Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine

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"Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: The Demolished Man‎"
"Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine"
Publisher IDW Publishing
First published April 13, 2011
Cover date April 2011
Written by Mike Costa
Art by Alex Milne
Colors by Andrew Dalhouse
Letters by Shawn Lee
Editor Andy Schmidt
Assistant editor Carlos Guzman
Continuity IDW continuity
Chronology Current era (2011)

Optimus Prime confronts Megatron, but the words of his nemesis cause him to question his trust in humanity.

Synopsis

Inside Omega Supreme's fortress, Wheeljack attempts to repair Thundercracker while Optimus Prime broods, watching a television report about the incident in Albuquerque. Despite his weakened state, Thundercracker's interest is piqued by the report and requests that Prime turn the volume up. Prime, however, has had enough and turns the broadcast off. Without the television to distract him, Thundercracker turns his attention to himself, asking Wheeljack where Ratchet is. Wheeljack is insulted that Thundercracker sees him as second best and tells him that Ratchet is busy tending to other Autobots who have been wounded. Prime dresses Thundercracker down, telling him that he is receiving the best care that they can provide, but that he expects information in return. He wants to know where Megatron would take an injured Decepticon for repairs and tells Thundercracker that without this information he will be treated as any other prisoner. Optimus Prime storms off, followed by Spike Witwicky, who tells him that he was somewhat harsh on Thundercracker, considering he clearly didn't have any information to give. Prime retorts that Megatron is out there and must be stopped. Spike tells Prime not to blame himself but Prime claims he doesn't—he blames Megatron. Their conversation is interrupted by the injured Ultra Magnus, who is lying down and undergoing repairs after his ordeal. Prime tells him to conserve his energy and, assuming Magnus is trying to apologise for the earlier incident, praises the choices he made, telling him he saved lives. While Magnus clearly appreciates the sentiment, he reveals that he is sorry for not revealing earlier that he had managed to place a tracking chip on Soundwave. Optimus Prime is impressed but Ultra Magnus smiles and puts on his best advertising voice-over accent and quips "Hunting Decepticons down... it's what I do."

Preparing for an assault, Optimus Prime reviews Skywatch's files. Spike tells him that most of it hasn't even been funded yet, that it is purely theoretical, and that they will have to rely on a more low-tech approach. Prime turns to Ratchet and asks him if Jetfire is cleared for duty. Ratchet is wary, advising that Jetfire should not be deployed in combat so soon after his injuries during the recent international incident. Prime responds by telling him that Jetfire won't see any combat, Jetfire, however, is keen to have another shot. Prime reassures him that his skills as a scientist are needed and sends him to rendezvous with Cosmos in Earth's orbit. His plan set in motion, Optimus Prime strides purposefully off. Jazz attempts to stop him, offering himself as back up, but Prime tells him that he is off duty until Bumblebee decides what to do with him. Prowl too tries to dissuade Prime from his course of action, but Optimus has made his mind up, and boards the Skywatch cargo plane. He will confront Megatron alone.

In an abandoned laboratory complex, Shockwave assesses Soundwave's injuries while, above, Optimus Prime prepares his attack. Megatron appears concerned about his fallen lieutenant, but Shockwave states that he is under-equipped. At that moment, Prime leaps from his plane and crashes through the roof, much to Shockwave's consternation. Prime challenges Megatron and suggests that if he doesn't want to lose any more troops perhaps they should take this outside. Shockwave does the logical thing and encourages Megatron to accept the offer, claiming that he can repair Soundwave if they leave him to it. Megatron agrees, instructing his troops to stand down. They all calmly exit and gather outside the complex. Megatron taunts Prime, but Prime dismisses this, instead admiring Megatron's new rail-gun. Megatron indulges and tells him that it doesn't even have to be fully charged to destroy a human city. Optimus Prime admits he has used the same ion blaster for millennia, but tells Megatron that the humans are more impressive because they advance quicker, that their weapons are better now than three years ago. He asks Megatron if he knows what a Kinetic Harpoon is and blasts him multiple times at point blank range. Megatron is neither injured nor impressed. Prime transforms and drives off at speed, leaving Megatron confused at this apparent act of cowardice. The Decepticon leader sends Astrotrain after him. Prime reveals that his blasts were not intended to harm Megatron, but merely to determine targeting and range information. Megatron looks up as the Kinetic Harpoon, a Skywatch communications satellite, is launched directly at him, causing a devastating explosion.

Prime is caught in the blast and is knocked off his tires. Damaged, he transforms in time to see Megatron emerge from the flames, intact and ready for round two. Disappointed by the failure of his plan, Prime loses it, breaking his trusty blaster over Megatron's head and tries to throttle him with his bare hands demanding to know why he never dies. Megatron stares back at his nemesis with cold, unaffected eyes...

Back at Omega Supreme, Spike and Prowl watch a monitor in horror as they see Megatron walking towards them carrying the unconscious Optimus Prime. Megatron tells them that Prime is alive and drops his own bombshell, he is surrendering!

Later, a repaired Optimus Prime questions Megatron, who is heavily restrained. Megatron tells him that he is exactly where he wants to be. Prime informs him that he has ordered Omega Supreme to transform if he senses him trying to escape, even if Prime is still in there with him. Megatron asks if humans would also be killed, but Prime replies that they are safe in the outer fortress under his protection. Megatron is amused by this and tells Prime that one of his human comrades executed Scrapper. Prime won't accept this, telling his old foe that he was there when they recovered Scrapper's body. Megatron points out that Prime did not actually witness the death and accuses Optimus Prime of being a traitor to his race. Prime states that he trusts Spike, which only serves to further entertain Megatron, who further goads him by telling him that Prime's philosophy has failed and that his own ideals have been proved right. Disturbed, Prime leaves and orders Prowl to covertly investigate Megatron's claims.

Haunted by Megatron's taunts, Optimus Prime reviews the current situation, the negative public opinion, the tension in the ranks, and the high number of injured. Alone with his ghosts, Optimus Prime contemplates the coming chaos...

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Humans

Notes

  • "Enemy Mine" is the title of a 1979 science-fiction novella by Barry B. Longyear. When originally published, the issue was mistakenly given the same sub-title as issue 14, "The Demolished Man"; this mistake was corrected for the trade paperback collection of the story.
  • Wheeljack's "ears" glow even when he's not talking.
  • Cosmos and Scrapper are mentioned, but not seen.
  • The three placard-bearing activists who appear on a monitor screen on page 19 are Transformers fans David "Kalelprime" Wallace, founder of the Moonbase 2 Podcast, and Aimee "Ladywreck" Morgan and Matt "KingGrimlock" Messenger, hosts of the Moonbase's sister show, the comic-book centric Underbase Podcast. In reference to this, Matt's shirt bears an "MB2" logo.
  • Megatron's new body was built using, among other things, Ore-13, which helps to explain its nigh-invulnerability.
  • Ravage is back. Presumably Spike's claim to have "got him" in The Man of Steel was the non-lethal kind.
  • Skywarp is also back, last seen prior to the EMP detonation at the end of the Bumblebee limited series. Presumably, he was either captured by Skywatch and liberated a few issues back, or was simply lying low and rejoined the Decepticons of his own accord.
  • This issue finally deals with the amoral nature of Spike's decision to murder the wounded Scrapper.
  • The Autobots act as if Jazz has done something horrible, despite the fact that Optimus Prime, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, Hot Rod, the Dynobots, Hardhead and the Monsterbots have all killed humans before. Of course, the fact that the human that Jazz killed was a police officer who Bumblebee was just starting to get through to and the terrible state of human/Cybertronian relations should probably be taken into account. It's also worth noting that most of the humans any Autobots killed were either Headmasters attached to powerful robot bodies and almost all of them were working for a terrorist orginization.
  • Ultra Magnus smiles, or at least half smiles. It is not clear if this is the incident he is later claimed to regret. Perhaps this is what causes the look of shock on Prime's face!

Errors

  • At the start of the issue the Autobots are clearly inside Omega Supreme's fortress mode, a logical place to be considering the hammering they have just taken. However, when Prime reviews Skywatch's arsenal there are rocks in the background. Either Prime and Spike returned to the Autobot cave base, not seen since Earthworks, or Omega Supreme has been re-decorating his insides to appeal to the natives.
  • On page 2, panel 2, Ratchet is missing his electrocardiogram shoulder logos.
  • On page 9, panel 2, Tankor is colored as Prowl.
  • On page 19, panel 3, Ratchet's shoulder logos are missing. Again.

Covers (3)

  • Cover A: Closeup of Shockwave with the shadow of Optimus Prime's head in the background; art by Marcelo Matere and colors by Priscilla Tramontano
  • Cover B: Megatron hovering over a defeated Optimus Prime; art by Nick Roche and colors by J. Brown.
  • Cover RI: Concept art of Shockwave by Marcelo Matere.

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