimus orders Trailbreaker to use his force fields to cover the Autobot's retreat. With the Autobots gone and Megatron disabled, Starscream and the rest of the Decepticons surrender.

Away from the conflict, Optimus and Prowl agree that Prowl will remain in the area with Hound, Cliffjumper, Trailbreaker, and Mirage as a reconnaissance team. While Optimus and the other Autobots will return to the Ark for repairs and further deliberations on how to handle the recent developments.

The Decepticons are loaded into Shockwave's ship, which takes off to return to Cybertron, leaving behind Blitzwing to meet up with Security Team Dion who will round up the Autobots. Rumble and Frenzy are dispatched to monitor Megatron's body in the loading bay while the rest of the earth Decepticons are loaded into stasis to undergo re-education, despite Starscream's reservations.

At The Ark, Ironhide and Ratchet listen to the Autobots debate what their next move should be. Gears is willing to give peace a chance to return to Cybertron, while Bluesteak disagrees, refusing to forgive the Decepticons for their past crimes. Grimlock arrives and characteristically suggests that it's time for action.

In Alaska, Prowl's team is hunted by Ramjet and Dirge, as Prowl radios for help from the Ark, Mirage stops him and introduces the leader of security team Dion.

In space, Megatron tries to awaken aboard Shockwave's ship, but Starscream opens the bay doors, dropping Megatron out of the ship. Rumble and Frenzy hold on, as Starscream fires one last shot at Megatron.

Items of note

• The Autobot vessel was last seen on the final pages of the first Dreamwave miniseries.
  
• Why Scourge was in an Autobot vessel isn't explained until Dreamwave's Generation One Ongoing.
  
• It is revealed that Wheeljack survived blowing his energy reserves to stop the metal virus in the previous miniseries, though Jazz does make mention of it being a very near thing.
  
• Ironhide's enmity toward's Grimlock is because of Grimlock's time serving with the Decepticons in the previous miniseries.
  
• Security Team Dion derives it's name from Dion, a friend of Orion Pax who some crazy people thought might be the same person as Ultra Magnus, but come on that's just crazy talk that only a fool would buy into.
  
• Wavelengths features an article from the desk of Pat Lee wherein he mentions that he penciled one page in bed with a fever. The photo shows him holding a Wobuffet.

• This issue was availible with five covers.
  
  • An Autobot cover that was three pages wide, featuring the Autobots facing off against Blitzwing, Octane, and Astrotrain.
    
  • A Decepticon cover that was three pages wide, featuring the Decepticons facing off against Broadside and Sandstorm. The Decepticon cover could connect to the Autobot cover to form an image six pages wide.
    
  • An incentive Shockwave cover that dealers could order for every 25 regular issues ordered. The Shockwave cover could fit between the Autobot and Decepticon cover.
  • A holofoil cover featuring Megatron, this cover was released a week after the regular covers.
    
  • a limited-to-700 Dynamic Forces cover by Bill Sienkiewicz released a month after the issue first hit stands.
    

• An expository paragraph inside the front cover of this issue sets the scene for the otherwise confusing issue. This was omitted in the Trade Paperback editions. Whups.
  
  
  From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.