The Beauty of Cybertron

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	"The Beauty of Cybertron" {{#if: \| {{#if: \|; (')}} {{#if:\|; ""}}}}
Publisher	IDW Publishing}}
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Published in	The Magic of Cybertron #3}}
First published	June 30, 2021}}
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Cover date	June 2021}}
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Written by	James Asmus}}
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Art by	Priscilla Tramontano}}
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Colors by	Luis Antonio Delgado}}
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Letters by	Jake M. Wood}}
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Editor	Megan Brown and David Mariotte}}
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{{#switch:{{#sub:xx|2|14}}|dark cybertron=}}

Rarity and Ratchet search for a way to reverse King Sombra’s evil spell and receive some unexpected Decepticon assistance.

Synopsis

King Sombra's Transformer slaves rampage across Cybertron, stealing resources for their new master and pursued by Ratchet and Rarity. Although the Autobot medic admits he's far out of his depth, Rarity urges him to do what he can—after all, as a result of her adventures with Twilight Sparkle, she has some experience with magic, and together they just might be able to find a way to find a cure for the afflicted Cybertronians and break the spell for good. As the brainwashed mob strips a broken-down transport vehicle for parts, the two launch an ambush to capture a potential test subject: riding on top of Ratchet's ambulance mode, Rarity uses a high-tech net to bring down one of the Cybertronians. When the pair recovers their captive, however, Ratchet recognizes the struggling Decepticon and quickly realized that they haven't caught one of Sombra's slaves at all—they've captured Knock Out! Opportunistic and vain as ever, the Decepticon medic has taken advantage of the Equestrian invasion to steal some accoutrements for himself amidst the chaos. As Rarity helps him free from the net, however, Ratchet slaps a device on his shoulder and tells Knock Out that he's just been drafted into their rescue mission—one wrong move and he'll remotely detonate the bomb he's just planted on the Decepticon.

As the trio head out into the badlands, Ratchet asks if Knock Out overheard anything about where Sombra's slaves might strike next. Unfortunately, Knock Out has no clear leads for them, beyond briefly overhearing them mumble something about power supplies... and points out that he was far more interested in finding a set of suitable racing tires. Exasperated, Ratchet snaps that Knock Out is the most selfish medic he's ever met, but the Decepticon snaps that he didn't want to become a battlefield medic or some kind of martyr for the cause—he went into the business to bring beauty and refinement to Cybertronians with taste. But when Rarity innocently compliments Knock Out on his finish, pointing out that he is one of the only beautiful things she's seen on Cybertron, this provokes an unexpected reaction from the Decepticon. He'll help them track down the brainwashed Transformers... but informs them that if they want his assistance, they'll be doing things his way.

As they pursue the brainwashed Transformers across the planet, Knock Out takes time to show Rarity that Cybertron has a beauty all its own—the yearly migration of the radiant shralls, slumbering Titans, and the natural energon springs, a "waterfall" of pure liquid energon. That's where they catch up with Sombra's victims, who are working to tap the flow and process it into energon cubes... and Ratchet advises Knock Out to keep his head and remember who he's working for, because Knock Out's partner Breakdown is part of the group! Knock Out and Rarity cause a distraction while Ratchet whips up a neural disruptor that will hopefully disrupt Sombra's mental control—but Knock Out grabs the controls before they're ready and unleashes a paralyzing electrical. While the blast successfully incapacitates Breakdown, the other 'bots take advantage of the distraction to retreat with their energon cubes, and Rarity gently tells Knock Out that it will take more than a simple electric shock to break the spell. Ratchet, fighting off more Sombra slaves, snaps that they can't just use friendship to override Sombra's spell... but Rarity points out that friendship was how they bested Sombra the last time they crossed paths. Her words give Ratchet an idea: could she do it again?

Ratchet plants his device on Rarity's head, who then channels her natural unicorn magic through the device's Cybertronian circuitry to keep Breakdown and others pinned in place. Her friendship won't free the Decepticons, however—she needs Knock Out to do that. Knock Out reaches out from his heart to try and break the spell; his impassioned speech that he couldn't bear to live in a world without his better half by his side is channelled through Rarity's magic and amplified by Ratchet's neural disruptor. After a moment, the spell is lifted as Breakdown's eyes return to normal—their plan has succeeded! Rarity suggests that Ratchet could release Knock Out as thanks, but the Autobot medic just laughs—the "detonator" was a harmless tracking device that could have been removed at any time. Now that they've discovered a way to free Sombra's victims by intensifying unicorn magic with Cybertronian technology, Ratchet wonders if Wheeljack could somehow find a way to innovate on the principle, but hopes that Sombra won't figure out the same trick—unaware that Sombra has eyes everywhere and has already learned their secret...

Featured characters

{{#if:* Ratchet (1)| {{#if:* Ratchet (1)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |

Ratchet (1) }}{{#if:* Knock Out (3)
Breakdown (4)|

Autobots }}{{#if:* Knock Out (3) Breakdown (4)\|	Decepticons }}{{#if:* Rarity (2) King Sombra (5)\|	Equestrians }}{{#if:\|	Others }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}
Knock Out (3) Breakdown (4) }}{{#if:* Rarity (2) King Sombra (5)\|	Rarity (2) King Sombra (5) }}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}

Quotes

"Please—you want to talk about theft? You should see how egregiously overpriced these designer racing tires are!"
"Ugh! Tell me about it! I think a few couture shops in Equestria would literally charge a horn and a leg if they could."

—Knock Out and Rarity

"I confess, Ratchet darling, this plan feels an awful lot like not having a plan."
"Medical breakthroughs are trial and error! The plan is to try things—and hope we survive long enough to learn from the errors."

—Rarity and Ratchet

"Listen to me, you big hunk of metal—I need you to snap out of it. Right now. Not just because I don't want to hurt you—but because you're the strongest bot I know. And if you can't break free of that spell—no one will. But also because... because you're my better half. And frankly, if I have to fight to keep this world from falling into a grim, unicorn dystopia—and we lose—I'd hate to spend eternity on a scrap heap next to anyone else."

—Knock Out

Notes

Continuity notes

Breakdown appeared in the first story of issue #1 as one of the many Decepticon victims of King Sombra's opening attack.
Rarity uses the same glowing net that Starscream and the other Seekers deployed against a group of brainwashed Cybertronians in Rainbow Dash's spotlight story.
Rarity remembers the last time she and her friends went up against King Sombra in "The Beginning of the End - Part 2"—as she notes here, they were able to trounce the evil king by using the Elements of Harmony against him.

Transformers references

Knock Out is, of course, based directly on the fan-favorite Decepticon sportscar who debuted in the Transformers: Prime cartoon. In terms of characterization, however, this version of Knock Out hews closer to the version that appeared in IDW's own Windblade and Till All Are One comics, a cosmetic surgeon in an explicitly romantic relationship with Breakdown.
This continuity's version of Cybertron takes a few cues from Brian Ruckley's unique interpretation of the planet from IDW's ongoing Transformers comic—notable points of commonality include the presence of organic alien lifeforms like the radiant shralls, multiple dormant Titans, and luminescent rivers of energon.
After Knock Out snatches the neural disruptor, a frustrated Ratchet cries "I needed that!" in reference to his running gag from the Prime cartoon. Usually this was directed at other Autobots, but he said it to Knock Out in the finale movie.

Errors

The "bomb" on Knock Out's right shoulder comes and goes: it's missing during his argument with Ratchet, the subsequent travel montage, and the battle against Sombra's slaves from on pages four to six, reappears when he paralyzes Breakdown, then vanishes again.
On page five, Knock Out's right headlight is missing.

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