Conflagration

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<tr style="font-size:14px;"> <td class="tti_buttonlink">« </td><td align="center">The War Within:<br />The Dark Ages #6 </td><td align="right" class="tti_buttonlink">» </td></tr> <tr class="tt1_secondarynav"> <td class="tti_buttonlink"> </td><td align="center"> </td><td align="right" class="tti_buttonlink"> </td></tr></table> </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; background-color:#ffffff;" align="center"> <img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/9/9f/DW_WW2_6.jpg/230px-DW_WW2_6.jpg" width="230" height="322" border="0" /><br />"AH! A waterspout! Keep it away from me!" </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; background-color:#e7d492; color:black;font-weight:bold;" align="center"> Conflagration </td></tr> <tr> <td>Publisher </td><td> Dreamwave Productions </td></tr> <tr> <td>Date published </td><td> April 14, 2004 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Cover date </td><td> April, 2004 </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Writer </td><td> Simon Furman </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Pencils </td><td> Andrew Wildman </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Inks </td><td> Erik Sander </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Additional inks </td><td> Rob Armstrong </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Colors </td><td> Alan Wang </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Letters </td><td> Ben Lee </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Continuity </td><td> Dreamwave continuity </td></tr> <tr> <td>Chronology </td><td> The Dark Ages </td></tr>

</table> Deus ex machina.

Synopsis

In Orbital Torus State: Protihex, Shockwave announces the arrest of Bludgeon and company for their role in the Fallen's evil plan. The three dark artists use their martial arts abilities to fight back, but Shockwave is supported by the rest of the Decepticon army.

Below, in the Well of All Sparks, energy from the four captives is funneled to open the Seal of Primus. The Fallen curses Primus theatrically. Wired into the machine, Jetfire struggles to comprehend the dark arts involved in the ceremony.

Above... Bludgeon, Mindwipe, and Bugly continue to defend against the Decepticons trying to disturb the Unbinding. In the sky, Swoop films the battle and transmits the footage to Prowl and the Autobots. Investigating the reason for the conflict, Bumblebee scans the incredible energy inside the Wall. Prowl and Swoop agree to meet there, as the Autobots want to find the missing Jetfire, and the Lightning Strike Coalition want to retrieve Grimlock.

The Fallen explains to nobody in particular how the energies of the four captives have the genetic potential to form the angles of the geometry of dissolution, which form a key that unlocks the seal of Primus. Jetfire blathers while Grimlock, using sheer force, breaks free of his bindings.

WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW?

Above, Mindwipe suggests to Bludgeon that it's time to fall back, but Bludgeon is already retreating. Shockwave disables Mindwipe. With the battle over, Swoop reveals himself to the Decepticons while the retreating Bludgeon falls victim to Skywarp, and Shockwave agrees to a temporary truce. Together, the L.S.C. and the Decepticons enter the facility that Bludgeon was protecting. Reaching the end of the corridoor, they discover a door marked with unknown symbols which Swoop guess means "do not disturb". Shockwave orders Trypticon to "disturb" with full force. On the other side, the Fallen hears the blast but declares it too late.

On the other side, finally listening to Jetfire's reason, Grimlock breaks free the still-deactivated Hot Spot and Blitzwing and carries them outside. Jetfire radios the Autobots and requests they erect a containment field around himself and the Seal of Primus. The Fallen thinks Jetfire wanted to contain him, and realizes the true plan too late as the seal cracks open, and Jetfire is witness to a radiant hand forming from the energies unleashed by the Fallen. The glorious finger points at the Fallen, causing the evil Transformer to burst apart and get sucked into the seal which forms anew.

Later, Prowl and Shockwave meet outside the Well. It's agreed that a lock is to be placed on the doorway, which won't be opened until Cybertron stands united. Grimlock sort-of apologizes to Jetfire, who feels something terrible looming on the proverbial horizon.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

<table border="5" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5" align="center" style="border:#800000"> <tr> <th style="background:#FFEEEE"> Autobots</th><th style="background:#EEEEFE"> Decepticons</th><th style="background:#FFEEB8"> Others </th></tr> <tr> <td style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top">

• Jetfire (12)
• Grimlock (L.S.C.) (13)
• Swoop (L.S.C.) (14)
• Prowl (15)
• Bumblebee (16)
• Snarl (L.S.C.) (17)
• Sludge (L.S.C.) (18)
• Slag (L.S.C.) (19)
• Hot Spot (20)

</td><td style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top">

• Mindwipe (Chaos Trinity) (1)
• Shockwave (2)
• Bugly (Chaos Trinity) (3)
• Bludgeon (Chaos Trinity) (4)
• Trypticon (5)
• Ravage (6)
• Thundercracker (7)
• Soundwave (8)
• Skywarp (9)
• Bombshell (10)
• Blitzwing (21)

</td><td style="background:#FFEEB8" valign="top">

• Fallen (11)
• Primus (22)

</td></tr></table>

Errors

• Shrapnel is mis-colored when Slag abruptly sucker-punches him.

Quotes

"I don't know how you survived our last encounter...But you should never have come alone."<br /> "Uh... alone? That would be illogical."<br /> —Bludgeon and Shockwave, right before the Decepticon army appears.

"Never mind. Look, whatever's happening here is beyond even me. Theoretical, metaphysical, stuff I'm...just not quite ready to accept. But something's started. Something ancient and primal. And we're at underground zero!"<br />

—Jetfire

"And then there's that...incident , with the cerebro shell. And, well... the less said about that the better. But here, now, we have to-"<br /> "Oh, sorry. Missed that... On account of whole breaking free thing!"<br /> —Jetfire and Grimlock

"PUH-RIMUUFHHHEEEEUERR--"<br />

—The Fallen's last words... such as they are.

"Whatever's in there stays buried until... until..."<br /> "...all are one?"<br /> "Catchy. Yeah, something like that."<br />

—Prowl and Shockwave prove that an emphasis on logic leads to a lack of imagination.

Items of note

• Cameos: Thrust, Kickback, Hound, Trailbreaker, Skids, Sideswipe, Shrapnel, Kup, Unicron
• Jetfire mentions some sort of incident with a cerebro-shell involving him and Grimlock. Could that possibly have a connection to Grimlock's irregular grammatical problems?
• The Fallen's plan was apparently to release Primus, but the Fallen works for Unicron. The easiest explanation is to consider this issue the Dreamwave equivalent of "Primal Scream".
• A teeny tiny Unicron is visible in the final panel as Jetfire talks about some oncoming threat.
• Did Trypticon shrink significantly since last issue?
• The "Declarations of War" page has reader mail answered by Megatron, and a rendering of Megatron in his War Within mode by Chris Tordesillas.
• The "Wavelengths" section contains an article from the desk of Megatron.

Cover

• The Fallen attempts to open the Seal of Primus; pencils by Don Figueroa.

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