Spotlight: Ramjet

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File:Spotlight Ramjet a.jpg I'm a sexy beast!
"The Transformers Spotlight: Ramjet"
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	November 7, 2007
Cover date	November 2007
Written by	Stuart Moore
Art by	Robby Musso
Colors by	Josh Burcham
Letters by	Chris Mowry
Edits by	Chris Ryall and Andrew Steven Harris
Continuity	IDW continuity
Chronology	Escalation

Ramjet schemes to overthrow Megatron. Who knew the guy had it in him?

Synopsis

Skywarp diverts from his mission to meet with Ramjet in mid-flight. While speeding across the skies, Ramjet and Skywarp discuss the failings of Megatron and Starscream. Ramjet boasts that he has the smarts to overthrow Megatron, and tries to enlist Skywarp. Skywarp gives him 24 hours to come up with a good plan, reminding him of the old Cybertronian saying, "Always bet on the leader." Ramjet checks in with his Mini-Constructicons, who inform him that the Universal Cybertronic Tracker will be ready in 18 hours. Ramjet next contacts his Pentagon-employed facsimile Harrison (who, due to inferior construction, appears dimwitted) and tells him to be prepared to deliver missile codes. Ramjet will use the missiles to devastate the United States.

As Megatron and his Decepticons begin their war in Brasnya (as seen in Escalation, issue 4), Ramjet flies to the European Union Alternative Energy Research Center and drops fliers for an unspecified contest. A money symbol on the flier is actually a spy device which jumps off the paper and attaches itself to the computers of the Center's employees. Ramjet believes that someone at the Center will eventually develop a useful Energon substitute. Megatron, meanwhile delivers to Optimus Prime the beating of his life (as seen in Escalation, issue 5).

Ramjet later returns to his Mini-Constructicons, and they have his device ready. When two of them ask for a taste of his power once he overthrows Megatron, Ramjet destroys them for their insolence. Harrison meets with Ramjet and delivers the codes, but his face is melting off due to his inferior creation. Ramjet boasts of his plans to his liquefying lackey, which include tracking all Cybertronians, acquiring his Energon substitute, blowing up the U.S., enslaving the Decepticons and humans of Earth, and using a superstring space bridge to dominate the galaxy.

Unfortunately for Ramjet, Megatron arrives and beats him mercilessly, ripping out his spark before tearing him limb from limb. He scatters Ramjet's parts at Ramjet's base, Harrison's office at the Pentagon, and the Energy Research Center, indicating that he knew about Ramjet's plans in detail. Megatron keeps Ramjet's head as a trophy and an object lesson for his other troops. Behind him, Skywarp echoes his earlier statement, "Always bet on the leader."

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Decepticons	Humans
Ramjet (1) Skywarp (2) Mini-Constructicons (3) Megatron (4) Blitzwing (6)	Harrison (5)

Errors

• The size of the text in this issue is considerably smaller than the norm.
• On page 17, in the first speech bubble, the sentence is unfinished.

Notes

• This issue takes place after the New Avengers / Transformers miniseries, and is written by the same author.
• Although the previous series was really bad, this is surprisingly good. Who knew?
• This is the second Spotlight not written by Simon Furman.
• The timeframe of the issue corresponds with the events in the Escalation series.
• Apparently, IDW Transformers can fart (page 7). In general terms, this is not a new development.
• As Harrison collapses to the ground, it can also be seen that his car is wrecked and smoking. This is not explained, though it seems likely that the barely-functional facsimile is a terrible driver, given that it can only speak in rudimentary grunts. (It's also nicely symbolic of how everything around Ramjet was about to turn to crap.)
• This issue has the first mention of a space bridge in the IDW continuity.
• Given how the Decepticons are so keen on keeping themselves hidden from the planet's populace they infiltrate, it is quite unexpected that Megatron throws parts of Ramjet around the globe (thereby giving humans access to Cybertronian technology as well).
• Following the story are two pages of sketches by Robby Musso.
• This is the first Spotlight issue that does not appear to be part of a larger storyline. While other Spotlights have answered questions raised in previous issues, brought up mysteries that created new questions, or introduced future plot developments, this one seems to be relatively self-contained. The only references to the rest of the storyline exist merely for chronological placement. However, Simon Furman mentioned on his blog that Ramjet may show up again.

Covers (3)

• Cover A: Ramjet, robot and alternate modes by Robby Musso and Kieran Oats (colors).
• Cover B: Ramjet, Megatron and Skywarp by Guido Guidi and Josh Burcham (colors).
• Cover RI: Cover A, uncolored sketch

• Cover A
  Cover A
• And he would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you pesky kids Megatron's head hovering behind him the whole time.
  And he would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you pesky kids Megatron's head hovering behind him the whole time.
• RI Cover
  RI Cover

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