Infiltration issue 3

|- {{#if: Infiltration_3b.jpg | | colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; background-color:#ffffff;" align="center" | {{#if: Eat foot, dig? |
Eat foot, dig?}}}} |-

|colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; background-color:#e7d492; color:black;font-weight:bold;" align="center" | {{#if: |

}}

|- {{#if: IDW Publishing | |Publisher || IDW Publishing}} |- {{#if: | |Published by || }} |- {{#if: | |Imprint || }} |- {{#if: | |Published in || }} |- {{#if: March 8, 2006 | |First published || March 8, 2006}} |- {{#if: | |Shipping date || }} |- {{#if: | |On-sale date || }} |- {{#if: March 2006 | |Cover date || March 2006}} |- {{#if: | |Credits || }} |- {{#if: | |By || }} |- {{#if: | |Manga || }} |- {{#if: | |Manga by || }} |- {{#if: | |Original story || }} |- {{#if: | |Story & art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Story and color art || }} |- {{#if: | |Story || }} |- {{#if: | |Story by || }} |- {{#if: | |Story consultants || }} |- {{#if: | |Story concept || }} |- {{#if: | |Screenplay by || }} |- {{#if: | |Screenplay || }} |- {{#if: | |Adaptation by || }} |- {{#if: | |Adapted by || }} |- {{#if: | |Adaptation || }} |- {{#if: | |Based on || }} |- {{#if: | |Writer || }} |- {{#if: | |Writers || }} |- {{#if: | |Writing || }} |- {{#if: Simon Furman | |Written by || Simon Furman}} |- {{#if: | |Written & art || }} |- {{#if: | |Plotter || }} |- {{#if: | |Plotters || }} |- {{#if: | |Plot || }} |- {{#if: | |Plot by || }} |- {{#if: | |Plot/Script || }} |- {{#if: | |Scripter || }} |- {{#if: | |Scripters || }} |- {{#if: | |Script || }} |- {{#if: | |Scripting || }} |- {{#if: | |Script by || }} |- {{#if: | |Script and art || }} |- {{#if: | |Sript [sic] consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Translation by || }} |- {{#if: | |Artist || }} |- {{#if: | |Comic artist || }} |- {{#if: | |Artists || }} |- {{#if: | |Art || }} |- {{#if: E. J. Su | |Art by || E. J. Su}} |- {{#if: | |Additional art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Flashback art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Art assistant || }} |- {{#if: | |Art assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Line-art || }} |- {{#if: | |Line-art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Line art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciller || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencillers || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciler || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencilers || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencil art || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencils || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencils by || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciled by || }} |- {{#if: | |Penciling || }} |- {{#if: | |Guest penciler || }} |- {{#if: | |Layouts || }} |- {{#if: | |Pencil breakdowns || }} |- {{#if: | |Breakdowns || }} |- {{#if: | |Breakdowns by || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustration || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrations || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrator || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrated by || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustration by || }} |- {{#if: | |Illustrations by || }} |- {{#if: | |Finished pencils || }} |- {{#if: | |Finishes || }} |- {{#if: | |Finished art || }} |- {{#if: | |Finishes by || }} |- {{#if: | |Inker || }} |- {{#if: | |Guest inker || }} |- {{#if: | |Inkers || }} |- {{#if: | |Inks || }} |- {{#if: | |Inks by || }} |- {{#if: | |Ink finishes || }} |- {{#if: | |Ink assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional inks || }} |- {{#if: | |Inking || }} |- {{#if: | |Backgrounds || }} |- {{#if: | |Backgrounds by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colorist || }} |- {{#if: | |Colorists || }} |- {{#if: | |Colourist || }} |- {{#if: | |Colourists || }} |- {{#if: | |Color || }} |- {{#if: | |Colors || }} |- {{#if: | |Color art || }} |- {{#if: | |Colour || }} |- {{#if: | |Colours || }} |- {{#if: | |Colored by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color by || }} |- {{#if: John Rauch | |Colors by || John Rauch}} |- {{#if: | |Color art by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colors assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color assists || }} |- {{#if: | |Color assistance by || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional colors || }} |- {{#if: | |Additional colors by || }} |- {{#if: | |Color assist by || }} |- {{#if: | |Colour/Computer FX || }} |- {{#if: | |Computer coloring/effects || }} |- {{#if: | |Color Reconstruction || }} |- {{#if: | |Flats || }} |- {{#if: | |Flats by || }} |- {{#if: | |MTMTE Profiles || }} |- {{#if: | |Letterer || }} |- {{#if: | |Letterers || }} |- {{#if: | |Lettering || }} |- {{#if: | |Letters || }} |- {{#if: Tom B. Long | |Letters by || Tom B. Long}} |- {{#if: | |Lettered by || }} |- {{#if: | |Lettering|Production || }} |- {{#if: | |Special Thanks{{#if: | To}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Collaborators || }} |- {{#if: | |Contributors || }} |- {{#if: | |Editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Editors || }} |- {{#if: | |Editing || }} |- {{#if: Chris Ryall & Dan Taylor | |Edits by || Chris Ryall & Dan Taylor}} |- {{#if: | |Compiled and Edited by || }} |- {{#if: | |Original series editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Original Edits by || }} |- {{#if: | |Deputy editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Assistant editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Editorial assistant{{#if: |s}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Editorial Assistance
provided by || }} |- {{#if: | |Senior editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Associate editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Story consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Project manager || }} |- {{#if: | |Production by || }} |- {{#if: | |Designer || }} |- {{#if: | |Design by || }} |- {{#if: | |Designed by || }} |- {{#if: | |Design/editorial || }} |- {{#if: | |Book design by || }} |- {{#if: | |Collection designer || }} |- {{#if: | |Collection editor || }} |- {{#if: | |Collection Edits by || }} |- {{#if: | |Graphic design || }} |- {{#if: | |Graphic design by || }} |- {{#if: | |Collection Design by || }} |- {{#if: | |Creative Director{{#if: | / Layout}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Contributing editors || }} |- {{#if: | |Research editor{{#if: |s}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Managing editor || }} |- {{#if: | |{{#if: |Editor-in-chief|Editor in chief}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Editorial consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Dinosaur consultant || }} |- {{#if: | |Publishing manager || }} |- {{#if: | |Cover || }} |- {{#if: | |Cover art{{#if: |ist}}{{#if: | by}} || }} |- {{#if: | |Cover Design {{#if: |and Elements }}by || }} |- {{#if: | |Inside cover || }} |- {{#if: | |Apologies to || }} |- {{#if: IDW continuity | |Continuity || IDW continuity}} |- {{#if: Infiltration | |Chronology || Infiltration}} |- {{#if: | |ISBN || }} |- {{#if: | |TPB ISBN || ISBN }} |- {{#if: | |UPC || }} |- {{#if: | |Page count || }} |- {{#if: | |Price || }} |- {{#if: | |Packaged with || }} |- {{#if: | |Printed in || }} |- {{#if: | |Animation || }} |- {{#if: | |Music || }} |}{{#switch:{{#sub:xx|2|14}}|dark cybertron=}} The Decepticons attempt to erase evidence of their location while Ratchet warns Prowl of the situation.

Synopsis

Aboard the Autobot starship Ark-19, located at the bottom of Lake Michigan, Prowl gives Ratchet a thorough dressing-down for disobeying his orders and breaking cover, then tells him to find out just what's on Verity Carlo's stolen palmtop and to get rid of the humans, refusing Ratchet's suggestion that Prowl alert Optimus Prime. Ratchet reminds them that regardless of whether or not the Decepticons are acting under orders or have gone rogue, it's only a matter of time before Megatron arrives. Fortunately, his pleas do not fall on deaf audio sensors, as Ironhide listens intently.

Ratchet appears to Verity, Hunter O'Nion, and Jimmy Pink in their containment cell and persuades Verity to hand the palmtop over. He shows them the mysterious businessman's photos and explains that they show a Decepticon Command Bunker, mysteriously abandoned (which Decepticons never do) and apparently in Siege Mode much too early for standard Decepticon procedure. While this is going on, Ironhide finishes sending a pulsewave to Autobot command, for Optimus Prime's optics only.

In the meantime, a police officer is investigating the dead body found on an Arizona reservation, tracking him to a caravan park—just as a pair of war-planes, one black, one purple, appear out of thin air and destroy the dead man's caravan before promptly disappearing again. Later, an Abrams battle tank destroys the remains of Jimmy Pink's garage, then transforms into the purple plane and along with the black one disappears yet again. Finally, the coach which Verity and the dead man traveled on is destroyed.

Verity, Hunter and Jimmy insist that Ratchet take them to the Decepticon bunker in Nebraska so that they can locate the proof Ratchet needs to persuade Prowl of the severity of the situation. Partially swayed, Ratchet makes his mind up when Bumblebee offers to help out. The three humans and two Autobots make their way to Nebraska—just as the Decepticon lieutenant Starscream orders Skywarp and Blitzwing to destroy the bunker...

Featured characters

{{#if:*Ratchet (4)

Sunstreaker (5)
Prowl (6)
Ironhide (7)
Bumblebee (8)
Wheeljack (9)
Jazz (10)|

{{#if:*Ratchet (4)

Sunstreaker (5)
Prowl (6)
Ironhide (7)
Bumblebee (8)
Wheeljack (9)
Jazz (10)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |
Ratchet (4)
Sunstreaker (5)
Prowl (6)
Ironhide (7)
Bumblebee (8)
Wheeljack (9)
Jazz (10) }}{{#if:*Runabout (12)
Skywarp (13)
Blitzwing (14)
Starscream (16)|

Autobots }}{{#if:*Runabout (12) Skywarp (13) Blitzwing (14) Starscream (16)\|	Decepticons }}{{#if:*Hunter O'Nion (1) Verity Carlo (2) Jimmy Pink (3) Stoker (11) Lindy Simmons (15)\|	Humans }}{{#if:\|	Others }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}
Runabout (12) Skywarp (13) Blitzwing (14) Starscream (16) }}{{#if:*Hunter O'Nion (1) Verity Carlo (2) Jimmy Pink (3) Stoker (11) Lindy Simmons (15)\|	Hunter O'Nion (1) Verity Carlo (2) Jimmy Pink (3) Stoker (11) Lindy Simmons (15) }}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}

Notes

Continuity notes

Prowl dismisses Ratchet's actions as being to "give yourself another shot at being a hero", implying that he has carried out similar actions in the past which may have gone wrong.
First appearances: Bumblebee, Wheeljack and Jazz; Skywarp; we get our first mentions of Optimus Prime and Megatron.

Transformers references

We get our first good looks at the Autobot cast and their new designs. Redesigns of existing characters in official media had been vanishingly rare before IDW, but would become a staple conceit as the story rolled on.

Real-life references

Locations hit by the Decepticons include Riverside, California; and Phoeniz and Tuscon, Arizona.

Errors

Other trivia

The "Decepticomments" section featured mail answered by Chris Ryall and short ads for next month's issues: Infiltration #4, The Gathering #3, Generations #2.
The first few pages of this story were reprinted as part of a Free Comic Book Day issue by IDW Publishing on May 6th, 2006.

Covers (14)

Infiltration #3 cover A - See what happens when you're a prick!
Infiltration #3 cover B - This time Jazz eats floor, dig?
Infiltration #3 cover C - Triple takeover.
Infiltration #3 cover D - Raiz draws better humans, hands down!

Infiltration #3 cover A: Prowl amongst explosions, part 2 of a larger image by E. J. Su.
Infiltration #3 cover B: Blitzwing vs Jazz, by Guido Guidi.
Infiltration #3 cover C: Blitzwing in tank mode, by Andrew Wildman.
Infiltration #3 cover D: Humans at Ratchet's feet, by James Raiz.

Infiltration #3 cover RI-A - Oooh, foily!
Infiltration #3 cover RI-B - Toy accurate prick!
Infiltration #3 cover RI-C - Mister deadlier-than-thou
Free Comic Book Day 2006 cover A

Infiltration #3 cover RI-A: foil stamp of cover D.
Infiltration #3 cover RI-B: Prowl, by Guido Guidi.
Infiltration #3 cover RI-C: Blitzwing, by Guido Guidi (includes 4 mini-prints).
Free Comic Book Day 2006 cover A: reuse of page 1 of Beast Wars: The Gathering issue #2 showing assorted Predacons, art by Don Figueroa, colors by Josh Burcham.

Free Comic Book Day 2006 cover B
Infiltration TPB
Infiltration "Manga" TPB
Premiere Collection Volume 1

Free Comic Book Day 2006 cover B: reuse of issue #1's cover D.
Infiltration TPB cover: reuse of issue #0's cover A.
Infiltration "Manga" TPB cover: reuse of issue #0's cover A.
Premiere Collection Volume 1 cover: crop of issue #6's cover C.

IDW Collection Volume One
Phase One Omnibus

IDW Collection Volume One cover: Megatron, by E. J. Su.
Phase One Omnibus cover: reuse of issue #6's cover C.

Reprints

The Transformers: Infiltration TPB (September 13, 2006) ISBN 1600100104 / ISBN 978-1600100109
The Transformers: Infiltration Manga TPB (November 29, 2006) ISBN 1600100198 / ISBN 978-1600100192
The Transformers: The Premiere Collection Volume 1 HC (December 5, 2007) ISBN 1600101186 / ISBN 978-1600101182
The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume One HC (May 26, 2010) ISBN 1600106676 / ISBN 978-1600106675
The Transformers: Phase One Omnibus TPB (September 10, 2014) ISBN 1631401130 / ISBN 978-1631401138

Infiltration issue 3

Contents

Synopsis

Featured characters