Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"

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Ohh S*** what are we going to do now?!
"Earthworks"
Publisher IDW Publishing
First published April 28, 2010
Cover date April 2010
Written by Mike Costa
Art by Don Figueroa
Colors by James Brown, Andrew Dalhouse
Letters by Chris Mowry
Editor Andy Schmidt
Associate editor Denton J. Tipton
Continuity IDW continuity
Chronology Current era (2010)


Let's see what you can see...

This article is in need of images.

Specifics: Interiors

Major Witwicky and Optimus Prime come to terms with each other, while the giant gestalt, Menasor wreaks havoc in the desert.

Synopsis

Spike Witwicky is is sitting in a Skywatch gunship with Corporal Henderson after being pulled from a flood channel after his near-death encounter with the Stunticons. Spike voices his frustration with how long it took for them to finally come and get him, to which Joe basically says that Spike did not need any help to get out of the channel in the first place.

The pilot turns to Joe and Spike and says that a call came in regarding a situation located about 20 miles northwest of their current position, Spike orders the pilot to take them there and Joe remarks that he can see it. Corporal Henderson immediately recognizes the giant robot as one of those Gestalts and that he hasn't seen one of those since the incident in New York.

Spike asks the pilot what kind of weapons they have on board, to which the pilot replies that there is nothing on board capable of even barely scratching the paint. Campologno makes a remark about how these things are just not going to stop trying to kill each other, to which Spike tells the pilot to get them back to base immediately.

Back at Skywatch base; Spike Witwicky decides to talk to Optimus Prime one last time as he he confronts Prime by saying that Prime turned himself in because his friend was killed. To which Prime says that he turned himself in because he realized that there had to be a change, and that it wouldn't have happened if he had told his comrades what he was doing. Spike asks if it was the death of his friend that set him in motion, Prime affirms, to which Spike starts pouring out his heart saying how Ironhide's death was all his fault because he wasn't present on the base the day of the raid. Optimus asks Spike about his sudden release of honesty, to which Spike replies by saying that he is a good soldier and that he's still trying to figure out just what it means to be a leader.

Spike offers Prime a way to a way to redeem himself, Prime balks at first, but Spike manages to convince him that if he doesn't, innocent people will most assuredly get hurt. Spike disables the cage surrounding Prime and Prime allows him to walk outside. The other Skywatch personnel are shocked to see what their commanding officer is doing since the General will be at the base in a few hours. Spike tells his men that the only chance they have at stopping Menasor rests within Prime and that he doesn't want another incident like the one back in New York to occur again. Joe tells Spike that he can't let him do that, because Spike doesn't know how to fly.

Menasor has Ultra Magnus in his hands and ponders what to do with him, Menasor's limbs suggest different ways to kill him, but Menasor decides to ignore them, loudly declaring to smash Ultra Magnus instead. Swindle tells Magnus that he knew he was after him for stealing the gestalt technology because Magnus figured that Swindle would sell it to the highest bidder and that it never occurred to him that he would figure out how to use it himself because Magnus apparently felt that Swindle wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, to which Swindle mockingly asks Magnus who the idiot is now, Only to have Optimus Prime drop right onto his head, transforming and heroically taking on Menasor alone.

Bumblebee is being strangled by Scrapper, who is apparently jealous that everyone is giving their undivided attention to Menasor, to which he states that no one should forget about the Constructicons, as he smashes Bumblebee down into the ground. Scrapper gets shot by Thundercracker, who states that he always hated them. Bumblebee is shocked that Thundercracker saved him, to which that Swindle will keep fighting no matter what because he is both a Combaticon and a liar, while telling Bumblebee that he used to be a Seeker and that he meant it when he said that he didn't know why the Autobots and Decepticons were fighting anymore, and that Swindle is not as smart as he says because he didn't spend much time applying the gestalt tech to the Stunticons and that they could probably take it, before running off to help Rodimus.

Menasor is busy looking for a weapon, he decides on a sword and tears off a piece of the rocket that was built to help Swindle and the rest of the Decepticons escape, much to Swindle's chagrin. Bumblebee realizes that the Stunticons have some teamwork issues and that the best way to defeat Menasor is to break him apart. Bumblebee gives the order to target Dead End followed by Motormaster. Optimus then radioes Spike to come in and pick up the pieces. Red Alert tells Prime (unaware that Prime was the one who called them in the first place), that Skywatch forces are inbound to their position and asks Prime what they should do. Prime tells Red Alert that he's not in charge and that he's returning himself to Skywatch's custody. Red Alert tells Prime that they need him, but Prime replies saying that he came to help, but they cannot go back to the way things were.

Red Alert then turns to Bumblebee who says that they stay, an idea that Red Alert doesn't seem to be too fond of. Bumblebee realizes that Prime was right and that living like a band of fugitives is no way for an Autobot. Spike walks over to Bumblebee and tells him that Skywatch will help treat some of the wounded Autobots. He tells Bumblebee that he's seen enough to be convinced that the Autobots are not the problem, and that he's willing to allow them to stay on Earth. Spike says that they can keep chiseling away at each other, or they can work together to eliminate common threats. Bumblebee is leery at such a proposal, but Spike assures Bumblebee that he isn't like Horiuchi.

Ultra Magnus suddenly emerges from the Autobot cave demanding to know where Swindle is. Spike tells him that he got away, along with a few of the Constructicons. Magnus seemingly gets distraught at the fact that Swindle has eluded justice once again and asks Bumblebee if anyone tried to pursue him. Bumblebee starts to answer, but Magnus suddenly notices Rodimus and begins to tell him that he is under arrest for willful collusion with the enemy. Rodimus attempts to justify his actions, but Silverstreak is fed up with him. Bumblebee intercedes between Magnus and Rodimus, telling Magnus to back off. Magnus, not one to be ordered around attempts to supplant Bumblebee's authority, to which Bumblebee tells him that they've felt lost and scared ever since Megatron stole the Matrix of Leadership and that he's in charge until the Matrix is recovered and it chooses someone else, which gets Hot Rod's attention, who sneaks off and steals Ultra Magnus' shuttle, while Silverstreak remarks about how cowardly Hot Rod is for doing so, and that he's glad Bumblebee is still around, as it seems that he's the only leader that they have left.

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Humans

Quotes

  • "No. I turned myself in because there had to be a change, and my people would not have been able to enact it if I had told them what I was doing." -Baracktimus Prime


  • "Who's stupid now?" -Swindle, oblivious to the big red truck directly over his head.


  • "Everyone wants to focus on the big guy. Just 'cuz we have a new combiner." -Scrapper envies Menasor for not sharing the spotlight.



  • "Swindle! Where is he?" -Ultra Magnus
  • "He was one of the Decepticons that slipped through the net. He and a few Constructicons." -Spike Witwicky apparently knows the name of at least one of the gestalt subgroups.


  • "No! No, no, Not again! Didn't anyone try to pursue him?" -Ultra Magnus is either really incompetent or Swindle is really awesome.


  • "So you will listen to me. And you will obey. No Autobot is being arrested today while I'm here, regardless of their mistakes. -Bumblebee tells Ultra Magnus to shut up and deal with it now.

Items of Note

  • It seems a little odd that Optimus Prime refers to the Autobots as people on page 4, in the top panel of page 5 Spike refers to the cybertronians as both "man" and "people" in the same speech bubble. He does this again in the top-center panel on page 6.
  • In the bottom panel on page 17 there is a silhouette of a Transformer that clearly resembles Drag Strip's IDW design, but Don Figueroa could have possibly meant for it to be Mirage, since we see Mirage in vehicle mode in the top right panel of page 19.

Covers (3)

  • Cover A: Close up of Menasor attacking Rodimus and Bumblebee; art by Don Figueroa and colors by James Brown.
  • Cover B: Close up of Optimus Prime; art by Don Figueroa and colors by James Brown.
  • Cover RI: Optimus Prime standing in the middle of a forest; art by Andrew Wildman.

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