First (and Second) in Flight

« Transformers Animated: The Arrival #6
Publisher	IDW Publishing
Date published	2009
Cover date	2008
Story by	Eric Siebenaler and Marty Isenberg
Written by	Marty Isenberg
Art by	Boo (pp.1~12) and Matthew Frank (pp13~24)
Colors by	Liam Shalloo
Letters by	Robbie Robbins
Edits by	Kris Oprisko
Continuity	Transformers Animated

The Autobot Elite Guard intends to use the captive Starscream to help create the first flying Autobot. But the resulting twin brothers Jetfire and Jetstorm are more than they bargained for.

Synopsis

In the wake of the Decepticon uprisings on the rim of the galaxy, Ultra Magnus sends a secure transmission to the Autobot troops, stressing a need for a decisive show of force to remind the Decepticons of Autobot military superiority. Though he does not feel the situation is dire enough to revive Project Omega, clearly action is needed, and he is willing to pursue unorthodox combat upgrade protocols for the Autobots. Back at the Cybertron Elite Guard flagship, this is met with some skepticism by Sentinel Prime and Jazz. Ultra Magnus has suggested installing flight protocols into Autobots, a feat that is entirely unprecedented. Magnus stresses that they have a rare opportunity in the form of the captured Decepticon Starscream, and that downloading his programming may allow them to do what was previously thought impossible.

Unfortunately, Starscream escapes in the process, but soon Magnus is able to address the Autobot Council on Cybertron and announce that the data download of the Decepticon's programming was successful. He turns this data over to the Ministry of Science, tasking Perceptor with the means to commence with Project Safeguard. Perceptor expresses some unease at the risks involved, prompting Magnus to tell him not to endanger Elite Guard resources, and instead find test subjects that are expendable from the farms and refineries.

The future of Cybertron, folks.

As if on cue, a pair of refinery bots are engaging in grievous shenanigans while on the job, and as a result fall victim to a catastrophic industrial accident. Perceptor promptly has them shipped back to the Ministry of Science, sensing that his "volunteers" have been procured. Indeed, as the test-subjects are split protoforms, Perceptor crows that this is a grand opportunity to experiment a bit with the project. Wheeljack reins in his comrade's scientific glee with the possibility that the data-merge will have unfortunate side-effects upon the twins.

In an upgrade process that takes the better part of a deca-cycle, the twins' structures are reinforced to better withstand the stresses of the data-merge that Red Alert is providing. Even the considerable resources of the Ministry of Science are strained, and things get a bit touch-and-go for a bit. However, Perceptor is soon able to present the finished product to Ultra Magnus.

Magnus assigns the twins to Sentinel Prime for training, who somewhat resents being busted back down to drill sergeant. Assigning the twins the codenames of Jetfire and Jetstorm, he laments that he's out of practice on naming. The twins pass his combat tests with flying colors, but sadly lay waste to most of the training grounds. Ultra Magnus arrives and recommends simulated combat in the future.

Jazz oversees the twins' servo-to-servo combat training. Initially he is able to defeat them easily, but as soon as he turns his back to them, they promptly kick his skidplate. He remarks to Magnus afterward that their flight abilities may be helping them ace the combat training, but that the twins are quickly becoming overconfident. Magnus agrees with these concerns, and Perceptor comments that Starscream's programming could be used to upgrade the combat simulator to give the twins a real challenge.

Strapped into the simulator, the twins make easy work of most of the drone troops sent after them, but have considerably more trouble once the machine tosses a simulated Starscream at them. Proving a much greater danger, Starscream brutalizes the twins up and down the battlefield, eventually grounding Jetstorm, whom he is about to mutilate out of a perverse sense of pleasure. Perceptor is alarmed by this, as it wasn't part of the program he'd prepared. Sentinel Prime goes to disconnect the twins before it's too late. This proves impossible, as the simulator rigs are arcing with electricity, preventing the Elite Guard from approaching.

Rise of this, rise of that...

Incensed by his brother's treatment at Starscream's hands, Jetfire manifests a previously unknown ability to project flames, blasting the Decepticon away from his sibling. This is mirrored by his body being immolated in the simulator rig, endangering the facility. Thankfully, his recovered sibling discovers a similar ability to use his wind turbines to produce intense cold, balancing out Jetfire. Starscream recovers from Jetfire's blast and once again floors the twins. They counter by initiating a third previously unknown ability and merge into a gestalt form. Now the potent Autobot known as Safeguard, they are finally able to dispatch Starscream, which allows Perceptor to end the simulation.

Convinced of their usefulness, Ultra Magnus inducts the twins as junior officers in the Elite Guard and assigns them to join Sentinel Prime in pursuing the Autobot traitor Waspinator.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons
Jazz (1) Sentinel Prime (3) Ultra Magnus (4) Wheeljack (5) Perceptor (6) Jetfire (7) Jetstorm (8) Red Alert (9) Safeguard (10)	Starscream (2)

Other notes

• This issue was available with the Jetstorm/Jetfire action figure set. Originally, it was also supposed to be printed as the sixth issue of The Arrival and sold through comic book retailers, but it was canceled on the basis that the Arrival edition of the story would have wound up being released before the toys were, thereby robbing the printing included with the toys of its promised-on-package exclusivity. The Arrival trade paperback collection will contain the issue, however.

• There are two Autobots alongside Ultra Magnus in the Autobot Council Chamber who look like they share Prowl's bodyframe, but in red and green trim.

• When the comic was released in Europe, it was printed in a "flip-book" style featuring two versions of the story, each in a tri-lingual style a la the Armada mini-comic: English, French and German, and Spanish, Italian and Dutch. Alas, this meant that the English language section had to be edited down from the original US printing in order to fit all the languages into speech bubbles. The lives of Europeans are, indeed, pAiN.

• So, the Elite Guard considers non-members to be "expendable", has no problems with performing dangerous experiments on ordinary (but damaged) robots who don't appear to have volunteered, and Ultra Magnus thinks that Sentinel showed great initiative when he claims to have used live-ammo for a test which could have easily resulted in both Jetstorm and Jetfire dying if they hadn't happened to be so naturally adept at flying? And these are the good guys?

• This book must extend over several months, as the beginning of the comic book is before A Fistful of Energon, then, Jetstorm and Jetfire are created a Deca-cycle later, which, according to Magnus himself, is when he (Magnus) is able to contact Optimus and the Autobots. Then end of this episode seems to happen right before Autoboot Camp.

Errors

• Red Alert is depicted as having a real left hand, when that should be the arm that ends in her hard-light surgical tool.
• Although he doesn't transform, it's clear from several shots that Sentinel Prime still has his Earth alt mode, despite the fact that he changed back into his Cybertronian alt mode soon after he left Earth. Jazz also still appears to have his Earth-mode kibble, but since we never saw his Cybertronian mode, it's hard to say for sure. (It's also possible that Jazz kept his Earth alt mode, since he really seemed to like it.)
• Even though the end of this book is before Season 3, Ultra Magnus calls Wasp "Waspinator". However, since we still don't know whether or not he will get this name in S3, maybe this is Magnus' nickname for him or something.

Transformers references

• Jazz mentions the cyber-ninjitsu martial arts Circuit Su and Metallikato.
• When Jazz is training with Jetstorm and Jetfire, there is a target practise doll of a Conehead on the background.

Real world references

• Jazz continues to speak in 1950s beatnik slang, using words such as "clyde", "dig", "nowheresville", and "square".

Covers

• Cover that came w/ the 2-Pack: Jetstorm and Jetfire flying through space.
• Unused The Arrival #6 cover: Sentinel Prime with Jetfire and Jetstorm.

• 
  Jets. Jets with fire!
• 
  Alas, it was not to be.