Drift issue 1
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 I'm a ninja! I'm from Japan! | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | IDW Publishing | ||||||||||||
| First published | September 8/9, 2010 | ||||||||||||
| Cover date | September 2010 | ||||||||||||
| Written by | Shane McCarthy | ||||||||||||
| Art by | Alex Milne | ||||||||||||
| Colors by | Josh Perez | ||||||||||||
| Letters by | Chris Mowry | ||||||||||||
| Edits by | Denton J. Tipton | ||||||||||||
| Editorial consultant | Andy Schmidt | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | IDW continuity | ||||||||||||
| Chronology | Unknown | ||||||||||||
After being labeled a traitor, Deadlock escapes to an unknown planet. There he encounters a mysterious stanger...
Synopsis
Deadlock leads an assault on an Autobot unit under the command of Sunstreaker. The Decepticons run roughshod over the Autobots, causing Sunstreaker to order a retreat. While the Decepticons celebrate, one of the team steps forward and reminds them all that their orders from Turmoil were not to fire unless fired upon, but once again, Deadlock had disobeyed his commander's instructions. Deadlock announces he is concerned with results, and Turmoil will never find out anyway. The Decepticon smirks as he says that Turmoil will find out because he is going to tell him, and Deadlock will soon be as good as dead. Deadlock deals with this threat by shooting the 'con in the head. He declares that wars aren't won by cowards and it is time for new leadership. He turns to the others and asks "Who's with me?"
Turmoil looks down on a stasis locked Deadlock, who is being held by Turmoil's troops. Deadlock is called a betrayer, but responds that Turmoil needs him. Turmoil brushes the statement off, and takes aim, saying that Deadlock's recklessness is becoming desperate. Deadlock suddenly kicks Turmoil's gun arm, forcing him to blast one of the guards. He then makes a break for it. He reaches an escape pod but pauses at a console before leaving. He escapes and Turmoil orders his troops to track the pod. It is revealed that Deadlock initiated the emergency system protocols, and by the time everything is up and running again, Deadlock will be long gone. Turmoil orders the word to be spread: Deadlock is to be killed on sight.
On a distant planet, Deadlock crashes. Climbing from the wreckage, he reflects on his situation, his mind returning to his past living in the gutters of Cybertron before he was saved by an unknown individual. He climbs a nearby cliff, only to stumble across a huge base. As he looks on, a cloaked figure appears behind him. Deadlock attacks but the stranger dodges his strikes, telling him to be calm as he is a friend. Deadlock is incredulous, but the stranger reiterates he means him no harm. He identifies himself as Wing and asks where Deadlock comes from. Deadlock states he needs to get out of here and asks if Wing is from the base. Wing denies this, stating they are slave traders. He offers Deadlock a ship in exchange for helping free the captives. Deadlock simply says he'll need a gun...two guns. Wing says they will steal guns from the guards, and once they are free, Deadlock can take the captives with them in a comandeered ship. Deadlock refuses but Wing says he cannot leave the planet and helping others is the highest calling there is. Deadlock scoffs it off, claiming Wing sounds like an Autobot...weak.
Together, Deadlock and Wing defeat the guards and steal their weapons. During the fight, Wing is hit and his cloak is burnt away, revealing him to be Cybertronian. Deadlock accuses him of being an Autobot, but Wing simply says he is neither Autobot or Decepticon. Deadlock presses him as to what he really is, Wing simply says he is alone. Wing states he will free the hostages while Deadlock keeps the guards busy. He asks Deadlock his name, and Deadlock, remembering the past, responds with "Drift".
They dive in, but while Wing goes for the hostages, Deadlock merely goes for a spare ship. He is jumped by a slave trader and his body is crushed. Moments later he offlines.
He boots back up, and finds himself in a strange room, surrounded by several strange Cybertronians, wearing strange armor. Wing appears, telling him he was nearly killed and his body would have been destroyed. A red Cybertronian informs him that they saved his life. Leaping off the table, Deadlock demands to know where he is. He backs out a door, and finds himself in a huge Cybertronian city. Wing welcomes him to the new Crystal City.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Others |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"You need me, Turmoil."
"Like I need a disease."
- —Deadlock's argument does not convince Turmoil.
"I'll need a gun...two guns."
- —Deadlock wants to shoot you and will not run out of ammo in the process.
"Helping another is the highest calling one can aspire to."
"You sound like an Autobot."
"What does an Autobot sound like?"
"Weak."
- —Deadlock lets Wing know how he feels about the other team.
Transformers references
- Kremzeek cans reappear again.
Errors
- Deadlock somehow shoots notCarnivac in the face while the latter is walking away.
- Deadlock's leg is ridiculously stumpy when he kicks Turmoil's gun away.
Items of note
- The intro claims Drift feels he is an Autobot through and through... despite Drift telling Turmoil in his titular Spotlight comic that Cybertronians as a whole are all in the wrong place, but the Autobots are just a step in the right direction.
- Artists Alex Milne and Josh Perez apparently hadn't been keeping track of who's alive in the IDW universe's "present", as four of the late-G1/G2 characters they illustrated dying had to be recolored as generics: Manta Ray, Skram, Turbofire, and the Carnivac-esque Decepticon Deadlock kills (who is yet-unidentified, but confirmed by Milne as having been drawn as someone else [1], and intentionally colored in Generation 2 Breakdown's colors by Perez [2]).
Covers (2)
- Cover A: Drift in his Autobot body against a "rising sun" backdrop with additional cast in the white rays; art by Alex Milne, colors by Josh Perez
- Cover RI: Juxtaposition of Deadlock on the cover's left and Drift on the right; art by Guido Guidi, colors by Josh Perez.
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I'm turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so! -
Behold, Galva- oops, never mind.
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