General Information:
Synopsis: On Cybertron, a damaged Megatron lays before the recently uncovered artifact. A voice tells him to awaken! Optimus' teams are digging out their fallen brethren from the recent battle site. As they do so, Prowl speculates about what the aliens wanted. He believes that they may have been after the Allspark. Back in Megatron's chambers, he awakens, his wounds healed. He talks to the artifact, which tells him he must change from the protector of Cybertron to its lord and ruler! At the battle site, Optimus' team finds some dead aliens and he orders them to be taken back to Ratchet's laboratory for examination. Meanwhile, he heads to Megatron's quarters to check on him. When he opens the door, Megatron orders him to gather his forces for war. Optimus protests, which Megatron responds to by slamming him up against a wall before stalking off. Optimus knows what Megatron is doing is wrong and a determined look crosses his face. At a nearby hill, the Autobots gather around Optimus. He tells everyone about Megatron's plan and begs them not to join him. He stresses that Autobots are meant to be protector, not aggressors. However, he promises not to reprimand anyone who does choose to join Megatron. At the city of Trypticon, the Autobots arrive in time to see Megatron giving a speech. He declares war on the alien aggressors and declares that everyone on Cybertron is now under his command. He then orders all flight capable Transformers to join him to attack the aliens while the ground based Transformers are to pick off any survivors. Optimus and the Autobots are shocked and watch on as Megatron leads an aerial group out of Cybertron's obit. Megatron's attack on the alien fleet is brutal and while the Decepticons lose some of Dreadwing's drones, they easily tear into the alien ship and begin destroying everything inside. Thundercracker, Blackout and Starscream also participate in the battle, reveling in the destruction. On Cybertron, Optimus talks to Prowl about how he feels about Megatron. Prowl acknowledges that Megatron may not be the best leader for Cybertron, and he explains that his forces are mostly sentries. Optimus asks him if that includes Megatron's quarters and he says yes, giving Optimus an idea.
Story: The tragedy falls on two sides, but on each it pushes the characters towards destiny. Megatron's most telling moment was his declaration that he was Cybertron's protector, something he seemed to emphasize strongly. However, not too deep down inside he does have a lust for power and control, and by manipulating that, The Fallen brought out the worst in Megatron. The irony is that, by the time of the events of the movie, we see that Megatron changed from Cybertron's protector to its destroyer. Seeing the pivotal moments that lead him down this path is both sad and exhilerating at the same time. On the other side of the coin, Optimus' role changes as well. He clearly embraces the role of a protector, scientist and scholar. Unfortunately for him, events beyond his control are changing the nature of those roles, and instead of applying them all to altruistic pursuits, he will soon have to take on those roles in the theater of war - and then some. Again, it is sad to see this, but exciting as this is the prelude to the hero we know as Optimus Prime being born. Artwork:
Artwork: There are a couple of crowd scenes in this issue, most notably when Optimus is talking to the Autobots. Look carefully and you'll see a couple super fun cameos. On page 14 you'll see Camshaft, Grindcore, Wingblade and Smokescreen watching Optimus speak. On page 15 you'll see Beast Machines Jetstorm, Wheelie, Beast Wars Bighorn and G1 Brawn! I love it when artists show they are fans of the series, and to include cameos such as these definitely indicates someone who enjoys a product line as well as working on an associated comic book.
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