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Honorable Mention- PROWL, PREPAREDNESS AND PARALLELS
(Optimus Prime # 13, 2017)
Prowl’s had a lot of different depictions in IDW history, and in “Phase 2” his mind’s been messed with and altered against his will a number of times too. The basics remain the same though; Prowl does what he believes is best for the greater good, even if he has to go over or against Optimus Prime and the Autobot cause to do it. His renegade nature left him ideally-placed to start an early counterattack against the final and ultimate enemy the Transformers of this universe ever faced.
Cast out from the Autobots, Prowl formed his own little mismatched little crew of Wheelie, the Throttlebots, the alien Garnak, and the Cybertronian/Spaceknight/Dire Wraith hybrid known as Stardrive. He began waging a secret war against the minions of Unicron before the planet-eater was even on anyone else’s radar. The only other Cybertronian who knew Unicron was on the way was the history-manipulating Shockwave, and let’s face it… that guy’s got an unfair advantage when it comes to preparedness.
Decked out in secretly-confiscated experimental weaponry that he had stashed away millions of years ago for just such a “rainy day”, Prowl certainly made a statement with his new cannon-arm and refusal to repair his shattered optic (that Optimus Prime himself had punched out.) In fact… let’s run down a little checklist…
1. Gun-arm
2. Dedicated to logic
3. Schemer
4. One eye.
5. Old friend of Optimus Prime’s who fell out with him due to ideological differences.
Prowl…? Or Shockwave? Or both?
10. THE BLACK ROOM
(RID # 13, 2013)
Bumblebee’s tried his best to make things work on post-war Cybertron, but things always seem just a step away from completely falling apart. The situation has become a pressure cooker- especially when a heavily-damaged Megatron returns to Iacon and the public eye after having helped saved Cybertron from the monstrous D-Void. Prowl’s been hatching his own schemes behind Bumblebee’s back and with Megatron’s return, he makes his move. Having either rounded-up or quietly executed several key Decepticons, Prowl asks for Wheeljack’s trust and brings him to his “Black Room”, an area he’s kept completely off-the-grid.
The situation in Iacon completely deteriorates, with the Decepticons revolting, marching through the streets and freeing Megatron from imprisonment. Starscream, who had tried to seize political power in this post-war world, is forcibly taken along as Megatron declares that they shall go to Prowl’s Black Room as well. When they arrive and the Black Room is revealed, Starscream discovers to his horror that Megatron and Prowl are in league with each other and that many of the Decepticons Prowl had “executed” are still alive. As the issue ends, the readers were left wondering what would make Prowl work with Megatron and what the endgame is.
Of course, it would be revealed that Prowl was under Bombshell’s mind control and had been for much of the series up to this point. However, Prowl’s always been such a morally-ambiguous schemer that it was nearly impossible to tell that he wasn’t acting of his own accord, even to his closest friends. They (and the readers) all totally believed he was capable of doing the shady things he did, and because of that… never suspected he was not in his right mind.
9. OPTIMUS PRIME KILLS GALVATRON
(RID # 55, 2016)
There was one major obstacle to Optimus Prime’s plans to forge a more permanent alliance with Earth, and the barbaric Decepticon leader Galvatron was it. Outfighting and overpowering Galvatron over Jupiter with the help of Soundwave and Arcee, Optimus Prime held the wounded, but defiant warmonger at gunpoint. Assuming he was to be taken into custody, Galvatron arrogantly tells Optimus that the Autobot leader will eventually be needing his help against the incoming threat of Onyx Prime in the near future.
However, Optimus isn't interested in an alliance with Galvatron, nor letting such a dangerous Cybertronian escape yet again to do harm another day. Realizing Optimus Prime’s intent too late, the disbelieving Galvatron barely had time to try and beg for his life before the Autobot leader put him down for good.
Many people may find this scene a little distasteful, but I wouldn’t quibble in regards to Optimus Prime’s choice here. While many versions of Optimus Prime tend to err on the side of mercy, IDW Optimus has always been much more pragmatic in nature. He also brings up a very logical and mature point… that it would be SELFISH of him to let Galvatron live just to assuage his own conscience.
Optimus saw Galvatron as unable to evolve or change with the times as Soundwave and Megatron had. In a more Machiavellian sense, he also knew that Galvatron would never fit into his plans for Earth and a more stable alliance between the Cybertronians and humans. IDW Optimus Prime’s world is too complex- he simply doesn’t have room to operate by the “superhero ethics” that previous versions of the character had.
The only thing that’s a shame about this scene is how pathetically the prideful Galvatron meets his end. Fans of that character would surely not find much to be happy about here… but as an Optimus Prime character moment, it’s quite excellent.
8. STARSCREAM WINS
(RID # 16, 2013)
The latest Decepticon revolt is in full swing as Megatron makes his bid to conquer Iacon. Ostracized from the Decepticons thanks to his attempts to ingratiate himself with both the neutral population and the Autobots, Starscream is a target of opportunity for diehard Megatron loyalists. Confronted by Decepticon warlord Turmoil, Starscream is shocked when his friend and political rival Metalhawk steps in to defend him. Humbled by Metalhawk’s gesture of friendship, Starscream steps up and dispatches Turmoil, showcasing his improvisational skills in combat (as well as delivering a killer line- “That’s the thing about opportunists- don’t show them opportunities!”)
Metalhawk hopes that Starscream will take this moment to shed the Decepticon dogma and become a true force for positive change in Iacon, but unfortunately… Starscream has other plans. He kills Metalhawk with Turmoil’s discarded weapon, then uses his former friend’s concealed death to seize control of the shell-shocked populace.
With a call to discard factions and loyalties, Starscream presents himself as the new face of Cybertronian leadership, forcing the remaining Autobots and Decepticons to exile themselves from Iacon in the aftermath of the battle. In murdering his only friend, Starscream has indeed remained true to himself, seizing upon an opportune moment to take the power he always believed he deserved. This was him at truly his most Starscream-iest, and the fallout from his actions here would last the entire remainder of IDW continuity.
7. INTRODUMP
(RID Annual 2012)
In the distant past, Nova Prime and his jolly band of explorers ventured deep into the heart of Cybertron. Their intent noble and their sparks bright, they located the legendary Crystal City, guarded by the ancient Omega Supreme. Nova Prime wants Omega’s help to usher in a bold new era of peace and prosperity to Cybertron, and the grateful Guardian agrees to aid him.
Of course, the readers knew that nothing was as innocent as it appeared in this flashback tale… Nova and most of his cadre will turn out to be racist, power-hungry warmongers. However, the gleam in which their younger days are presented here is undeniably charming, especially the old-school style art and the way everyone absurdly introduces themselves at length like the classic Marvel comics of years past.
6. ARCEE GROWS
(Optimus Prime # 21, 2018)
The kiss you see above isn’t that important insofar as who Arcee is kissing… it’s more what this action represents to Arcee as a character. Arcee began her journey in the IDW comic universe as an utter sociopath, a roving killer who was altered by a mad scientist and left on her own to sort out the emotional and physical stresses of what he had done to her. Detached from her morality and left with nothing but a need to exact revenge, Arcee was feared and ostracized by both Autobots and Decepticons for millions of years.
However, slowly but surely, Arcee began finding her way back to herself, through friendships with Hardhead and Sideswipe, through working with the morally-gray Prowl, and finally serving as Optimus Prime’s right hand ‘bot. Through her experiences, Arcee pieced her sanity and emotional stability back together until she became who she was always meant to be.
Arcee’s character arc under John Barber was a slow, subtle burn… and her kiss with Aileron was the sudden ignition of a spark that Barber had kept flickering for a very long time. You really have to think about how far Arcee has come since her first appearance in IDW, and what it meant for her to express herself in such a bold manner. That isn’t just a kiss; that’s the culmination of IDW Arcee’s nearly ten-year character evolution. Arcee went from killing everyone in her path to teaching children, and if you were paying attention… it made perfect sense.
5. OPERATION: ABSOLUTION
(Unicron # 6, 2018)
Soundwave’s always believed in the core goals and ideals of the Decepticons, but like many… he’s had to do terrible things in the war to see these goals and ideals through. With the war over and the lines between Autobot and Decepticon virtually erased, Soundwave and Optimus Prime have formed a tentative friendship, united in their desire for a peaceful future. When Unicron looms over Earth, threatening to destroy it, Soundwave and Optimus hatch a desperate plan to stop the planet-eater.
Optimus confronts Unicron’s essence in infraspace, an astral plane where thoughts, concepts, and information are as potent a weapon as any gun or sword. In the physical world, Soundwave couples the mythical Enigma of Combination artifact with Superion’s ability to generate his own Enigma source code. Empowered by the energy of TWO Enigma of Combinations, Soundwave uses his mental abilities to channel the combined essences of all sentient creatures, Cybertronian or otherwise, including those who have died during the war or fighting Unicron. He funnels this metaphysical energy directly to Optimus Prime in infraspace, allowing him to overwhelm Unicron.
This amalgamation of faith, hope, love, and loss is so potent that even the amoral Shockwave, who is mentally linked into Soundwave, is shaken by its power. However, the effort is too much for Soundwave’s body to bear, and he disintegrates under its strain.
Just before Soundwave dies, he’s granted a vision of many of those who have died up until this point. Among them are his old friends Ravage and Laserbeak, his new human friend Mainframe, and even Horri-Bull, whose death Soundwave was responsible for. All of these spirits welcome Soundwave as he enters the Great Beyond… hopeful that he’s made up in some small way for the sins of his past.
4. LAST STAND OF SANCTUARY STATION
(Unicron # 4, 2018)
Sanctuary Station was established near Jupiter by Soundwave and meant to be a place where Transformers could live in peace, but war comes their way in the shape of Unicron’s acolyte Bludgeon and his Maximal beast army. Cosmos calls for an evacuation of Sanctuary as Unicron’s hordes approach, and Laserbeak is only too happy to comply. However, Cosmos knows that the station’s escape pods will be easy prey for the Maximals if someone doesn’t run interference. Having felt alone in his deep space role for years, Cosmos intends to defend the one place he’s felt he truly belonged to his dying breath. Sky-Byte, Buzzsaw, and even the cynical Laserbeak ultimately agree to help Cosmos defend their home.
As the evacuees of Sanctuary Station depart, Cosmos, Sky-Byte, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw fly out to meet an endless Maximal horde head-on. Their stand doesn’t last long; Laserbeak is immediately destroyed by oncoming fire and Sky-Byte is quickly surrounded and stabbed to death- a characteristic haiku as his dying utterance. As the Maximals swarm Sanctuary Station, we see Cosmos’ butchered corpse floating in space, having given his all to defend the place he called home.
Their heroic last stand barely slowed Bludgeon and his army down at all. However, as Buzzsaw stated before heading out, their faith that Optimus Prime and Soundwave would stop Unicron would eventually prove to be rewarded. Those who died here did so with some meaning in their sparks, especially Cosmos- who finally conquered his abiding loneliness by making Sanctuary Station his permanent home.
Oh and proving once again that he is the ultimate badass cassette, Buzzsaw ends up surviving the massacre and eventually makes his way to Earth from Jupiter UNDER HIS OWN POWER just in time to witness Unicron’s defeat. While the others didn’t make it, Buzzsaw managed to see their collective faith rewarded with his own optics.
3. THUNDERCRACKER GOES NATIVE
(RID # 28, Transformers: Revolution one-shot, The Transformers Holiday Special, Transformers Annual 2018, Optimus Prime # 25, 2014-2018)
Let’s face it; for nearly thirty years, G1 Thundercracker was a nothing character. He was only popular because he was in the first wave of G1 characters and he was part of a popular sub-group in the Seekers. Of course, his original bio write-up hinted at some depth in his personality- that he might have doubts in the Decepticon cause, but no fiction really explored that to any serious extent for a long time.
Thankfully, IDW continuity began to rectify that when writer Shane McCarthy actually had Thundercracker act on his doubts and foil the Decepticons' plot in the "All Hail Megatron" series. Mike Costa picked up that ball in his own ongoing series and established Thundercracker as having “gone native” on Earth, having no more interest in the war. Finally, John Barber brought it home with the ultimate evolution of IDW Thundercracker’s character- that of… a struggling screenwriter with a dog?
Yes, IDW Thundercracker is the most well-developed version of the character ever, as well as the most entertaining and relatable. It’s impossible not to connect with this guy, whether through his love for his dog Buster, his aspirations to be a writer, or even his relationship with human liaison Marissa Faireborn. Even though his time on Earth has honestly made him sort of a goofball, Thundercracker still maintains his elite Seeker combat skills. He’s a bad enough dude to fight Dire Wraiths and save the President, fight off a Seeker clone army, and foil an assassination attempt on himself. He eventually even finds success as a writer despite… well, his writing.
Thundercracker was eventually tapped to write and produce a biopic about Starscream, which he also starred in as the title character. While it wasn’t very successful, it did open the door for him to collaborate with human director J.J. Hackensack (IDW's version of George Lucas.) His script for a movie based on the life of G.I.Joe deep-cover agent Chuckles may have even earned him an award for “Best Original Screenplay”, although we don’t see if he actually won or not. Either way, just look at this guy… post-war Thundercracker is clearly leading his best life and I’m glad I was along for the ride.
2. THE LIFE OF SIDESWIPE
(Optimus Prime # 9, 2017)
Sideswipe was gravely wounded in the opening stages of Galvatron’s uprising and has been on life support for months. Watching over him constantly is Arcee, who he formed a bond with during their last campaign on Earth. There doesn’t seem to be much hope for Sideswipe’s recovery until the eccentric Junkion Wreck-Gar miraculously repairs a positron core that can be used to fully restore him.
Sideswipe comes back online and is unsure exactly how to thank Arcee for looking out for him. The two head to Cybertron after Sideswipe is told his brother Sunstreaker is missing. Tracking Sunstreaker to a location teeming with Decepticons, Sideswipe naturally assumes shenanigans are afoot, and begins beating the ever-loving slag out of them. It’s only after Sunstreaker appears and explains that the Decepticons are actually engaged in a relief effort for the populace and he’s helping them that Sideswipe realizes how much Cybertron has evolved in his absence.
Spending the day among Cybertronians of all stripes, Sideswipe learns how his post-war homeworld is changing for the better. He finally accepts that the fighting is over and feels content that he contributed to this peaceful outcome. Sideswipe also comes to a larger realization, and whole-heartedly thanks Arcee and Sunstreaker for caring about him. At peace with his circumstances and knowing that it’s time, Sideswipe… lets go.
Wreck-Gar never fixed the positron core and Sideswipe never really woke up. The events of this issue were simply a simulation projected into Sideswipe’s mind, allowing him to die peacefully and without regrets. Sunstreaker offers his gratitude to Wreck-Gar for providing the means to do this last thing for his brother and Arcee quietly leaves to mourn on her own. What a kick to the heart.
1. SHOCKWAVE DID IT 2.0
(Optimus Prime # 17- # 18, 2018)
Shockwave had a pretty healthy presence and influence on IDW continuity even before “Phase 2” began. Writers Roberts and Barber built on what Simon Furman had done, crafted a fleshed-out backstory for Shockwave, and positioned him as the “big bad” of their "Dark Cybertron" crossover event. The seeding of the various Regenesis Ores, the manipulation of the Ammonites into serving him, and the alliance with Nova Prime and Jhiaxus all coalesced into Shockwave’s master scheme. He planned to collapse all of existence into a singularity that would preserve and power an eternal Cybertron at its center. Optimus Prime and Megatron (and everyone) managed to foil Shockwave’s plan at the last moment, and the cyclopean Decepticon was sucked into the black hole he created.
Afterward in “Season 2”, the looming threat of Onyx Prime was one that John Barber built up for years before the guy actually showed up. The ancient king of the beast-type Transformers who even Galvatron was wary of… who had existed since the earliest days of Cybertron’s history and was intent on returning to Cybertron to one day conquer it. Barber told several flashback tales set in this time period, telling of Onyx’s position of power among the Thirteen original Primes, his alliances with Megatronus, Liege Maximo, and Nexus Prime, and painted him as the next “big bad” to menace Cybertron in the present day.
When Onyx Prime finally returned, it wasn’t to make war, but to create chaos on Cybertron. To cause divides amongst the already-fractured populace and doubt in the established alliances that Optimus Prime and others had created. Optimus confronts Onyx high above Iacon, and the ancient Prime reveals a startling secret…
Onyx Prime is Shockwave. More than that… he has ALWAYS BEEN Shockwave, from the beginning of Cybertronian history! When Shockwave fell into the singularity at the end of “Dark Cybertron”, he was transported back in time, where he slew the original Onyx Prime (a simple and kind-hearted shepherd of similar beast-type Cybertronians) and assumed his identity.
Using his knowledge of Cybertronian history, Shockwave-as-Onyx proceeded to create various ontological paradoxes, ensuring history unfolded as he knew it to in the future. In doing so, Shockwave actively deconstructed and rebuilt Cybertronian myths and religious beliefs, basically INVENTING FAITH for the sheer purpose of proving that it is an artificial construct.
This was only the tip of the iceberg in terms of Shockwave’s plans, which are too complex to unravel here, but man, just… the friggin’ BALLS on Barber for putting this in motion. While I was curious about Onyx Prime, I was never too keen on the “Thirteen Primes” mythology that Hasbro had been pushing into most of their Transformers fictional properties at the time, and those various flashback issues about it that Barber wrote often just felt like distractions to me.
All of a sudden, with the revelation that Onyx Prime has always been Shockwave in disguise, I had to go back and re-read ALL of that stuff with this new knowledge in mind. So many things suddenly clicked into place that I had missed the first time around, all linked to previous things Shockwave had done in this continuity. This was a herculean effort of continuity and mythology weaving on Barber’s part, and the work he put into making this all sync up should never be understated.
Some people might be tired of Shockwave being the be-all and end-all mastermind responsible for every-freakin’ thing, but as he’s one of my favorite Transformers characters of all time, I’m certainly not. IDW Shockwave is like Spock, David Xanatos, and Ozymandias rolled into one, and his vision is pretty impressive for a guy with only one eye.
I haven’t even talked about the initial shock (ha!) of what I like to call the “Scooby Doo” reveal in Optimus Prime # 17. I don’t think I’ve experienced a more jaw-dropping moment in Transformers comics… ever! The only other one that comes close is the reveal of Rung’s true identity over in the Lost Light book, and while that’s almost as shocking, I guess I just preferred the “reverse” reveal of Shockwave-as-Onyx. We always knew there was something special about Rung… but we never suspected there was something under Onyx Prime’s horns and fangs.
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And now once again, for the ranting.
Dishonorable Mention- SOME SLIPS AND A SLIDE
When the idea of undiscovered Cybertronian colonies spread across the galaxy was introduced into IDW continuity, I thought it was a great idea to expand the mythology with more varied characters from across the franchise’s history. The colonist recruits debuted in Optimus Prime # 1, a group of diverse characters that exemplified this concept. All hailing from various other "lost" colonies, the recruits basically worshiped Optimus Prime and tried to live up to his example.
Now, the concept of a team of characters from different iterations of Transformers sounds pretty cool, but John Barber’s actual choice of members was… a little random and uninspired, I guess? Gimlet and Bump from the Japanese Beast Wars cartoons, Midnight Express from Car Robots/Robots in Disguise (2001), Roulette- a Botcon convention-exclusive character, and the Micromaster Combiners Oiler and Slide (who weren’t actually smaller-scale Micromasters here.) Still, Barber could have made something interesting of these mostly-no-name characters. However, when all was said and done, the only one any reader will probably remember from this run is Slide, and not for a good reason.
Slide, frankly, is a **** (insert whatever expletive you deem appropriate, I won’t judge.) Her character arc mostly began when her brother Oiler was killed by Junkions. Said-Junkions shortly thereafter entered into an alliance with Optimus Prime, and Slide felt her brother was basically left un-avenged (even though she killed the Junkion that killed him.)
Now, it was a complicated situation and it’s fairly understandable that Slide would feel the way she did, but here’s the thing… SHE WOULD NOT LET IT GO. Like, every appearance by Slide after that would have her unleash a relentless string of criticisms and complaints about Optimus Prime, about how he let her down, and why he sucked so hard. Again, understandable… but not at all fun to read about or endearing towards the character and her situation.
In addition to Slide, there were several other characters who were harshly critical of Optimus Prime, and at some points in the book it felt like he had a host of contrarians surrounding him in every setting. Pyra Magna, leader of the Torchbearers, seemed initially set up to fulfill this role, but soon everyone was doubting in Optimus- even those who had served with him for millions of years like Jazz and Jetfire. It eventually became a chorus of voices relentlessly questioning Prime’s every move and decision. While some of his decisions should have absolutely been questioned, I think Barber went completely overboard with it and it was a bit exhausting to read at times.
Back to Slide and the colonist recruits… Barber also spent an inordinate amount of time on them, dedicating whole issues to their adventures and you’d think we’d get a better feel for some of them. However, Slide’s CONSTANT bitching seemingly overpowered anyone else’s chance to shine and I can’t tell you a thing about any of the others because I was so annoyed with her.
Slide and Pyra Magna’s continued criticisms of Optimus Prime hit their critical point during the Unicron mini-series that largely concluded IDW continuity. Optimus Prime personally leaped into Unicron’s maw to find a weakness in it and hopefully save Pyra Magna’s home colony of Caminus. Think about that… Optimus Prime, hero that he is, jumped into certain doom to save a planet that wasn’t his home. That’s just what you’d expect Optimus to do, right? Pyra Magna’s response? To complain that Optimus was showing off and somehow blaming him for Unicron being there in the first place! WHAT???
At some point, your criticisms stop making you look like you have a valid counterpoint and more like you’re just a terrible, petty person (not like me, writing this list, right?) When an unfathomably powerful, planet-sized doomsday engine is destroying your home, that is not the time to moan about the guy who is trying to prevent that from happening! Similarly, when Unicron attacks Earth, Slide just kind of hangs around in space and complains about Optimus Prime “seizing power”. HELLO! He’s “seizing power” to friggin’ prevent the last planet you guys can live on from being eaten!!
AND OH MY GOD, DO YOU REALLY NOT SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND YOU???
Yeah, that image is a good sum-up of Slide’s character. The colonist recruits were a good idea in concept, but an utter misfire in execution and certainly dragged the story down in places. I also understand that Barber was trying to set up some valid countering viewpoints and cast Optimus in a light other than “flawless hero”… he just wasn’t very subtle about it when it came to characters like Slide and Pyra Magna. I think Barber did a fine job on Optimus Prime’s side of things and how he reacted to these situations, but the situations themselves came off a bit artificially-overblown thanks to Slide and Pyra’s ridiculous and non-stop haranguing.
I guess it’s only fitting that Slide became a Torchbearer serving under Pyra Magna by the end of the series. Now they can be miserable together.
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NEXT TIME- I finish it off with my favorite Mairghread Scott and Nick Roche Phase 2 moments!
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