Onyx Interface Part Two: Vs.

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« The Transformers vol. 2 #36 »
"Onyx Interface Part Two:
Vs."
Publisher IDW Publishing
First published December 10, 2014
Cover date December 2014
Written by John Barber
Art by Andrew Griffith (pgs 5-9, 12-19) & Brendan Cahill (pgs 1-4, 10-11, 20-22)
Colors by Josh Perez & Joana Lafuente
Letters by Tom B. Long
Editor Carlos Guzman
Continuity IDW continuity
Chronology Current era (2014)

Prowl and the Constructicons make their move to capture Spike, but Galvatron and the Decepticons have had the same idea.

Synopsis

Somewhere on Earth, deep in a wooded region, Thundercracker reads an excerpt from his latest screenplay to Buster. Shortly, Soundwave arrives in response to an invitation from Thundercracker and, confused by the presence of the dog, offers to "silence" it for Thundercracker, which does not get their talk off to the best of starts. Soundwave explains the Decepticons' partnership with the Earth Defense Command and invites Thundercracker to join them on the Jupiter commune; realizing that his intentions are genuine, Thundercracker promises to consider the offer, and gives Soundwave a copy of his script as a parting gift. Before each goes their own way, Soundwave warns Thundercracker that while their new home will be all-inclusive, anyone who allies with a Prime will be considered an enemy.

In the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, Spike Witwicky and Jimmy Pink meet with Maki, their inside source at the Onyx corporation. Spike rants about the Transformers' long history of interaction with Earth, and although Maki doesn't really buy into everything he says, it doesn't dissuade her from providing him with a key card to Onyx's Wanmu, China facility so that he can obtain a mysterious Cybertronian object within. As the two men head out, however, Spike immediately identifies the transformed Construticons and Prowl staking them out, and opens fire. The two flee through a pachinko parlor, but Prowl is relentless in his pursuit, crashing through the building.

Six hours earlier, on the Ark-7, Prowl and the Constructicons gather aboard a reluctant Sky Lynx as they prepare to head down to Earth's surface. Prowl makes clear that although they all have history with Spike, that is not the reason they are going after him: rather, Prowl believes Spike knows something about the connection between Onyx and the Earth Defense Command, and the Enigma of Combination's presence on Earth, and has tracked his location via e-mails his father had been sending him. Sky Lynx takes off for Tokyo, but their departure is observed by Arcee and Sideswipe; Sideswipe tries to raise the subject of the pair's falling out after their exodus from Iacon, but Arcee merely demands that he had over his jetpack so she can follow Prowl's team.

Prowl and the Constructicons continue their pursuit through the streets of Shinjuku, but just before he can grab Spike, Prowl is tackled by the airborne Arcee. Breaking her grip and resuming the hunt, Prowl entreats the female Autobot to trust him like she used to, but Arcee is having none of it and joins the chase herself. Spike and Jimmy, meanwhile, having found some transportation in the form of two idling motorbikes, but as they try to escape on the vehicles, the bikes take on a life of their own and drive the two humans to the top of a parking garage, where Galvatron and the Decepticons are waiting! The bikes are, in fact, Rumble and Frenzy, who transform and hold the humans so Galvatron can interrogate them regarding the Enigma. Neither has any idea what Galvatron is talking about, but the Decepticon leader doesn't believe them, and orders Spike taken to their ship and Jimmy killed. Before the Decepticons can make any moves, though, the Constructicons collapse the garage out underneath them. Prowl snatches up and Spike and flees the scene, leaving Arcee and Jimmy caught between the Decepticons and the Constructicons.

Aboard their aircraft as it departs Tokyo, Marissa Faireborn and EDC agent Jones argue over their non-intervention in the Transformer conflict breaking out in the city. Much to Jones's chagrin, Faireborn is focused on their current task—protecting Garrison Blackrock, also on board—and instead orders up some ground troops to respond to the situation. Blackrock drolly remarks on the situation, and an irate Faireborn warns him not to comment on matters he does not understand; Blackrock appears to go off on a tangent, talking about the ancient Mesopotamian city of Uruk, birthplace of human society, but soon reveals that he knows much more than he lets on, as he reveals that Uruk was built around the landing site of the Enigma of Combination... which is now held in the vault of his Wanmu facility!

Taking cover in a wood to evade police choppers, Prowl releases Spike, and inform him he has something very important to tell him... he forgives him!

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Humans Others

Quotes

"In person, this sounds a lot more..."
"Urgent."
"No, a lot more like you should have a tin-foil hat."

—Spike and Maki


"Hey. I don't give my number to just any girl."
"You literally give your number to every girl."

—Spike and Jimmy


"Things used to go smoother when I just shot everybody."

—Arcee


"Hey—ahem—hey, there. I couldn't help but notice you're pink. Well, as it happens, my name is—"
"Shut it, human."

—Jimmy tries to make small talk with Arcee


"You know, Miss Faireborn, I expected you to send agents after Witwicky... I just didn't expect the agents to be ten meters tall and metal."
"Yes, very droll, Blackrock. You play with fire, and sometimes the fire changes into a robot."

—Blackrock and Marissa Faireborn

Notes

Continuity notes

  • While listing off Cybertronian involvement in Earth's history, Spike mentions an alteration of Earth's geology that took place 10,000 years ago. He's referring to Shockwave's implantation of global dampers into the planet's crust, as seen in Spotlight: Shockwave, which allowed Ore-13 to form there.
  • Spike also mentions six Transformers being entombed by a volcanic eruption—Shockwave and the Dinobots, as seen in, again, Spotlight: Shockwave.
  • Additionally, Spike describes a Cybertronian arrival on Earth 6,000 years ago; that one's a mystery for now.
  • Spike's womanizing ways were often seen during the 2009-2011 ongoing series.
  • Arcee and Sideswipe's falling out took place back in issue #18.
  • Prowl calls Long Haul "Scrapper"; this is the second time he's called another Constructicon by their deceased leader's name, having done the same to Scavenger in issue #32.
  • Frenzy recalls Rumble's injuries at the hands of humans from All Hail Megatron #9.

Transformers references

Real-life references

  • Jimmy describes himself as Spike's "Andy Richter", referring to the comedian's status as perennial sidekick to Conan O'Brien.
  • Uruk (see errors, below) is a real city; it was one of the first cities in recorded human history, and lends its name to the period of history that denotes the emergence of urban civilization.

Errors

  • On the "previously" recap page, the Earth Defense Command is mis-named the Earth Defense Corps.
  • Uruk is misspelled as "Urik". Further, Blackrock notes that it was founded 4,000 years ago; rather, it was founded around 4,000 BC, making it 6,000 years old.

Covers (3)

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