Timeless
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| "Timeless" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Fun Publications | ||||||||||||
| First published | September 12, 2013 (online) | ||||||||||||
| Writers | Jesse Wittenrich & Pete Sinclair | ||||||||||||
| Pencils | Hayato Sakamoto & Will Mangin | ||||||||||||
| Inks | Hayato Sakamoto & Jake Isenberg | ||||||||||||
| Colors | Josh Burcham, Sam Palmer, & Jesse Wittenrich | ||||||||||||
| Letters | Jesse Wittenrich | ||||||||||||
| Managing editor | Pete Sinclair | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | TransTech | ||||||||||||
Heinrad speaks of the future and other universes with acquaintances.
Synopsis
In his monitoring room, Rhinox observes multiple Ultra Magnuses across the universe, including Ultra Mammoth in the past of Primax -408.24 Epsilon. He is accompanied by Heinrad, who notes he cannot use his powers to peer into the past of the negative polarity universe—it's as if it's happening in "real time" to him. Rhinox changes the topic to other universes, and observes a universe far removed from the TransTech's sphere.
There, Fisitron is hounded by Barricade and Frenzy, who accuse the Autobot of committing war crimes on Outpost Thetarus using Cosmic Rust. Fisitron points to Oilslick as the more likely culprit, an accusation Barricade admits is probable, but he'd rather turn over Fisitron to the Decepticon Crown Justices.
The observing screen fizzes out and Rhinox moans that he didn't even get to record the coordinates. Nevertheless, he moves on to a Primax universe, one that loops around Primax 1005.19 Gamma.
In this "strange little universe", Rewind excitedly explains to Chromedome about the Vestigial Cortical Complex, a warehouse that stores the memories of half a million Decepticons. Chromedome questions the wisdom of trying to infiltrate a complex full of secrets that the Decepticons wouldn't want to come out, but Rewind explains his logic: the complex wouldn't have guards as not even guards are worth the risk of anybody knowing their secrets. They hire Treadshot as security and he blows a hole into the complex. While their hired muscle waits outside, Rewind and Chromedome explore the complex, finding what Rewind describes as "nirvana".
Bored with observing universes, Heinrad takes his leave and meets his partner, Thrustinator, who he promises to help return to his home universe after they "fix" the past.
Featured characters
(Characters in italic text appear only on computer screens.)
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots/Maximals | Decepticons/Predacons |
|---|---|
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Notes
- Characters mentioned include: Oilslick, Shockwave, and Starscream.
Continuity notes
- This comic continues to follow on the set-up from "Invasion Prologue" and "Invasion: Epilogue", with Rhinox continuing to deal with the fallout from the events of "Invasion".
- Events from "Shattered Destiny" show up on screen, which had not yet been published when "Timeless" was first released.
Transformers references
- Multiple versions of Ultra Magnus appear on Rhinox's screen: Generation 1 Ultra Magnus (two in his original form and one in his Ultra Mammoth form; the two original Magnus differ in deco slightly, one being cartoon accurate and the other being toy accurate.); Animated Ultra Magnus; Robots in Disguise Ultra Magnus; and another Ultra Mammoth that has since been declared to be his own character.
- Heinrad is obviously based on his Beast Wars Neo counterpart.
- Fisitron's aliases include Ironfist, which was the actual name of the other two Fisitrons; Fistitron, a common misspelling of Fisitron in the fandom; and Bullethead, a reference to the original Ironfist's injury in Last Stand of the Wreckers.
- One of Fisitron's charges is the engineering of "instruments of destruction," named for the song from The Transformers: The Movie.
- Cosmic Rust originated in the Generation 1 episode of the same name. The idea that a Decepticon chemist named Oilslick uses it as a weapon hearkens back to Animated Oil Slick, who used it as such in "Bots of Science" and "TransWarped". In the former, he uses it on fellow Decepticons, as is suggested here.
- Fisitron refers to his T-cog, the Aligned-specific term for the transformation cog first given in "Operation Bumblebee, Part 1".
- Rhinox notes Fistron's universe as being farther than any other, in reference to Hasbro's assertions that 'Aligned continuity' is separate to the pre-existing Transformers multiverse.
- Two years later, entries of the Facebook version of Ask Vector Prime would explain that the Uniend universal cluster was separated by a barrier from the rest of the multiverse until recently when the Dark Spark broke down that barrier.
- Chromedome and Rewind hanging around together springs from their relationship in IDW's More than Meets the Eye. Indeed, their universe is described as looped around Primax 1005.19 Gamma, the IDW Generation 1 continuity, named here per the publication date of Infiltration #0.
- The DoopSpeak (see real-world references below) contains the names of several Decepticons: Preditron, who is described as child-ish, fitting for a character who is based on a toy from a preschool age toyline; Bloodron, one of the previous Decepticon leaders seen in the Hall of Heroes in The Transformers: The Movie; and new characters Ragnarok and Verminator. There's more of a story to Verminator – see again real life references below.
- Heinrad notes that Starscream's spark touched that of Thrustinator (then Waspinator), as seen in "Possession", giving him his longevity and time traveling abilities.
- Thrustinator's dialogue combines Waspinator's distinctive speech patterns with Thrust's "cool" language.
Real world references
- Heinrad's chatty, rambling dialogue evokes the Tenth Doctor from Doctor Who, as played by David Tennant.
- The text contained in the Vestigial Cortical Complex is rendered in DoopSpeak, the language spoken by Doop, the mascot of the X-Statix team.
- Verminator is described as a rabbit, with big sharp pointy teeth; this is a reference to the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Trivia
- This comic functions as an advertisement for the toys of Fun Publications's subscription service (except the seventh, bonus figure, which had not been revealed yet).
- Co-writer Jesse Wittenrich would later reveal his intention that the Rewind depicted in this story is being projected into Chromedome's mind by Stylor, and that the actual Rewind was deceased. Vestigial remnants of this plot point remain in the published comic, in the form of Stylor's constant physical contact with Chromedome, and Treadshot never acknowledging Rewind. Whether this holds true in the completed comic or is merely authorial intent is an exercise left to the reader.
