The Gathering issue 1

	; He's leading antdroids to a picnic.
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	February 15, 2006
Cover date	February 2006
Written by	Simon Furman
Art by	Don Figuroa
Colors by	Josh Burcham
Letters by	Tom B. Long
Edits by	Chris Ryall & Dan Taylor
Continuity	Beast Wars cartoon continuity

Magmatron initializes his plans to build an army to conquer Cybertron, and the Maximal Razorbeast must stop him.

Synopsis

Magmatron and his Predacons set down on prehistoric Earth, in the midst of the Beast Wars. Razorbeast sets up a transmitter array which will activate the Axalon's abandoned stasis pods. Magmatron sends his troops to report on the results.

Depth Charge suddenly appears, but Magmatron reminds Drill Bit that his team has been chronally displaced, rendering them invisible to the rest of the beast warriors.

Flashing back to Cybertron, Magmatron has gathered a group of disenchanted Predacons. He promises victory over the oppressive Maximal regime as well as the stagnant Tripredacus Council. Tripredacus Agent Ravage sends tactical planetary scans to Magmatron, presumably of ancient Earth. Razorbeast seeks to go undercover to learn what Magmatron is planning.

Back on Earth, in the "present", Razorbeast sends the signal, waking up the multitude of Maximal stasis pods scattered across Earth. Most of Magmatron's troops report in, confirming that the new Transformers are indeed Predacons. Spittor, however, is attacked by a newly-roused Maximal, Polar Claw. This reveals Razorbeast as a traitor, and the Maximal rushes off to gather his own troops. Magmatron, eager to complete his plan, sends his Predacons into battle.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Maximals

Predacons

Others

Airazor (1)
Cheetor (3)
Optimus Primal (7)
Rattrap (10)
Rhinox (12)
Silverbolt (13)
Tigatron (17)
Razorbeast (23)
Depth Charge (26)
Lio Convoy (32)
Heinlad (33)
Polar Claw (37)
Ramulus (38)
Snarl (39)
Bonecrusher (40)
B'Boom (41)
Cybershark (42)
Optimus Minor (43)
Wolfang (44)
Armordillo (46)
Bantor (47)
K-9 (48)
Noctorro (49)
Stinkbomb (50)
Torca (51)

Blackarachnia (2)
Dinobot (4)
Inferno (5)
Megatron (6)
Quickstrike (9)
Ravage (11)
Tarantulas (15)
Terrorsaur (16)
Waspinator (18)
Drill Bit (19)
Iguanus (20)
Magmatron (21)
Manterror (22)
Spittor (24)
Transquito (25)
Dead End (27)
Killer Punch (28)
Cicadacon (29)
Ram Horn (30)
Sea Clamp (31)
Retrax (34)
Snapper (35)
Jetstorm (36)
Insecticon (45)

Autobots

Optimus Prime (8)

Decepticons

Starscream (14)

Errors

None yet identified

Items of note

Many scenes and lines of dialog are recycled from the script written for Dreamwave's Beast Wars miniseries [1].
The main story takes place early in the third season Beast Wars cartoon. The flashback sequences take place on Cybertron sometime after the Tripredacus Council dispatched Ravage to Earth.
The "Decepticomments" section featured mail answered by Chris Ryall and advertisements for Infiltration #3, The Gathering #2, Generations #1 and War and Peace.

Covers (10)

Cover A: Cybertronian mode Magmatron; art by Don Figueroa.
Cover B: 3 versions of BW Megatron; art by Don Figueroa.
Cover C: 3 versions of Optimus Primal; art by Don Figueroa.
Cover D: Gatefold wraparound battle cover; art by Don Figueroa.
Cover RI-A: foil stamped cover A
Cover RI-B: foil stamped cover C
Cover RI-C: foil stamped cover B
Graham Crackers Exclusive Cover: Sexy Blackarachnias; art by Nick Roche.
ND Comics Exclusive Cover: Maximals; art by Don Figueroa (also used for the manga cover). The reverse had a special open area for sketches.
Bonus Gate-Fold Out Cover: Larger fold out version of cover D