Escalation

On a divided Cybertron, the Tagan Heights are home to a battle that signifies the escalation of the war between the divided sides. Template:Comicnav

Writer: Simon Furman
Pencils: Andrew Wildman
Inks: Erik Sander
Colors: Espen Grundetjern & Rob Ruffolo
Letters: Ben Lee

• Characters (In order of appearance): Fallen, Bludgeon, Mindwipe, Bugly, Springer, Roadbuster, Whirl, Topspin, Twin Twist, Broadside, Sandstorm, Ratbat, Devastator, Protectobots, Venom, Chop Shop, Ransack, Jetfire
• Original release date: November 12, 2004
  
• Chronology: The Dark Ages

Synopsis

In the Well of All Sparks, the Fallen reaches into Bludgeon's mind and offers him a glimpse at forbidden secrets, ensuring the loyalty of Bludgeon and his cronies.

Away, in the Tagan Heights, Springer and the Wreckers start a patrol, to keep the area out of the hands of Ratbat's Ultracons. Taking higher ground, he finds that Ratbat has unleashed Devastator.

Hot Spot and the rest of the Protectobots consider their alignment from the base they've made in the ruins of the High Council Pavilions. Hot Spot decides to take action in hopes of preventing eEscalation.

Ratbat thinks the Wreckers are a superstitious and cowardly lot.

Springer orders the Wreckers not to engage Devastator, but the team disobeys the order to give Springer the opportunity to get clear. Springer falls away and ends up suspended upside down in some loose wires, where he's taunted by Ratbat.

Bludgeon considers the tasks the Fallen appointed to him, and he plots to manipulate Grimlock.

Devastator continues to battle the Wreckers, his limited intellect manifesting in the way he rampages without consideration. The Protectobots arrive and combine into Defensor in hopes of quelling the combined Constructicons. The rumbles of their clash allow Springer to fall out of his restraints.

While the situation in the Tagan Heights grows worse, the Autobase is left abandoned, except for a lonely Jetfire.

Quotes

I opened a door, into a realm within, a dark forgotten corner of every Transformer. A relic of what we once were.
Serve me well, and next time I will leave the door... ajar.

—The Fallen wants you to read that in a deep Satan-ny voice.

Items of note

• Springer springs. This ability was mentioned in his on-package bio but has rarely ever been used in any Transformers media.
• Ratbat is a talky humanoid. But in "Countdown to Extinction", he's silent. Ratbat would later be seen with an early "even more talky humanoid" form in IDW Publishing's Megatron Origin.
• Jetfire's new design for the series is based on Don Figueroa's scratch-build custom Transformer, Strikefire. Eventually the design was released as a figure in the Titanium Series.
• The "Wavelengths" section contain an article from the desk of Pat Lee.
• The "Declarations of War" page has reader mail answered by Matt Moylan.

Covers (1)

• Springer by Don Figueroa

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• Video game, Viewtiful Joe
• Beast Wars, season 1 DVD
• Generation 1, season 3 DVD, part 1
• Armada #18 (double-page sideways centerfold)
• The Dark Ages #3
• Generation One #0 (back cover)
  
  
  From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.