The War Within issue 5
Prime and Megatron see visions of The Matrix, while Starscream begins his destructive hijack of Megatron's plan.
Writer: Simon Furman
Pencils: Don Figueroa
Inks: Elaine To
Lettering: Dreamer Design
Colors: Rob Ruffolo
- Preceded by: The War Within, Part 4
- Followed by: The War Within, Part 6
- Release date: January 8, 2003
- Characters (in order of appearance): Megatron, Grimlock, Kup, Ironhide, Wheeljack, Shockwave, Prowl, Starscream, Scrapper, Optimus Prime, Motormaster, Fortress Maximus, Hot Rod
- Chronology: Early War
Synopsis
As Grimlock's team descends deeper into Cybertron, Kup makes casual conversation, questioning Grimlock's attitude. Grimlock, of course, just reasserts that he's a badass. Following Prime's energy signature, they discovers one of Megatron's planetary turbines. Adapting the plan, Grimlock orders the rest of his team to sabotage whatever the Decepticons are up to.
Shockwave delivers a killing blow to two Guardian Robots, giving the Decepticons a clear path to the last remaining core of Iacon. From their staging grounds in the Decagon, Prowl and his teammates prepare to make their final stand.
Inside of a vision from The Matrix, Prime and Megatron witness future incarnations of themselves battle at some alien location. When not-future Megatron continues his attack on not-future Optimus, the scenery again re-aligns itself further into the future, when Headmasters and Targetmasts continue the war. After another shift, the two arrive back in the present, but The Matrix teleports Optimus to Grimlock. Grimlock gives Optimus his sword, suggesting the Autobot leader to take more a move active measures in dealing with Megatron.
Starscream, planning to destroy everything on Cybertron's surface, disregard's Scrapper's warnings about how the turbines function. Ironhide, Kup, and Wheeljack, overhear the plan, but are discovered by two other Constructicons. With the plot discovered, Starscream activates the engine beneath Iacon. As Shockwave stands victorious, the Autobot's captial city is devastated by superheated plasma.
Quotes
"I know it's the image, right? "Me Grimlock-- badass", but c'mon...
..there must have been someone you respected."
- -Kup, on the subject of Grimlock
"Me, Grimlock--
--badass!"
- Grimlock, on the same subject
"I get a real bad feeling about this."
- -Kup
Hn.
Hm?
Fh!
Tt.
Ff!
Hn.
- -Grimlock has FURMAN POWER
Items of Note
- This issue was available in two covers
- A regular cover by Don Figueroa
- A rarer incentive version by Pat Lee
- On the side of the massive turbine, the logo for the Transformers forum the Allsparkis visible. But while the turbine pumps hot boiling plasma that destroys cities, the forum has a mildly different function. Usually.
- the letters "BBTS" on one of the buildings at the Sherman Dam is a reference to online toy store Big Bad Toy Store.
- This issue contained advertisements for:
- The War Within, Part 6 (with the incentive cover by Pat Lee, which is actually the incentive cover for this issue)
- Transformers: Generation 1 volume 2 (double page)
- Dreamwave Armada issue 10
- Transformers Armada trade paperback
- Titan Books collections
- More Than Meets The Eye #1 (back cover)
