The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10

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« The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #27 »
« Dark Cybertron
Chapter 10 		»
"The Becoming"
Dark Cybertron Chapter 10
Publisher IDW Publishing
First published March 12, 2014
Cover date March 2014
Written by James Roberts and John Barber
Art by Alex Milne, Brendan Cahill, and Livio Ramondelli
Additional inks Brian Shearer
Colors by Josh Perez and Livio Ramondelli
Letters by Tom B. Long
Editor Carlos Guzman
Continuity IDW continuity
Chronology Current era (2014)

As the Autobots and Decepticons enjoy a brief moment of peace and downtime following the Necrotitan's defeat, some old wounds are opened wide... and at long last, the terrifying enormity of Shockwave's plan is finally revealed.

Synopsis

With the Dead Universe contracting around them at increasing speed, Optimus Prime and his team are distressed to discover that the portal they used to cross over from the living universe has closed. Nightbeat discovers a miniscule tear in the fabric of the universe, large enough only to admit a transmit a short message from Wheelie, who can do nothing but verify their dire straits. Kup proposes that the others use the portal within him to escape, but Nightbeat refuses; having observed that all Dead Universe residents seem to have a link connecting the worlds within them, he suggests that he, being dead already, be the one to sacrifice themselves. Prime tries to speak up, but Rodimus shouts him down, unwilling to let him give up his life again... except that wasn't what Prime was going to say. From somewhere, he and Cyclonus can hear singing...

On Cybertron, Shockwave at last initiates the final stage of his plan. Using the chronal drive of Turmoil's ship, Jhiaxus drains the life-energy out of the Dead Universe from its very beginning (in turn, causing it to be, and always have been, dead), channeling it into Shockwave himself through Galvatron, held fast in Monstructor's arms. In response to Galvatron's demands, Shockwave explains the history of his Regenesis ores, and how they are being employed... by combining Ore-14 and Ore-2 in the Necrotitan and then exposing the result to the transmutative Ore-7, brought by Metroplex, he has fundamentally altered the nature of life and death... by merging Ore-6 with Ore-8 he has gained mastery of all matter... and by blending Ore-1 with Ore-13, time is now at his command... all to facilitate the very real "Dark Cybertron" prophecy. His pontifications are observed by Metalhawk and a puzzled Waspinator, who realize that things are much worse than they originally believed—a conclusion that has also been reached by the discorporated Skywarp, who manages to solidify himself long enough to teleport the pair out of the cavern.

In the wake of the Necrotitan's defeat, the Autobots and Decepticons accomplish the unlikely achievement of celebrating together. Bumblebee has Megatron's wounds tended to by Ratchet, though the medi-bot is less than happy about the task, even in the face of Megatron's genuine compliments as he goes about his work, including the revelation of his own pre-war desire to become a medic. The Constructicons arrive to continue gushing over a frustrated Prowl; Ultra Magnus tries and fails to convince a reluctant Chromedome into using his mnemosurgery skills on Metroplex; and most everyone else retires to Swerve's for a drink and a song. Just as a grumpy Brainstorm is taking Blustreak to task over his linguistic quirks, Swerve is reduced to a quivering mass by the arrival of his hero, Blurr, who he promptly embarrasses himself in front of.

A little later, Prowl visits the med-center to see Bumblebee, arriving just as Ratchet, Fixit and Flatline have completed the task of rebuilding Arcee with a new body; asking if she has made the change as part of a fresh start, he only gets sarcasm in return. 'Bee is busy talking with Megatron—who is recalling the Simanzi Massacre and starting to call into question much of his approach to the war—so instead, Prowl goes looking for Chromedome, finding him brooding on a cliff overlooking the city. The talk that follows is curt and tense, with Prowl angry at Chromedome for invading his mind, and Chromedome angry at Prowl for putting Overlord on the Lost Light, leading to Rewind's death... and when Prowl fails to suppress a self-satisfied smirk, Chromedome snaps, grabs him, and hurls him over the cliff edge!

Within Metroplex, Ultra Magnus gets an update on the Titan's condition from Windblade and Nautica, as he heals thanks to the infusion of Ore-7. Though answers are sparing, Windblade has at least discerned that Metroplex picked up the ore at some point in the past, and jettisoned it from his body in his thumb when he was attacked by the Ammonites, who then infected him with the alchemical virus. Nautica realizes that Magnus wants to ask Metroplex about the Knights of Cybertron, the object of the Lost Light's quest, and is able to tell him that she once asked the same question, only to be told by the Titan that none of them deserved to know the truth. Their discussion is interrupted when Magnus receives a communication alerting him to Chromedome and Prowl's fight, and he heads out to break it up; although he stops their fighting, he makes no secret of his anger with Prowl, rattling off the laundry list of transgressions he has committed that have caused trouble for the Lost Light. The exchange grows heated, at which point the Constructicons step in to defend the object of their affection, and Magnus leaves Prowl alone with his Decepticon fanboys.

Elsewhere, the hale and hearty Starscream, accompanied by Rattrap, busts the glum Scoop's chops a little over everything that has gone down. Curious as to where he heard the "Dark Cybertron" prophecy in the first place, Starscream's jam drops when Scoop reveals that Shockwave told him about it, before the war, at the Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology. As if on cue, Skywarp teleports onto the scene with Metalhawk and Waspinator, here to recruit them for what lies ahead—though Metalhawk does shoot Starscream once, quickly, for a little payback.

Back in Crystal City, the transfer of power now complete, Shockwave lays bare for Galvatron the full enormity of his plan. Regenesis was always about the control of resources, and that has not changed: using the combined power of his ores, fueled by the energy stolen from the Dead Universe, Shockwave will take control of the fabric of all of time and space, collapsing it into a single point—past and future, life and death, all will be united in an ultimate singularity that, directed by Shockwave himself, will feed the energy of all creation into Cybertron itself, sustaining the planet for eternity. Across Cybertron, all eyes turn to the heavens as the stars appear to go out... only for it to soon become apparent that the stars are not being extinguished, but instead blotted out by an army of seventy billion Ammonites that descend upon Cybertron to defend Shockwave as he ascends to godhood!

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Others

*see "Errors", below

Quotes

"What's with the rhyme? Is he takin' the—"
"No, that's just how he speaks. He can't help it."
"Aw, shoot. Now I feel lousy. Can't be easy standin' out 'cause a'yer cockamamie speech patterns."
"..."

—Kup and Rodimus, on Wheelie


"You may look black and white, but underneath—you're Constructicon green."

—Mixmaster, on Prowl


"It's not every day we get to defeat a Necrotitan."
"Er—sorry, Blustreak, defeat a what?"
"A Necrotitan."
"A Nek-ro-titan? What's a Nek-ro-titan?"
"How do you say it?"
"The proper way. Knee-cro-titan."
"Ugh. You're weird."

—Bluestreak and Brainstorm


Blur: "Quart of Engex, please. Hot. Smelting pool hot."
Swerve: (incomprehensible babbling)
Blurr: "Or... a shot of Nightmare Fuel if you're out of the pink stuff."
Swerve: (high-pitched whine)
Skids: "Swerve's cause of death: hero worship."


"Starscream. His victory reminded me of something I swore never to forget: winning means winning people over. The closest I came to outright victory wasn't Simanzi. It was four million years ago, before my Decepticons took up arms—back when I had the people on my side. I lost the war the moment I gave the order to fight."

—Megatron


"You cast a long shadow, Prowl. You may not have been on board the Lost Light, but your presence was always felt. You put Overlord on board, you sent Skids and Getaway to remove Tyrest..."
"Your point?"
"Your action have consequences—only you're never there to suffer them! Never!"
"You want to talk to me about consequences? Talk to Chromedome! He gave the Decepticons the keys to my head!"
"You spend your life loading guns and asking other people to fire them—and when innocents get caught in the crossfire, you dismiss it as collateral damage."
"Sorry, soldier, it's not for you to decide whether the ends justify the means."
"But where's it going? Is there any line you won't cross? Any mark you're not prepared to overstep? We beat the Decepticons. We defeated Tyrest. Once we've taken down Shockwave, who does that leave? Who else wants to control everything?"
 "Is that a threat? Are you threatening me, Minimus Ambus?"
"We'll leave you to your new friends, Prowl. I'm glad you've found company... because I think you're the loneliest person I've ever met."

—Ultra Magnus lets Prowl have it


"I do not seek to change anything. I shall remove the very concept of 'change'—of 'past' and 'future'—from the very physics of this universe. All of space and of time shall exist as a single point, an ultimate singularity—an ultimate black hole. Here—on Cybertron. And this world will consume all the resources of the universe in one never-ending moment—the only space and the only moment that has ever or will ever exist. Cybertron will feed on the universe forever, and the very concepts of 'forever' and 'the universe' shall exist only to feed Cybertron. All of the universe, all of history—shall collapse into me. A single point of light against the infinite darkness. And to defend my becoming, from across the universe comes by army of Ammonites—seventy billion strong. And that, Galvatron... that is how one dominates."

—Shockwave in full on villain-monologue mode

Notes

Continuity notes

  • Ratchet refers to "the last time he was in a room with" Megatron, which took place in issue #22 of the 2009-2011 ongoing series.
  • The little serving robot from Swerve's seen in issue #4 pops up again this issue.
  • Brainstorm argues with Bluestreak over the correct pronunciation of "Necrotitan", another gag about Brainstorm's British accent, akin to "MARBs or MAABs" from issue #17.
  • Skywarp vanished back in Chapter 5.
  • Blurr requests a shot of Nightmare Fuel, a beverage seen in issue #11.
  • Simanzi and the massacre that took place there were originally mentioned in Rotorstorm's profile in Last Stand of the Wreckers #1; we got a brief flashback to the time in issue #16.
  • We saw Chromedome invade Prowl's mind in issue #14; the repercussions of that act unfolded in Robots in Disguise #14.
  • Rewind, of course, died in issue #15. That Prowl should take some twisted pleasure in this is the height of prickitude, but no great surprise; he and Chromedome were heavily implied to be romantically involved during the "Shadowplay" storyline in issues #9-11, and Chromeome's ex and new beau clearly never got along, as evidenced by issue #16's crack about how Rewind liked to imagine Prowl being beaten up.
  • The "alchemical virus" with which Metroplex was infected is revealed to be have been the result of exposure to the Death ore from Gorlam Prime.
  • The alien ocean planet on which Metroplex was hiding out is revealed to be named Hydrophena.

Transformers references

  • When describing Galvatron and Nova's unification of ancient Cybertron, Shockwave refers to "thirteen tribes", a number with great significance in Transformers lore.
  • Arcee's new body can safely be assumed to be her upcoming Transformers: Generations toy, even though we hadn't seen the figure at the time of this issue's publication.
  • And speaking of Generations toys, front and center in the swarm of Ammonites of all shapes and sizes on the last page is Centuritron, combined form of the Mini-Con Assault Team.

Real-world references

  • The huge double-page spread at the start of this issue contains mostly recognizable regular cast members of both books, but a few NAILs do slip in along the bottom of the page. Colorist Josh Perez colored them to resemble assorted characters from the Japanese Metal Hero series of TV shows: the purple, gold and silver trio next to Blurr are done up as Tentou, Kabuto and Kuwagar, respectively, from B-Fighter Kabuto; the blue and red pair by Sky-Byte are the title characters from Space Sheriff Shaider and Kyojuu Tokusou Juspion, again respectively; the blue 'bot with the golden shoulderpad beside Jazz is SolBraver from Super Rescue Solbrain; and lastly, breaking the theme, the golden bot by Jazz and SolBraver is colored as Captain Power, from Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future.
  • Nautica calls Ore-7 "magical mystery ore", a reference to the Beatles album, Magical Mystery Tour.

Errors

  • The "Death" ore was identified as Ore-2 in Robots in Disguise #19, but it is named as Ore-3 in this issue.
  • Back in Robots in Disguise #20, artist Andrew Griffith redesigned Scoop's partners Tracer and Holepunch with construction vehicle alternate modes, but they wound up getting colored like the Micromaster characters Groundpounder and Takedown. The two characters reappear, still sporting these colors, in the double-page spread at the start of this issue, standing by their Construction Patrol buddies from that issue, Quickmix, Landfill, Ricochet and Boomer... except this time, based on the details visible, Alex Milne appears to have actually drawn them as Groundpounder and Takedown.
    • (To say nothing of the fact that both 'bots appeared back in Chapter 3, drawn in their Generations toy bodies, colored correctly).
  • Milne has drawn Bumblebee's "Goldfire" body to the specifications of original comic design of the character's ongoing-era body, rather than to the specs of the toy it inspired, which is how it has appeared in Robots in Disguise and "Dark Cybertron" up to now. Specifically, the toy has hood-and-bumper kibble on its shoulders, where the original comic design has roof-and-windscreen kibble there.

Trivia

  • Artist breakdown: Regular More than Meets the Eye artist Alex Milne returns to the series, drawing 12 of the 19 pages set on Cybertron; Brendan Cahill illustrates the other 7 while Livio Ramondelli remains on art duties for the Dead Universe pages.
  • The ambiguity surrounding which Transformers: Generations toys the previous two chapters will be coming with continues with this issue, as the Jimenez/Fajardo cover features Voyager-class Sky-Byte.

Covers (3)

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