Transformers: Shattered Glass (fiction)
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Shattered Glass is a line of comics and prose stories published by Fun Publications, set in a universe that is a strange and bizarre reversal of the "normal" universes. The storyline details part of the war between the evil Autobots and the heroic Decepticons, as Optimus Prime makes plans to conquer Earth.
The first "Shattered Glass" fiction was released in April 2008, when Fun Publications "leaked" three pages of what was supposedly the upcoming BotCon 2008 set's accompanying comic. "Shattered Expectations" gave the "evil parallel universe" concept a highly campy treatment—including such gags as an ingenious Grimlock, a Jazz that talked like Mr. T and reverse-Furmanisms)—rendered in Derek Yaniger's style, even featuring flat, 1990s-era coloring. The fandom response was virtually unheard-of, in that it was almost unanimously positive.
It turned out the comic was actually an April Fools' Day gag. Mmn.
The real comic picked up after the "Crossing Over" storyline, following Cliffjumper as he found himself stranded in the strange "Shattered Glass" universe. It was a far more serious story, with Cliffjumper initially joining the Autobots, but soon finding out that things were not all that they seemed.
The storyline was eventually continued in a series of online prose stories. The popularity of Shattered Expectations led to several of its aspects being incorporated into them, including a more campy approach to portraying the characters, and a more light-hearted and adventurous tone overall.
The "Shattered Glass" world also features in the 2009 Transformers Collectors' Club magazine comic Reunification. Following on from Transcendent, Landquake, Breakaway, Topspin, and Alpha Trion travel with Skyfall's body to the "Shattered Glass" universe and find themselves mixed up in the universe's strange politics. Unlike the prose stories, this tends to have the more serious tone of the original BotCon comic (though with a few exceptions).
Shattered Expectations
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Overview
Goldbug, Grimlock, and Jazz sneak into a laboratory and discover some secret technology. Starscream tries to stop them, but ends up getting beaten by Grimlock. Starscream warns the Autobots to surrender, but both he and Razorclaw are mocked by Grimlock. Razorclaw then uses a device to open the roof and signals the Mayhem Suppression Squad, who show up to kick Autobot backside.
Creative Team
The pages were written by Trent Troop and Greg Sepelak, with Sepelak also providing art and Troop also providing colors.
Shattered Glass
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Main Stories:
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Overview
When Cliffjumper emerges from the portal he was thrown into, he finds himself on Cybertron again. He soon discovers that it's a world much different than he's used to, a world of evil Autobots, heroic Decepticons, and everything being topsy-turvy.
Optimus Prime is preparing to launch his Ark to Earth—but to conquer it, not explore it. The Decepticons lead a strike on the platform in the hopes of protecting Earth's inhabitants. Cliffjumper is uncertain which side to fight for, but when Megatron takes a shot from Prime meant for Cliffjumper, that spurs him into destroying the platform and joining the Decepticons.
Some time later, the Decepticons are defending the Arch-Ayr fuel dump from the Autobots. Wheeljack shows up with his new squad of Dinobots, but they end up escaping rather than following Wheeljack's plans of revenge.
Both the Autobots and Decepticons decide to hunt down the Dinobots in hopes of reprogramming them as troops. After each side successfully captures a few Dinobots, Blurr and Rodimus, and Cliffjumper and Sideswipe, independently track Grimlock, to the chamber of the Omega Terminus, a computer that has given Grimlock an ember and high intelligence.
A fight ensues between the four explorers, Grimlock, and the corpses of several dead Transformers reanimated into zombies by the Terminus. The four explorers eventually prevail, and the Terminus forces them to leave, causing them to forget the entire incident.
Rodimus is punished for his failure to bring back Grimlock, but Grimlock soon returns under his own power and joins the Autobots. Meanwhile, the new Dinocons enjoy their new home, until Grimlock takes them on a trip...
Starscream notices one day that the two smallest Dinocons seem to be missing. He soon discovers much to his confusion that they had actually been hidden in cassette mode, as they and all of the other Dinocons now have embers and transforming ability.
Meanwhile, Optimus Prime has been repairing the Ark for another launch. The Decepticons have been working on their own ship so they can pursue. Both are in a hurry, as Cybertron will be entering the Plait Expanse soon, which will render all interstellar travel impossible for over an Earth year.
Megatron answers what he believes to be a summons from the keeper of the Temple of Knowledge. It's actually a trap set by Ricochet, who thinks capturing Megatron will keep the Nemesis from launching. Prime disapproves of the plan after hearing about it, wanting himself be the one that kills Megatron, and goes to deal with Ricochet. Meanwhile, Whisper and the Predacons stage their own rescue attempt. The various parties involved all eventually meet up in a battle, and the Decepticons are able to outsmart the Autobots and escape.
It's too late, however. Rodimus took over the launch of the Ark in a mutiny, leaving without Prime and throwing off everyone too loyal to Prime to be cowed under. Meanwhile, the Nemesis launched without Megatron and his rescue party so they could pursue Rodimus. The two abandoned groups find themselves now trapped on Cybertron.
As the two ships reach Earth, the Nemesis disables the Ark and send it crashing into the Pacific Ocean near the United States of America. However, the Nemesis is then hit by nuclear missiles launched by the humans, which causes them to crash as well. Most of the Decepticons escape in stasis pods, while Starscream and Cliffjumper stay behind to crash the ship in an unpopulated area.
On Earth, Heatwave locates Soundwave's stasis pod and gets him reactivated. They gather up Soundwave's cassettes and go off in search of the Nemesis.
They eventually discover a team of local scientists snooping around the Nemesis crash site. After a slight misunderstanding, the Decepticons realize the humans are friendly, and introduce them to Starscream and Cliffjumper, who survived the crash.
Rodimus meets up with his own set of human allies, the Witwicky brothers. He takes them back to the Ark and convinces the others to accept the humans' help, though not before dealing with a failed attempt by Goldbug to usurp leadership. Rodimus then hatches a plan: Hijack a United States' military bases, seize the country's defense satellite, and hold the planet hostage until it accepts the Autobots as their new Mafia-like leaders.
The Decepticons learn of the Autobots' plan and launch an assault to stop them. During the resulting battle, Heatwave gains access to the satellite's controller and uses it to evacuate and destroy the base, causing the satellite to self-destruct.
When President Colton hears of the situation, he decides that, while the Decepticons are worth keeping an eye on, he's especially interested in the Autobots...
Further information in this article is coming soon as it pertains to information that may not yet have been officially released. |
Months later on Cybertron, Remote Patrol Six is scanning the Plait Expanse for some way to break through it and leave the planet. Though they are unsuccessful, Sandstorm does detect a signal, which Downshift is sent to check out.
The signal turns out to be Alpha Trion and his group, who have recently arrived on Cybertron. Alpha Trion kills the nosy Downshift him to keep him quiet. That, and Breakaway discovering that Alpha Trion lied about how Skyfall died, makes Breakaway and Landquake suspicious. That prompts Alpha Trion to have them and Topspin taken captive. But the three manage to escape, and Alpha Trion decides to let them go for now.
After weeks of trying unsuccessfully to revive Skyfall in their hideaway, the three are sought out by both Trion's acolyte Computron, and the strange Quintesson Aquarius. Aquarius reaches them first, and explains about how he summoned them to Cybertron to stop Prime and Omega Doom, though Computron crashing through the ceiling forces him to continue his story while they're on the run.
They make their way to the Decepticons, who have Abominus deal with Computron while the group explains their situation to Megatron and are united with the last member of their gestalt. But before they can speak with Heatwave in earnest, Cyclonus assassinates Megatron as part of Alpha Trion's plan to retake Cybertron.
Prime ends up dealing with a group of traitors from his own faction, but easily takes them down before Alpha Trion shows up to finish the job himself. Prime has Omega Doom take him out as well, then sends Omega to track down the Decepticons.
The four gestalt members attempt to revive Megatron with their powers, but are instead transported to a strange otherworldly place where they are greeted by Primus. He gives them a choice of remaining as they are or being reborn as Nexus Prime, and they choose to claim their destiny.
While all this is going on, Rook and his team of ABN journalists make sure to keep the citizens of Cybertron appraised on the relevant news happening around them, through their popular show Around Cybertron.
Creative Team
The Shattered Glass comic featured a brief return of the retired Transformers artist Don Figueroa, with Espen Grundetjern on colors, and was written by Pete Sinclair and Benson Yee.
The remainder of the main stories are written by Trent Troop and Greg Sepelak. Illustrations for Dungeons & Dinobots and The Desert Heat! were provided by Evan Gauntt. Illustrations for Do Over were drawn by Yūki Ōshima and colored by Drew Eiden. Illustrations for Eye in the Sky were provided by Tom Whalen. Illustrations for Blitzwing Bop will be done by Chad Porter.
Reunification is written by Forest Lee with art by Robby Musso and colors by Josh Perez.
Around Cybertron is written and illustrated by Jesse Wittenrich.
