The Gathering Storm

<table class="infobox" style="width: 20em;">

<tr style="background-color:#e7d492;text-align:center;font-size:12px;"> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; background-color:#e7d492; color:black;font-weight:bold;" align="center"> <table width="100%" style="background-color:transparent">

<tr style="font-size:14px;"> <td style="font-size:18px;"> </td><td align="center">Transformers: The Animated Movie #1 </td><td style="font-size:18px;" align="right">» </td></tr> <tr class="tt1_secondarynav"> <td style="font-size:16px;"> </td><td align="center"> </td><td style="font-size:16px;" align="right"> </td></tr></table> </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; background-color:#ffffff;" align="center"> <img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/d/db/TAM_1.jpg/230px-TAM_1.jpg" width="230" height="361" border="0" /><br />Watch where you point that thing, Arcee! </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; background-color:#e7d492; color:black;font-weight:bold;" align="center"> "The Gathering Storm" </td></tr> <tr> <td>Publisher </td><td> IDW Publishing </td></tr> <tr> <td>Date published </td><td> October 25, 2006 </td></tr> <tr> <td>Cover date </td><td> October 2006 </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Writer </td><td> Bob Budiansky </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Designer </td><td> Neil Uyetake </td></tr> <tr> <td>Artist </td><td> Don Figueroa </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Colorist </td><td> Josh Burcham </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Letterer </td><td> Robbie Robbins, Neil Uyetake </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Editor </td><td> Chris Ryall </td></tr>

<tr> <td>Continuity </td><td> Cartoon continuity </td></tr>

</table> As a deadly universal threat looms, two leaders fight their final battle—one shall stand and one shall fall.

Synopsis

Unicron attacks a Cybertron-like planet and only two scientists—Kranix and Arblus—manage to escape in a ship before the planet is destroyed.

Elsewhere, the Autobots plan to retake Cybertron from the Decepticons. Optimus Prime tells Ironhide to make a special trip to Autobot City on Earth to obtain the energon needed for an assault, but unfortunately the conversation was recorded by Laserbeak. After Laserbeak relays the information to Megatron, he leads a team to attack the shuttle, killing the crew, and continuing to Earth in the shuttle to take the Autobots by surprise.

Outside Autobot City, Hot Rod and Daniel enjoy a peaceful day of fishing. They take a break to watch the shuttle land, but discover that it's full of Decepticons, who exit and attack Autobot City. Perceptor also notices the attack and warns Ultra Magnus, who gives orders for his team to transform Autobot City to battle mode and for Blaster to contact Prime for reinforcements. Starscream's foot gets trapped in the transforming city, forcing him to blast it to escape.

Hot Rod and Daniel make it inside the city, along with Kup, running over some Insecticons in the process. When Blaster begins to broadcast to get help from Prime, Soundwave unleashes his minions to stop the transmission. Blaster, however, has his own team to fight back.

The Constructicons merge into Devastator to breach the city's defenses, which takes an entire day. But as it seems that all hope is lost, Prime arrives in another shuttle and immediately orders the Dinobots to attack Devastator. On his way to battle Megatron, Prime singlehandedly takes out a large group of Decepticons. Prime and Megatron battle fiercely and both are injured. Megatron fakes a surrender and attempts to use a nearby gun to attack Optimus, but Hot Rod sees what's going on and attempts to intervene. Megatron grabs Hot Rod, though, and uses him as a shield while he mortally wounds Optimus Prime. Prime, however, still has the strength for a blow that sends Megatron over a cliff.

Starscream orders the Decepticons to board Astrotrain and retreat, while Soundwave takes the gravely injured Megatron aboard. Prime is dying though, telling those around him that he is soon to be one with the Matrix.

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:antiquewhite"> Humans</th><th style="background:#FFEEB8"> Others </th></tr> <tr> <td style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top">

• Ironhide (4)
• Optimus Prime (5)
• Jazz (6)
• Bumblebee (7)
• Cliffjumper (9)
• Prowl (10)
• Ratchet (16)
• Brawn (18)
• Hot Rod (19)
• Kup (21)
• Huffer (22)
• Perceptor (30)
• Blurr (31)
• Ultra Magnus (32)
• Arcee (33)
• Springer (34)
• Blaster (35)
• Steeljaw (40)
• Eject (41)
• Rewind (42)
• Ramhorn (43)
• Wheeljack (45)
• Windcharger (46)
• Swoop (49)
• Sludge (50)
• Slag (51)
• Snarl (52)
• Grimlock (53)
• Hound (54)
• Sunstreaker (55)

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

• Laserbeak (11)
• Shockwave (12)
• Megatron (13)
• Starscream (14)
• Soundwave (15)
• Scavenger (17)
• Thundercracker (23)
• Skywarp (24)
• Scrapper (25)
• Long Haul (26)
• Kickback (27)
• Bombshell (28)
• Shrapnel (29)
• Rumble (36)
• Frenzy (37)
• Ravage (38)
• Ratbat (39)
• Blitzwing (44)
• Devastator (47)
• Astrotrain (48)
• Thrust (56)

</td><td style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top">

• Spike Witwicky (8)
• Daniel Witwicky (20)

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

• Unicron (1)
• Arblus (2)
• Kranix (3)

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

Errors

• Shrapnel and Kickback's speech bubbles are reversed in one panel, as are Perceptor and Ultra Magnus' in another panel.

Items of note

• In the trade paperback, after the cassette battle in the communications tower, a bonus scene is included in which Superion, Defensor and Omega Supreme battle Menasor and Bruticus outside the Ark, intended to serve as an explanation for why the characters were not present at Autobot City in the movie.
• Cover A of this issue was reused as one side of the DVD cover for Madman Entertainment's special edition DVD of the movie.

Covers (2)

• Cover A: Ultra Magnus and the Autobots vs Unicron and the Decepticons (based upon the original US movie poster), by Don Figueroa and Josh Burcham
• Cover RI-A: Uncolored sketch of cover A

Advertisements

• Optimus Prime Alternators toy
• Spotlight: Nightbeat, including a 6-page preview
• Transformers posters
• Infiltration TPB
• The Transformers: The Movie 20th Anniversary DVD (back cover)