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War World: Prime

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TF2019 25 cvrA.jpg
"War World: Prime"
Publisher IDW Publishing
First published December 9, 2020
Cover date November 2020
Written by Brian Ruckley
Art by Anna Malkova
Colors Joana Lafuente
Letters by Jake M. Wood
Editor David Mariotte, Tom Waltz and Riley Farmer
Continuity 2019 IDW continuity

Megatron's Decepticons have seized Iacon, overthrown the Senate, and captured Sentinel Prime—but when a resistance-backed rescue mission goes awry, Orion Pax must undergo the ultimate transformation.

Contents

Synopsis

Wheeljack wrestles with uncooperative controls as his damaged shuttle streaks towards Iacon, but his rough landing in the empty streets only draws the attention of Runamuck and Runabout. The engineer has returned to Cybertron with a warning that the Rise has invaded the Winged Moon, but the pair don't care about that: they just want to know if he stands with the Decepticons, or against them. Wheeljack points out that he has no idea what a Decepticon is, so the two simply shoot him point-blank and prepare to take him in, but before they do, Slapdash and Streetwise arrive, send the pair fleeing, and help the injured scientist to his feet, promising that they'll get him to safety.

In the Senate building, the prisoners of the Decepticon regime get used to the new order. Roulette tries to buoy the spirits of the other captured members of the Senate Guard by telling them that Ironhide will be back for them; in the high-security wing above them, meanwhile, Megatron takes a moment to rub his victory in the face of his most important prisoner: Sentinel Prime. Caged and manacled, Sentinel warns the Decepticon leader that his plans will fail: the universe does not belong to the Cybertronians alone, and if Megatron forces a return to the days of violent expansion and colonization, then the other races will remember... and one day collect on whatever debts Megatron incurs. Megatron counters that he will not force his kind to suppress their true potential, and turns the conversation toward the Matrix of Leadership that Sentinel carries. If he were to simply rip the artifact out of Sentinel's chest, he wonders, would he become the next Prime? It's an experiment for another time, Megatron decides; for now, he has a city to run. Before he leaves, Megatron pauses to snarl at the imprisoned Orion Pax, who has betrayed his trust by planting a spy in his Ascenticon Guard. Orion does not matter anymore, Megatron warns, and neither do any of the Autobots.

At the South Tower Security Center, the remnants of Sentinel Prime's government-in-exile hold an emergency meeting to discuss their next course of action. Though Hound advises caution, Ironhide makes it clear that, with or without his authorization, he's going back to the Senate building to rescue Sentinel and the others. Chromia agrees with Ironhide: Megatron's rhetoric has led to the deaths of Brainstorm, Rubble, and countless others; with every Senator either complicit or imprisoned, and Starscream missing in action, now is the time for them to either fall in line... or make a stand. Whatever they think of Sentinel Prime or the Autobots, explains Ironhide, today, they'll all have to be Autobots... or they'll never get the chance to choose what they want to be again. A shaken Wheeljack arrives with news of the impending takeover of the Winged Moon, so Novastar announces that she'll take her team to investigate while Wheeljack reluctantly stays behind to recover from his injuries. That night, as Megatron broadcasts his latest address to the citizens of Iacon, the Autobot resistance takes shape in the shadows as Hound and the reluctant Kup get an artillery unit—veteran soldiers Topshot and Flak, plus new recruits Sidetrack and Sunrunner—into fighting shape. At a safehouse near the Senate building, an irate Prowl cuts off idle chatter between Bumper and Strongarm regarding Quake's death and Rubble's murder: he heard Rubble die, he tells them, and unless they want to end up like him then they'll get ready to cover Ironhide's team as they and their prisoners make their exit from Decepticon territory.

With the assistance of Zetar, Ironhide and Chromia breach the underground tunnels that connect the safehouse to the Senate, while Kup and Hound order a diversionary bombardment that interrupts Megatron's latest speech to the imprisoned Senators. It doesn't take long for Ironhide and his men to smash through the holding cell to free Roulette and the others... but Grotusque informs Ironhide that Megatron's detained the high priority prisoners, including Orion and Sentinel, in the new high-security cells right above them. After a bit of demolition analysis and a pep talk, Ironhide gets Brawn to simply throw Chainclaw straight through the ceiling and up onto the second floor, where the surprise appearance of the furious bear-bot sends Ravage and Laserbeak fleeing! As the other members of the Senate Guard squeeze through the opening and free Sentinel and Orion, the First Senator decides to deal with Megatron himself—up until Ironhide tells him to stand down: this is a rescue mission, and right now the new Autobots need a leader. While Chromia gets the pair to safety, Ironhide briefs the team on what comes next: they need to get as many people out of the Senate as possible, and that means sweeping the building for anyone else in need of rescue. It's a dangerous mission, so it's volunteers only... but, even so, every Autobot volunteers. However, the Autobots have lost the element of surprise: as Laserbeak reports to Megatron that their enemies have taken the lower levels, the Decepticon leader orders Strika to take care of the problem. While Strika's content to let Skytread take care of the enemy artillery, she's more than eager to unleash her "New Heavies"—Clench, Snaptrap, Heavywait, Blitzwing, and Apeface—on the Autobots, and orders them to crush any resistance they might find.

Back at the Autobot fallback point, Brawn, Sentinel, and Orion Pax push their way through the hatch to the underground, and interrupt another conversation between Bumper and Strongarm in the process; the First Senator has little time for their concerns, and announces his intent to find the nearest broadcast tower and transmit a message to the planet. As Ironhide's team sweeps the Senate building, Groove takes a moment to recite a prayer to Mortilus to center himself—but the momentary lapse in concentration allows Blitzwing to get the drop on them, and the first barrage from his weapon kills Roulette on the spot! As Backstreet and Groove trade fire with Apeface, Chainclaw drags Ironhide away. Insistent that Megatron has not won the fight, Sentinel orders Chromia and Orion to follow him to the South Tower, transforms, and takes off, but the headstrong Prime has left without any fliers to cover his departure; when Clench spies him leaving, Megatron orders the Rainmakers to take to the sky and bring him back.

As Prowl's team lays down a hail of covering fire, Ironhide, Groove, and Backstreet burst from the doors of the Senate while Chainclaw brings up the rearguard. Unfortunately, he's not fast enough to keep up with the others, and a slug from Clench's railgun impales him through the chest. As Prowl rages, Javelin panics, and Bumper and Sideswipe defy orders by running into the field of fire to rescue Chainclaw. A second round decapitates Chainclaw and a third slices Bumper's arm off before Sunrunner can properly mark Clench's position, allowing Flak and Sidetrack to blow Clench and his railgun to bits. The smoke clears, and Strongarm and Pointblank rush to take care of Sideswipe, who's alive, badly injured... and cradling Bumper's body.

In the skies above Iacon, Sentinel does his best to shake the three Rainmakers off his tail; the nimble fliers quickly close the distance, however, and Ion Storm jolts him out of the air and sends him crashing into an empty bar. Although he punts the electrical Rainmaker into a wall and weathers a corrosive barrage from Acid Storm, it's Nova Storm who delivers the killing blow by broadsiding Sentinel in alternate mode and slicing him in half with her wing. Chromia and Orion arrive in time to send the three Decepticons fleeing, but too late to save their leader. In his final moments, Sentinel orders Orion to warn Perceptor of what has transpired, kill Starscream, and pass the Matrix to Ultra Magnus before he finally dies. Although Orion maintains that the Matrix must be passed to Magnus in accordance with Sentinel's final request, it's Chromia who insists that they need a Prime now. As his own abdomen opens to reveal a Matrix chamber, Orion plunges the artifact into his chest...

Orion comes to in an ethereal landscape, greeted only by a mysterious "mediator" who has adopted the body of Codexa based on Optimus's memories of his own mentor. "Codexa" explains that they are in the Allspark itself, a realm beyond time and space from which all sparks come from and return to—a realm that contains echoes of great deeds and terrible events like the Hate Plague. The Matrix, his guide explains, is a manifestation of the Allspark on the physical plane, forged by Solus Prime but guided by Primus himself. Though the Primes have fallen, and their various artifacts lost to history, the Matrix survived, and still searches for its final bearer: the Thirteenth Prime that will someday arise to become the greatest hero of Cybertron. Many have carried the Matrix over the eons and fought to shape Cybertronian civilization ... but the coming war is a struggle for Cybertron's very soul, one that will require a Matrix-bearer like no other. The Matrix has already accepted him as its carrier, but Orion must choose to shoulder this burden. Indeed, the senator initially hesitates, but as Chromia's distant voice calls to him through the Allspark, Orion realises what must be done.

As his chest closes around the Matrix, Chromia asks if Orion is alright, but as the Matrix glows and he rises to his feet, he declares that he is Orion Pax no longer—he is Optimus Prime!

Featured characters

Characters in italic text appear only in flashback.
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Others

Quotes

"Restraint can be the purest form of strength. And a small cost to bear, for the sake of peace. For the future. Such a small sacrifice. Is it really too much to ask for ourselves?"
"You call it a small sacrifice. I can think of none greater than to ask an entire society to be less what it can be."

—Sentinel Prime and Megatron


"Whoever we were before, whatever any of us think of Sentinel Prime, we all have to be Autobots now. For this one cycle. We've got to stand up if we want to have a choice about who we'll be afterwards."

—Ironhide


"You are very hard to please, that's all I'm saying."
"That's why it'll feel so rewarding if you ever manage to do it."

—Strongarm and Prowl


"Well. Time to do what must be done. Just try not to hurt anyone."
"For you, Hound, we'll even try not to hurt the building too bad."

—Hound and Kup


"Did I miss this part of the mission briefing? 'Cos this looks like it might kind of hurt."
"Nah. You're pretty robust, aren't you?"
"Sure, but-"
"And you've kept your maintenance regime up, right? Hoist checked you over not long ago, right?"
"These are not the kind of questions that fill me with confidence."

—Ironhide gives Chainclaw a pep talk


"It's Blitzwing!"
"Pray harder, Groove!"

—Roulette and Backstreet

 

"Thank Primus they didn't spend more time on target practice."
*THUMP*
"Oh. Damn."

—Chainclaw's last words


"You think I am so easily laid low? When you are no longer supercharged? I am a PRIME!"

—Sentinel Prime throws down with Ion Storm


"And when the Primes were sundered, when their time ended and their artifacts were lost, the Matrix persisted. It has come down through vast ages, waiting, searching, for its final bearer. Until the Thirteenth rises to claim it, it belongs to no one. It belongs to all. Each who has borne it, and will yet bear it, is only a steward. It waits. It searches. And those whom it elevates, for however short a time, they are called not to power, or to glory, but to service. Some falter beneath such a burden. Some stand tall."

—Mediator


"Can I choose?"
"Yes. What happens here may fade from your memory. But two things you will certainly remember. That the burden is great. And that you made a choice."

—Orion Pax and his guide


"Are you alright, Orion?"
"No. We must become what the times require of us. Not Orion Pax. OPTIMUS PRIME."

—Chromia and Optimus Prime

Notes

Continuity notes

  • Wheeljack returns to Cybertron just after the events of the previous issue, where he helped save Cybertron's Winged Moon from falling into the sun before it was invaded by the Rise. He's made the trip aboard the same snub-nosed shuttle that played a role in that issue, and although he's sidelined for most of the action in this story, Wheeljack won't be out of action for long: he's going on to star in the Transformers: Escape miniseries opposite Hound and Nautica.
  • Streetwise had been mentioned as the head of one of Cybertron's police academies in issues #19 and #20.
  • Subsea, Grotusque, Roulette, and Flareup all appeared in issue #23 as members of the Senate Guard who had been ambushed by Megatron's forces. That issue mistakenly colored Flareup grey after Ravage's infiltration troopers jumped her, wrongly implying that she'd died—that's not the case, however, as she and the others are all revealed to have survived their respective encounters with the Decepticons.
  • While listing off deaths that Megatron indirectly abetted, Chromia refers to the murders of Brainstorm, from all the way back in issue #1, Rubble, in issue #5, and the many victims of the recent Tether disaster, as alluded to in both issue #18 and Galaxies #11.
  • Kup notes his displeasure at having to return to active duty; we learned in issue #14 that he was a soldier during the War of the Threefold Spark, but deliberately came out of retirement as a member of Security Operations to keep the newfound peace. His new team includes several veterans of "Strika's Heavies", though Hound notes that Warpath, who appeared in Megatron's wartime flashback in issue #15 alongside Flak, has since gone into stasis.
  • Strongarm and Bumper discuss Bumblebee's recent arrest after killing Quake, which occurred in issue #22. This was, of course, a move spurred on by Quake's murder of Rubble. It's only come to the fore a few times since then, but Rubble accidentally called Prowl on his communicator moments before he died, and the experience has clearly affected Prowl. In the same exchange, Prowl chides Bumper for letting Mindwipe get into his head, referring to their raid on Swindle's in issue #20.
  • Sideswipe compliments Javelin on her new head, which Ratchet repaired in issue #19 after Ruckus's group shot her in issue #14.
  • While discussing their impending attack on the Senate building, Hound notes that the current iteration of the building is a "post-war rebuild". Presumably, it was one of the many structures rebuilt by the Constructicons at some point after the end of the Threefold Spark war, and a nearby building features a golden statue of Primus identical to the one that Orion Pax and Megatron excavated from the debris during the first flashback in issue #6. In a bit of new world-building, Kup notes that there was an "old Senate" in Tarn at some point that no longer exists.
  • There's quite a lot of mythology and world-building going on in the margins of this issue! Ironhide mentions a folk story about Halonix Maximus, whom Beachcomber namedropped in issue #21. Orion's journey within the Matrix features a few glimpses from this period in history: the famous duel between Halonix and Preditron, which had been alluded to in the same issue, and another flashback that shows Zarak Maximus battling a swarm of turbofoxes.
  • While plotting an escape route from the Senate building, Chromia suggests using flying-eye drones, the remotely-operated spies that she used in issues issue #9 and #14.
  • Sentinel Prime's last wish is to have Orion pass the Matrix on to Ultra Magnus; during a heated moment in issue #19, he previously announced that he would pass the artifact onto Magnus instead of Orion.
  • As he traverses the Allspark, Orion wonders if Exarchon, instigator of the War of the Threefold Spark, has returned, and his guide tells him that Exarchon has "not come home." Though most Cybertronians think him long-dead, Cyclonus expressed his belief that Exarchon might still be out there in issue #7.
  • Optimus's first words upon leaving the Allspark—"we must become what the times require of us"—echo Megatron's own proclamations: he first said the phrase in issue #15 before giving Shockwave a beating, and repeated it to Orion in issue #23 just before he confronted the Senate.

Transformers references

  • Quite a few names from the Age of the Firstforged get mentions: in addition to Halonix Maximus and Preditron, Backstreet mentions Zarak Maximus, a commercial-exclusive character who received a name and backstory through 2015's Ask Vector Prime Facebook feature.
  • Other notable figures from this era include Solomus and Mortilus. Longtime IDW fans will immediately recognize these names as members of the Guiding Hand, the pantheon of deities from the prior IDW universe. In that timeline, they were the original five Transformers who laid the foundation for Cybertronian civilization, while the Thirteen Primes were merely ambitious tribal leaders who seized power after their departure. In this continuity, however, the order appears to be reversed: the Primes are the original Cybertronians, and the heroes and villains of the Age of the Firstforged rose to prominence at some point after they fell from power.
  • As Megatron introduces the Rainmakers to his prisoners, he runs over each of their abilities: Acid Storm generates acid, Ion Storm possesses electromagnetic powers, and Nova Storm can survive in harsh environments, powers all lifted from the 2015 Ask Vector Prime column that first named the yellow and blue Seekers that appeared in the The Transformers episode "Divide and Conquer". What's notable, however, is that Megatron describes Nova Storm as "she": this take on the character probably owes something to the Cyberverse cartoon, which featured a female Nova Storm as a recurring villain and also probably influenced her depiction in the Transformers Trading Card Game.
  • Strika's team of "New Heavies" features a group of familiar bruisers, but one character you probably won't recognize is Heavywait. Much like Voxpop, she actually originated in IDW's first continuity; created by Kei Zama, she appeared in Optimus Prime #5 as a nameless goon who ran guns with Needlenose.
  • While defending the Senate from the Autobots, Clench gets to commandeer a roof-mounted railgun that's drawn to resemble the trailer weapon that came with his original toy.
  • Sentinel Prime makes his last stand in an establishment called "The Slaarg & Turbofox", named for both the ubiquitous Cybertronian creatures and the as-yet-unseen animals that received a mention in the original The Transformers cartoon. A group of turbofoxes appear in a vision on page 39, drawn to resemble the spiky, wolf-like beasts who appeared in More than Meets the Eye.
  • Upon his spark expiring, Sentinel Prime's body experiences a desaturation of its colours.
  • As he explores the Allspark, Orion discovers a grotesque, skeletal face—a remnant, his guide explains, of the Hate Plague that once ravaged Cybertron. The connection is not directly highlighted in the issue itself, but the being is drawn to resemble the mysterious "It" that appeared in the The Transformers episode "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2". In that episode, "It" possessed a connection to the Hate Plague, and gave Optimus Prime some advice on how to cure the infected.
  • The first female member of the Thirteen, Solus Prime has been a staple of Transformers lore for some time now, and is traditionally depicted as the creator of the many powerful artifacts that her brothers wielded, including the Enigma of Combination that played a key role in the first Galaxies story arc. The idea that Solus created the Matrix of Leadership itself is a new one, however—both the Aligned and prior IDW incarnations of the character merely smithed it into the hilt of the powerful Star Saber in ancient times.
  • Orion glimpses the lineage of the Primes and Matrix-bearers that preceded him, which includes Sentinel Prime and his predecessor Nominus Prime. Behind them is a helmeted, mouthplated Prime who resembles Zeta Prime as he appeared in the Generation 1 cartoon episode "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4", and two down from him is another Prime based upon Orion Pax's Generations toy; this must be Nova Prime, who received a toy in this likeness through Fun Publications in 2015.
  • Orion's guide explains to him that the Matrix has been searching for its "final bearer" for eons, the mythical "Thirteenth Prime" that will one day arise and prove themselves worthy of leadership. This is not a new take on the overarching mythos surrounding the Thirteen—most notably, the Aligned continuity family depicted Optimus Prime as the Thirteenth Prime, who had died and been reincarnated as an ordinary Cybertronian. More recently, IDW's own Optimus Prime comic suggested that the Optimus Prime of the original IDW continuity might be the mythical "Arisen", the Thirteenth Prime reborn... but the final issue of the comic left the answer up to the reader's interpretation. Is this version of Orion the Thirteenth Prime, the chosen bearer of the Matrix, or just another steward? We'll have to keep reading to find out...

Errors

Other trivia

  • Originally solicited for November 25, this special double-sized issue arrives just two weeks late, landing instead on December 9.

Covers (3)

  • TF2019 25 cvrA.jpg
  • TF2019 25 cvrB.jpg
  • TF2019 25 cvrRI.jpg

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