Mike, Tony and Derek get together to discuss various IDW comics that span the entirety of the 17-year run.
Mike - Transformers Spotlight: Shockwave
Tony - Transformers Robots In Disguise issue #14
Derek - IDW 2.0/ Transformers (2019) #15
Showing posts with label prowl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prowl. Show all posts
Monday, July 28, 2025
Fanholes Transformers Tuesdays # 104: Kup's War Stories
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Mike's Favorite IDW Transformers "Phase 2" Moments: Part 3, Mairghread Scott and Nick Roche
In the final part of this list, I will run down my top five favorite Mairghread Scott moments and my top three Nick Roche moments, as well as dishonorable mentions for both. These two may not have been as prolific in terms of writing as James Roberts and John Barber were in "Phase 2", but they both still certainly contributed some very noteworthy stories and moments!
First up, the third "main" writer for Phase 2, Mairghread Scott!
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5. LIEGE MAXIMO STEPS OUT FOR A SPELL
(Till All Are One # 8, 2017 )
With a horde of undead Titans descending upon Cybertron, Windblade has no time for Elita One’s refusal to have her own Titan Carcer transform to robot mode and lend a hand. Windblade leads a strike team into Carcer to force Elita’s hand and gain an edge against the attacking enemy city-formers. Elita has constantly said that Carcer must never transform and that her people are dedicated to never allowing their Titan to do so, but hasn’t provided a reason why.
As Elita’s generals Obsidian and Strika try and repel Windblade’s infiltration team, Windblade manages to get into Carcer’s brain chamber and activate the slumbering Titan with her telepathic Cityspeaker abilities. However, she discovers a terrible truth when she does; that Carcer is actually the Titan Vigilem in disguise… loyal guardian of the dreaded Prime of Lies- Liege Maximo!
While Windblade manages to get Vigilem to fight and destroy his undead brothers, the malevolent Titan takes the opportunity to free the captive Liege Maximo from a chamber within himself. Elita One tries to prevent Vigilem’s master from escaping by destroying the Titan’s massive brain module. However since Windblade was still connected to Vigilem’s brain, Elita’s act nearly fries Windblade’s own mind. And it’s all for naught… because Liege Maximo has already been released!
4. ASTRAL PLANE(S)
(TAAO # 12, 2017)
Just before Elita One destroyed Vigilem’s brain module, the malevolent Titan managed to download his brain patterns into Windblade’s mind. Now in a coma, Windblade is constantly engaged in a mental struggle with Vigilem as he tries to overtake her on the astral plane. While she is managing to hold him at bay, it’s only a matter of time before the Titan finds a weakness to exploit.
Enter Starscream, who has decided against his better judgment to interface with Windblade’s mind and give her a helping mental hand against Vigilem. However, Starscream isn’t as well-versed in psychic combat as Windblade is, and Vigilem quickly shifts focus to attacking him, exposing his greatest fears and insecurities and stripping him down to an image of his virtual spark. Windblade grabs Starscream’s “spark” and learns of his artificial “cold construction”, realizing that the Seeker has never felt comfortable in his own metal skin.
She mentally forges a true spark and body for Starscream- the idealized image of what he felt he should have been all along. Strengthened by Windblade’s psychic “rebuilding” of him, Starscream repels Vigilem from his mind and Windblade seals the screaming Titan within a mental prison in her own mind.
The two awaken in the physical world with a new understanding of each other, although Starscream is distinctly uncomfortable with what he witnessed in his own psyche. Windblade thanks him for coming to help and tells him that from now on, she won’t be participating in any political subterfuge or compromise, desiring only to speak her truth. Her resolve and Starscream’s own new understanding of himself will inform both of their decisions for the rest of the IDW universe and was truly a turning point for both characters.
3. CYBERTRON, ATTACK!
(TAAO # 5, 2016)
Starscream’s not the most popular leader around, or the most honest, but when the stakes are no less than the survival of the planet itself, there’s no time to be picky. A horde of undead city-sized Titans unleashed by Sentinel Prime looms over Cybertron, and everyone must put aside their differences and rally behind Starscream. Every spaceship is conscripted to either attack or ferry civilians away from danger, Windblade boards Metroplex to optimize his combat abilities, and all colonist representatives pledge their support to the planet's adamant leader.
Starscream gives a pretty epic speech before things kick off and it galvanizes the population. Politics are cast aside and for the first time, Starscream directs the entire population towards a singular goal; DEFEND CYBERTRON. Even in this post-war landscape, it was exceedingly rare to see everyone working together and even moreso following Starscream’s orders. While the battle against the undead Titans would have a lot of complications tossed in along the way, it at least began with a finally-united Cybertron speaking in one voice… Starscream’s voice.
2. THE REVENGE OF BRUTICUS
(TAAO # 3-# 4, 2016)
Onslaught and the Combaticons aren’t happy with Starscream’s leadership of Cybertron nor his apparent killing of Swindle. In order to get revenge, the Combaticons kidnap Wheeljack and Rattrap after learning that they spirited Swindle’s body away after his apparent death. Swindle had dirt on Starscream’s illegitimate dealings while in office, and if it could somehow be retrieved, the Combaticons could topple Starscream's entire regime. They discover that Swindle is still alive, but brain-dead and kept on life support. Onslaught forces Rattrap to retrieve the one object that could let them access Swindle’s dormant memory banks… the mythical Enigma of Combination.
Using the Enigma, Onslaught and the other Combaticons merge with the brain-dead Swindle into the gestalt Bruticus, who immediately lashes out in fury. We see events from the perspective of Bruticus’ shared mindscape, as each Combaticon reacts to being part of the entity differently. While Onslaught single-mindedly rifles through Swindle’s memories, Vortex revels in the power that Bruticus provides.
Brawl is dragged into Swindle’s void of a mind and forced to relive his “death” at the hands of Starscream. Blast Off desperately tries to keep his comrades coherent as in the physical world, Bruticus rampages and clashes with Ironhide’s security forces. Onslaught finally obtains the proof he needs to take Starscream down, and Vortex and Brawl manage to latch onto Onslaught’s resolve as well. Only Blast Off’s reluctance to continue fighting prevents a tragedy, as his doubt gives Bruticus pause long enough for Ironhide to take the combiner out.
While a suitably-dramatic action sequence on its own, what really makes this scene special are the renderings of Bruticus’ mind and how each Combaticon reacts to being linked to each other. The two-page spread you see above is one of my absolute favorite images in any Transformers comic EVER- there’s just so much going on in there! Their time as Bruticus will also affect Brawl and Blast Off’s character development later on in this series and lead to some surprising choices from them down the line.
1. THE CHOSEN ONE UNITES CYBERTRON
(TAAO Annual 2017)
Ever since Starscream and Windblade shared mind-space and Starscream got a glimpse of his “idealized” self, the former Decepticon has had a confidence in himself and his leadership that is at an all-time high. He’s even allowing and fast-tracking free elections on Cybertron, assured that he can win the hearts and minds of the people. What’s more, Starscream’s plans to improve Cybertron’s infrastructure, energy production, and alliances with the other colonies are borne of a place of a legitimate desire to serve his people. With this new confident, borderline-altruistic air about Starscream, some of his biggest doubters are starting to question if they should even stand in his way.
One such doubter is Rattrap, who despite being Starscream’s one-time adviser, has quietly gathered evidence on all the various criminal activities perpetrated during the former Decepticon’s leadership of Cybertron. However, since he’s unsure if he’d be doing more damage than good to Cybertron by releasing it, Rattrap hands over all the evidence to Windblade, who is currently running against Starscream in the upcoming election.
Just before a public debate, Windblade furiously confronts Starscream after examining the evidence, leaving it all with him and telling him that he’d better have a good defense for it as she plans on telling the truth no matter what.
Starscream panics and prepares to throw up his usual smokescreen of misdirection, denials and lies, distraught that all his good intentions will mean nothing if the truth of his previous crimes come out. He believes that the warlike Elita One, who is the third candidate in this election, will spell ruin for Cybertron and desperately tries to think up a way to prevail against both her and Windblade.
At the debate, Windblade gives an impassioned, yet humble speech that simply asks for everyone to vote their conscience and that she’ll do the best she can if elected. Starscream is up next, and when the spotlight shines on him, he pauses… and…
Starscream confesses to all his crimes since taking office. He throws the election to give Windblade the votes she needs to win over Elita One. In a way, Starscream effectively fulfills the (later revealed as false) prophecy that was told to him by the overzealous Scoop and misguided Metrotitan- the “Chosen One” unites Cybertron… against him.
Later, having been locked away in his cell and given life imprisonment for his crimes, Windblade visits Starscream and gives him a holo-image of the “true self” he saw in their shared minds. She completely understands the choice Starscream made and who he decided to be. Even though Starscream’s motivations and ideals would zig and zag a few times more after this point in IDW continuity, this was probably his most defining moment. It turns out, the most unexpected and powerful thing Starscream could do was tell the truth.
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Dishonorable Mention- YOU’RE MY COMBATICON FANTASY
(TAAO # 9, 2017)
We all know why THIS is dumb…
-Onslaught doesn’t even have a mouth!
No, but seriously, this is more jarring than truly offensive to me. The scene in question is actually a mental projection in Blast Off’s mind, so it is literal Tumblr-shipping fan fiction on his part. And it makes perfect sense for Blast Off as a character to have a crush on Onslaught (read his original tech specs, he’s so lonely!)
I think this is just weird because I’ve never conceived of the words “Combaticons” and “romantic relationship” being in the same sentence. Furthermore, while the concept of Transformers having romantic relationships is one I’m down with, I always thought it was weird that they’d be physical in the same way humans would. Going all the way back to Blackarachnia and Silverbolt smooching in Beast Wars or (shudder) Rattrap and Botanica swapping sap in Beast Machines, it just seems… a little MUCH to me, I guess.
Hey, so this relationship's shipping name would be "OnOff", right?
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Now, we conclude this list with my top three favorite Nick Roche moments/scenes/things. Roche actually contributed a chunk of material for "Phase 1" of IDW Transformers, most notably the universally-acclaimed "Last Stand of the Wreckers." "Last Stand" would be on my list of favorite Transformers stories ever PERIOD, but this list is limited to offerings from Phase 2, so here we go!
3. DECEPTICONS REASSEMBLED
(Spotlight: Megatron, 2014)
After Megatron is left near death after a battle with Optimus Prime during the Decepticons’ first attempted conquest of Earth, Starscream seizes command. His tenure as leader is an embarrassing farce that leads to the Decepticon army fracturing across the galaxy and over a hundred of them taking refuge on a barren asteroid for nearly two years. With no resources to pilfer and Starscream unable to organize them in any meaningful fashion, the Decepticons fall to disrepair and cannibalism. Fortunately, Soundwave and Shockwave have been secretly toiling day and night to revive the comatose Megatron in a new, more powerful body.
Upon awakening and finding his empire in utter disarray, Megatron wastes no time in seeking out the despondent Starscream for some “course-correction” (and to work some resentment off.) Delivering a vicious physical and verbal beatdown to Starscream, Megatron ultimately spares him (as always), explaining why he never kills his treacherous subordinate. Starscream’s presence always reminds Megatron of the need to keep on his toes, to never stop watching his own back, and to maintain his edge.
He then addresses his haggard troops, and with customary sound, fury and ironclad conviction, does in less than a minute what Starscream could not do in two years. Megatron reforges the Decepticons into an army, an empire, an IDEAL again with mere words.
That second-to-last panel is a perfect encapsulation of the “classic” G1 Decepticon command structure and everyone’s place in it- “Soundwave lurks, Shockwave plots, and Starscream lives to scheme again.” Along with Megatron, these characters are the four main pillars of the organization in just about every G1-themed Transformers continuity, and Roche brilliantly captures that at the end of this excellent issue.
2. SPRINGER: ENDGAME
(Requiem of the Wreckers, 2018)
Springer’s one of the most heroic and decent Autobots there is; an impressive distinction considering he’s the leader of the Wreckers, the legendary squad of down-and-dirty commandos called in when the situation has reached beyond “FUBAR.” Springer spent nearly five years in a coma thanks to hideous injuries suffered at the hands of Overlord, reawakened to discover that he is an artificial Cybertronian created by the mad scientist Tarantulas, and then shortly thereafter had to cope with the death of his beloved mentor-figure Kup. Time and task have certainly worn on Springer and he retires to Earth to reevaluate his life alongside the Autobots’ human ally Verity Carlo.
Springer and Verity are abruptly and violently dragged into another tangled plot involving infiltration, assassination, and time travel thanks to the former leader of the Wreckers and his OTHER mentor-figure Impactor. Stumbling upon an alliance between Overlord and his progenitor Tarantulas, Springer and Impactor saddle up one last time to take the villains down.
In the end, Tarantulas dies trying to protect his “son” and Impactor sacrifices his life to give Springer a shot at beating Overlord. Springer and Verity manage to send Overlord’s two components to separate ends of history via a time-window, ending the Decepticon Phase-Sixer’s threat for good.
Afterwards, Springer decides to use the time-window and return to a point before the Autobot/Decepticon war. He’s not intending on trying to change the events of history at large; that’s simply too big in scope for him to consider. Instead, Springer decides to focus on changing a person at a time, and hopes that he can make enough of a positive difference to alter the fates of those he cares about and perhaps avert the war. After a heartfelt goodbye to Verity, he sets off on his next and final quest, but leaves a message for those he has left behind.
In addition to the surviving Wreckers, it’s nice to see that Springer cared enough to send the message to Prowl (who could be considered something of a godfather to him, despite their fractious relationship), Carnivac (a former rival), and even some rookie Wreckers (“Wrookies”) he had been remotely training. Springer’s message to erase the current, oil-stained legacy of the Wreckers and start a new one is a lovely cap on the entire mini-saga of the team that Nick Roche started back in 2010.
1. SPIDER/COP
Finally, Prowl’s conscience caught up with him, and determined Mesothulas was simply too dangerous to keep around. He had Impactor toss Mesothulas into the Noisemaze- an extra-dimensional prison of the scientist’s own creation. The Noisemaze’s mind-bending atmosphere drove Mesothulas insane and kept him stranded there for centuries. When he finally managed to free himself, he found that the war was still in full swing and he had been forgotten by Prowl… and history.
Mesothulas set to work planning his reunion with/revenge on Prowl. He examined and improved on technology and scientific advancements that had been developed in his absence, notably those by the amoral logician Shockwave. Mesothulas adapted mass-shifting technology to work in concert with bestial transformations, and chose the form of an Earthen spider as his new size-changing alternate mode. Mesothulas had become… Tarantulas.
Tarantulas went on to kidnap and blackmail Prowl, setting up the events of “Sins of the Wreckers”. Leaving aside how that story played out, I really just loved the concept of Prowl and Tarantulas being linked in this way. My favorite G1 character and my favorite Beast Wars character sharing a rivalry/friendship/whatever weird thing they had seemed tailor-made for me, and it was nice to see Nick Roche and I were on the same wavelength in this regard. The fact that Tarantulas was also linked in the story to Shockwave and Roadbuster, two of my other favorite G1 characters, was something I also appreciated.
The tangled sort-of “family tree” of Tarantulas, Prowl, Springer, Impactor, Verity, and Kup that was revealed added extra layers to each character involved and enriched them all in the final analysis. Tarantulas’ being Springer’s creator also added an element of tragedy and depth to the creepy spider-bot that you would never expect from him in previous incarnations. Nick Roche made me feel terribly sad for Tarantulas, despite all he had done, and exposing a new, interesting facet to one of my favorite characters will always be something I take notice of.
Of course, Prowl’s end of the relationship would also expose something I didn’t so much appreciate, as we move on to...
I’ve always enjoyed the shadier, devious Prowl that began to develop in the latter stages of IDW continuity’s “Phase 1.” Nick Roche pioneered this approach to the character, starting back in “All Hail Megatron” # 15 with his story “Everything In Its Right Place.” Casting Prowl as someone unafraid to “cross the line” to get things done and win the war for the Autobots, it was a portrayal that struck a chord with me and added a nice edge to a character who is usually thought of as “straight-laced” to a fault. I always enjoy when this sort of thing is applied to this particular character archetype in fiction, whether it is Cyclops of the X-Men or Wesley Wyndam-Pryce in the Buffyverse.
The thing with skirting the line and being all morally-gray is; you’ve got to maintain a fine balance with the character or you risk them going to a place where your audience suddenly can’t follow them. Prowl had done some truly questionable and terrible things in IDW continuity, but for the most part, you could see the logic behind them and still understand he was making a hard choice for the greater good.
I had always felt Nick Roche handled Prowl in this manner with the most care out of all the IDW writers. John Barber’s Prowl was a bit too angry and volatile, and James Roberts’ Prowl seemed a bit too spiteful and bitter. However, Roche virtually leaped off the moral tightrope that Prowl had been maneuvering on in the third issue of Sins of the Wreckers, where he revealed that Prowl and Mesothulas had perpetrated a “false-flag” operation in the early stages of the war.
Forget “morally-gray” or “for the greater good”, something like this just makes Prowl a complete monster. Killing thousands of innocents just to pin the blame on the Decepticons and score a propaganda victory is just not something I want my favorite character to be involved with. In fact, I basically have to head-canon this scene just to make it slightly more palatable to my sensibilities.
Perhaps Mesothulas went ahead with this operation anonymously and behind Prowl’s back after the two had brainstormed it, and after Prowl had rejected the notion. It’s still a horrible thing for Prowl to concoct, but I really don’t want to believe he actually signed off on executing it. The way he flatly reports on it to Mesothulas and the fact that he very shortly thereafter has the scientist disposed of makes me think the situation simply spiraled out of his control.
In whatever case, this is a moment I cringe at re-reading, and I think Roche should have pulled back a tic before deciding to include it in the story. Prowl’s still a “good guy”, despite it all, and something like this makes it impossible for you to relate to him anymore.
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And that's that! Maybe one day I'll go back and do a list for "Phase 1" of IDW Transformers 1.0, but for now, thanks for reading!
-Mike
First up, the third "main" writer for Phase 2, Mairghread Scott!
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5. LIEGE MAXIMO STEPS OUT FOR A SPELL
(Till All Are One # 8, 2017 )
With a horde of undead Titans descending upon Cybertron, Windblade has no time for Elita One’s refusal to have her own Titan Carcer transform to robot mode and lend a hand. Windblade leads a strike team into Carcer to force Elita’s hand and gain an edge against the attacking enemy city-formers. Elita has constantly said that Carcer must never transform and that her people are dedicated to never allowing their Titan to do so, but hasn’t provided a reason why.
As Elita’s generals Obsidian and Strika try and repel Windblade’s infiltration team, Windblade manages to get into Carcer’s brain chamber and activate the slumbering Titan with her telepathic Cityspeaker abilities. However, she discovers a terrible truth when she does; that Carcer is actually the Titan Vigilem in disguise… loyal guardian of the dreaded Prime of Lies- Liege Maximo!
While Windblade manages to get Vigilem to fight and destroy his undead brothers, the malevolent Titan takes the opportunity to free the captive Liege Maximo from a chamber within himself. Elita One tries to prevent Vigilem’s master from escaping by destroying the Titan’s massive brain module. However since Windblade was still connected to Vigilem’s brain, Elita’s act nearly fries Windblade’s own mind. And it’s all for naught… because Liege Maximo has already been released!
4. ASTRAL PLANE(S)
(TAAO # 12, 2017)
Just before Elita One destroyed Vigilem’s brain module, the malevolent Titan managed to download his brain patterns into Windblade’s mind. Now in a coma, Windblade is constantly engaged in a mental struggle with Vigilem as he tries to overtake her on the astral plane. While she is managing to hold him at bay, it’s only a matter of time before the Titan finds a weakness to exploit.
Enter Starscream, who has decided against his better judgment to interface with Windblade’s mind and give her a helping mental hand against Vigilem. However, Starscream isn’t as well-versed in psychic combat as Windblade is, and Vigilem quickly shifts focus to attacking him, exposing his greatest fears and insecurities and stripping him down to an image of his virtual spark. Windblade grabs Starscream’s “spark” and learns of his artificial “cold construction”, realizing that the Seeker has never felt comfortable in his own metal skin.
She mentally forges a true spark and body for Starscream- the idealized image of what he felt he should have been all along. Strengthened by Windblade’s psychic “rebuilding” of him, Starscream repels Vigilem from his mind and Windblade seals the screaming Titan within a mental prison in her own mind.
The two awaken in the physical world with a new understanding of each other, although Starscream is distinctly uncomfortable with what he witnessed in his own psyche. Windblade thanks him for coming to help and tells him that from now on, she won’t be participating in any political subterfuge or compromise, desiring only to speak her truth. Her resolve and Starscream’s own new understanding of himself will inform both of their decisions for the rest of the IDW universe and was truly a turning point for both characters.
3. CYBERTRON, ATTACK!
(TAAO # 5, 2016)
Starscream’s not the most popular leader around, or the most honest, but when the stakes are no less than the survival of the planet itself, there’s no time to be picky. A horde of undead city-sized Titans unleashed by Sentinel Prime looms over Cybertron, and everyone must put aside their differences and rally behind Starscream. Every spaceship is conscripted to either attack or ferry civilians away from danger, Windblade boards Metroplex to optimize his combat abilities, and all colonist representatives pledge their support to the planet's adamant leader.
Starscream gives a pretty epic speech before things kick off and it galvanizes the population. Politics are cast aside and for the first time, Starscream directs the entire population towards a singular goal; DEFEND CYBERTRON. Even in this post-war landscape, it was exceedingly rare to see everyone working together and even moreso following Starscream’s orders. While the battle against the undead Titans would have a lot of complications tossed in along the way, it at least began with a finally-united Cybertron speaking in one voice… Starscream’s voice.
2. THE REVENGE OF BRUTICUS
(TAAO # 3-# 4, 2016)
Onslaught and the Combaticons aren’t happy with Starscream’s leadership of Cybertron nor his apparent killing of Swindle. In order to get revenge, the Combaticons kidnap Wheeljack and Rattrap after learning that they spirited Swindle’s body away after his apparent death. Swindle had dirt on Starscream’s illegitimate dealings while in office, and if it could somehow be retrieved, the Combaticons could topple Starscream's entire regime. They discover that Swindle is still alive, but brain-dead and kept on life support. Onslaught forces Rattrap to retrieve the one object that could let them access Swindle’s dormant memory banks… the mythical Enigma of Combination.
Using the Enigma, Onslaught and the other Combaticons merge with the brain-dead Swindle into the gestalt Bruticus, who immediately lashes out in fury. We see events from the perspective of Bruticus’ shared mindscape, as each Combaticon reacts to being part of the entity differently. While Onslaught single-mindedly rifles through Swindle’s memories, Vortex revels in the power that Bruticus provides.
Brawl is dragged into Swindle’s void of a mind and forced to relive his “death” at the hands of Starscream. Blast Off desperately tries to keep his comrades coherent as in the physical world, Bruticus rampages and clashes with Ironhide’s security forces. Onslaught finally obtains the proof he needs to take Starscream down, and Vortex and Brawl manage to latch onto Onslaught’s resolve as well. Only Blast Off’s reluctance to continue fighting prevents a tragedy, as his doubt gives Bruticus pause long enough for Ironhide to take the combiner out.
While a suitably-dramatic action sequence on its own, what really makes this scene special are the renderings of Bruticus’ mind and how each Combaticon reacts to being linked to each other. The two-page spread you see above is one of my absolute favorite images in any Transformers comic EVER- there’s just so much going on in there! Their time as Bruticus will also affect Brawl and Blast Off’s character development later on in this series and lead to some surprising choices from them down the line.
1. THE CHOSEN ONE UNITES CYBERTRON
(TAAO Annual 2017)
Ever since Starscream and Windblade shared mind-space and Starscream got a glimpse of his “idealized” self, the former Decepticon has had a confidence in himself and his leadership that is at an all-time high. He’s even allowing and fast-tracking free elections on Cybertron, assured that he can win the hearts and minds of the people. What’s more, Starscream’s plans to improve Cybertron’s infrastructure, energy production, and alliances with the other colonies are borne of a place of a legitimate desire to serve his people. With this new confident, borderline-altruistic air about Starscream, some of his biggest doubters are starting to question if they should even stand in his way.
One such doubter is Rattrap, who despite being Starscream’s one-time adviser, has quietly gathered evidence on all the various criminal activities perpetrated during the former Decepticon’s leadership of Cybertron. However, since he’s unsure if he’d be doing more damage than good to Cybertron by releasing it, Rattrap hands over all the evidence to Windblade, who is currently running against Starscream in the upcoming election.
Just before a public debate, Windblade furiously confronts Starscream after examining the evidence, leaving it all with him and telling him that he’d better have a good defense for it as she plans on telling the truth no matter what.
Starscream panics and prepares to throw up his usual smokescreen of misdirection, denials and lies, distraught that all his good intentions will mean nothing if the truth of his previous crimes come out. He believes that the warlike Elita One, who is the third candidate in this election, will spell ruin for Cybertron and desperately tries to think up a way to prevail against both her and Windblade.
At the debate, Windblade gives an impassioned, yet humble speech that simply asks for everyone to vote their conscience and that she’ll do the best she can if elected. Starscream is up next, and when the spotlight shines on him, he pauses… and…
Starscream confesses to all his crimes since taking office. He throws the election to give Windblade the votes she needs to win over Elita One. In a way, Starscream effectively fulfills the (later revealed as false) prophecy that was told to him by the overzealous Scoop and misguided Metrotitan- the “Chosen One” unites Cybertron… against him.
Later, having been locked away in his cell and given life imprisonment for his crimes, Windblade visits Starscream and gives him a holo-image of the “true self” he saw in their shared minds. She completely understands the choice Starscream made and who he decided to be. Even though Starscream’s motivations and ideals would zig and zag a few times more after this point in IDW continuity, this was probably his most defining moment. It turns out, the most unexpected and powerful thing Starscream could do was tell the truth.
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Dishonorable Mention- YOU’RE MY COMBATICON FANTASY
(TAAO # 9, 2017)
We all know why THIS is dumb…
-Onslaught doesn’t even have a mouth!
No, but seriously, this is more jarring than truly offensive to me. The scene in question is actually a mental projection in Blast Off’s mind, so it is literal Tumblr-shipping fan fiction on his part. And it makes perfect sense for Blast Off as a character to have a crush on Onslaught (read his original tech specs, he’s so lonely!)
I think this is just weird because I’ve never conceived of the words “Combaticons” and “romantic relationship” being in the same sentence. Furthermore, while the concept of Transformers having romantic relationships is one I’m down with, I always thought it was weird that they’d be physical in the same way humans would. Going all the way back to Blackarachnia and Silverbolt smooching in Beast Wars or (shudder) Rattrap and Botanica swapping sap in Beast Machines, it just seems… a little MUCH to me, I guess.
Hey, so this relationship's shipping name would be "OnOff", right?
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Now, we conclude this list with my top three favorite Nick Roche moments/scenes/things. Roche actually contributed a chunk of material for "Phase 1" of IDW Transformers, most notably the universally-acclaimed "Last Stand of the Wreckers." "Last Stand" would be on my list of favorite Transformers stories ever PERIOD, but this list is limited to offerings from Phase 2, so here we go!
3. DECEPTICONS REASSEMBLED
(Spotlight: Megatron, 2014)
After Megatron is left near death after a battle with Optimus Prime during the Decepticons’ first attempted conquest of Earth, Starscream seizes command. His tenure as leader is an embarrassing farce that leads to the Decepticon army fracturing across the galaxy and over a hundred of them taking refuge on a barren asteroid for nearly two years. With no resources to pilfer and Starscream unable to organize them in any meaningful fashion, the Decepticons fall to disrepair and cannibalism. Fortunately, Soundwave and Shockwave have been secretly toiling day and night to revive the comatose Megatron in a new, more powerful body.
Upon awakening and finding his empire in utter disarray, Megatron wastes no time in seeking out the despondent Starscream for some “course-correction” (and to work some resentment off.) Delivering a vicious physical and verbal beatdown to Starscream, Megatron ultimately spares him (as always), explaining why he never kills his treacherous subordinate. Starscream’s presence always reminds Megatron of the need to keep on his toes, to never stop watching his own back, and to maintain his edge.
He then addresses his haggard troops, and with customary sound, fury and ironclad conviction, does in less than a minute what Starscream could not do in two years. Megatron reforges the Decepticons into an army, an empire, an IDEAL again with mere words.
2. SPRINGER: ENDGAME
(Requiem of the Wreckers, 2018)
Springer’s one of the most heroic and decent Autobots there is; an impressive distinction considering he’s the leader of the Wreckers, the legendary squad of down-and-dirty commandos called in when the situation has reached beyond “FUBAR.” Springer spent nearly five years in a coma thanks to hideous injuries suffered at the hands of Overlord, reawakened to discover that he is an artificial Cybertronian created by the mad scientist Tarantulas, and then shortly thereafter had to cope with the death of his beloved mentor-figure Kup. Time and task have certainly worn on Springer and he retires to Earth to reevaluate his life alongside the Autobots’ human ally Verity Carlo.
Springer and Verity are abruptly and violently dragged into another tangled plot involving infiltration, assassination, and time travel thanks to the former leader of the Wreckers and his OTHER mentor-figure Impactor. Stumbling upon an alliance between Overlord and his progenitor Tarantulas, Springer and Impactor saddle up one last time to take the villains down.
In the end, Tarantulas dies trying to protect his “son” and Impactor sacrifices his life to give Springer a shot at beating Overlord. Springer and Verity manage to send Overlord’s two components to separate ends of history via a time-window, ending the Decepticon Phase-Sixer’s threat for good.
Afterwards, Springer decides to use the time-window and return to a point before the Autobot/Decepticon war. He’s not intending on trying to change the events of history at large; that’s simply too big in scope for him to consider. Instead, Springer decides to focus on changing a person at a time, and hopes that he can make enough of a positive difference to alter the fates of those he cares about and perhaps avert the war. After a heartfelt goodbye to Verity, he sets off on his next and final quest, but leaves a message for those he has left behind.
In addition to the surviving Wreckers, it’s nice to see that Springer cared enough to send the message to Prowl (who could be considered something of a godfather to him, despite their fractious relationship), Carnivac (a former rival), and even some rookie Wreckers (“Wrookies”) he had been remotely training. Springer’s message to erase the current, oil-stained legacy of the Wreckers and start a new one is a lovely cap on the entire mini-saga of the team that Nick Roche started back in 2010.
1. SPIDER/COP
(Sins of the Wreckers, 2015-2016)
In the earliest days of the Decepticon uprising, Prowl secretly worked with an extraordinarily-gifted neutral scientist by the name of Mesothulas to produce weapons and technology for the Autobots. Something of a socially-stunted eccentric, Mesothulas thrilled at providing whatever Prowl’s cunning, logical mind could concoct. Moreover, he started to see the whole of Cybertronian society as a Petri dish, and considered the Autobot/Decepticon conflict itself a living organism that he and Prowl were experimenting on. Prowl knew that Mesothulas had these unhealthy appetites, but the results of their collaborations were simply too valuable and groundbreaking for him to walk away from.
Mesothulas set to work planning his reunion with/revenge on Prowl. He examined and improved on technology and scientific advancements that had been developed in his absence, notably those by the amoral logician Shockwave. Mesothulas adapted mass-shifting technology to work in concert with bestial transformations, and chose the form of an Earthen spider as his new size-changing alternate mode. Mesothulas had become… Tarantulas.
Tarantulas went on to kidnap and blackmail Prowl, setting up the events of “Sins of the Wreckers”. Leaving aside how that story played out, I really just loved the concept of Prowl and Tarantulas being linked in this way. My favorite G1 character and my favorite Beast Wars character sharing a rivalry/friendship/whatever weird thing they had seemed tailor-made for me, and it was nice to see Nick Roche and I were on the same wavelength in this regard. The fact that Tarantulas was also linked in the story to Shockwave and Roadbuster, two of my other favorite G1 characters, was something I also appreciated.
The tangled sort-of “family tree” of Tarantulas, Prowl, Springer, Impactor, Verity, and Kup that was revealed added extra layers to each character involved and enriched them all in the final analysis. Tarantulas’ being Springer’s creator also added an element of tragedy and depth to the creepy spider-bot that you would never expect from him in previous incarnations. Nick Roche made me feel terribly sad for Tarantulas, despite all he had done, and exposing a new, interesting facet to one of my favorite characters will always be something I take notice of.
Of course, Prowl’s end of the relationship would also expose something I didn’t so much appreciate, as we move on to...
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Dishonorable Mention- MORALLY-BLACK PROWL
(Sins of the Wreckers # 3, 2015-2016)
The thing with skirting the line and being all morally-gray is; you’ve got to maintain a fine balance with the character or you risk them going to a place where your audience suddenly can’t follow them. Prowl had done some truly questionable and terrible things in IDW continuity, but for the most part, you could see the logic behind them and still understand he was making a hard choice for the greater good.
I had always felt Nick Roche handled Prowl in this manner with the most care out of all the IDW writers. John Barber’s Prowl was a bit too angry and volatile, and James Roberts’ Prowl seemed a bit too spiteful and bitter. However, Roche virtually leaped off the moral tightrope that Prowl had been maneuvering on in the third issue of Sins of the Wreckers, where he revealed that Prowl and Mesothulas had perpetrated a “false-flag” operation in the early stages of the war.
Perhaps Mesothulas went ahead with this operation anonymously and behind Prowl’s back after the two had brainstormed it, and after Prowl had rejected the notion. It’s still a horrible thing for Prowl to concoct, but I really don’t want to believe he actually signed off on executing it. The way he flatly reports on it to Mesothulas and the fact that he very shortly thereafter has the scientist disposed of makes me think the situation simply spiraled out of his control.
In whatever case, this is a moment I cringe at re-reading, and I think Roche should have pulled back a tic before deciding to include it in the story. Prowl’s still a “good guy”, despite it all, and something like this makes it impossible for you to relate to him anymore.
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And that's that! Maybe one day I'll go back and do a list for "Phase 1" of IDW Transformers 1.0, but for now, thanks for reading!
-Mike
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Mike's Favorite IDW Transformers "Phase 2" Moments: Part 2, John Barber
Last time, we looked at my favorite moments from James Roberts' run. On to my top ten favorite moments/scenes from John Barber's run, plus honorable and dishonorable mentions!
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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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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!
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Fanholes Transformers Tuesdays # 31: Sins of the Wreckers
The Fanholes discuss the IDW mini-series Sins of the Wreckers! Will any of them survive??
Download this episode!
Sunday, July 2, 2017
Mike's Top 50 Favorite Transformers Characters Part 5: 10-1
10. Getaway
First Appearance- Marvel Transformers US # 42 (1988)
Getaway was a character that showed up in the Marvel comics a lot, but he never really seemed to live up to the potential of his Transformers Universe profile write-up for me. It states that Getaway is a legendary escape artist with no known weaknesses, and describes something known as “The Armornecking Incident” where Getaway once outwitted a vastly-superior force of Decepticons and saved the lives of his comrades while severely-damaged. There was a text story in a UK Annual where he got to showcase his exceptional skills as an escape artist, but other than that, Getaway just seemed to be your run-of-the-mill Autobot for the most part. He also tended to die or get thrashed a lot... which was totally intentional on Simon Furman’s part apparently. He once stated that it amused him that someone named “Getaway” could not get away, which is why more often than not... Getaway gets blown-up in Furman’s stories.
I always thought Getaway had a cool name, and like I said... his Transformers Universe entry and his later Dreamwave profile write-up made him sound like a really badass guy and frankly... good at everything. Just like Repugnus, I hoped that someone would eventually utilize Getaway and his impressive persona and skill-set the way they were sold in those bios.
When James Roberts introduced Getaway into the IDW “More Than Meets The Eye” comic, I was pretty excited. He was a secret agent, employed by Prowl’s Spec Ops organization, and a really charismatic guy. Getaway joined the crew of the Lost Light and I was happy another of my favorite obscure guys was finally getting his due! However, once “Season 2” of the comic began, we started to see a real dark side to Getaway as he cozied-up to the naive Tailgate in order to ultimately sacrifice him in the name of what Getaway considered to be justice.
Getaway’s plan was to use Tailgate as a pawn to facilitate the repentant Megatron’s removal from the Lost Light by getting the little guy killed. It involved a lot of uncomfortable emotional manipulation on Getaway’s part, made more so by the fact that Tailgate was basically the Transformers equivalent of a kid. It could be boiled down to “a secret agent taking advantage of an easy mark”, but most people saw the ugly parallels to child abuse. Getaway would even correctly predict the readership’s response to his plan- how Megatron’s vast crimes against countless beings were almost inconceivable and unrelatable to your average person, but causing harm to the “lovable” but singular Tailgate would invoke righteous fury much easier.
The realization I ultimately came to was that I didn’t even LIKE Tailgate as a character anymore at that point. I felt he had far outlived his usefulness to the plot and thus I probably would have been totally fine with Getaway getting him killed. I’m not gonna defend Getaway’s methods too resolutely, but frankly... I could see where he was coming from. Megatron’s whole redemption arc was interesting reading and all, but Getaway was absolutely right when he points out how insulting and sick it is in-universe to all those who have suffered and died at the former Decepticon leader’s hands and commands. Getaway later successfully orchestrated a mutiny against ship’s captain Rodimus and all those who he perceived were too sympathetic to Megatron, exiling them from the Lost Light.
I’ve always been a “Needs of the Many” kinda guy, so perhaps that’s why I’m willing to not write Getaway off, as most fans have already. Yes, his behavior towards Tailgate was deplorable and perhaps Getaway should pay for it one day. However, I certainly don’t think his crimes are comparable to Megatron’s. No matter how interesting Megatron is to read about, he’s still a genocidal tyrant and that’s quite a few rungs up the ladder from being “slimier James Bond”.
Getaway’s original toy is okay for its time, and he’s also had a homage repaint in the Movie-verse line that is a decent figure and which I used as my “Classics” Getaway for awhile. He just recently received a new toy in the “Titans Return” line, although it is simply a repaint of Chromedome’s mold with a new head and is so unremarkable that I haven’t been able to muster up any interest in buying it. I would really love a new Getaway figure based on Alex Milne’s comic design at some point. Perhaps some third party company will make one, or perhaps Takara will eventually make a new representation of Getaway’s across-the-ocean doppelganger Lightfoot that can substitute as him. In whatever case, the perfect Getaway toy- rather appropriately... continues to elude me. Bomp.
9. Buzzsaw (G1)
First Appearance- Marvel Transformers US # 1 (1984)
Despite being packaged with the original G1 Soundwave toy, Buzzsaw is largely known by a large portion of the fandom as “the forgotten cassette”. This is mostly down to his sparse appearances in the Sunbow cartoon- only three episodes, or four if you count the time Soundwave ejected Laserbeak but called him Buzzsaw in “Auto Berserk”. Conversely, Laserbeak appeared ALL the time and even kind of stole Buzzsaw’s listed primary function as a spy. Laserbeak was also fearless and dependable in combat on the show, which was at odds with his bio write-ups that described him as a coward who would only attack those who were already helpless or downed on the battlefield. But no- Laserbeak takes on Optimus Prime himself head-on at points and even managed to utterly defeat him in the episode “A Prime Problem”.
The “real world” reason for Buzzsaw’s lack of exposure in the cartoon can be traced back to the original cartoon’s production “bible”, which notes that since Buzzsaw's toy was already included with Soundwave... there was no real need to “sell” it on air to any serious extent. Kids were already gonna buy Soundwave and Buzzsaw was just a package deal... so he kind of got gypped out of any major animated exposure.
In the Marvel comics, however... it was a slightly-different story. Buzzsaw got some healthy usage there and it’s where I started to think he was pretty damn cool. As you can see in the main picture for this entry, which is from Marvel US # 9, Buzzsaw was portrayed as a lethal and stoic bird of prey. The fact that he was perched on Shockwave’s shoulder in that issue made me assume as a child that Buzzsaw was Shockwave’s “pet” of sorts, and conversely Laserbeak was Megatron’s. Since I thought Shockwave was a much cooler bad guy than Megatron, I naturally thought Buzzsaw must be much cooler than Laserbeak. And Buzzsaw kind of proved me right throughout his appearances in the Marvel comic- whenever he appeared, you knew someone was gonna get dismembered or messed-up.
Buzzsaw’s TFWiki page has even propagated the notion that he is an utter MURDERBIRD that you do not want to mess with on any level to meme-worthy levels. His diamond-hard, micro-serrated beak will carve you up and his mortar cannons will destroy what’s left! Don’t try to fight Buzzsaw, run, RUN!!! It’s your only chance for survival! I must admit, it is often gratifying to see a large portion of the fandom validate your childhood leanings.
Buzzsaw’s various bio write-ups also portray him as something of a tortured “artiste” with a sadistic creative streak. I like to think of myself as a creative person too, and prone to frustration when my “vision” hits a snag or is unappreciated... just like Buzzsaw. Of course, I don’t carve other PEOPLE up for art... but I can definitely relate to that larger creative aspect of Buzzsaw’s character. Also, that “mystique” I’ve mentioned in other entries on this list that comes from a character only sparsely appearing in stuff probably contributes to Buzzsaw’s appeal for me. I know I used to get excited during the few times he showed up in the original cartoon, and also in any subsequent fiction.
Buzzsaw and Laserbeak currently feature in John Barber’s IDW Transformers comics, where he humorously plays them as Statler and Waldorf from “The Muppets”. In most scenes the avian duo are in, they’re usually perched someplace high and ready to let loose with some cutting zingers about the situation or other characters. The objects of their ridicule should probably be thankful if those gibes are the only “cutting” Buzzsaw does…
Buzzsaw’s had a number of toys, most of which try to replicate or homage his original G1 cassette form. He did receive a Botcon exclusive toy with an actual humanoid robot mode- a repaint of Energon Divebomb that represents a “Beast Era” Buzzsaw. You can’t go wrong with his Masterpiece release though, an excellently-engineered recreation of the original figure. Mine’s always perched on top of my bookcase... y’know... to frighten potential burglars. You try and steal anything from my room, and Buzzsaw WILL TAKE YOUR FREAKIN' HAND OFF!!!
8. Snarl (G1)
First Appearance- The Transformers episode # 10- “War of the Dinobots” (1984)
I mentioned before on this list in Trypticon’s entry that as a child, I was fairly enthralled with dinosaurs, and one of my personal favorites was the Stegosaurus. Naturally, when I was introduced to the Dinobots, Snarl immediately stood out to me for transforming into one! At the time, I had read some Marvel comics in which the Dinobots appeared and rented the “F.H.E.” VHS releases of the episodes “War of the Dinobots” and “Heavy Metal War”. However, the original toys of the Dinobots had long since been gone from shelves, so there was no real way for me to ever get my hands on a toy of Snarl. Until, that is, the year 1990 when I finally received my very first Dinobot toy.
Yeah, that’s Action Master Snarl, who cannot even transform into his Stegosaurus mode! I received the “Transformers Legends” re-release of Pretender Grimlock (which was sans his Pretender shell) later that same year, but a transforming toy of my favorite Dinobot was still not in the cards yet. I did like my Action Master figures, but the larger story concept behind them was completely ignored by six year-old me, and instead I just had to use my imagination to have them transform. This pretty much involved putting Snarl on his fists and knees and pretending he was a Stegosaurus. I also recall later getting a separate Stegosaurus toy I owned and pretending Snarl converted into it. It wasn’t perfect, but I could live with it at the time. Finally in 1993, Generation 2 Snarl was released- a repaint of his first G1 toy, and I got to own a more “respectable” version of the character. The G2 version was released in three different colors, and I received the primarily-red colored one... which seemed close enough to his original color scheme for me.
Snarl was introduced in the cartoon alongside Swoop as part of a second batch of Dinobots. Optimus Prime just thought “hey, that first bunch of super-strong fire-breathing idiots worked out GREAT, let’s make more!” and that was that. Back then there wasn’t a whole lot of import in the cartoon about just making new soldiers... they just decided to do it and did it with little consequence or regard for resources. After that initial episode, Snarl and Swoop were integrated flawlessly with the other three and the Dinobots are treated as a quintet from then on. Except... for unknown reasons... Snarl was almost completely omitted from 1986's Transformers: The Movie. The original script for the movie insists that there are only FOUR Dinobots, and aside from a couple brief animation mistake cameos, Snarl is just flat-out missing from the team. That bugged the hell out of me (and many fans) as a kid, and to this day we have no solid reason as to why that occurred. Much like the previous entry on this list- Buzzsaw, perhaps it was Snarl’s absence from the movie that instead created a sort of intriguing appeal to him for me.
His preferred usage of the “Energo-sword” as his primary weapon (both in the cartoon and comics) also made Snarl somewhat unique in my eyes. The other Dinobots outside of Grimlock didn’t use their own swords as consistently as Snarl did, which made me think that maybe he was just a little bit better at it than they were. His Marvel Transformers Universe profile also stated that he secretly hated his Stegosaurus mode, which was kind of ironic considering it was the initial reason he became my favorite Dinobot. But that also kind of justified his Action Master toy to me... and that notion was reflected in a Botcon exclusive “Timelines” comic where Snarl was shown to have remained a non-transforming Action Master long after many had abandoned the concept.
Snarl’s had a fairly healthy career in the comics in general, showing up pretty much whenever the other Dinobots do and being one of “the guys”. Despite his description as a “miserable loner” in his various profiles, Snarl seemed to be the most-relied upon and trusted Dinobot by Grimlock. Slag and Swoop had their rebellious streaks, and Sludge was too dim much of the time. However, Snarl was usually in tune with what his commander required and often acted as his second on the battlefield and... uh... for other stuff.
Currently in IDW comics, John Barber likes to portray Snarl as sort of a “Silent Bob”-type. He doesn’t talk unless absolutely necessary and even when he doesn’t speak... the other Dinobots tend to understand whatever vibe he’s putting out, nicely indicating what a strong bond there is between all of them.
I’ve already spoken a bit about Snarl’s various toys, but there are a lot of third party options out there for him, including several Masterpiece-scale versions. There was a release of his Movie line incarnation with a G1-styled head... but I’m still waiting on an official new Snarl toy that fits in better with the “Classics/Generations” scale and aesthetic. Hopefully, Snarl (and the other three non-Grimlock Dinobots) will not remain forgotten again for long...
7. Rhinox (BW)
First Appearance- Beast Wars episode # 1- “Beast Wars, Part 1” (1996)
Rhinox once referred to himself as a “miracle worker” in the episode “Chain of Command”, and while he was being sarcastic... he was also totally right. Over the course of the Beast Wars cartoon, Rhinox was probably the chief problem-solver for the Maximals. Thanks to limited resources and personnel, he fulfilled a wide range of roles, from technician to inventor to even medic. And he handled all these tasks with the same dedication and finesse, all the while projecting an attitude of disappointment in himself for feeling like he hadn’t done ENOUGH. It’s this very lack of confidence in his own considerable abilities that prevent Rhinox from feeling like a “Marty Stu”-like character that has too many skills and is good at everything.
His most impressive feat might be resurrecting the dead... as Rhinox once used a rip in trans-dimensional space to reach into the Transformer afterlife itself and retrieve Optimus Primal’s recently-deceased Spark. Yes; Rhinox literally poached a soul from heaven... a feat usually reserved for ancient beings involved with the original creation of the Transformers, like the Quintessons or Alpha Trion.
Speaking of his other impressive attributes, Rhinox is also one of, if not THE physically-strongest Maximal in the series, perhaps only outclassed by the likes of Optimus Primal and later-season powerhouses like Depth Charge and Tigerhawk. He’s an excellent battlefield tactician and often took control if Optimus was disabled or unavailable. Even though it isn’t his preference, when Rhinox issues commands, EVERYONE listens- even the prideful and recalcitrant Dinobot. And of course, you cannot talk about Rhinox’s battlefield performance without mentioning his iconic firearm- the “Chaingun of Doom”. This intimidating weapon first made its appearance in the fourth episode of Beast Wars (the aforementioned “Chain of Command”) and made an immediate impression on the viewers... and poor Waspinator.
The beauty of that moment is that Rhinox’s original toy comes with a weapon that LOOKS like that... but it is sold in the instructions as some kind of melee instrument and can’t even be pointed towards the enemy when the figure holds it. Even if you saw or owned Rhinox’s toy before seeing “Chain of Command”, you’d probably have no clue that he could shoot with that thing. The writers and animators of Beast Wars sure were creative when it came to interpreting these things on-screen! This scene is also significant for beginning the trend of Waspinator being utterly butchered in nearly every subsequent battle in the series. One wonders if the chronically-unfortunate Predacon received some kind of permanent neurological damage from Rhinox’s attack too, considering that Waspinator’s relatively-simple mindset and bizarre speech patterns become much more evident after this event. Ah well, this ain’t the “Sympathy For Waspinator” entry, this is the “Rhinox Is Awesome” one!
Rhinox also has something of a spiritual side and is almost in touch with the organic planet the Maximals are stranded on as the nomadic Tigatron was ...although these aspects of him are usually downplayed. He did once lead Cheetor, Rattrap, and Dinobot back to base after they were all blinded by an Energon explosion by relying solely on his beast mode senses and knowledge of the environment. Rhinox also seems to have a healthy respect for the metaphysical aspects of Transformer existence, and the nature of Sparks in general. I’ve often wondered how he reconciled this respect with his aforementioned “stealing” of Optimus Primal’s Spark from within the Matrix.
The morality of his actions is something that obviously does weigh on Rhinox... considering that when he is forcefully-stripped of that morality, he has no qualms with crossing any line to achieve his goals. Yes, Rhinox has turned evil twice, and he made for a pretty menacing bad guy both times. The first was in the Beast Wars episode “Dark Designs”, where he is temporarily reprogrammed into being a Predacon. Taking note of Rhinox’s obvious worth, Megatron kidnaps and brainwashes him... but the Predacon Rhinox proves too much for even him to handle. Rhinox easily takes out all the other Predacons, then confronts Megatron with the intent to usurp command. Only Rhinox’s own enhanced arrogance and Megatron’s quick-thinking foil this plot and Rhinox is soon rescued and returned to normal by his comrades.
In the follow-up series Beast Machines, Rhinox turns full-on villain as Megatron plugs his Spark into the body of the new Vehicon general Tankor and uses a “shell program” to overwrite Rhinox’s mind. However, after a bit of tampering with Tankor’s mind on the Maximals’ part, Rhinox’s original personality re-emerges and blends with Tankor’s brutish one. This new Rhinox, infused with Megatron’s ideology, opposes Optimus Primal and planned to take rulership of Cybertron from Megatron.
Unfortunately, Megatron’s foresight and cunning undo Rhinox’s plans and lead to the Rhinox/Tankor entity being destroyed when energies from the ancient Cybertronian artifacts known as the Key to Vector Sigma and the Plasma Energy Chamber clash. Rhinox/Tankor crumbles to pieces and Optimus Primal soon encounters his redeemed Spark in the Matrix... who urges him to not repeat their respective past mistakes.
It was a really sad and unsatisfying end to a great character... but then Beast Machines was pretty unsatisfying in general when it came to characterization. Rhinox’s fate is even sadder if you consider the later prose story “Singularity Ablyss” written by Beast Machines show-runner Bob Skir as canon. In it, Rhinox encounters a temporarily-deceased Megatron in the afterlife and attempts to redeem him and get him to accept being at rest. Instead, Megatron obliterates Rhinox’s Spark, savoring “the death cry of an angel” and is literally cast out of “heaven” to return to his life and conquer Cybertron.
A more optimistic version of Rhinox’s post-Beast Machines existence occurs in the Botcon exclusive “Universe” comics. There, Optimus Primal returns the favor once granted him and has Rhinox brought back to life by the Transformer god Primus himself to fight at his side once more. While this larger story was prematurely aborted due to behind-the-scenes shenanigans, a later Fan Club exclusive tale showed that Rhinox continued to fight at Primal’s side throughout the “Universe War” and even defeated an alternate dimension version of his former villainous identity Tankor. Yeah... I think I like that version of events better.
Rhinox has appeared in the current “IDW-verse” comics as an ancient pre-faction Transformer and follower of Onyx Prime, the chief representative of beast-type Cybertronians. I think this really works well for Rhinox, who has historically been shown to be so good at everything that it may as well have come from millions of years of experience. Rhinox “of the Mournsong” hasn’t shown up in current day yet, but I’m eager to see him reappear, possibly as an elder of the planet Eukaris- the current homeland of beast Transformers.
As far as toys go, Rhinox has had solid, if unexciting ones for years. His original figure is okay, but not really that show-accurate. His Transmetal release is kind of unremarkable, and the less said about his horrifyingly-cute fast food promotional toy, the better. He received a pre-Beast Wars Cybertronian toy as part of the Botcon 2006 exclusive set- a fitting repaint of the Cybertron Landmine Deluxe-Class mold. However, all these toys pale in comparison to his most recent Voyager-Class mold that was first released in the “Generations” line. A near-completely accurate reproduction of his cartoon self, it finally includes his iconic Chainguns of Doom and I liked it so much that I bought it again when Takara later repainted it to be even MORE screen-accurate in their “Legends” line.
So that’s really all there is to say about Rhinox and why I think he’s awesome should be evident by now. Yup, I’ve covered EVERYTHING significant that Rhinox ever did here with no respectable omissions.
...
Oh wait, there was that time he defeated the Predacons with a nuclear fart.
6. Onslaught (G1)
First Appearance- The Transformers episode # 62- “Starscream’s Brigade” (1986)
Truly, Onslaught is one meta-morphin’ dude-icus. I still haven’t exactly figured out what a “dude-icus” is, but it somehow seems like an appropriate appellation. His Generation 2 toy was in fact the first version of him I obtained, so I do have some fondness for the canary-yellow-with-purple-splotches color scheme. And as you can clearly see above... his G2 toy commercial is a stirring and elegant masterpiece of marketing art. I mean... do you know how difficult it is to find a good word that rhymes with “Bruticus”???
I always thought Onslaught was the coolest-looking gestalt team leader and I really wanted a toy of him after reading several of his Marvel comic book appearances and his Transformers Universe profile. His most impressive moment in the Marvel comics was easily when he spearheaded an attack on the massed Autobot forces gathered on Earth’s moon... an attack that very nearly wiped them all out.
His history in the original cartoon is also noteworthy, as Onslaught once masterminded a plan to send the Earth into the sun. As discussed before on this list, the Combaticons were a “third” faction for the first two episodes they appeared, arrayed against Autobot and Decepticon alike. However, once they were defeated and reprogrammed to serve Megatron... they became far less of a threat. Still, the portrayal of Onslaught as a master strategist always struck a chord with me, as he had that in common with a few of my other favorite characters- G1 Prowl in particular. The fact that his character write-up in bios stated that he got extremely frustrated and irate when his plans failed was something I could relate to. I absolutely hate it when things don’t go as planned (not that everyone doesn’t), but I do tend to dwell on failures like that to my mental detriment, and Onslaught does too. So this is probably another case of me seeing something of myself in a character.
As far as other portrayals of the character go, I did enjoy Onslaught’s sort of “origin tale” as told in the Transformers Fan Club exclusive comic strips. Serving as something of a prequel to the original cartoon, the multi-part story “The Coming Storm” had the Combaticons starting out as a special unit of the Autobot Elite Guard. They are eventually swayed to the “dark side” by Decepticon warlord Deathsaurus, who appeals to their baser natures and promises Onslaught the greater respect and autonomy he feels his team deserves. The Combaticons turn on the Elite Guard and with their newly-granted ability to combine into Bruticus, slaughter the Autobot defense force to nearly the last ‘bot. Onslaught is confronted by his former fellow unit commander Metalhawk after the massacre, who tries to appeal to their previous sense of friendship and camaraderie.
Yeesh, Metalhawk has NO LUCK at all in Western fiction, does he?
Onslaught’s also had a notable career in the IDW comics, with his Combaticons (sans Swindle) starting off under Simon Furman as the Decepticon Secret Service’s elite strike team. The Combaticons were unfortunately turned into a bunch of aimless clowns during Mike Costa’s run, forced to work for the North Korean government during their time on Earth. Onslaught even admitted he didn’t have a plan at the time... and Onslaught’s WHOLE DEAL is that he always has plans! It actually pained me to see a character I liked kow-towing to some Kim Jong-il clone and a pathetic interpretation of a team that had previously been seen as impressive and competent under Furman.
Thankfully, Mairghread Scott would later give the Onslaught and the Combaticons some great spotlight time and character development in the later “Till All Are One” comic series. She explored the inter-personal relationships between team members and expanded on their original character bio write-ups in some interesting ways. We also got the best-ever depiction of what was going on in a gestalt warrior’s head during combination, in a brilliant two-page spread by artist Sara Pitre-Durocher. The Combaticons combine with the brain-dead Swindle so Onslaught can obtain some damning evidence on Starscream. With Vortex reveling in Bruticus’ power, Brawl being drawn into Swindle’s void of a mind, Blast Off desperately trying to maintain mental cohesion, and Onslaught determinedly searching for a lost memory, Scott and Pitre-Durocher produced an iconic piece of Transformers art.
As I stated, Onslaught’s G2 toy was my first version of him, and I’ve already talked about the various Combaticon toys I’ve owned in Bruticus’ entry on this list. Onslaught received a solo, non-combining toy in the ‘08 Universe line, an Ultra-Class figure that was pretty decent and gave him a new APC vehicle mode that was later repainted into Autobot Hardhead, as I’ve also mentioned before in this list. His most current Combiner Wars/Unite Warriors figure is a great modern representation of him and he’s got a veritable onslaught of third party toys out there too. You got a lot of meta-morphin’ dude-icuses out there, is what I’m saying. “Dude-icuses”… “Dude-ick-i”? Does someone know the proper plural for “dude-icus”?
5. Roadbuster (G1)
First Appearance- Milton Bradley mini-comic story “In The Transformers” (1985)
I first heard of Roadbuster as a simple mention in a Marvel Transformers storybook entitled “Battle For Earth”. Roadbuster is never depicted in illustrations, but the text described how he used his “linear blaster” to blow a hole in the wall of the Decepticons’ fortress and how prideful he was to have done so. That is pretty much Roadbuster’s key character attribute- his love of powerful weaponry.
I finally got to see what Roadbuster actually looked like when over my older cousin’s house one day. He was a comic collector and used to give me tons of issues... not to mention letting me shuffle through his many long boxes and read whatever I wanted. He didn’t really collect a lot of Transformers comics, but one thing he did have was a couple of the magazine-sized Marvel UK issues. I wasn’t allowed to keep those, but I did read them and the issue that stood out most to me was # 203- part four of the noteworthy “Time Wars” arc.
Having no access to any of the other parts of Time Wars, I had to rely on the “previously in Transformers” write-up before the story and just tough it out for the rest of the nonsense. Cuz that’s how we did it back in the day- none of this “EVERY ISSUE MUST BE NEW READER-FRIENDLY!” crud! Thankfully, robot-on-robot violence is a universal language for kids and I was fairly enthralled by the story being presented. Megatron and Galvatron had teamed-up and were slaughtering the Wreckers as Optimus Prime was trapped in a dimensional limbo and helpless to intervene. The destructive duo were utterly unstoppable and I was shocked to see the Autobot Sandstorm get blown-apart by Galvatron’s particle cannon. The issue ends with Roadbuster deploying an experimental “Pathblaster” weapon and targeting Galvatron with it.
As you can see, Roadbuster’s love of weaponry proves to be his undoing, as the overloading Pathblaster destroys him. Still, what my eight year-old mind had fixated on above anything else was that Roadbuster had been the only one to deal some damage to Galvatron in the issue. Coupled with the fact that this was the first time I had ever seen what Roadbuster actually LOOKED like, I probably “imprinted” on the character and liked him from then on.
Roadbuster does in fact look pretty unique and cool... owing to the fact that he, as discussed in Whirl’s entry on this list, has a sort of different design aesthetic than most other Transformers. While Roadbuster is more “humanoid” in features than Whirl, he still seems a little boxier and more robotic than your average Autobot. Original Transformers character design artist Floro Dery apparently never gave Roadbuster or Whirl a more streamlined design to be used in comics or animation, so most artists likely had to use the toys as reference when drawing the two “Deluxe Vehicles”. It certainly does add to both Roadbuster and Whirl’s visual charm on occasion.
As far as other fictional appearances go, Roadbuster is almost always a member of the Wreckers in any continuity in which he appears, and he usually even functions as the second-in-command to whomever is leading the Autobot commando team at the time, be it Impactor, Springer, or Kup. In fact, in “Regeneration One”- the IDW continuation to the Marvel US comics, Roadbuster gets to finally fulfill the occupation that is attributed to him in his tech specs and various bios. He’s the Autobot Ground Assault Commander!
Roadbuster’s most substantial career as a Wrecker (and an overall character, really) is probably in the main IDW continuity, having been with the team since they first appeared in the mini-series “Stormbringer” and in-canon for much longer before that. That career is marked by some rather violent and horrifying moments, as Roadbuster was once mentally-manipulated by the mad scientist Tarantulas (an IDW version of the Beast Wars character) into brutalizing Autobot cadets in his charge and “sacrificing” them to the death-god Mortilus. However, a positive thing that shines through is his friendship with Springer and dedication to protecting him. The text story “Zero Point” included in the hardcover release of the story “Last Stand of the Wreckers” showcases Roadbuster’s devotion to his then-comatose leader, as he maintains a bedside vigil next to Springer’s inert frame for years.
After Springer reawakens, the Wreckers must undertake a mission to rescue Prowl from Tarantulas. The twisted spider-bot eventually reveals his role in Roadbuster’s past sins and Roadbuster ultimately sacrifices himself to take Tarantulas out-of-play temporarily. That’s one thing about old “RB”… he always goes out with a BANG.
As far as toys go, Roadbuster’s original G1 figure is quite the substantial one... and has tons of tiny accessories that are likely to get lost. He received a figure in the ‘08 Universe line that was a repaint of the Cybertron Defense Hot Shot mold and could be considered a more “youthful” version of Roadbuster, considering it’s got an actual “face” and not the usual visor-and-mask look he usually sports. His figure in the Generations line is a good update of his original toy, and includes a bevy of mix-and-match weapons. My favorite representation of Roadbuster though, is the unofficial third party release by company Mastermind Creations called “Dicamus”. It’s an excellent interpretation of Roadbuster’s IDW look and even includes options for a Guido Guidi-designed IDW head or a more-traditional G1-styled head.
You might notice the Master Chief from the “Halo” franchise atop Dicamus above. I always thought it’d be cool to reinterpret Roadbuster as a sort of Autobot “super-soldier” in fiction and he obviously shares some visual similarities with the Master Chief. He even transforms into a sort of “Warthog” jeep too! Maybe they could get Chief’s voice actor Steve Downes to voice Roadbuster if he ever appears in an animated show. Until then, you can always count on Roadbuster to... Finish The Fight... and also not to have a substantial fear of any roads.
4. Shockwave (G1)
First Appearance- The Transformers episode # 1- "More Than Meets The Eye, Part 1" (1984)
Ha-ha, you thought I was gonna use the “ALL ARE DEAD” Marvel US issue # 5 cover as the main picture for this entry, didn’t you?? While a truly iconic Shockwave image and probably one of the best all-around pieces of Transformers artwork ever, I picked the cover to Marvel US issue # 6 instead of # 5 because of what it represents for Shockwave and my lasting notions of him. Marvel US # 6 was one of the very first pieces of Transformers fiction I was ever exposed to and because of it, I remember briefly thinking as a child that Shockwave- not Megatron, was the main Decepticon bad guy! After all, he looked a lot cooler than Megatron- certainly a lot more alien and hostile with his singular optic and gun-hand, and he totally made Megatron his bitch in that issue!
Yeah, Shockwave really dominated those first twelve issues of the Marvel comic under Bob Budiansky, seizing leadership of the Decepticons, defeating the Autobots, and reducing Optimus Prime to a mere decapitated head. Marvel US # 12 was another early issue I read and I remember thinking it was a big deal since Prime’s head is finally rejoined with his body and he defeats Shockwave. After that, Megatron and Shockwave sort of jockeyed for leadership until Megatron’s supposed “death” in issue # 25- a death that Shockwave expertly orchestrated by taking advantage of Megatron’s tenuous mental state. His methodical approach to leadership and treachery, as well as his dedication to logic always appealed to me, and was why Shockwave stood out as my first favorite villain in the franchise.
Later comics by Simon Furman would reinforce this feeling, as Shockwave is one of those characters that, whenever he appears in one of Furman’s stories, will always receive some great dialogue and badass or interesting scenes. One of my personal favorite Shockwave moments occurs in the landmark issue of Marvel US # 75, as Cybertron is being attacked by the monstrous chaos god Unicron. The cold, rational Shockwave’s reaction to his planet literally being eaten by the Transformers’ equivalent of Satan certainly sold the severity of the situation.
Shockwave routinely appeared on the original Sunbow cartoon as well (voiced by the inestimably-versatile Corey Burton), where his main role appeared to be serving as an incompetent bouncer for Cybertron’s end of the Decepticon Space Bridge. Like seriously… whenever any Autobots needed to reach Cybertron, all they had to do was get aboard the Bridge on Earth, and then trounce or even just run past Shockwave on the other side while he went “heeeey c'mon stop, you guuuuuys!” Megatron left Shockwave in charge of the planet in the very first episode after the bulk of Decepticons head out into space, and the dummy lets Cybertron sink into famine and apparent near-abandonment.
As planetary Energon levels are depleted, Shockwave’s only plan is seemingly to try and randomly contact the (as far as he knows) lost in space Megatron every few million years or so. Shockwave doesn’t even NOTICE that there are still Autobot resistance groups stealing supplies and Energon reserves from the Decepticon stores until he runs smack-dab into them in the episode “The Search For Alpha Trion”. He’s also slavishly-loyal to Megatron and aside from a somewhat insincere-sounding farewell directed towards his leader in the episode “Roll For It”, never evidenced the ambitions for leadership of his comic counterpart.
Yeah, as you can tell, I’m not a fan of cartoon Shockwave. Marvel comic Shockwave was a force to be reckoned with by the Autobots and kept Megatron on his toes mentally and physically. He wielded incredible destructive potential in his flying “space gun” alternate mode and was a powerhouse in robot mode, capable of outfighting all five Dinobots at once. Cartoon Shockwave was a wet noodle in combat and couldn’t aim for crap. In fact, here’s a succinct and tasteful diagram demonstrating the chief difference between cartoon and comic book Shockwave-
It’s no wonder that most modern versions of Shockwave, be they G1-continuity or not, borrow more heavily from the Marvel comics incarnation. The Dreamwave comics under writers James McDonough and Adam Patyk presented Shockwave as a master planner with a finger (or a gun-hand) in every pie. The amount of plot points and events that Shockwave was responsible for in that continuity got to be so noticeably-ridiculous that it spawned the meme “SHOCKWAVE DID IT” among the fandom. In the second Generation One mini-series entitled “War and Peace”, the final issue is mostly dedicated to Shockwave expositing on everything that has happened so far that he originally set into motion. It’s… a lot of text per page.
The IDW comics have similarly given Shockwave a large part in shaping the events of that continuity with his schemes and ambitions. Writers James Roberts and John Barber have also crafted a compelling “origin tale” for Shockwave too, with Roberts starting off by establishing a Cybertronian Senator whose name the readers were initially not made privy to. We follow this mystery Senator over the course of various stories set in the past where he befriends Orion Pax (he-who-will-become Optimus Prime) and speaks of his desire to topple the corrupt government of Cybertron. We’re given the impression that this is a guy who is emotionally-expressive, passionate about his goals, and possesses a certain zest for life. When he is captured by agents of the Senate, we finally learn his name after they lobotomize him using a procedure called “shadowplay” and make him undergo the “empurata” procedure, as previously elaborated on in Whirl’s entry on this list.
This new emotionally-gutted and physically-mutilated Shockwave goes on to join Megatron’s Decepticons and eventually nearly causes the destruction of the entire universe by causing everything to collapse into a singularity with Cybertron at the center. This “Dark Cybertron” apocalypse is only foiled at the last moment by Optimus Prime and Megatron teaming-up and appealing to Shockwave’s severed emotions, which Shockwave unwittingly reacquires through the temporal distortion his own scheme is causing. The “real” Shockwave comes to the forefront upon hearing the words of his former friend Orion, and mournfully asks Prime and Megatron to halt the Dark Cybertron event by ending his life, which they do. And that’s pretty much where we left Shockwave as of the writing of this entry... but you just can’t keep a good villain down for long!
As you might expect of a signature character in the franchise, Shockwave’s had a lot of toys over the years. I mentioned it before in Movie Shockwave’s entry on this list, that all you really need to make a decent Shockwave toy is to nail the single-optic look and give him a gun-arm. I’ve owned virtually every G1 Shockwave toy released except ironically, the original and the Masterpiece version. The original is infamous for having a prominent, gray-colored knock-off that was made available at Radio Shack back in the eighties, humorously known as “Shackwave” by the fandom. The Masterpiece toy is something I would like to own one day... but being as it is modeled more heavily on the Sunbow cartoon version of Shockwave, I haven’t been able to “pull the trigger” on it yet. There are plenty of third party options for Shockwave as well, but what I would like more than anything is a nice Voyager-Class G1 Shockwave that fits in with the “Classics/Generations” aesthetic and scale.
Interrogative: why haven’t they produced such an item yet? Statement: it would only be logical.
3. Tarantulas (BW)
First Appearance- Beast Wars two-pack mini-comic “Optimus Primal VS Megatron!” (1996)
Being a big fan of Spider-Man, of course I was gonna take note of the first Transformer that turned into a spider. It didn’t matter that Tarantulas was a bad guy- I immediately liked him in the cartoon’s opening two-parter because I thought his beast mode was cool. His toy’s back-of-box bio write-up claimed he was some kind of ninja… but the actual cartoon rarely if ever played him as such. Ninjas are quiet, after all, and Tarantulas was always giggling that creepy giggle of his. Ninjas also don’t usually have machine gun legs on their arms either.
What really started to solidify Tarantulas’ place as one of my favorite Beast Wars characters was episode three of the series- “The Web”. In it, Tarantulas comes off as one of the scarier threats among the Predacons… capturing the “kid-appeal” character Cheetor and planning on EATING him. Tarantulas was also somewhat dismissive of Megatron’s second-in-command Scorponok, and had already established his own personal lair separate from the Predacons’ base by this third episode, which certainly gave him a lot of cred in my eyes. I was sure this creepy spider-guy was going places! I also enjoyed his battle with Rattrap in that same episode, and thought the two kind of established a little bit of a rivalry. Indeed, Rattrap and Tarantulas would go boto-a-boto many more times over the course of the series, and their two differing brands of deviousness made for some entertaining fights.
Tarantulas would spend most of the first half of season one being Megatron’s chief scientist and inventor, but the episode “Spider’s Game” revealed a whole new level to him. Having somehow discovered that the planet the Maximals and Predacons were currently on was going to be destroyed, Tarantulas’ new priority was to find a way off of it. While it had previously been hinted that Tarantulas had some separate agendas from Megatron, this episode firmly established that he was operating on a different playing field than the rest of those embroiled in the Beast Wars. The planetary destruction was eventually averted, but Tarantulas continued to operate in the shadows, his larger goals and ambitions a mystery to the audience.
His conversion into a “Transmetal” form upped his physical threat factor and he flat-out told Megatron he wouldn’t be following the Predacon leader’s commands any longer, although their purposes would align many more times until the end of the series. Tarantulas was eventually revealed to be a spy for the Predacon Secret Police, placed as a mole in Megatron’s rogue organization. The so-called “Tri-Predacus Council” certainly had… let’s say eccentric tastes in regards to choosing their double-agents.
Tarantulas’ fascination/fear of the alien Vok that visited the Beast Wars’ planet (revealed to be prehistoric Earth) would eventually prove his undoing. Attempting to take control of the Vok’s emissary Tigerhawk, Tarantulas instead unleashed the Vok presence within the powerful Transformer. The Vok tried to inhabit Tarantulas’ form and in a panic, he caused his own apparent demise in one of the more graphic death scenes in the series.
I say “apparent” demise, because if you take the Botcon exclusive comics as canon, Tarantulas survives and what more- succeeds in enslaving the Vok that tried to kill him. Revealing yet ANOTHER layer of his treacherous ambitions, Tarantulas stood revealed as a spawn of the chaos-bringer Unicron himself. He would have gone on to serve as Unicron’s chief herald during the “Universe War”, had those comics continued.
Many fans are split on whether to consider Tarantulas a spawn of Unicron or not. Some feel it makes him “bigger” than the creators of the cartoon intended him to be, which was a cannibalistic double-agent with a few screws loose. Some would prefer him to be tied to the “Generation 2” Marvel comic, and the Cybertronian Empire introduced there which had differing origins from your standard Transformers, a hereditary trait that Tarantulas had also claimed. Me personally... I kind of like the “Unicron spawn” origin, but perhaps I would have downplayed it to Tarantulas being connected to those Unicron cultists from near the end of the US Marvel comic… a notion that writer James Roberts carried forth in his epic fan-novel “Eugenesis”.
As far as other portrayals of Tarantulas go, he was eventually introduced into the IDW comic universe in the mini-series "Sins of the Wreckers" as a neutral scientist that had once been in Autobot strategist Prowl’s employ. They fell out and Tarantulas (or Mesothulas, as he was known) was cast into a mind-bending dimensional prison called the “Noisemaze”, which drove him insane. Once he escaped, he remodeled himself based on a species of Earth spider and set upon a path of blackmail and revenge against Prowl. While still a creepy, amoral psychopath, this version of Tarantulas as portrayed by writer/artist Nick Roche had something of an interesting element of tragedy to him, wanting to be reunited with an artificial “son” he had created in his lab prior to Prowl’s betrayal. By the end of the series, Tarantulas finds out the truth of what happened to “Ostaros” and what he’ll do with that knowledge in the future is currently anyone’s guess.
I’ve obviously always thought Tarantulas had a cool design- for both his original and Transmetal forms. His Transmetal figure is probably one of my favorite Transformers toys ever and was perhaps one of the first times I felt that the toy-to-screen accuracy was very nearly perfect. The only incongruity with that figure is that his robot mode head has two optics instead of a visor like on the show, and that problem is easily solved with steady hands and a dab of yellow paint in-between his eyes. I also bought the “Fox Kids” repaint of Transmetal Tarantulas, which was used in the Botcon comics as his “Vok-powered zombie” form, as seen above. His original toy is pretty good too, if you buy the later more screen-accurate “10th Anniversary” recolor, but I wouldn’t say no to an eventual Masterpiece version of that design. Nor would I turn down a plastic interpretation of his IDW-self, with its weird merge of organic and Transmetal aesthetics. Tarantulas has a couple of exclusive, non-spider alt-mode toys as well, but I’m not quite as interested in those.
On a final note, Tarantulas kind of appeals to me on a personal level. Let’s face it; were I evil, skilled in the sciences (both physical and Dark), and cackled a lot more, I'd probably be Tarantulas. The guy plotted his nefarious schemes while cackling and typing on his computer in a dark cave. If that’s all being a supervillain requires, I could totally handle that.
HEEEHAAAHEEHEEEHAAAHEEHEEHAAAHEEHAAAAAAAA!!!
2. Thunderwing (G1)
First Appearance- Transformers Marvel UK # 230 (1989)
Big surprise here, right? As some may know, I use the screen name “Thunderwing” for many online forums and the Fanholes Podcast… in fact, I’ve used it since the very first time I joined a Transformers message board back in the dawning days of the Internet itself! At the time, I was certain I had picked a character so obscure he must have been long forgotten by fans, and that I might actually be Thunderwing’s only fan! Of course, I was wrong- the Internet connected me with tons of people who remembered Thunderwing and his brief stint as THE main Decepticon villain in the Marvel comics.
I always thought he was super-awesome for taking the Creation Matrix, holy font of Transformer life and symbol of Autobot leadership and wielding it as a weapon against the Autobots. I remember I read the issues that comprised the conclusion to the epic “Matrix Quest” storyline before I had seen the cartoon episode “The Burden Hardest To Bear”. I had no idea that in that episode, the Decepticon Scourge took control of the Matrix and did very much the same, so until I saw that... I thought Thunderwing was the only “bad guy” to really accomplish such a feat. Sure, Shockwave had stolen and used the Creation Matrix in the earliest issues of the Marvel comic to create new Decepticon soldiers, but I didn’t imagine that anyone could channel destructive power with it until I saw Thunderwing do it. The Creation Matrix had been corrupted by the time Thunderwing acquired it and seeks new and darker experiences, goading Thunderwing to slay its former host Optimus Prime and driving him to fire on his own troops.
It’s very shades of the “Dark Phoenix Saga” from X-Men, although Thunderwing was already an evil person before the Dark Matrix entity possesses him, unlike Jean Grey. The similarities are not surprising, considering writer Simon Furman has consistently listed Chris Claremont’s X-Men run as one of his writing inspirations.
Aside from Matrix Quest, which is obviously Thunderwing’s most prominent storyline, he also showed up a number of times in the Marvel UK comics under Furman before appearing in the US comic. Furman actually used the UK comics to develop Thunderwing and build him up as the next major Decepticon leader before bringing him into the US storyline. By the time the readers reached Matrix Quest, Thunderwing had been firmly established as a relentless and powerful threat to the Autobots. Possessing the most powerful “Pretender” exo-shell ever created, he barely ever appeared outside of it and had no real reason to- the guy was a physical match for the upper echelon of Autobot warriors, including Optimus Prime and Grimlock. Artist Geoff Senior always expertly depicted the raw power and durability that Thunderwing had at his disposal and his expressionistic stylings played no small part in my fascination with the character.
Thunderwing’s other most prominent role in fiction is in the main IDW comic continuity. There, he is presented as a former Decepticon scientist who created and sealed himself within a monstrous exo-carapace in order to survive what he believed was Cybertron’s imminent destruction. Bonding with his creation drove Thunderwing mad and reduced him to a near-mindless monster which threatened Autobot and Decepticon alike. It is Thunderwing’s terrible rampage across the planet and the joint efforts to stop him which ironically brings forth the very cataclysm that he himself feared, and Cybertron is left desolate and abandoned for hundreds of years afterward. In modern day, Thunderwing is found and reawakened by the Decepticon fanatic Bludgeon, who covets his power and attempts to duplicate it. Bludgeon unleashes the feral Thunderwing on the planet Nebulos, where he goes on a Godzilla-esque rampage before returning to Cybertron.
These events were depicted in the mini-series “Stormbringer”- one of IDW’s earliest efforts with the Transformers comic license. I can remember being really excited to see promo images of a shadowed Thunderwing in their press for the series, and it was definitely something that helped legitimize IDW’s then-new continuity for me. While we’re only given brief glimpses into Thunderwing’s actual personality and characterization before he becomes a bestial walking WMD, the fact that my main favorite Decepticon was getting so much spotlight was enough for me at the time, not to mention his badass new design by artist Don Figueroa. However, I hope that maybe one day we’ll learn more about Thunderwing the CHARACTER, not just Thunderwing the monster in IDW continuity.
As you can tell by now, a common theme with Thunderwing is being involved with a cataclysmic threat... or BEING the cataclysmic threat himself, and his other usages in fiction reflect this as well. In the Dreamwave Armada comics, he serves as a herald of the chaos-bringer Unicron, sent to worlds ahead of time with his fellow heralds to prepare them for their master’s dreaded arrival. In “Regeneration One”, one of the follow-ups to the original Marvel US continuity, Thunderwing’s corpse, still infused with residual Creation Matrix energy, is used to power a horde of self-regenerating “Blitz Engines” that lay siege to Cybertron. In the alternate future of “Beast Wars: Uprising”, Thunderwing’s name is spoken of as the “Last Decepticon Emperor” who fused with the cosmic Underbase’s powers and the Grand Mal floating fortress to devastate Cybertron and again... required the Autobot and Decepticon armies unite to oppose him.
In the Transformers Fan Club exclusive magazine storylines, Thunderwing’s aberrantly-powerful “Point One Percenter” life-Spark was sealed inside a special container and became known as the “Matrix of Malice”. Possessed by Bludgeon, the Matrix of Malice enabled him to combine with his subordinates- the Mayhem Attack Squad, and become a gestalt with the vengeful Thunderwing’s personality and visage. Known as “Thunder Mayhem”, this combined entity slaughtered the Autobot and Decepticon population of Cybertron, reducing the Transformer race to possible double-digits by any hopeful estimates. Arriving on Earth, Thunder Mayhem was eventually stopped by a ragtag band of surviving Autobots and the mighty gestalt warrior called Wreckage... but the damage had already been done.
Yep, whenever Thunderwing is around, you can be sure an apocalypse will likely follow. That kind of limits his usage in stories sometimes and potential for character development… but at least he always looks cool! The Transformers: Prime video game even introduced their continuity’s version of Thunderwing as, you guessed it- a giant apocalyptic-level threat and servant of Unicron. Voiced by noted screen and voice actor Robin Atkin Downes, this remains Thunderwing’s only “talkie” appearance as of the writing of this entry… and it’s not even G1 Thunderwing. Ah well, at least Downes is a terrific choice to portray my favorite Decepticon on-screen!
I’ve never owned Thunderwing’s original G1 Mega Pretender toy, and it is still pretty expensive on the aftermarket. Maybe one day I’ll acquire it, but Thunderwing did receive a nice modern figure in the Generations toyline in 2010. While a good remake and likeness akin to his original Pretender shell, it is only a Deluxe-Class figure and when compared to other figures in the same range, doesn’t possess the sheer presence and heft that someone like Thunderwing usually commands. He’s also received a “Titan Master” mini-figure that transforms into an approximation of his Pretender shell head... but currently there is no dedicated figure to connect it to in the current line. Hasbro did make a new Leader-Class figure of Thunderwing’s Japanese retool/redeco Black Shadow… so perhaps one day they will repaint that "back" into Thunderwing’s body.
The Thunder Mayhem combiner is a great set of figures, with a Thunderwing head sculpt modeled on Geoff Senior’s art, but I would like a closer representation of Marvel comics Thunderwing. My current favorite plastic representation of the character in general is probably the unofficial third party figure known as Garatron’s “GOD-01 Thunderstorm”. A reproduction of his Don Figueroa Stormbringer design, Thunderstorm is massive, heavy, and imposing as hell. It can even convert into the armored juggernaut “Ultra Mode” that Thunderwing briefly deploys in Stormbringer, although it lacks an “inner robot” figure. As good as it is though, it is still a third party figure… so you might say… it’s the real “Pretender”.
1. Prowl (G1)
First Appearance- Transformers Marvel US # 1 (1984)
Quite similarly to G1 Shockwave, Prowl became my favorite Autobot character of the early days thanks to the first bits of Transformers fiction I was exposed to. Like Shockwave, Prowl was actually the leader of his faction for the bulk of the first twelve issues of the Marvel comic. Issues # 9 and # 10 were some of the first issues I read and they featured Prowl in command of the Autobots thanks to Optimus Prime being held captive as a decapitated head by the Decepticons. Shockwave eventually returns a fake head to the Autobots in issue # 12, who reunite it with Prime’s body and are immediately “betrayed” as the false Optimus Prime begins to fire on them. As the Decepticons join the fray, the Autobots are nearly decimated before the real Optimus Prime is able to reassert control of his body. The image of a wounded Prowl with his back to the reader, desperately trying to mount a counterattack as his comrades are slaughtered always struck a cord with me.
Following issue # 12, Prowl only made scant further appearances in the Marvel US comic until nearly the end after Simon Furman took over from Bob Budiansky on writing duties. In these later issues, Furman mostly used Prowl as a foil for then-Autobot leader Grimlock. Acting again as second-in-command, Prowl’s advice was usually ignored by Grimlock, even though it was fairly valid most of the time and the only reason Grimlock’s brash actions and plans succeeded was because Furman was obviously playing favorites. Still, most people tend to remember Prowl as kind of a prick thanks to these issues, and that characterization usually sticks with him to modern day, for better or worse. Hey, if being right most of the time makes you a prick, then I say let Prowl be a prick!
Prowl had more of a career in the Marvel UK comics, appearing consistently throughout when he was absent from the US stories. Furman even had him get along better with Grimlock during the later “Earthforce” tales, where a smaller Earthbound force of Autobots were led by the Dinobot commander while Optimus Prime and the bulk of the Autobots were off in space. Prowl was as reliable and stalwart as ever, accomplishing such heroic feats as leaping aboard a rocket Megatron had launched into Earth’s stratosphere in order to defuse it. He also foiled a time-traveling plot by Megatron to recover the deceased Seacons in the past and braved the defenses of the Autobots’ own base after Wheeljack’s new security systems went haywire. However, my favorite bit of those stories is Prowl and Wheeljack’s discussion about how much things have changed in the Transformers universe since they first arrived on Earth. Anyone longing for the “simpler” days of Autobot versus Decepticon can surely appreciate their feelings.
Prowl’s status as the nominal second-in-command when Optimus Prime was up and about was never really reflected in the original cartoon. Prime would rather take advice from the ornery Ironhide or the Autobots’ human companions and it always annoyed me. There were moments when Prowl got to shine though, like in “The Ultimate Doom, Part 1”, where he uses those strategist skills of his and comes up with the plan to infiltrate the Decepticon base and rescue their human ally “Sparkplug” Witwicky. In the episodes “Dinobot Island, Part 2” and “Triple Takeover”, Prowl is shown leading his own squads, indicating that SOMEONE working on the cartoon was paying attention.
Prowl was voiced by Michael Bell, who seemed to specialize in portraying straight-laced, upright leader-type characters like Prowl. He also voiced Duke in the original G.I.Joe cartoon as well as Cyclops in the solitary episode of an early X-Men show that was never continued. Being that Prowl is my favorite Transformers character and Cyclops is my favorite X-Men character, I can’t help but see them as connected not only through characterization, but through the talented Mr. Bell himself as well.
Of course, I can’t talk about Prowl’s cartoon career and not bring up his death in Transformers: The Movie. I was about five when my grandparents took me to a local, run-down movie theater in the neighborhood called “The Castle”. This theater almost never played first-run movies and instead specialized in showing older ones at a discount price. My grandparents would usually take me there to see various classic Disney animated movies, which were in regular rotation. For whatever reason, one week they actually had Transformers: The Movie playing on the big screen, about three years after it had long-since exited newer theaters. Having just gotten into Transformers recently, I was super-psyched to see it and my grandpa took me, probably assuming it’d contain the same kind of kid-appropriate material as most Disney movies.
Well…
Yeah, I got to that far before I started crying and we had to leave. My favorite guy was graphically executed on a giant screen in front of my innocent eyes and I would never be the same! Ironically, I must have gotten over it pretty quickly, because it probably wasn’t more than a year or two later that I decided I was a big boy now and I had to see The Movie! The video rental place closest to my house- “Major Video”, had the F.H.E. VHS release and one weekend I finally had my parents rent it for me.
Honestly, I was still probably pretty scared by some of the imagery and violence in The Movie, but I sat the whole way through the VHS and eventually came to grips with Prowl’s death. It certainly helped that I could always revisit Prowl through the various other VHS episodes the store had available, as well as the Marvel comics I had already acquired. And later that year, I saw “Action Master” Prowl with his Turbo Cycle on a toy shelf and suddenly all was made well again! I was able to finagle my parents’ into getting it for me and I finally had my first toy of my favorite character! It didn’t matter that he had died in front of my eyes; now he could go on all sorts of new adventures during playtime!
Speaking of new adventures, Prowl’s had a very healthy career in more modern fiction. In the Dreamwave comics, writers tended to portray him much like his early Marvel self… a bit uptight, but not exactly a jerk about it. His leadership skills were put to the test on more than one occasion, as he often found himself in command of the Autobots during Optimus Prime’s frequent absences once again. Even if some may think Prowl lacks that certain “spark” to be a truly exceptional leader, he always got the job done and delivered some inspirational, if brief Prime-worthy dialogue in the “War Within” series.
His current incarnation in the IDW comics has gone through many changes, both physical and character-wise. In particular, Prowl’s moral compass has been all-over-the-map across the span of the many series he featured in. Most writers really enjoy writing Prowl as a manipulative chessmaster or even “anti-hero” who gives no slags about what others think of him, and sometimes that can get kind of overwhelming and makes Prowl hard to relate to. Other writers would prefer to write Prowl as “that nice police car guy” from the original cartoon who didn't have a lot of “bite” to him. I think the trick is balancing Prowl’s more positive qualities with his shadier ones, and closely toeing that “gray” line he usually operates on without crossing it too often.
This seems like a popular trope to apply to guys like Prowl- see how far the straight-laced hero can stray into darkness. I’m clearly a fan of these types of characters, whether it is X-Men’s Cyclops, Leonardo from Ninja Turtles, or Wesley Wyndam-Pryce from the Buffy-verse. You just gotta handle it delicately, because once you tip over that line too far… a character can become downright unpleasant to read about.
Prowl’s probably already crossed that line several times over thanks to IDW writers Nick Roche, James Roberts, and John Barber, although several instances of mental manipulation and brain damage may account for some of Prowl’s more erratic behavior in recent years. He’s had his memories altered by Chromedome, his mind controlled by Bombshell, and been part of an unstable gestalt hive-mind with the Constructicons in a very short span of time. Prowl’s currently free of all that though, and perhaps thinking clearer… so perhaps he can start working towards some small manner of redemption in his own way soon. Forgiveness from those he’s manipulated and abused through his Machiavellian schemes however… is probably a long way out.
I think Nick Roche got exactly the right balance for Prowl’s moral leanings in the story “Everything in its Right Place” within the pages of All Hail Megatron # 15. While he’s shown to be capable of some ugly manipulations of his own allies, Prowl removes emotion and ambition from the equation and is steadfast in his adhesion to “the greater good”. The story’s a really fascinating look at his character in general and probably my favorite specific portrayal of him, if you kind of “freeze it” in the moment and don’t take into account what comes after.
Prowl’s had scads of toys and I own most of them. In fact, I’m very likely to buy any toy even NAMED “Prowl” in any line. As far as G1 stuff goes, you can’t really beat his Masterpiece figure and its excellent updating of his original toy. His ‘08 Universe Deluxe-Class release is also a great update and fits in well with any Classics/Generations collection. I still have a lot of affection for his Action Master toy, although I’ve long since lost my original, and even his Beast Wars and Alternators figures have some charm to them. Prowl’s got some nice third party options too, including an upcoming release I’m looking forward to based on his upgraded Cybertronian form from the IDW Robots in Disguise comic series, as designed by artist Andrew Griffith.
Prick or no, Prowl’s always been my boy. He is my favorite Transformers character! And if you’ve got anything bad to say about him, you can just face…
OUR MISSILESSSSSSSSSS!!!
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