Wreckers: Finale Part II
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 Tigatron cannot BELIEVE how much this guy costs on eBay. | |||||||||||||
| "Wreckers: Finale Part II" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Fun Publications | ||||||||||||
| First published | November 30, 2007 | ||||||||||||
| Writers | Greg Sepelak and Trent Troop | ||||||||||||
| Pencils | Guido Guidi | ||||||||||||
| Inks | Guido Guidi | ||||||||||||
| Colours | Drew Eiden | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Universe | ||||||||||||
| Page count | 35pp | ||||||||||||
The final showdown between the Wreckers and Cryotek determines the fate of Cybertron.
Synopsis
Several hours ago...
Above Cybertron, now a technoorganic paradise, Quintesson leader Derodomontatus orders for the ships to descend. Crytoek cautions the Quintesson, but the arrogant five-faced alien believes that with the reformatting of Cybertron, most Cybertronians will be too docile to resist, and those that aren't can be tempted with promises of machine bodies. Cryotek simply expresses that he would prefer to not have his payment jeopardized by failure, and that the Wreckers are still out there. Derodomontatus scoffs, believing a small group could never defeat a whole empire...much the same as Megatron, Cryotek reflects. Reviewing recent events, including the manipulations of the Quintessons, and his agent Cyclonus' successful infiltration of the Wreckers, Cryotek knows there is still a chance of failure. And if the Quintessons do succeed, they are sure to betray Cryotek the second it is convenient. Interrupted from his thoughts by Derodomontatus, Cryotek smiles to himself, idly petting his pet Chro. Plans begin to form in the Predacon's head...
On-board the Wreckers' ship, tensions are raised. With Cyclonus having betrayed them, many of the Wreckers (especially Rodimus) believe Skywarp is the next to turn. Skywarp's demeanor certainly doesn't help; when Apelinq asks if they can go any faster, Skywarp states that if they do, the ship will explode, laughing at the thought. The former Seeker proceeds to mock the new crew member, the Quintesson Al-Badur, who does not give in to Skywarp's goading. Apelinq is weary from the events of the last few days, and with the inexperience Primal Prime leading the into what seems like certain doom once again, he can only hope Prime knows what he's doing. Elsewhere on the ship, Primal Prime makes contact with Alpha Trion in another vision. Alpha Trion assures him not to worry about the technoorganics; although the Oracle may have fooled them, Primus works in mysterious ways. Alpha Trion warns Primal Prime about the danger the Divine Light holds, but his connection begins to cut, leaving Primal alone in his chamber.
Arriving above Cybertron, the crew is shocked by the massive change the planet has gone through. Tigatron thinks it is beautiful, Rodimus and Arcee are reminded of Earth, Tap-Out is shocked, and Skywarp is disgusted. Skywarp points out the Quintesson ship over Polyhex; Apelinq tells him to avoid it, the Wreckers only possessing half a ship, and head towards the surface. Ramulus is eager to destroy some Sharkticons, but Al-Badur believes the Quintessons are only a distraction, and that they should focus on Cryotek. When Ramulus accosts him, the Quintesson scientist grows furious, stating that while the Quintessons are vicious, they are repetitive, and the only variable they cannot account for is Cryotek. Ramulus is ready to kill Al-Badur, but Primal Prime steps in, ordering the Wreckers to head for the largest group of ground troops, where Cryotek will surely be.
Now...
With the Divine Light placed within his spark chamber, Cryotek has been elevated to the power of the god. With only a few Wreckers standing in his way, Cryotek seems poised to win...but is shocked at what stands in front of him. Primal Prime and Apelinq, the former having taken a blast for the later, have been fused by the energies of Primus into a new being: Sentinel Maximus! Soon back to his arrogant self, Cryotek circles around Sentinel, proclaiming that after he kills him again, reality will be his for the taking. Derodomontatus objects, but Cryotek simply sics Chro on the Quintesson, the robotic bird tearing Derodomontatus apart. Cryotek lunges at Sentinel, and Cyclonus engages Devcon and Tigatron. Ramulus holds ranting Quintesson up, and promises to spare the alien the embarresment of defeat, pulling his fist back for the kill...
Above ground, Cheetor is contacted by the Oracle while fighting Sharkticons, telling him he is needed elsewhere. Not wanting to abandone the fight, he watches Snarl save an unsuspecting Maximal from an Allicon. Cheetor notices Matrix Templar something about him, but the leonine Maximal shouts for him to go. As Cheetor run off to the Oracle, Snarl demands a status update from Skydive. The reptilian Maximal informs his commander that T-Wrecks and his Dinobots have driven the eastern flank back, but more and more Quintessons are landing across the planet.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots/Maximals | Decepticons/Predacons/Vehicons | Others |
|---|---|---|
Dinobots
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Quintessons
Others Mutants
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Quotes
"My dear Derodomontatus, a contract is simply an agreement bound in law. In order for it to have binding power, you must be capable of enforcing it."
- —Cryotek tells Derodomontatus that he's dead.
"Desssign flaw? No, no, no... It'sss a feature, ssstupid."
- —Night Viper doesn't mind being incinerated.
"Prepare plasma arrays for orbital bombardment."
"But what of our forces still remaining on the surface?"
"I am certain our brethren will appreciate our proactive solution to the unexpected impediment to our forward progression in this unparalleled business opportunity."
- —Admiral Krahulik totally went to PR school.
"What?"
"I said, that was for stabbing me in the back on Archa Nine! And this... this is for making me repeat myself!"
- —a dying Cyclonus and a vengeful Rotorbolt
"Goodbye, Heirodyus. I will call your people to meet me again the next time I have need of an evolutionary crisis."
- —Primus, Lord of Light, wise in all things...turns out to be something of a smartass.
"I have known quite a few geniuses, Quintesson. I have killed quite a few of them, in fact. Your inclusion in their number speaks poorly for all of them."
- —Cryotek doesn't think much of Al-Badur.
"I... I don't know how! I don't fraggin' read Quintesson!"
"Just start hitting things!"
"That's a language I understand!"
- —Ramulus and Sentinel Maximus
"Even when you were a bug, I hated your stinkin' circuits."
- —Skywarp, hinting that Cyclonus was originally an Insecticon.
Notes
- Characters name-dropped but who do not appear include: Megatron, the Vehicons, an "ancient horror", Shokaract, Optimus Primal, Thundercracker, Dirge, Tankor, Scorponok, Tarantulas, Unicron, Dinobot, Thrust, Megatron/Galvatron, the Targetmasters, Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus
- The text story's title image is taken from the description of the final splash panel from the unpublished Wreckers #4.
Continuity notes
- This story occurs one week after the reformatting of Cybertron in the Beast Machines finale "Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future".
- Many events from the Wreckers series are recapped in the opening section of the story, including the tasks of the Mutants and Dinobots, and Cyclonus' betrayal in #2, and Al-Badur joining with the Wreckers in Disclosure. Additonally, Apelinq remembers his role in Point Omega in Terminus.
- Rodimus refers to Galvatron as Cyclonus's old master from the era of the Great War, in keeping with the reference in "Possession" to Galvatron, but "Terminus" showed Megatron as one of the denizens of J'nwan. Guess Galvatron got his old name and body back by the end of the Great War?
- The disappearance of Skywarp, Tap-Out, Snarl, and Triceradon (and a contingent of Sharkticons, apparently), is due to them being kidnapped by Unicron. They would be freed in the Universe story "Escape".
- Obsidian and Strika were launched into orbit near the end of Beast Machines, in "Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall".
- The formless dimension, along with the Quintesson banishment chamber, originated in the Generation 1 Season 3 episode "Madman's Paradise". The evil presence within that dimension calls to mind the beings who tortured Universe Ramjet when he was stuck between a formless void.
- Primus's energy usually makes people better, but this time it killed poor Rodimus.
- So Devcon left Slizardo floating in space... for three hundred years? One has to wonder if Devcon knew what Slizardo did after their last meeting in "The Gambler"?
- Windrazor was last seen at the conclusion of "Terminus". For Apelinq/Sentinel Maximus, it has only been a few weeks or months, but for real-world readers, that story concluded almost 8 years earlier, with no information on Windrazor's fate.
- Chronologically speaking the Universe issue "Abduction" is the next step in the storyline. What happened to Sentinel Maximus and where Windrazor took him would be detailed in the Transformers Club magazine comic Transformers: Cybertron: Balancing Act.
Transformers references
- Cryotek notes Sentinel Maximus uses Headmaster technology.
- Multiple toy only characters show up, including: Quickstrike, Skydive, Longhorn, Che, Night Viper, Buzz Saw, and Hammerstrike from Beast Machines;
- "Pre-reformatting synthetic-flesh cyborgs"—the Cyborg Beasts—are noted as part of Galvatron's forces.
- Waspinator mentions a "Fish-bug".
- Rook reports from the "Cybernet Space Cube". This was a reference/gag that Glen Hallit had wanted to put into an issue of the Wreckers or Universe comics, but was ultimately unable to when the license was revoked and both comic series were canceled.
- The story gives a name to the plant world that Botanica and crew were studying: Regalis V.
Real-world references
- Struck by Unicron's bolts, Tap-Out and Skywarp "screamed and were suddenly silenced."
- Admiral Krahulik is named after some dude.
- "He makes me laugh," says Botanica of Rattrap—echoing Jessica Rabbit's reason for marrying Roger Rabbit of Who Framed Roger Rabbit fame.
- Ramulus riffs on a famous movie title in dubbing Rattrap "Cheesy Rider".
- He may be a bear, but Icebird is not a godless killing machine.
Errors
- Yes, the first half is titled "The Wreckers: Finale Part 1" while the second half is titled "Wreckers: Finale Part II". Sigh.
- Page 2: Mish-mash, not mish-mashed
- Page 17: Cyclonus hovered in the tunnel between the Wreckers and their goal. His missiles trained on the warriors before him.
- Page 18: "the chamber it up"
- Page 23: "I said; that was for..." Colon, or comma, but not a semi-colon.
- Apparently the shield in the portal chamber somehow protected Al-Badur from the Wreckers, but it's not quite clear how.
- While mourning Rodimus, Arcee says that he will be with friends like Optimus. "Termimus" showed Optimus Prime as one of the inhabitants of J'nwan. So perhaps Arcee considers living in J'nwan to be death, she doesn't know Optimus is still alive, or Optimus no longer retired to J'nwan in the revised version of history.
External links
- "Wreckers: Finale Part II" at The Official Transformers Collectors' Club
