Foundation and Wreckage Part 1: Deadly Aim
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| "Deadly Aim" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Transformers Collectors' Club (online exclusive) | ||||||||||||
| First published | May 27, 2016 | ||||||||||||
| By | Jesse Wittenrich | ||||||||||||
| Story | Jesse Wittenrich & Pete Sinclair | ||||||||||||
| Illustrations by | Hosono Tomoya | ||||||||||||
| Colors by | Josh Burcham | ||||||||||||
| Cover | Marcelo Matere and Josh Burcham | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Of Masters and Mayhem | ||||||||||||
| Page count | 24pp | ||||||||||||
A pair of new recruits join the Wreckers, and tensions mount as Impactor and Fractyl seek to create the ultimate Wrecker superweapon.
Synopsis
In the past, Autobot Alpha Bravo has disguised himself as a rescue vehicle on Abraxas. His solitude is broken when a Cybertronian escape pod crash lands, containing the Decepticon Offroad.
In the present, Alpha Bravo and Offroad have been recruited into the Wreckers by Impactor. He intends to use them, along with Toxitron, Counterpunch, and Fractyl, to form a Combiner capable of defeating Thunder Mayhem. They come up with a theory: Thunder Mayhem's strength comes from having a distinct spark in combined mode, and Greenergon might be able to replicate that advantage.
In the past, Offroad and Alpha Bravo respond to a fire in a chemical plant and manage to save the inhabitants. Despite their faction difference, their friendship is growing.
In the present, Toxitron's distrust of scientists results in a lab accident, much to the amusement of Alpha Bravo and Offroad.
In the past, Offroad and Alpha Bravo respond to a hostage situation initiated by the arsonists behind the chemical plant fire. Despite heroic efforts, none of the hostages survived.
In the present, Impactor conducts the surgical procedure on Toxitron to prepare him for combination. Once he's certain he's alone, he prepares a special addition to the process.
In the past, Alpha Bravo is ducking out of missions by faking mechanical difficulties, still traumatized by his failure to save the hostages. Offroad helps talk him out of his depression.
In the present, the Wreckers land on a jungle planet infested with Mecannibals to test their new combined form for the first time. When Toxitron's acid proves unable to affect them, they have little choice but to combine. Their new form, Wreckage, makes short work of the Mecannibals and then turns on Impactor. It ignores his orders to disengage, until somewhere within its psyche Alpha Bravo initiates a separation.
Later, the members of Wreckage wake up in their makeshift medbay. Alpha Bravo comes to the realization that Wreckage is worse than Thunder Mayhem. Even if they defeat the being that ravaged Cybertron, they would simply take his place. Even more disturbing, Impactor doesn't seem to care. Alpha Bravo, reluctantly, realizes that it's up to him to stop Wreckage. Since he has little doubt Impactor would join the combined form, this necessitates the removal of two limbs. Toxitron is too powerful, Counterpunch too wary, and Fractyl's furmanite armor too invulnerable. That leaves only... Offroad. With regret heavy in his spark, he murders his friend and then allows Toxitron to slay him while clutching the body.
The Wreckers piece together why Alpha Bravo acted as he did. Impactor in particular bemoans his actions, as he had already foreseen the danger Wreckage represented and "had it under control". A signal comes in, indicating another survivor. Their destination: Cybertron.
In the past, Alpha Bravo pulls Offroad from his ruined pod. Despite the latter's status as a Decepticon, Alpha Bravo announces himself not-prejudiced. Offroad is ready to put the wars behind him and start a new life with Alpha Bravo. The two of them, Alpha Bravo declares, will be "inseparable."
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons/Predacons | Others |
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Quotes
Notes
- Characters mentioned include the Mayhem Attack Squad/Thunder Mayhem, Superion, Defensor, Bruticus, Menasor, Wheeljack, Powerglide, Shockwave, an information thief, Optimus Prime, Jetfire, Thunderwing, Needlenose, and Gnash.
- In case you didn't pick up on it, there are serious romantic undertones to Alpha Bravo and Offroad's relationship – so much so that the subtext is practically text. However, they're only ever referred to as "friends" – this is, apparently, due to the Of Masters and Mayhem universe being a Marvel-style universe, where there are "no men, no women... no mates".[1] This doesn't account for the female Transformers present in the earlier OMAM stories, however.
- It is heavily implied that Impactor planted a kill-switch in Wreckage. This makes Alpha Bravo's actions all the more tragic, for being unnecessary. Of course, Impactor couldn't exactly have TOLD anyone about the kill-switch.
Errors
Continuity notes
- Impactor and Counterpunch picked up Fractyl and greenergon in "Life Finds a Way".
Transformers references
- Alpha Bravo and Offroad were introduced in the Combiner Wars sub-toyline as new limbs for Superion and Menasor, respectively, both of whom are mentioned as deceased in this story.
- To no one's surprise, it is explained that the all-powerful planet-devastating combiner Thunder Mayhem in some fashion houses the consciousness of Thunderwing, whose IDW counterpart devastated Cybertron, a story element which Of Masters and Mayhem homages.
- Abraxan Blue Lava Fireball was a drink featured, appropriately enough, in the story "Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?".
- The planet of origin of the aforementioned drink was previously identified as Abrax, but is here called Abraxas. Oops.
- With Cybertron in ruins, Alpha Bravo and Offroad disguise themselves as civilian rescue vehicles on another planet, working covertly to help the natives while disguising their true nature. Coincidence...?
Real world references
References
External links
- "Deadly Aim" at The Official Transformers Collectors' Club
