Timeless
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| "Timeless" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Fun Publications | ||||||||||||
| First published | September 12, 2013 (online) | ||||||||||||
| Writers | Jesse Wittenrich & Pete Sinclair | ||||||||||||
| Pencils | Hayato Sakamoto & Will Mangin | ||||||||||||
| Inks | Hayato Sakamoto & Jake Isenberg | ||||||||||||
| Colors | Josh Burcham, Sam Palmer, & Jesse Wittenrich | ||||||||||||
| Letters | Jesse Wittenrich | ||||||||||||
| Managing editor | Pete Sinclair | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | TransTech | ||||||||||||
Heinrad speaks of the future and other universes with acquaintances.
Synopsis
In his monitoring room, Rhinox observes multiple Ultra Magnuses across the universe, including Ultra Mammoth in the past of Primax -408.24 Epsilon. He is accompanied by Heinrad, who notes he cannot use his powers to peer into the past of the negative polarity universe—it's as if it's happening in "real time" to him. Rhinox changes the topic to other universes, and observes a universe far removed from the TransTech's sphere.
There, Fisitron is hounded by Barricade and Frenzy, who accuse the Autobot of committing war crimes on Outpost Thetarus using Cosmic Rust. Fisitron points to Oilslick as the more likely culprit, an accusation Barricade admits is probable, but he'd rather turn over Fisitron to the Decepticon Crown Justices.
The observing screen fizzes out and Rhinox moans that he didn't even get to record the coordinates. Nevertheless, he moves on to a Primax universe, one that loops around Primax 1005.19 Gamma.
In this "strange little universe", Rewind excitedly explains to Chromedome about the Vestigial Cortical Complex, a warehouse that stores the memories of half a million Decepticons. Chromedome questions the wisdom of trying to infiltrate a complex full of secrets that the Decepticons wouldn't want to come out, but Rewind explains his logic: the complex wouldn't have guards as not even guards are worth the risk of anybody knowing their secrets. They hire Treadshot as security and he blows a hole into the complex. While their hired muscle waits outside, Rewind and Chromedome explore the complex, finding what Rewind describes as "nirvana".
Bored with observing universes, Heinrad takes his leave and meets his partner, Thrustinator, who he promises to help return to his home universe after they "fix" the past.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots/Maximals | Decepticons/Predacons |
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Notes
Transformers references
- Multiple versions of Ultra Magnus appear on Rhinox's screen: G1 Ultra Magnus (in both his original and Ultra Mammoth form), Animated Ultra Magnus, and Robots in Disguise Ultra Magnus.
- Heinrad sports an all-new body, not based on any previous one.
- Events from "Shattered Destiny" show up on screen, which had not yet been published when "Timeless" was first released.
- Fisitron's aliases include Ironfist, which was the actual names of the other two Fisitrons; Fistitron, a common misreading of Fisitron in the fandom; and Bullethead, a reference to the original Ironfist's injury in Last Stand of the Wreckers.
- Cosmic Rust originated in the Generation 1 episode of the same name. The idea that a Decepticon chemist named Oilslick uses it as a weapon hearkens back to Animated Oil Slick, who used it as such in "Bots of Science" and "TransWarped". In the former, he uses it on fellow Decepticons, as is suggested here.
- Fisitron refers to his T-cog, the Aligned-specific term for the transformation cog first given in "Operation Bumblebee, Part 1".
- Rhinox notes Fistron's universe as being farther than any other, in reference to Hasbro's assertions that 'Aligned continuity' is separate to the pre-existing Transformers multiverse.
- Chromedome and Rewind hanging around together springs from their relationship in IDW's More than Meets the Eye. Indeed, their universe is described as looped around Primax 1005.19 Gamma, the IDW Generation 1 continuity, named here per the publication date of Infiltration #0.
- The DoopSpeak (see real-world references below) contains the names of several Decepticons: Preditron, who previously appeared in A Team Effort, and is played up here as a homage to Robots in Disguise Megatron; Bloodron, one of the previous Decepticon leaders seen in the Hall of Heroes in The Transformers: The Movie; and new characters Ragnarok and Verminator. There's more of a story to Verminator – see again real life references below.
- Heinrad notes that Starscream's spark touched that of Thrustinator (then Waspinator), as seen in "Possession".
- Thrustinator's dialogue combines Waspinator's distinctive speech patterns with Thrust's "cool" language.
Real world references
- Heinrad's chatty, rambling dialogue evokes the Tenth Doctor, as played by David Tennant.
- The text contained in the Vestigial Cortical Complex is rendered in DoopSpeak, from (most notably) the Marvel X-Statix series.
- Verminator is described as a rabbit, with big sharp pointy teeth; this is a reference to the Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
