Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)

	; I'm here to boost sales, as Cliffjumper wasn't in the films.
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	October 13, 2010
Writer	Mike Johnson
Pencils	E. J. Su (chapter 1); Atilio Martin and Allan Jefferson (chapter 2); David Daza (chapter 3); Joe St. Pierre (chapter 4)
Inks	E. J. Su (chapter 1); Jordi Tarragona, Sergio Abad, and Juanan Ramirez (chapter 2); Sergio Abad and David Daza (chapter 3); Jonas Trindale (chapter 4)
Colors	Andrew Dalhouse; Estudio Haus
Letters	Chris Mowry; Robbie Robbins
Editor	Andy Schmidt
Cover	Jose Lopez
Continuity	Transformers: Prime
ISBN	ISBN 1600108326; ISBN 978-1600108327
Page count	96
Price	$9.99

Aligned continuity family

«

Prime

»

Cliffjumper and Arcee discover the Decepticons have returned to Cybertron...

Synopsis

Detecting Decepticons on their dead homeworld, Cliffjumper returns to investigate, which in his case means blasting his way through Vehicons to retrieve enemy intelligence. Though he's a tough soldier, the Vehicons overwhelm him through sheer numbers. Cliffjumper wakes up, strapped to a board, where a Vehicon forces him to decode an Autobot signal. Cliffjumper watches in awe at the message, in which Optimus Prime speaks of their new battlefield, the planet Earth, but tells his interrogator that the message only says "Megatron smells like Unicron's armpit." Just as the Vehicons are about to do away with Cliffjumper, Arcee bursts in and saves his life.

Cliffjumper convinces Arcee to receive his help on her mission to Kaon. There they find Starscream overseeing construction of a space bridge. Cliffjumper distracts Starscream and his Vehicons by feigning defection to the Decepticons while Arcee activates the device, and they jump in together, dodging Decepticon blasts. They land on Earth and scan passing vehicles. Starscream lands shortly afterward and scans a fleet of jets before attacking Cliffjumper and Arcee, blowing off the latter's arm. Breakdown appears, and it seems like the end...until Optimus and Bumblebee arrive, fending off the two Decepticons and opening a ground bridge to their base, where Ratchet repairs Arcee.

Characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons
Cliffjumper (1) Optimus Prime (3) Arcee (4) Bumblebee (7) Ratchet (8) Bulkhead (9)	Vehicons (2) Starscream (5) Breakdown (6)

Quotes

"I think you will find that when it comes to these old tunnels... ...looks can be deceptive!"

—Arcee

Errors

Andrew Dalhouse is credited with coloring chapter 1. "Andre Dalhouse" is credited with coloring chapter 2.

Extras

Concept art by Dave Hartman, Jose Lopez, Vince Toyama, Christophe Vacher, Augusto Barranco, and Jevon Bue.
Promotional art by Barranco highlighting Cliffjumper, Arcee, and Starscream in front of other characters.
The four stories were published individually in January 2011.

Items of note

Elements from this comic, such as Arcee and Cliffjumper hijacking a Decepticon space bridge to reach Earth, and the Decepticons trying to decode Optimus Prime's transmission, were later adapted into the cartoon episode "Out of the Past".