Wings of Wax

	; Doesn't make a lot of sense, but cool cover nonetheless.
	"Wings of Wax"
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	March 10, 2010
Cover date	March 2010
Writer	Zander Cannon
Artist	Chee Yang Ong
Colorist	Moose Baumann
Letterer	Neil Uyetake
Editor	Andy Schmidt
Associate editor	Denton J. Tipton
Continuity	2005 IDW continuity
Chronology	Current era (2010)

Let's see what you can see...

This article is in need of images.

Specifics: interiors

Bumblebee learns the true value of friendship.

Synopsis

Bumblebee heads back to base, successfully having sabotaged the badges' control device, but remorseful about how he had to lie to a little girl to do it. The Autobots at base suddenly report that Skywarp has appeared over the Bharwaneys' home, and against their protests, Bumblebee heads back to save the family. At a Skywatch building, Colonel Horiuchi is confronted by a general about how his department has been sloppy lately, but the meeting is interrupted by Lieutenant Larsen. She has overheard the Autobots pleading for Bumblebee to return to base, and she reports to Horiuchi that the Autobots must have deceived them about Bumblebee's incapacitation. In addition, Lieutenant Klonowski recently grabbed some weapons and left base without a word.

Meanwhile, Bumblebee reaches the Bharwaneys and helps them escape from Skywarp. Sanjay is horrified to be inside one of the robots and refuses to believe his daughter's claim that Bumblebee is a good guy. Skywarp follows them into an abandoned industrial area, taunting the Autobot and describing his plan to use Skywatch's control board to take control of the Autobots for Megatron's eventual return. Bumblebee urges Sanjay to shut off the control board, which Skywarp is using to track them, but he is unable to because of Bumblebee's tampering with it. The only thing the board can do now is burn out Transformers' circuits, and the angry Sanjay is tempted to use it right away to take out both Bumblebee and Skywarp. Serena stops him from hurting her friend, and Bumblebee takes the opportunity to apologize to the girl for using her.

As the other Autobots head out to aid him, Bumblebee takes the control board and sends the Bharwaneys off on their own, so that Skywarp won't target them anymore. He is suddenly confronted by an armed Klonowski, but as he pleads for the human not to fire, Klonowski reveals that he's here to help and shoots Skywarp instead. In spite of his injury, the Decepticon continues the hunt for Bumblebee and eventually corners him. The Autobot decides to defeat him using the board, and Skywarp mocks him and reminds he'll be damaged as well. Bumblebee simply responds him that he has friends around to repair him, then activates the board, heavily damaging himself and Skywarp and burning out the Skywatch badges on the incoming Autobots.

Sometime later, Ratchet finishes repairs on Bumblebee and talks to Klonowski, who explains that he lost his job after taking responsibility for everything that happened at Skywatch. As Klonowski leaves, Bumblebee shows up in a new body, larger, stronger and more appropriate for a leader, and orders the Autobots to transform and roll out!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans
Bumblebee (1) Wheeljack (4) Ratchet (5) Hound (6) Cliffjumper (7) Omega Supreme (14) Blaster (15)	Skywarp (9)	Sanjay Bharwaney (2) Serena Bharwaney (3) Swati (8) Skywatch General (10) Colonel Gordon Horiuchi (11) Lieutenant Larsen (12) Lieutenant Daniel Klonowski (13)

Quotes

"You think a Decepticon seeker can be stopped by your pitiful Earth guns? Nff. Never. We never stop. We never falter. If something lies in our path, we crush it! Friend or foe. It's this competition among ourselves that fuels excellence. And anyone who crosses us will spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulder. Because one day they turn that final corner... And find me waiting."

—Skywarp

"Oh--so you think you can activate it? Think you can burn me out? Don't be stupid, Bumblebee. You're no more protected than I am. If you just hand it over, Bumblebee, you may go. A professional courtesy. Bumblebee, stop. You'll be destroyed, too."
"Yes, Skywarp. But my friends... will repair me."

—Bumblebee teaches Skywarp about the power of friendship.

Notes

The title is a reference to the Greek myth concerning Icarus, whose wax wings melted when he tried to reach the sun.
Last issue, one of the odd things about the decoy Volkswagen Beetle Klonowski noticed was the presence of a license plate, which he didn't recall Bumblebee having, yet in this issue Bumblebee is very clearly sporting a license plate in alternate mode. So either Klonowski really wasn't paying attention, or this is another instance of the artwork for this series being at odds with the dialogue.

Covers (3)

Cover A: Bumblebee with Serena; art by Guido Guidi with colors by Josh Burcham.
Cover B: "Patriotic" Bumblebee cover; art by Chee Yang Ong with colors by Moose Baumann
Cover RI: Black and white sketch version of Cover B.