New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen

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	"New Cybertron Part 1:; To Walk Among the Chosen" {{#if: \| {{#if: \|; (')}} {{#if:\|; ""}}}}
Publisher	IDW Publishing}}
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First published	December 14, 2016}}
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Cover date	November 2016}}
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Written by	John Barber}}
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Art by	Kei Zama}}
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Letters by	Tom B. Long}}
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Editor	Carlos Guzman}}
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{{#if: OP1 regcvr.jpg | {{#if: IDW Publishing | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: December 14, 2016 | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: November 2016 | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: John Barber | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Kei Zama | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Josh Burcham | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Tom B. Long | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: Carlos Guzman | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: IDW continuity | {{#if: Current era | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: | {{#if: |

{{#switch:{{#sub:xx|2|14}}|dark cybertron=}}

As Optimus Prime recalls a case of corruption from his youth, in the present day, the need for Earth to step forward and join the Council of Worlds becomes ever greater.

Synopsis

Four million years ago, on Cybertron, Orion Pax finds himself investigating the troubling case of suspected gun-runner Hefter, who has died in police custody. Pax promises Hefter's friend Tappet that he will investigate, but Tappet, emotional, angry, and unconvinced by Pax's assurances, believes he knows the truth already: police officer Outback killed Hefter for being a Decepticon. After Tappet leaves, Pax is met by Zeta Prime to discuss the situation. As the pair talk about the fake Matrix of Leadership Zeta carries in his chest, and watch as a protest outside turns violent, Zeta's carefully-chosen words and presupposition of Hefter's guilt make Orion wonder if the Prime he once thought of as his friend is truly any different to the lineage of corrupt 'bots who have gone before him...

In the present day, in Mexico City, the future parallels the past as an anti-Cybertronian protest descends into a riot. Aileron and a team of recruits from Cybertron's various colonies—Slide and Oiler from Devisiun, Gimlet and Bump from Eukaris, Roulette from Velocitron, and Midnight Express from Caminus—attempt to intercede, but one rioter produces an elaborate-looking weapon and blasts Midnight Express off his feet. The others are prepared to strike back in force, but Aileron gets between them and grabs the shooter. From Autobot City, floating in the air overhead, Optimus Prime, Soundwave, Arcee, and Jazz descend to help calm the panicking crowd; Jazz tries offering medical assistance to an injured woman, only to be rebuffed; Arcee checks on Midnight Express and finds that he is fine, but is concerned to observe that he and the colonists are all wearing mouthplates in order to emulate the idolized Optimus; and Optimus examines the gun recovered by Aileron, which he recognizes as an Earth Defense Command weapon reverse-engineered from Cybertronian technology.

Pax follows Outback to a bar in order to question him further on the shooting, only to have Outback pull a gun on him and start ranting about the need to defend oneself against the Decepticons. Pax quickly disarms Outback and slams him into the bar, warning him that he is not his enemy and to stop acting as if he is. As Pax leaves, Outback spits after him that the world is only getting more dangerous, and a squeaky-clean hero cop like Pax isn't up to the challenges the change will bring.

As Autobot City relocates to Washington, D.C., the colonists all talk among themselves about how incredible Optimus is, which even the once-idealistic Aileron finds tiring. She asks Jetfire if Optimus used to act this way four million years ago, before the war, but Jetfire remarks that Prime didn't even act like this last year, and blames all this "True Prime" business for affecting Optimus's opinion of himself. As if on cue, Pyra Magna enters with D.0.C. to report that a large, unknown spacecraft is approaching the Earth...

Down below, outside the White House, Optimus talks with the President, who prickles at his presence on American soil without permission and meets him with a G.I. Joe arsenal as backup. The President considers Optimus's hope that humanity can work together to join the Council of Worlds as one to be impossible, but Optimus tells her it must come to pass, and presents her with the recovered EDC weapon as proof. The weapon, he explains, is a breach of the Tyrest Accord, and will prompt a severe political and military response from Cybertron if Earth continues to remain unaffiliated. Before a conclusion can be reached, however, Soundwave interrupts the discussion to report on the mysterious spaceship's approach.

Off the record, Orion takes Hefter's body to the Ultirex Technoversity so it can be examined by his old friend Ratchet, who quickly discerns that the deceased 'bots injuries do not match what the official report says. Ratchet is less surprised than Pax to find that the system is still corrupt under Zeta; as they talk about the state of the world, Ratchet even notes that the shadow of Functionism is still a problem, offering as proof his graduate student, Jetfire—a 'bot with an aerial alternate mode that Ratchet has faced extreme difficulty in getting assigned to scientific duties. Jetfire doesn't make a good first impression on Orion, though... as he immediately attacks him! Orion quickly subdues Jetfire and discovers the reason for the attack when he removes a plate on Jetfire's chest, revealing a certain purple insignia beneath. Jetfire is a Decepticon!

Optimus, Soundwave, Arcee, Aileron, and the Torchbearers gather at the spaceship's projected landing point on the Matterhorn. As they await its arrival, Optimus contemplates the drained and lifeless Matrix of Leadership, and is surprised when it suddenly surges with light! The Torchbearers react with reverence and awe, save for Pyra Magna, who simply digs her hands into the earth below them and pulls out a few shards of Ore-13, revealing that nothing mystical is happening: the Matrix is simply reacting to the ore deposit in the area. Optimus recalls Magna's previously-expressed belief (via Victorion) that she should be the holder of the Matrix, and her understanding of it and willingness to question it makes him wonder if she is right. Just then, the strange corkscrew spaceship pierces the clouds... but rather than land gently, it decimates the mountain range as it burrows into the ground!

Featured characters

Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.
{{#if: ||(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)}}

{{#if:{|border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"

Optimus Prime (3)
Outback (4)
Zeta Prime (5)
Mirage? (16)
Arcee (30)
Jazz (31)
Jetfire (32)
Pyra Magna (33)
Rust Dust (37)
Stormclash (38)
Skyburst (39)
Dust Up (40)
Jumpstream (41)

|

!! style="background:#ffdddd;" | Autobots }}{{#if:*Hefter (1)

Soundwave (29)|

!! style="background:#ededff" | Decepticons }}{{#if:*The President (35)| !! style="background:#fbefde;" | Humans }}{{#if:{|border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent" |- |style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"|

Tappet (2)
Grotusque (6)
Repugnus (7)
"Blackout" (8)
Warpath (9)
Demolisher (10)
? (11)
Dile (12)
Flip Sides (13)
Rosanna (14)
Steeljaw (15)
Ramhorn (17)
Doublecross (18)

|style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"|

Hooligan (19)
Sandstorm (20)
Aileron (21)
Oiler (22)
Slide (23)
Gimlet (24)
Roulette (25)
Bump (26)
Midnight Express (27)
Metrotitan (28)
D.0.C. (34)
Ratchet (36)

|}| !! style="background:#ffeeb8;" | Others }}{{#if:| !! style="background:#d5e6d5;" | Misc }}{{#if:| !! style="background:#fedeb5;" | Misc }} |- {{#if:{|border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent" |- |style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"|

Optimus Prime (3)
Outback (4)
Zeta Prime (5)
Mirage? (16)
Arcee (30)
Jazz (31)
Jetfire (32)
Pyra Magna (33)
Rust Dust (37)
Stormclash (38)
Skyburst (39)
Dust Up (40)
Jumpstream (41)

|}|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |

Optimus Prime (3)
Outback (4)
Zeta Prime (5)
Mirage? (16)
Arcee (30)
Jazz (31)
Jetfire (32)
Pyra Magna (33)
Rust Dust (37)
Stormclash (38)
Skyburst (39)
Dust Up (40)
Jumpstream (41)

}}{{#if:*Hefter (1)

Soundwave (29)|

| style="background:#ededff;" valign="top" |

Hefter (1)
Soundwave (29) }}{{#if:*The President (35)|

| style="background:#fbefde;" valign="top" |

The President (35) }}{{#if:{|border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"

|- |style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"|

Tappet (2)
Grotusque (6)
Repugnus (7)
"Blackout" (8)
Warpath (9)
Demolisher (10)
? (11)
Dile (12)
Flip Sides (13)
Rosanna (14)
Steeljaw (15)
Ramhorn (17)
Doublecross (18)

|style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"|

Hooligan (19)
Sandstorm (20)
Aileron (21)
Oiler (22)
Slide (23)
Gimlet (24)
Roulette (25)
Bump (26)
Midnight Express (27)
Metrotitan (28)
D.0.C. (34)
Ratchet (36)

|}| | style="background:#ffeeb8;" valign="top" |

Tappet (2)
Grotusque (6)
Repugnus (7)
"Blackout" (8)
Warpath (9)
Demolisher (10)
? (11)
Dile (12)
Flip Sides (13)
Rosanna (14)
Steeljaw (15)
Ramhorn (17)
Doublecross (18)

Hooligan (19)
Sandstorm (20)
Aileron (21)
Oiler (22)
Slide (23)
Gimlet (24)
Roulette (25)
Bump (26)
Midnight Express (27)
Metrotitan (28)
D.0.C. (34)
Ratchet (36)

}}{{#if:|

| style="background:#d5e6d5;" valign="top" |

}}{{#if:|

| style="background:#fedeb5;" valign="top" |

}}

|}

Quotes

"Before I was Optimus Prime... I was part of the problem. Things were changing on Cybertron... too fast for some... and far too slowly for the rest."
"I thought Zeta was different. I told myself Zeta was different."
"Things were getting better. I told myself that, too."

—Select portions of Optimus Prime's narration

"I respect your dedication to the truth, Orion... the people deserve to know the truth that Lifter was a Decepticon and a traitor, who got what was coming to him. They deserve to have anarchy staved off for one more day. And that, my friend... is the precise value of truth."
"Hefter... his name was Hefter."

—Zeta Prime gives Orion Pax a subtle look at his true colors

"What do you do? Somebody has a gun—do you act or let them shoot you? Or your partner? That's what being a cop means. Decepticons running around—they want us all dead. You want to investigate me? Investigate yourself. Well, Mister Orion Pax, Autobot-at-Large? What do you do?"
(Orion disarms Outback and body-slams him)
"I make sure. That's my job."

—Outback and Orion Pax

"I don't want to sound crazy, but this was all worth it. On my colony, on Caminus, we were so cold, so alone. The Primes so distant. To learn one is real- alive...
"My colony's all about speed, about forward progress. So it was the idea of discovering the lost colony that got me to join him. To bring this planet out of the dark ages, into the Cybertronian Era....plus, for a truck, the Prime is really fast. I admire that.

—Midnight Express and Roulette have very different reasons for joining Optimus' cause.

"Aileron... (Optimus) wasn't like this last year, let alone four million years ago."
"What changed?"
"Someone told him he was a space messiah one too many times..."
(Jetfire side-eyes Pyra Magna)
"...so he started to believe it."

—Jetfire and Aileron

"Things are better, aren't they? Better than under Nominus or Sentinel?"
"Maybe. They used to put the bigotry out in the open. Now, it's under the surface and we're fanning the flames of a war."
"So I've heard."
"You hear if we're on the right side?"

—Orion Pax and Ratchet

Notes

Continuity notes

Tappet has had an axe to grind against Optimus Prime (whose change of name he didn't recognize, always calling him "Orion Pax") since he was first introduced in The Death of Optimus Prime, and now we know why.
Outback's vicious actions shouldn't come as too surprising; we've already witnessed him attempt to publicly assassinate a purported Decepticon in Ironhide #2, and that was before he became a cop with a badge to hide behind.
Zeta references the time Orion saved the Primal Basilica, as seen in More than Meets the Eye #11. It was in that same issue that the phoney Matrix carried by Nominus Prime was destroyed; the counterfeit Zeta is carrying is a new one, presumably to keep up appearances. Though always implicit, this is the first direct in-story acknowledgement we've had of the fact Zeta's Prime-hood was a sham propped up by a fake Matrix.
Orion refers to the time he saved Zeta's life, a reference to Spotlight: Blurr, in which a unit led by Orion fended off a team of Decepticon assassins targeting Zeta.
The appearance of female Transformers Flip Sides and Rosanna in the crowd may raise an eyebrow, as female Transformers weren't supposed to exist on Cybertron at this point, but they are actually reappearing after showing up in another crowd scene in More than Meets the Eye #12. Maybe they're not female in IDW continuity...? It's also possible that they're simply "easter egg" cameos.
Optimus recounts the legend of the Matrix, which claims it was originally the crystal prison of Solomus (related in the More than Meets the Eye 2012 annual) and once rested on the hilt of Prima's Star Saber (attested in Windblade vol. 2 #1).
The Earth Defense Command were revealed to have acquired Cybertronian weaponry from Swindle in issue #29 of the 2009-2011 ongoing series. Optimus notes the human acquisition of this tech is a breach of the Tyrest Accord, which was introduced way back in Spotlight: Ultra Magnus, and which was most recently referred to in issue #46 of More Than Meets The Eye, when Fortress Maximus (in his role as the Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tryest Accord) killed Demus for trafficking in Cybertronian technology.
Outback refers back to the deaths of the original Senate and Sentinel Prime, as seen in Megatron Origin #4.
Though none of the soldiers who flank the president as she meets with Optimus are recognizable as members of the team, the tracked missile launchers that back them up are G.I. Joe Wolverines. That's how this works now, kids!
The technoversity of Ultirex previously appeared in Autocracy #11, in which Ratchet and Jetfire were both shown to work there. Ratchet notes that Zeta offered him the position at the university, explaining his move from the drop-in clinic he used to run in the Dead End, as seen in More than Meets the Eye #8.
Jumpstream recalls how the seemingly-lifeless Matrix glowed once before on Caminus, an event that took place in Windblade vol. 2 #1.
Optimus notes that Pyra Magna believes she should hold the Matrix; that belief was first expressed by the Torchbearers' combined form of Victorion in The Transformers #47.

Transformers references

The red grid with yellow sunburst that serves as a background for Hefter's picture on page 1, panel 1 is based on the classic Generation 1 toyline packaging.
Among the recognizable Generation 1 characters in the crowd is live-action movieverse Blackout. Hey guy! What'cha doin' there?
The new colonist recruits are all pre-existing Transformers characters of varying levels of obscurity. Oiler and Slide are Micromaster Combiners from the final year of the Generation 1 toyline. Gimlet and Bump are imports from the Japanese Beast Wars series; Beast Wars II and Neo, respectively. Roulette was a 2003 convention-exclusive toy, while Midnight Express hops continuities from the 2001 Robots in Disguise series, as so many of his RiD brethren have in recent years.
- Midnight Express is an unusual case; while he's based on his RiD counterpart – notably visible in his head and shoulders – he incorporates aspects from the other two members of Team Bullet Train; his vehicle mode seems to be inspired by Railspike, while his transformation leaves his train front on his chest like that of Rapid Run.
Roulette's vehicle mode is a late-model (2013-2017) Dodge Viper, a callback to the fact that her toy is an officially licensed version of that car, though the toy is of the 1996-2002 generation of the Viper.
Jetfire having been a Decepticon before joining the Autobots is a hallmark of the character's history, introduced in the Generation 1 cartoon episode "Fire in the Sky" and reflected in all major incarnations of the character (including even his live-action movie counterpart). It's been notably absent from Jetfire's IDW history until now.
The spaceship that arrives on the final page of the issue is, of course, a Quintesson cruiser of the unique and memorable "corkscrew" design originally seen in The Transformers: The Movie. The Quintessons have had a sparse presence in IDW continuity up to now, but perhaps things are about to change...

Real-life references

There's a little screen-faced waiter-droid in the bar Pax and Outback visit who looks to be inspired by [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Judge Dredd|{{#if:||Judge Dredd}}]]'s [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Walter the Wobot|{{#if:||Walter the Wobot}}]]. Artist Kei Zama is a big [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}2000 AD (comics)|{{#if:2000 AD|2000 AD|2000 AD (comics)}}]] fan.
Heh heh. Hooligan is one of the rioters. Get it? Because soccer hooligans and... oh, forget it.

Errors

Pyra Magna has green "lipstick" on page 13, but red on page 19.
Soundwave's Decepticon symbol disappears and reappears throughout the issue.
Oiler and Slide are huge compared to other Devisiun colonists. While we can't explicitly call this out as an error per se given their tanker truck altmode, it does run contrary to what we've seen so far.

Other trivia

Optimus Prime takes the place of The Transformers on the IDW schedule, and remains written by John Barber, continuing on the story begun in the previous title's pages. Originally solicited for release in November, this issue arrives several weeks late, halfway through December.
Most characters appearing in the crowd scene in the flashback are recognizable as being Autobots or Decepticons we know today, but their allegiances are not clear at the time this part of story is set, so we've put them under "Others" in our list above. The Decepticons present may be Decepticons (though they likely wouldn't flaunt it), but it's unlikely the Autobots are Autobots given they're protesting actions by the Autobot security force. Only the figure who appears to be Mirage (with a toy-accurate head, page 2, panel 2, extreme right) is shown wearing an Autobot insignia.
The colonists are shown to all be zealously following Prime, but as of yet, none have Autobrands or have been explicitly confirmed as Autobots. Additionally, Aileron also isn't wearing an Autobrand, despite having followed Prime for some time now, though she, too, has never been officially confirmed as an Autobot.

Covers (9)

Regular cover: The big boss 'bot himself, by Kei Zama and David Garcia Cruz
Subscription cover A: Optimus, Soundwave, and Arcee, by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
Subscription cover B: Optimus, Soundwave, Arcee, and Aileron, by Andrew Griffith and Joana Lafuente
Subscription cover C: Blank cover for sketches

Retailer incentive cover A: Graffiti of Optimus, Soundwave, and Aileron by Sara Pitre-Durocher; part of a series of "graffiti" variants by Pitre-Durocher which combines with covers from Lost Light #1, Revolutionaries #1, {{#if:M.A.S.K. #1|M.A.S.K. #1|M.A.S.K. issue 1}}, and {{#if:G.I. Joe #1|G.I. Joe #1|G.I. Joe Vol 5 issue 1}} to form a complete image.
Retailer incentive cover B: Optimus Prime by Sonny Liew; one in a series of variants by Liew on the above-mentioned issues.
Retailer incentive cover C: Optimus Prime by Paul Pope; one in a series of variants by Pope on the above-mentioned issues.
Ript Apparel exclusive cover: OPTIMUS PRIME ARE ALL ONE by Timothy Lim, a grammatically-challenged homage to the cover of Marvel's The Transformers #5; available exclusively from Ript Apparel.
Diamond UK Previews exclusive cover: Zama and Cruz's regular cover with a Union Jack background, and new red feet for Optimus, in reference to the red-footed variant of the original Generation 1 Optimus toy available in the UK and France. Available only to retailers who attended Diamond UK's October 2016 retailer event.