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All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again

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« The Transformers vol. 2 #53 »
TF53 regcvr.jpg
Gotta brush those pearly whites
So they don't lose their bite!
"All Hail Optimus Part 4:
It's Beginning To And Back Again"
Publisher IDW Publishing
First published May 25, 2016
Cover date May 2016
Written by John Barber
Art by Priscilla Tramontano
Colors Josh Burcham
Letters by Tom B. Long
Editor Carlos Guzman
Continuity 2005 IDW continuity
Chronology Current era

The allied forces of Optimus Prime's Autobots and Soundwave's Decepticons launch an attack on Galvatron, who counters by revealing the true power of the Onyx source code.

Contents

Synopsis

Tensions run high as Soundwave's Decepticons arrive at the Autobot camp in Monument Valley to help make plans for an attack on the Nemesis beneath the ocean. Even D.0.C. and Buster struggle to get along with Bob, leading Thundercracker and Sunstreaker to start arguing, until Optimus Prime steps in to try and calm them. Arcee then speaks up, insisting she will be the one to lead the attack on the Nemesis rather than than Optimus; though the grimace that crosses her face as Prime talks about the righteousness of his cause suggests her belief in him is less than one hundred percent, she claims he Optimus is "too valuable" to risk. Aileron objects, but Arcee quickly shuts her down, and orders her to stay behind as well. While Optimus steps away to talk with Jetfire about scanning the valley for something important which he senses is hidden there, Arcee retires to the med-bay to talk to the comatose Sideswipe. Presently, she is joined by Sunstreaker, who bequeaths her his brother's jetpack—though she doesn't show a lot of gratitude, and believes she was entitled to it anyway.

Unfortunately for Prime and Soundwave's forces, they are being spied on by Galvatron, using his access to the Onyx source code to see all. With everything going according to his plan, and even Blackrock reluctantly on his side in the name of self-presevation, Galvatron anonymously sends the footage of the Autobot camp to the Earth Defense Command, who immediately mobilize their troops to attack Monument Valley.

(thumbnail)
You might have an ego if...

The Autobots and Decepticons are flown over the ocean by Sky Lynx, then all dive into the water for a hard-and-fast attack on the submerged Nemesis. Alas, the Decepticons are ready for them, and counterattack with the additional might of a platoon of Blackrock's Seeker clone combiners. Fortunately, the Autobots have combiners of their own, and Victorion and Superion soon prove able to stand up to the human-made robots. Even this does not faze Galvatron, however; the Decepticon leader has a secret weapon waiting to deploy. At last, he reveals to Blackrock exactly what his spreading the Onyx source code around the world in ordinary human devices has wrought—the source code is derived from the Enigma of Combination, the energy of which now spans the entire globe, turning Earth itself into a giant Enigma that Galvatron can manipulate at will. For his first demonstration of the power he now commands, Galvatron turns the energy of the Enigma on Dreadwing, Mindwipe, Blitzwing, Astrotrain, and Acid Storm, merging them into a combiner he names Galvatronus! Skywarp, however, is aghast, considering this a desecration of everything Galvatron has preached thus far about Cybertronian purity.

(thumbnail)
First of his name.

Back in Monument Valley, Optimus, Soundwave, Aileron, and Alpha Trion watch transmissions of the battle in horror, and are about to go to their comrades' aid when the space bridge suddenly activates. News reporters Circuit and Longtooth emerge, already broadcasting live back to Cybertron, where Starscream watches in delight as they corner Optimus and start questioning him about his recent actions. Starscream's glee turns to outright rapture as the Earth Defense Command suddenly descend on the valley, opening fire and proving to all viewing that even the humans of Earth disagree with Optimus's decisions! While Buster and D.0.C. defend Bob after his attempt to attack on the planes goes awry, Optimus refuses to allow Soundwave to fight back in hopes of proving their good faith—a course of action that the spectral Bumblebee tells Starscream will only prove Optimus's dedication and heroism to the audience. Starscream isn't worried, however: if Prime doesn't fight back, he'll die, which suits Starscream just fine... and if Prime gives in and responds with force, he'll only discredit himself for all his supporters to see. It's a win-win for the Chosen One!

Beneath the ocean, Galvatron reveals another power of the Engima, forcibly separating Victorion into the individual Torchbearers. Arcee tries to help the weakened warriors, but Pyra Magna urges her to complete their mission. But even as Arcee moves to act, Galvatron cooks up another combiner to add to the fight against the now badly outnumbered Superion—and merges Sky Lynx, Sunstreaker, Thundercracker, Cosmos, and Slugslinger into Sky Reign!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Humans Others

Quotes

"We didn't always get along, my brother and me. But he'd write."
"Sideswipe knows how to write?"
"Well, he'd send videos, anyway."

—Sunstreaker and Arcee


"We cast away all sense of fear;
The die is struck,
So best of luck
Perhaps our lives will end here."

—Sky-Byte delivers a little pre-battle poetry.


"These undead abombinations are nothing to Superion."
"And me!"
"And Victorion."

—Superion and Victorion


"All is fair in hate and conquest."

—Galvatron

Notes

Continuity notes

  • Aileron recalls saving everyone in Shanghai in issue #50, but Arcee shuts her down by reminding her of her disastrous actions in Washington in issue #51.
  • Sunstreaker mentions how he and Sideswipe "didn't always get along," referring back to the state of their relationship when it was originally introduced in Spotlight: Sideswipe.
  • Optimus senses that there is something in Monument Valley. Back in issue #50, Optimus had a vision of a Titan emerging from beneath a desert surface...
  • Just before being merged with the others, Sunstreaker recognizes the feeling of the Enigma's energy, having experienced it himself when he and some of his chums were merged into Optimus Maximus back in issue #41.

Transformers references

  • Sideswipe's jetpack is closely based on its appearance in the Generation 1 cartoon episode "More than Meets the Eye, Part 3", but is colored grey with black thrusters like the generic Autobot jetpacks featured in the show's second season.
  • It's a regular Combiner War! Both Galvatronus and Sky Reign—new, original combiners created for the Combiner Wars toyline—make their debuts in this issue, though they are quite different from the toys. Galvatronus's toy is formed using Cyclonus as its torso and any assortment of 'bots as its limbs, but obviously, Cyclonus is busy in another book, so Dreadwing takes his place as the combiner's central bot. Additionally, the toy looks like Galvatron, but here, Galvatron merely names it after himself. Sky Reign, on the other hand, is formed with Sky Lynx as his torso as in the toy, but with different limbs; in the toyline, Wheeljack, Hound, Smokescreen, and Trailbreaker are used, but most of those 'bots are off on the Lost Light (or, uh, dead) in this continuity.
  • Galvatronus's head is based on that of Generation 2 Smokescreen, partner of the original Dreadwing figure.

Real-life references

  • The title of this issue is taken from the Wire album of the same name.
  • Upon being confronted with the Seeker combiners, Jazz paraphrases the famous quote from Jaws when he says "I think we're gonna need a bigger shark."

Errors

  • Sky-Byte is inconsistently colored throughout the issue.
  • Dreadwing was one of the Decepticons who failed to make it through the space bridge and was last seen captured by the authorities on Cybertron in issue #49, yet appears here among Galvatron's contingent of Decepticons on Earth.
  • In the med bay scene, Arcee, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker are all missing their Autobot insignias.
  • In the final pages, a silhouette is shown speaking as Superion, however the silhouette is quite obviously the head of Victorion, who had been decombined earlier in the issue.

Other trivia

  • After Victorion is forcibly separated by Galvatron, Rust Dust finally makes an appearance for the first time since the Torchbearers came to Earth. Hopefully, that's the last time we'll have to report on her constant disappearing/reappearing!
  • Coincidentally, this is the second time in as many months that Astrotrain has appeared as a member of a comic-exclusive Combiner, having debuted as such in Transformers: Deviations.

Covers (3)

  • Regular cover: Blackrock in the palm of Galvatron's hand, by Andrew Griffith
  • Subscription cover: Soundwave and Optimus Prime face off, by Casey Coller and Joana Lafuente
  • Retailer incentive cover: Arcee's not happy, by Priscilla Tramontano; one of two retailer incentive variants by Tramontano for this month's IDW Transformers titles.
  • (thumbnail)

    Galvatron has beautiful teeth — who knew?

  • (thumbnail)

    "Draw!"

  • (thumbnail)

    Kiss her deadly.

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