Burning Bright: Dark Cybertron Chapter 8

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« The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #26 »
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Chapter 8 		»
"Burning Bright"
Dark Cybertron Chapter 8
Publisher IDW Publishing
First published February 5, 2014
Cover date February 2014
Written by James Roberts and John Barber
Art by James Raiz, Atilio Rojo, and Livio Ramondelli
Colors by Josh Perez and Livio Ramondelli
Letters by Tom B. Long
Editor Carlos Guzman
Continuity IDW continuity
Chronology Current era (2014)

The Autobots and Decepticons mobilize against the Necrotitan in Iacon, the Lost Lighters work with Windblade's team to save Metroplex, and it's showdown time in the Dead Universe!

Synopsis

On Cybertron, Bumblebee carries Megatron toward Iacon. The Decepticon leader does not seem especially hopeful of their chances in defeating the Necrotitan razing the city, given that they can't kill it since it isn't alive, but Bumblebee interprets this as a desire to not fight at all; in actuality, Megatron explains, he seeks to put saving the populace ahead of fighting their enemy.

In Iacon, Starscream has thrown in the towel, and congratulates Rattrap on out-scheming him. Rattrap, however, isn't very interested in taking charge of a burned-out city, and has allied with the combined Autobot and Decepticon forces under Prowl and Soundwave's command. Recognizing that Shockwave is relying on them in-fighting, Prowl takes charge of the situation and decides to play things logically, organizing the treatment of the wounded, the evacuation of the survivors, and a counter-strike against the Titan by Ironhide, Arcee and the Dinobots.

Within Metroplex, Getaway defuses the standoff between his crewmates and the newly-arrived Nautica and Chromia by observing that the two female Transformers are also wearing Autobot insignias. As the Ammonites come smashing into the room, the two females lead Ultra Magnus, Ratchet and Brainstorm back up the cable they entered the room on, while the others hold off their attackers. On the way, Nautica recognizes Ratchet from her recent studies; the medi-bot attempts to raise the subject of their gender, but Chromia's nonplussed response convinces him to table the matter. Following the arrows on Metroplex's walls—painted by Chromia and Nautica—they arrive in Metroplex's left shoulder blade, now housing his relocated brain module and Nautica and Chromia's leader, Windblade.

In the Dead Universe, Nightbeat leads Orion Pax's team through a Sweep horde to the chamber holding Kup. As the weakening Cyclonus stands guard, the others set to work freeing the old-timer, and Rodimus explains to Orion the meaning of the numbers on his hand. After he revealed to his crew his role in the presence of Overlord on their ship, he invoked the Crisis Act and had them vote on whether or not he should stay on as captain; the majority voted for him, but 89 wanted him out, and he carved the numbers on his hand as a personal reminder. Instead of the "standard Optimus pep talk" he is expecting, Rodimus is instead greeted with scorn from Orion, who angrily points out that if he was actually ashamed of his actions, he would have simply resigned, and that he only invoked the Crisis Act because he thought he would win. The team subsequently sets Kup free, but just as the old 'bot is giving a speech about how he's ready for anything, Nova Prime appears, hurls the unconscious Cyclonus into Kup, and challenges Orion to a showdown.

Windblade explains the current situation to Magnus's team; infected with the alchemical virus, Metroplex transported himself to the alien planet they are now on, knowing its oceans would slow the disease's spread, then relocated his brain to hide it from any subsequent attempts on his life. As she and her team are only recent arrivals themselves, Windblade has been informed of this by Metroplex himself, who communicates in patterns of color and light that flash on his brain—the trio are actually members of Thunderclash's crew who came to Metroplex's aid at the request of Alpha Trion, who was unable to help his longtime partner because he was "close to finding the Holy Grail". Remembering the Lost Light's own previous encounter with Thunderclash and how they used its quantum engines to give his ship the Vis Vitalis a power boost, Magnus organizes a repeat of that procedure, with Metroplex as the recipient of the quantum energy. Using the alien sea as a conduit for the energy, Magnus tries to wake Metroplex, calling on him to use the ship's power to teleport them all home.

Things aren't going too well back on Cybertron, where doctors Flatline and Fixit are arguing, the attack on the Necrotitan isn't even registering (much to Slug's annoyance), and an energon leak in a burning building causes an explosion that takes out Arcee and Ironhide. Unable to follow the logic of Shockwave's moves, Prowl questions Soundwave in hopes of gaining more information, but the spymaster has no clue as to his goals, only a belief they can defeat him. Prowl, on the other hand, believes that they will need a miracle... at which point, having chosen his moment rather carefully for maximum drama, Megatron has Bumblebee carry him into view. Prowl is ready to start shooting, but Megatron offers up a plan: evacuate all survivors to Luna-2, gather all other Decepticon soldiers out in space, and strike back. Bumblebee refuses to retreat, scoffing at Megatron's attestation that he fights for freedom, and insists they will make a stand... and just as his speech concludes, the familiar light of a quantum jump appears in the sky, and the Lost Light and a functioning Metroplex appear!

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Others

Quotes

"Easy does it, Kup. Are you alright? Can you stand?"
"Can I stand? Can I stand? Kid, I've been standin' since before it was fashionable."
"But are you feeling okay?"
"I've had worse than this. I've been spiked by Squadron X, dipped in the smeltin' pool, framed for treason, shot into the sun—and I was the only 'bot still trapped inside the Nightmare Engine when everyone else woke up. I've seen off every rinky-dink, two-bit, catchpenny Decepticon rust-poker, and I got the dents in my knuckles to prove it. End of the day? I'm ready for anything you can throw at me."

—Nightbeat sets up Kup up for a pretty badass speech.


"I get the feeling that every second we're not on Cybertron, we're playing into Shockwave's hands."
(pause)
"Hand."

—Ultra Magnus. Dohohohoho!


"Trion was flustered. He could feel Metroplex was hurting but couldn't go to his aid because... what was it he said, Chromia?"
"I wasn't listening. He was being all faux-enigmatic and I wanted to lamp him."

—Nautica and Chromia


Prowl: "Unless your faith can conjure up a miracle, Cybertron is going to fall."
Megatron: I've been called many things... but never that. Not by an Autobot, anyway."
Bumblebee: "He had me waiting there for like twenty seconds for a dramatic entrance."


"The people are my utmost concern. I've led an army battling for freedom for millions of years—"
"No, that's not what you led at all. You were a gang of destroyers, ravaging the galaxy in the name of a cause you'd forgotten—except when you needed an excuse.

—Megatron and Bumblebee

Notes

Continuity notes

  • Nautica initially mistakes Ratchet for his fellow medical practitioner Pharma, who has put in previous appearances in issues #4-5 and #17-21.
  • Overlord's rampage took place in issue #15; Rodimus's involvement in his presence was revealed in issue #21. We didn't see him reveal this secret to the rest of the crew on-panel, but the voting was hinted at back in Chapter 2 of the event, when a large "VOTE" appeared on the ship's noticeboard.
  • Kup references Squadron X, the Decepticon commando group featured in Last Stand of the Wreckers, and the mysterious Nightmare Engine, also mentioned in that series and in issue #16.
  • Thunderclash, the Vis Vitalis, and the quantum engine boosting procedure appeared in issue #22.
  • Alpha Trion chronologically last appeared in the Ironhide mini-series, in which he was first seen working with Metroplex; Spotlight: Orion Pax expanded on the pair's relationship to show how long they had been working together.
  • Flatline is not impressed with Fixit's med-trailer, which we saw in Robots in Disguise issue #18.
  • Flatline also references the plights of Omega Supreme, who has been offline since Robots in Disguise #12, and the Aerialbots, who were gravely wounded in issue #15.
  • Megatron notes that he has other soldiers out in space in addition to the Decepticon Justice Division; it's unlikely he's referring to them specifically, but we saw that there were indeed groups of other Decepticons who hadn't returned to Cybertron when we met the Scavengers in issue #7, and then later with the group occupying Temptoria in issue #12.

Transfomers references

  • Simon Furman created the idea of the Crisis Act in the Marvel Comics issue "The Pri¢e of Life!", in which Kup threatened to invoke it and relieve Optimus Prime of command. James Roberts made use of the concept once before, in his unofficial novel, Eugenesis, in which it was Prowl's leadership put to the vote.

Real-world references

  • This issue takes its title from the William Blake poem, "The Tyger", which contains the line: "Tyger, Tyger, burning bright/In the forests of the night."
  • Brainstorm scans Metroplex's brain module with a P.K.E. Meter from the Ghostbusters franchise.

Errors

  • The final page informs readers the story "Continues in Transformers: Robots in Disguise #27!", but Chapter 9 is actually Transformers: Robots in Disguise #26.

Trivia

  • Artist breakdown: No surprises here—Rojo on Cybertron, Raiz on the Lost Light, Ramondelli on the Dead Universe.
  • It's not clear which Generations toy this issue is going to come packaged with; Tailgate appears on the subscription cover, but he's a Legends-class toy, and only the Deluxe-class figures are coming with comics.

Covers (3)

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