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...For All Mankind

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Autobots, Transform and... ah, you know the drill!
"...For All Mankind"
Publisher IDW Publishing
First published November 18, 2009
Cover date November 2009
Written by Mike Costa
Art by Don Figueroa
Colors by James Brown
Letters by Chris Mowry
Editor Andy Schmidt
Assistant editor Carlos Guzman
Associate editor Denton J. Tipton
Continuity 2005 IDW continuity
Chronology Current era (2010)

The Autobots are on the run and are forced to deal with the loss of one of their own.

Contents

Synopsis

(thumbnail)
Just throw your hands in the air and wave 'em like you just don't care!

Optimus Prime reflects on the responsibilities of all advanced races to spread freedom and peace, and laments that all the Cybertronians have spread is war. The Autobots have been in hiding amongst the humans for the last two years as Earth's cities were rebuilt following Megatron's planet-wide assault. Ratchet, Streetwise and Prowl are in their alternate modes, watching for signs of any trouble: trouble that comes as Breakdown destroys a power station in search of energon.

The attack is monitored by Skywatch control, and Spike Witwicky orders his forces to capture the invader. Breakdown is set upon by Spike and several other personnel in armored crash suits, built using stolen Cybertronian technology. Prowl and Streetwise are amongst the human police on the scene, and watch as Breakdown is immobilized and forced into his alternate mode by Skywatch forces. When they bring out their lethal particle cannons, apparently to destroy the Decepticon, Prowl can watch no longer and transforms, only to be brought down in turn: Spike had intended to draw him out all along. As he and Breakdown are driven away, Streetwise contacts the other Autobots...

At Autobot base, Wheeljack has engineered a counter to the inhibitors, and Optimus Prime orders him to fit them to their remaining forces. Hot Rod questions Prime's leadership, particularly their presence on Earth and the corresponding loss as more of their number are captured. Prime reiterates the need to protect Earth in case of possible Decepticon attack, but allows Hot Rod to stage a rescue mission to retrieve Prowl; he assigns Ironhide to go with him.

The rescue attempt goes poorly when it is revealed that Prowl was bait in a Skywatch trap; although Hot Rod's team rescues him, Ironhide dies leaping into a blast meant for Hot Rod. Optimus Prime grieves for his friend, and in a speech to his fellow Autobots removes himself as active commander.

Alone and ruminating on the end of the war and the new era in which they find themselves, Optimus Prime drives into the desert and into a Skywatch facility. As soldiers surround him, he raises his hands in surrender...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Humans

Quotes

"Single actor. DS-345, self-identifying as "Breakdown.""
"Where do they get these names...?"

—Spike is apparently not a fan of Bob Budiansky.

Notes

Continuity notes

  • Prowl's rash, self-sacrificial decision to break cover and help a Decepticon was poorly received by many fans, especially since it came on the heels of a story that showed Prowl taking extreme measures to counteract his fellow Autobots' tendency toward maverick heroism. According to IDW story-editor Andy Schmidt, the change in character was intentional, and IDW was planning on filling in Prowl's backstory later in the ongoing series, but the negative fan-response motivated them to tell the story earlier in the form of Spotlight: Prowl.[1]
  • First appearances: Streetwise

Transformers references

Real-world references

  • The title of the issue is on the final page. It refers to the plaque left on Earth's moon by Apollo 11, which reads in full: "HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON JULY 1969, A.D. WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND"
  • An Autobot computer screen displays alien language characters based on the Star Wars Aurabesh alphabet.

Errors

  • On page 2, Sludge has a Decepticon insignia on his shoulder.
  • The prose for the battle scene against Skywatch indicated that it was occurring at night, but James Brown's coloring makes it look like the battle was on during the very early evening.
  • Prowl mentions three crash suits in the fray, but four drop from the jets on the previous page.

Trivia

  • Mike Costa had originally intended to kill Bumblebee, believing it was the most shocking death he could do. Hasbro said "NO".[2] Five years later, though...
  • Not only did Don Figueroa overhaul every Transformer in the comic to have new bodies with a movie-inspired feel, but he also designed reinterpretations of the characters' previous IDW bodies in that same experimental style; these call-back designs can be seen on the covers and in the battle scene spread on pages 2 and 3.
    • Both having been designed by Don Figueroa, Optimus Prime's new body is loosely reminiscent of his Classics form, but none of the details are quite the same.
    • Breakdown's design shares legs with Figueroa's new design for Sideswipe, which iterates on the Universe-based design from All Hail Megatron. He has his name on his license plate.
  • The fight scene on pages 2 and 3 seems to be a non-literal image of the conflict on Earth, since it features combatants that could never have met during All Hail Megatron (such as Scorponok, the Dynobots, Runabout, and Runamuck, etc.) Interestingly, it seems to have several callbacks to the G1 cartoon, such as Kup bending a cannon or Ratchet kicking Thundercracker in the groin.
  • 12 pages of this issue were released to the public as preview images by the time the issue was released. First there was a 3-page preview that highlighted Ironhide's death. Then there was an eight-page preview that came mostly from the beginning of the issue. And finally, the day the issue came out, the final page of the issue accompanied a USA Today news article.[3]
  • A marquee sign in the fourth page's second panel, as Optimus Prime and Megatron battle and destroy the city, seems to read "DARNIT". On the final panel of the same page, a banner reads "NOOB". In the first panel on the next page, a sign reads "SMITHIE". Billboards featuring a smiling woman in sunglasses holding a container of an unspecified product named "Zip", (possibly a sunscreen, or a beverage), are apparently popular advertisements in post-restoration Earth.
  • Editor Andy Schmidt introduces the creative team in the Decepticomments section.
  • Starting in this issue, Transformer speech is rendered in speech bubbles previously used only for humans. Does this mean they sound less mechanical now?
  • According to Optimus Prime's narration on page 19, Bumblebee is "too small" for Skywatch to hit. Those must be really bad targeting systems if they can't properly hit a robot that turns into a Volkswagen Beetle. Now, if it were a human being too small to be seen by a Transformer...

Covers (6)

  • Cover A: Wraparound cover featuring the Autobots running toward the reader in an homage to the original cartoon opening credits; art by Don Figueroa with colors by James Brown.
  • Cover B: Prime, Hot Rod and Ironhide; art by Don Figueroa, colors by James Brown.
  • Cover RI: Optimus Prime Barack Obama homage; art by Tim Doyle.
  • Cover RE (Graham Crackers Exclusive): Classic in characters battle, a Hasbro marketing stock image last seen on a Kinnerton 2008 Christmas advent calendar; pencils by Don Figueroa, colours by ???
  • Cover RE (New Dimension Comics Exclusive): Uncolored version of cover B.
  • Reprint cover: Optimus Prime blasting through a wall; art by Don Figueroa, colors by James Brown. Art reused for TPB cover.
  • (thumbnail)

    Featuring designs not actually seen in the story.

  • (thumbnail)

    Continuum is behind us? Then we go this way!

  • (thumbnail)

    Change we can believe in.

  • (thumbnail)

    Graham Crackers Cover

  • (thumbnail)

    New Dimension Comics Cover

  • (thumbnail)

    Reprint Cover

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Reprints

  • The Transformers, Volume 1: For All Mankind (June 9, 2010) ISBN 1600106846 / ISBN 978-1600106842
    • Collects The Transformers (2009) issues #1–6.
    • Bonus material includes art from all covers, including design sketches from Don Figueroa.
    • Trade paperback format.
  • Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 45: Last Stand of the Wreckers (May 16, 2018)
    • Collects Last Stand of the Wreckers issues #1–5, Spotlight: Prowl, and The Transformers (2009) #1.
    • Bonus material includes an interview with Nick Roche, pre-production sketches and story drafts.
    • Hardcover format.

References

  1. ↑ Comics Continuum video interview with Andy Schmidt
  2. ↑ Moonbase 2 interview with Mike Costa ("Special Guest")
  3. ↑ USA Today article, "Optimus Prime quits!"
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