Broken Windshields
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| "Broken Windshields" | |||||||||||||
| Publisher | Transformers Collectors' Club (online exclusive) | ||||||||||||
| First published | February 19, 2015 | ||||||||||||
| Written by | Jim Sorenson | ||||||||||||
| Illustrations by | Jesse Wittenrich | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Beast Wars: Uprising | ||||||||||||
| Page count | 25pp | ||||||||||||
Lio Convoy sets an uprising in motion.
Synopsis
As Quickstrike and Stinkbomb compete in the Mebius Arena, Lio Convoy watches them from the shadows but does not intervene as Quickstrike manages to win, simply through the fact that Stinkbomb's weapon is too damaged to fire. Lio Convoy returns to the Gladitorial Administration Bureau, and though the two Builders on guard hassle him for his papers, they let him through and he heads up to see The Administrator, Eject. Discussing how they'd gotten the idea of the games from the humans, Eject tells Lio Convoy that he wants Lio Convoy to make sure that the next game is a "Cull", ensuring that the Maximal side wins by a landslide.
Lio Convoy heads home to the Maximal ghettos in Glibax by ground, but on the way spots what appears to be a shooting star and makes the unconventional decision to investigate. He encountered a strange newcomer, whom he takes to Nyon Coliseum in order to conceal her from the authorities. Her ire is raised when he mentions he is the balancer in the games and she rails at the unjustness of the system that makes the Maximals and Predacons fight for the amusement of the Builders.
Lio Convoy spends some time ruminating on her words, and several days later when he comes across two MCSF officers, Polar Claw and Snarl arresting someone, he intercedes and assaults both of them. Heading to Nyon while listening to underground broadcasts, he looks for the bot whom he'd left there, but fails to find her. Driving into the wastes of Cybertron, he's instead found by her — a conversation with her and the two bots she's teamed up with, Scylla and B'Boom, reveals she's named Blackarachnia. Blackarachnia shatters Lio Convoy's windshield, revealing the energon matrix inside, and announces he's the key to freeing the planet.
With the next of the games drawing close, Eject worries about the unusual absence of Lio Convoy, however the Maximal makes contact from the Dodecahex Arena where the game is due to take place and Eject again instructs him to make sure the Maximals win this round. As the game begins, the Builder Supersonic commentates for the audience, introducing the game's contestants before signaling game start. Even as the first Maximal and Predacon move in to fight, Lio Convoy uses an Angolmois Blaster obtained from the rebels to assassinate Supersonic. Blackarachnia and her team meanwhile invade the broadcast center and take control, training the cameras on Lio Convoy so he can give a speech. He reveals that the games are rigged, even as he's attacked by the Builders Sunrunner and Tailwind, and plays a recording of Eject giving the order to fix the match. He shows off the energon matrix he carries, hidden inside him after it was used to create the Maximals and Predacons, calling on his brethren to rise up against the Builders. As a result of the event, civil war breaks out over the next few days, with the Builders finding themselves turned on by their own creations.
Eject, hauled before the Builder Assembly, reveals that there's a simple way out of this: use a sample of Lio Convoy's CNA to create a clone infused with the power of the energon matrix, giving them the ability to make a whole new army.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Maximals | Predacons | Builders |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
Notes
Errors
- Glibax is misspelled as "Gilbax" on three occasions.
Continuity notes
Transformers references
- The gladiatorial combat Games originate from the Marvel UK story "State Games", although this version bears more resemblance to the follow-up stories "Deadly Games!" and "The Fall and Rise of the Decepticon Empire.". The latter story is further referenced by Octus' presence on the ruling Council.
- The following Transformers are mentioned or referenced to, but do not appear in the story proper: Megatron, Scissor Boy, Killer Punch, Ultra Mammoth, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Prowl, Blaster, Starscream, Shockwave, Soundwave, Kudon, Riker, Traachon, Cross-Cut, and Sigil.
- Further mentioned in the Cybertronix text are: Zapmaster, Six-Speed, Free Wheeler, Hyperdrive, Flat-Out, Holi, Ironlunge, Road Police, Battle Unicorn, Lug, Minimum Ambus, Dante, Caliburn, Ironworks, and Star Upper.
Real world references
- "The Hunger Games" films are what inspired current Cybertronian civilization to host the death matches between Maximals and Predacons. Eject acknowledges picking up "Catching Fire" for the first time in this story, but implies the first and third/fourth films reached Cybertron long ago.
External links
- Broken Windshields PDF at transformersclub.com (no membership required to download)
