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 the continuing multiversal chaos with Heinrad, a TransTech from the future, telling him that without a plan, they can only hope for events to occur in their favor. Heinrad, too, is having trouble, as his usual precognitive abilities are overflowed with all the chaotic possibilities. Even the events of the prehistoric Earth Depth Charge was sent to in Primax -408.24 Epsilon's past is unclear, as if it were happening in real-time. Disturbed by this, Rhinox decides to monitor other regions of the multiverse.
On one world, Decepticon enforcers Barricade and Frenzy have cornered Fisitron, charging him with various crimes including the dispersal of cosmic rust on Outpost Thetarus. Fisitron objects, claiming that he's never even been to Thetarus, and that Decepticon scientist Oilslick is a much more likely candidate. Barricade concurs, but figures that his superiors are much more likely to listen to him than an Autobot. Back in the observation room, Heinrad tells Rhinox to turn up the gain, but is too late to prevent the loss of signal. Rhinox notes that he's never seen this universe, and that it's much further than any universe he's seen before. Rhinox gripes about Heinrad looking into his future, even though he told him he wouldn't, and goes onto another universe.
On another world, Rewind, Chromedome, and Stylor have found the supposed Vestigial Cortical Complex, a warehouse that stores the memories of thousands of ancient Decepticons. Chromedome is unconvinced, believing that there would be guards to protect the complex, but Rewind tells him that Decepticons want nobody to find their secrets, not even those protecting them. Their discussion is cut short when Treadshot, their hired gunslinger, blasts open a hole in the wall. Rewind heads on right on in; Chromedome asks if Treadshot is coming with them, and Treadshot gruffly informs them that if it doesn't have to do with guns, he's not interested. Back at the observation room, Rhinox explains that this universe loops around Primax 1005.19 Gamma, adopting aspects from it. Heinrad tries to appear interested.
Some time later, Heinrad goes to meet with his partner, happy to be done with all the research. His partner asks if they're done here in the past, but Heinrad insists on staying, feeling as if time is more fluid here, and that they were here for a reason. Heinrad's companion nags at him, having told him it wasn't his fault and that he doesn't appreciate him. Heinrad, feeling guilty, explains to his friend that his temporary bond with Starscream's spark gave him his temporal powers, powers that Heinrad has used to master his own, for which he is forever grateful. Heinrad promises that he'll help his partner get back home, much to his companion's delight; after all, it's been so long since Thrustinator's been home!
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 the IDW Publishing and Animated incarnations of Fisitron; Fistitron, a common misspelling of Fisitron in the fandom; and Bullethead, a reference to the original Ironfist's head 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 Sunbow The Transformers 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 edition 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 2005 IDW continuity, named here per the publication date of Infiltration #0.
- The DoopSpeak (see real-world references below) contains the names of several Decepticons: Preditron, originally seen in the Wings Universe story "A Team Effort", based on the evil version of Beast-Bot from the Playskool Go-Bots toyline—fittingly, he is described as "childish"; 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.
