Movie-Verse Novels and Comics

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Movie-Verse Novels and Comics

Below is a comprehensive compilation of all the Novels and IDW comics written and published for the Transformers Live Movie Universe continuity timeline that is canon for this site. However, this list specifically excludes the four which directly relate to Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Foundations, Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Rising Storm, Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Movie Adaptation, Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Novel) as that movie and it’s related material have been excluded for the sake of the RP because DotM ended the war and killed off virtually all of the Decepticons. The list below contains links to the corresponding post to make them easy to get to, and each post has a link at the top and bottom that will bring you back to this introduction.

Each post contains overviews, synopsis of the storylines, images where available, and links to where this information can be found for verification. All information listed is verifiable as I actually own copies of each book listed in detail below. If you have any questions, please send me a private note and I will reply as soon as possible, or give me a poke in the Chat Box in the side bar to the right. Thank you for reading!

Transformers: Movie Prequel
Transformers: Saga of the Allspark
Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday
Transformers: Novel
Transformers: Movie Adaptation
Transformers: Reign of Starscream
Transformers RotF: Aliance
Transformers RotF: Defiance
Transformers: The Veiled Threat
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Novel
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Movie Adaptation
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Tails of the Fallen
Transformers: Nefarious
Transformers: Sector 7

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Transformers: Movie Prequel

The Transformers: Movie Prequel is a comic book story set prior to the 2007 movie from IDW Publishing. It stretches across a four-issue miniseries called Transformers: Official Movie Prequel (called Prime Directive in solicitations) and 2 Target-exclusive specials, later re-published together as the Transformers Official Movie Prequel Special. Together they serve as a foundation and backstory for the 2007 Transformers live-action movie.

Overview:
Megatron becomes obsessed with the search of the hidden AllSpark. He forms an army in order to capture it, while Autobots try to protect the artifact, eventually launching it into space. After the battle of Tyger Pax, Bumblebee's voice box is destroyed and Megatron leaves in pursuit of the AllSpark. His search of the Cube ends on Earth, where he crash lands in the Arctic and wents into stasis lock for millenia. In 1897, captain Archibald Witwicky discovers Megatron, which drives him insane. Years pass and Sector Seven hides Megatron in the Hoover Dam. The chase continues when Bumblebee, Starscream, Blackout, and Barricade arrive on Earth.

Items of Note:
1. The series was originally released without a story title, as "Transformers Official Movie Prequel". The original working title, "Prime Directive" (which was also the title of the first Dreamwave Generation 1 mini-series and the working title of the movie's script), was included in the original scripts, and was also mentioned in early solicitations for the series.

2. Two comics originally produced in cooperation with Target (later also collected as the Movie Prequel Special) were also both originally released under the title Transformers: Movie Prequel, and tie in to the story of this series (although the later-released Target comic contradicts issue 4).

3. An animated version of this comic (with voice acting), named Transformers: Beginnings, was included on a special bonus disc included with a Wal-Mart exclusive edition of the Movie DVD.

Prequel Specials:

Planetfall[/url]
On Cybertron, the Autobots have hidden the AllSpark. But Megatron feels its pull, and goes to claim it for his own, sending Blackout to reinforce Starscream's troops at Simfur. The Decepticons there are mopping up, when they witness the AllSpark's launch into space. As Blackout and Starscream argue over their next step, they observe Megatron leaving in pursuit. Assuming cumbersome protoform modes, the group heads into space under Starscream's leadership.

Much later, and light years away, the group makes planetfall on Earth, in Afghanistan's Khyber Pass. They sense the AllSpark's pull, but too faintly to track. Wreckage destroys an incoming human troop carrier, and takes its form. Starscream notes that Megatron could easily subdue the inhabitants, and Blackout says that they must discover why he hasn't. Wreckage leads the others to Bargam Airbase, where they hope to find more information on Megatron's whereabouts from its computers.

At the base, the troops have lost contact with their troop carrier, and anticipate an attack. The Decepticons soon arrive, scanning additional vehicles and assuming alternate forms. Barricade claims friendship with humans, only to turn on them. Another soldier uses an EMP pulse weapon to disable Wreckage. Elsewhere, Blackout has found files on a "Project Iceman", but the humans use another EMP burst to shut down their own computers. Bonecrusher suspects Starscream is plotting something... which he is.

Blackout heads off to another nearby base to find more information. Barricade wonders if things will really be all that easy; Starscream assures him that it won't be, since the Autobots are sure to turn up sooner or later. The war is only beginning.

Interlude
2003, Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Bumblebee has arrived on Earth, and scanned a disguise form with his Robovision. He has one tenuous lead on the All Spark, sent into space eons before to keep it from the clutches of Megatron. From just outside a downtown insane asylum, he scans the records of one Archibald Witwicky, a man who found something in the planet's polar ice in 1897 which drove him insane. Two mysterious agents detect the scan, however, and realize that it must be N.B.E.-2. They alert Agent Simmons, who mobilizes vans and helicopters.

The Sector Seven team tracks Bumblebee as he heads toward Springfield, Missouri, where Archibald's son Clarence lived. The vans attack him en route, attempting to run him off the road and snare him with a grappling hook. With some regret, Bumblebee runs them off the road and rolls on, his mission too important to be delayed.

In Springfield, Bumblebee finds Clarence's house empty. But by scanning a real estate agent's portable computer, he finds a record of Clarence's son Herbert. The house sold in 1979, with the proceeds divided between Herbert's six children. Bumblebee heads off to track them down, starting with the oldest, Ben. A stop in Denver proves fruitless; en route to Tucson, Bumblebee comes under attack from another Sector Seven chopper. He blinds them with a flash of light and escapes. But his bad luck continues; in the desert, he comes under attack from Barricade. But as the words of Optimus Prime ring in his head, he vows to prevail...

Prequel Miniseries

Part 1
Their War...

Bumblebee narrates as he travels through space in protoform mode. He attempts to find the All Spark before the Decepticons do. He explains that the All Spark is responsible for all life on Cybertron and that it was basically worshiped for eons. Peace flourished under the rule of Optimus Prime and Lord High Protector Megatron. Eventually though, Megatron secretly assembled an army to help him possess the All Spark for himself. He started a global war and many died. The once peaceful Tyger Pax was now a war-ravaged wasteland. The All Spark was moved to Tyger Pax in secret but Megatron soon learned of its location.

Bumblebee's mission was to delay Megatron while others made preparations. His unit of six, including Arcee and Inferno, was under fierce attack while Optimus Prime's forces held off Megatron's main forces at Simfur. Megatron arrived and the tide turned against the Autobots. Bumblebee led the survivors into a building and planned to lead the Decepticons in and sacrifice the remaining Autobots to take out as many Decepticons as possible. They take out the roof supports and it collapses, but the Decepticons survive. They torture the remaining Autobots to find out the All Spark's location.

Megatron arrives and Swindle apologizes for not extracting the information. Megatron sends him away and questions Bumblebee, who tells him nothing. He breaks off Bumblebee's arm and throws him across the room. Before Megatron can do more, he hears the rumbling of the All Spark being shot into space. Before he can transform into jet mode and follow though, Bumblebee trips him, allowing the All Spark to speed away. Megatron crushes Bumblebee's voice capacitor and transforms to follow the All Spark.

The other Autobots soon arrive and repair Bumblebee's arm, but his voice capacitor is beyond repair. He learns to communicate in other ways and alerts the others to Megatron's actions. When it's decided to also travel into space to find the All Spark before Megatron, Bumblebee is the first to volunteer. He laments that the war is spreading to other worlds.

Part 2
...Our World

In his inner monologue, Megatron recounts how he began the war, not to conquer Cybertron, but to possess the All Spark. Despite Megatron's determination to gain the All Spark, Optimus Prime was just as determined to stop him, eventually jettisoning the All Spark into space and condemning Cybertron to death. Megatron muses that he and Prime are not all that different. Locating the All Spark on Earth, the Decepticon leader loses contact with it upon reentry. Heading to the North Pole, Megatron crashes through the ice. Low on energon and with his safety buffers exhausted, Megatron goes into stasis.

Millennia later, in 1897, the National Arctic Circle Expedition under Archibald Witwicky discovers something within the ice. Witwicky is driven blind and insane by what he sees, but his tales attract the interest of a group of spooks, who begin unearthing Witwicky's "Ice Man". Six years later, a Cube is discovered with symbols similar to those on the Ice Man.

In 2003, the Hubble Space Telescope tracks an impact on Mars. Sector Seven, hoping to find raw materials to exploit examine, plans to secure their new visitor.

Bumblebee.

Part 3
They Have Arrived!

In 1924, Captain Witwicky is held in the Psychopathic Institute for the Long-Term Insane (no, really. That's what it's called). He keeps raving about a war that will come to our world.

In 1935, one of the First Seven is shown the new Hoover Dam, including the new cryoblocks for Mega-Man. The old man is retiring soon, and wants one last look at the cube. An aide asks if the old man believes that more of them will come. He does, saying that it's not a matter of "if", but "when".

In 2003, Sector Seven makes an attempt to secure N.B.E.-02 at his Virginia landing site, but ten minutes after landing, he is already gone. Realizing that the highway is nearby, the agents inform their superiors that the target is mobile. Heading for their mobile command center, the agents realize that N.B.E.-02 scanned a 1978 Chevy Camaro, then Transformed.

In Tranquility, Ron Witwicky is showing his young son Sam his family legacy: the personal effects of Archibald Witwicky. Sam is not very impressed, and Ron takes his dismissal of Captain Witwicky's successes very poorly. In St. Louis, Bumblebee gains access to the internet and looks up "Extraterrestrial sightings". Captain Witwicky's claims immediately attract his attention.

Meanwhile, Agent Simmons has been brought in to oversee the capture of N.B.E.-02. Simmons has a box containing energy similar to that given off by the Cube. Realizing that N.B.E.-02 is searching for the Cube, Sector Seven plans to set a trap for the N.B.E. when he detects the energy signature. Simmons is confident, saying that they've been preparing for this for over a century, and that nothing can possibly derail their plans.

Nothing except for Starscream, Blackout, and Barricade, that is, who just arrived on Mars and are eager to kill something...

Part 4
Starscream is a capable leader for once.

2003, Nevada: An F-22 pilot out of Nellis Air Force Base detects an intruder. On investigating, he is promptly shot down by Starscream, who assumes the jet's form. Blackout and Barricade also report successful planetfall; they plan to rendezvous and begin their hunt for the All Spark.

In New Mexico, Sector Seven has prepared a decoy All Spark, using an isotope derived from it. Agent Simmons mentions that the last time anyone tried this, the result was Three Mile Island. They hope to lure N.B.E.-2 into a trap.

In Louisiana, Bumblebee finds that the Psychopathic Institute for the Long-Term Insane is long abandoned and in ruins. He heads onward.

In the Nevada desert, Sector Seven has been waiting for two days, as their quarry draws closer through sightings in Louisiana, Missouri and Colorado. Simmons explains to another agent that the original founder of Sector Seven was his great grandfather, and the whole tracking-aliens thing runs in his blood.

In Colorado, a smoking and damaged Bumblebee takes a rest by the roadside, before gathering his fortitude and continuing the hunt.

In Tranquility, Nevada, Sam Witwicky consults with his buddy Miles about the value of his "legacy". Miles advises him that an online auction is about his only hope for wringing any cash from the artifacts.

Sector 7 sights Bumblebee incoming, but as they prepare their trap, a mysterious police car intrudes on their turf. They soon recognize it as another alien invader. A helicopter and a jet soon arrive as well, attacking Sector 7's bunker. Blackout and Starscream easily handle the humans' military craft; Blackout remotely hacks their computers. Simmons cuts the hard lines before Blackout can acquire more than the name of Sector 7 and America's department of defense. Barricade has been sparring with Bumblebee, but lets him go so they can track him.

Simmons and his troops are left amid smoking wreckage, as the various pieces begin to come together...

Transformers: Beginnings
Transformers: Beginnings is an animated (sort of) version of IDW Publishing's Transformers: Movie Prequel (aka Prime Directive) mini-series. It was available on a Walmart exclusive bonus DVD with the 2007 Transformers live action movie in October 2007 and features some of the (voice) actors from the 2007 movie, voice actors from the Generation 1 cartoon who didn't make it into the movie, and substitute voice artists for the rest of the characters.

Plot
Bumblebee sends a message of the highest urgency to all sentient beings in the universe, telling them the tale of the All Spark. It had once helped the planet Cybertron flourish under the rule of Optimus Prime and Lord High Protector Megatron, but eventually something corrupted Megatron, and he attempted to use the All Spark for his own twisted purposes. Bumblebee was one of the warriors loyal to Optimus Prime, so he tried to protect the All Spark from Megatron. Eventually the Autobots launched the All Spark into space.
After destroying Bumblebee's voice capacitator, Megatron follows it and eventually tracks it down to prehistoric Earth, where he ends up trapped in ice.

Four million years later, an expedition headed by Captain Archibald Witwicky discovers him, but after unearthing his discovery, he ends up in a mental institution. There, he is visited by two employees of Sector Seven, who are interested in alien designs he drew on more than a hundred sheets of paper before going blind. Upon returning to their headquarters, they prepare for an expedition to the Arctic Circle. In 1902, they're preparing to excavate Megatron there, when other employees of Sector Seven discover the All Spark in a lake in Colorado.

33 years later, one of the Sector Seven agents that were present when Megatron was excavated oversees the construction of the Hoover Dam together with a younger agent, and predicts the arrival of more of the "Mega-Man's" kind.

In 2003, Bumblebee arrives on Mars, which is noticed by the Hubble Space Telescope and quickly catches the attention of Sector Seven. Two weeks later, he lands on Earth, but when Sector Seven investigate the site of his impact, he's gone, with the I-64 nearby. Satellite surveillance footage reveals that a yellow Chevrolet Camaro had suddenly entered the interstate only moments after an identical Camaro had passed the position, which causes Sector Seven to conclude that "N.B. E.-2" is a "mimic".

Around the same time, Sam Witwicky learns from his father about the legacy of his great-great-grandfather. His ancestor's glasses don't particularly interest him, and upon learning that Archibald Witwicky had ended up in a mental hospital, he freaks out. Meanwhile, Bumblebee discovers information about Archibald Witwicky on the internet, while Sector Seven prepare a trap for him, headed by a specialist, Agent Simmons.

In the meantime, the Decepticons Starscream, Blackout and Barricade set foot on Mars and destroy the Beagle 2 Mars Rover. Soon afterwards, they arrive on Earth. Starscream destroys an F-22 Raptor fighter jet and adapts his body to transform into a replica of it. Blackout and Barricade also report having assumed local camouflage.

In a former Cold War bunker in new Mexico, Sector Seven prepare their trap for Bumblebee, using an artificial isotope made to give off the same sort of energy signature as the All Spark. Meanwhile, Bumblebee arrives at the mental asylum where Archibald Witwicky had spent the last years of his life, but finds it abandoned and in ruins.

Two days after Sector Seven set up their trap, Bumblebee is sighted in the area, with Barricade in pursuit. Just as Sector Seven realize that the "local law enforcement" is actually "N.B.E.-3", Blackout shows up and attacks the bunker, soon joined by Starscream. Blackout quickly discovers that the real All Spark is not in the bunker, but also figures that the humans must know where the real All Spark is if they were able to simulate his energy signature. As he tries to hack into Sector Seven's database, Simmons orders his people to cut the connection to the S7 mainframe.

Blackout, having been unable to dig up more than the name "Sector Seven", is about to consider it a dead end as Barricade reports having encountered Bumblebee. He suggests letting Bumblebee lead them to the All Spark.

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Transformers: Saga of the Allspark

Saga of the Allspark is a four-issue series published by IDW Publishing, starting in July 2008, and set in the Movie continuity. The series reprints stories from the UK-based Titan's Transformers magazine, at 2 stories per issue.

Prelude: Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime makes the decision to send the All Spark into space to ensure Megatron can never find it. This is a decision that weighs heavy, as its absence could condemn Cybertron to a slow death. A Decepticon drone assassin—one in a long line of them—attacks the Autobot base in search of Optimus, who goes out to meet the threat head on, ordering his assistant Arctus to launch if he doesn't make it back. Destroying the drone by transforming and ramming into it at high speed, Optimus is left badly damaged and sees a vision of the Transformer war spread to other worlds. This causes him to question launching the All Spark. But it's too late, as it's already been launched...

Prelude: Megatron
Having just dispatched Bumblebee, Megatron pursues the All Spark into space, intent on intercepting the cube before it reaches its destination - the Alkaris Anomaly, a wormhole that would transport it to any one of an infinite number of potential locations throughout the universe. Passing by Cybertron's moon, Megatron finds himself ensnared by a powerful tractor beam that pulls him down to the moon's surface. Freeing himself by destroying the beam projector with a reverse particle stream, Megatron turns his weapons on the Autobots responsible - Jazz, Ratchet and Ironhide - but soon realizes that this is what they want, as it will delay him from his pursuit of the All Spark.

Instead, Megatron summons Devastator from Cybertron to fight in his place as he goes after the cube, but Megatron proves unable to stop the All Spark from entering the anomaly, and decides to enter it himself. The battle on the moon comes to an explosive end when Devastator unleashed a foldspace warhead - while he himself is at ground zero - and the combatants all vanish in a flash of light. Meanwhile, Megatron is disgorged from the wormhole in some far-off region of space, with no trace of the All Spark...

Lost in Space 1: Ratchet
Due to the foldspace detonation from last issue, Ratchet has been transported to an alien planet in the grip of genocidal war between the Thraal and the A'ovan - a war that strikes Ratchet as hauntingly similar to Cybertron's. Ratchet attempts to defend himself non-lethally but this just increases the violence; to avoid getting involved further, he scans a local vehicle, adapts his alternate mode and transforms in order to blend in. He establishes a signal beacon in the hope of signalling Jazz and Ironhide. Afterwards, unable to stand by and let the Aovan be massacred, Ratchet attacks and defeats Durguth, the Thrall leader (who he views as the same "type" as Megatron). This causes Ratchet to technically become ruler of the Thrall Imperium, and he negotiates a ceasefire and eventually an alliance between the two factions. He warns them he'll be back one day to see how they're doing - if he can get home...

Lost in Space 2: Devastator
Due to the foldspace detonation, Devastator has been transported to an uninhabited alien world covered with cities. With no one around to fight or terrorize, Devastator is bored out of his mind and has been randomly destroying stuff. He's being mentally affected by an unknown source but doesn't care, but he eventually gets himself to realize he needs to get off-world before he runs out of fuel and so locks onto an energy source.

A holographic message, left behind by the world's extinct inhabitants, tells him that the energy source—"the Flame"—unleashed the inhabitants' worst instincts and caused them to kill each other. Devastator, uninterested, drives on halfway through the message. Other Decepticons—Starscream, Barricade and Bonecrusher—appear before him, taunting him about his stupidity and attempting to kill him so he can't reach the Flame.

The nature of these apparitions is left unexplained (it is most likely caused by the Flame getting inside Devastator's head) but he shows no interest in them and isn't bothered by their taunts, simply blasting them aside. He reaches the Flame, ignores all the questions it raises about what he's faced and his aggression, and simply takes the power he needs and heads back into space.

"See, me, I go by one guiding principle—keep it stupid... simple!"

Lost in Space 3: Ironhide
After several solar cycles of planet-hopping, Ironhide has locked on to Ratchet's homing signal from #3. But en route he's abducted by a mysterious alien craft. Inside, vast alien entities, claiming to have created the All Spark and that is was stolen from them, do a psychic probe of his mind. To resist, Ironhide focuses on an incident from his past...

Back on Cybertron, Ironhide is leading a training mission - one he's now leading to destroy a Decepticon outpost and rescue a POW, despite recruit Signal Flare's protests that there'll be half a battalion in there. Skyblast provides covering fire; Signal Flare and Strongarm do flanking runs to draw the guard tower's fire; Slipstream and Bumper back-up Ironhide as he personally blasts into the outpost, which turns out to only have one Decepticon in it. Ironhide, who knew all along it was automated, explains to them the third rule of soldiering is "take nothing at face value"...

Ironhide decides to take this own advice, and discovers most of the craft is derelict and the aliens are actually an illusion of the ship's former inhabitants - "digital phantoms from a bygone age". These illusions were the front for the fish-like aliens who'd salvaged the craft and were tracking the All Spark to exploit it, and who immediately surrender to Ironhide. He finds they'd found him via a device, salvaged in the craft, that was attuned to All Spark energy pattern - he takes it with him, and wonders who once owned this craft "and what their true connection to the Allspark is!".

Lost in Space 4: Jazz
Jazz ignored Ratchet's emergency homing beacon, as he'd landed on a planet he called the Information Highway, a constantly-morphing world with "the accumulated knowledge of countless alien cultures, condensed into some kind of sensory precipitation." He decided he was done with the war and was going to remain here, where he was overwhelmed by all the data, the new ways of thinking, "of being!"

He merrily decided to examine new, mushroom-like towers that appeared on the planet surface—and upon touching them, he was covered in a swarm of green balls of light. Whereas before the planet was giving him information, now it started to take...

It played back a memory from Jazz's past: Having externalized his Spark Core forcefield to keep his bodywork "buff", he had almost had his spark ripped out by Bonecrusher, who'd deliberately wanted to cripple, destroy and eventually kill Jazz for looking nice "when I look like this!" Fellow Autobot Clocker had saved him and then tried to get him to safety. When Bonecrusher caught up, Clocker had ordered Jazz to run away to get help while he fought the Decepticon, as Jazz had been too injured to be anything but a hindrance. By the time help had arrived, "there wasn't much left of Clocker to salvage"...

Jazz emerged from this memory to find he was being absorbed into the planet's surface, and so much of his system capacity was focused on data storage, he had no power to resist. Everything about his mind was being stripped and invaded, and his last action was to launch a warning buoy into orbit so others would know to stay away. Time passed, and in brief periods of lucidity, Jazz realized the planet was alive and all that data had come from countless other victims...
Eventually, Ratchet and Ironhide arrived, having picked up the signal from the buoy. Ratchet quickly realized the planet was alive, and Ironhide started shooting at it to make it give Jazz back. Jazz was rescued and, having found out where Cybertron was, they went home.

Starscream’s Militia
6:52 PM - At Starscream's command, Barricade, Blackout and Devastator have risen from beyond the grave—and the Autobots can't stop them!

Less than half an hour ago - Megatron was killed. Starscream nominates himself supreme commander of the Decepticons now that there's no one around to object, though he notes he'll probably need some Decepticons alive to command. Noticing a few rampaging Allspark Mutations, he systematically kills them, harvests their All Spark energy, and uses it to turn the Decepticon corpses into zombies under his direct command.

Back in the present, the Autobots have no idea how to stop the relentless zombies, and Ratchet has no idea how they can possibly be walking around. Optimus states that they can't let them continue unchecked, but as Ratchet is smacked aside, he's forced to admit he doesn't know what to do—"Allspark help me, Ironhide, I just don't know!". With his power still drained from fighting Megatron, he is similarly unsure how long he can keep fighting...

Luckily, Ratchet works out the zombies are being controlled by corrupted All Spark energy and tells the others to target their weapons on such energy signatures. Doing so, they swiftly kill the zombies. However, Starscream's escaped from the city and still has several sources of All Spark power...

Scorpion Sting
In Qatar, Ironhide tears apart an army vehicle, screaming at the soldiers to run and hide before he kills them, as he is now a slave to the will of Scorponok!

Earlier, at a local US air base, Ironhide discovers Captain Lennox has been reassigned. Captain Cartwright's team of Army Rangers will instead be assisting him in hunting for Scorponok. Ironhide is slightly perturbed by the change of plan, and when asked to "show us some credentials" merely transforms as a display of force. Cartwright admits that'll do. As they head out, Ironhide grills Cartwright on what he knows about the quarry and questions if they're ready for the Decepticon to fight. The soldiers reply in the affirmative, but nobody realizes the Decepticon is tracking them.

Picking up multiple weak contacts, Ironhide transforms to get a better view. Cartwright barely has time to realize these are "ghost" contacts to confuse them before Scorponok emerges. Ironhide is hit before he can respond, and the Decepticon drills into his head and takes over his motor functions. As the Decepticon forces him to attack and he screams at the Rangers to run, Cartwright orders a barrage of shoot-to-disable sabot rounds. But in contrast to previous results with Decepticons, the rounds have no effect...

The Autobot grabs one tank and uses it to smash another, injuring two of the Rangers. Cartwright swiftly regroups his team and orders Weapons Sergeant Darius Gale to sever Scorponok's connection with Ironhide. The other Rangers distract the enemy, who forces Ironhide to fire on them, allowing Gale to reach an XM8 Carbine with armour-piercing rounds and draw a bead on Scorponok. He severs the Decepticon's connection, allowing an enraged Ironhide to grab Scorponok and viciously kill him.

Watching the fiery wreckage, the Rangers "figure we can tell Lennox...job done!".

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Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday

In 1969, shortly after the Apollo 11 moon landing, the clandestine organization known as Sector Seven tests their first Ice Man-derived spacecraft with disastrous consequences.

Ghosts of Yesterday
As Apollo 11 launches into space, all eyes are on it. Almost all eyes, anyway. In the Arctic Circle, Sector Seven is preparing to launch their own ship, the Ghost 1. As the Ghost's crew launch into space, some S7 workers—including Thomas Kinnear—are worried.

The captain of Ghost 1, Samuel Walker, silently worries about the mission. He knows that he has to return to Earth, but he's not sure that he'll make it. He gives his crew a speech, and they rocket towards the Sun. As they are about to slingshot towards Jupiter, they are sucked into a wormhole, and they all lose consciousness.

Meanwhile, the Nemesis is continuing its search for Megatron and the Allspark, when the Decepticons receive indications of wormhole travel. Since Cybertronians are the only ones who use wormhole travel, Starscream orders them to investigate. However, Optimus Prime and the Autobots detect the same energy signature, and takes the Ark to investigate. The Nemesis arrives first, and the Decepticons cannot believe what they are seeing. It appears to be a Cybertronian vessel of Decepticon design, but it's too crude to be one of theirs, along with the organic life forms inside. Blackout believes they should destroy it, as anyone capable of wormhole travel is sufficiently advanced to be a threat. To regain the initiative, Starscream decides they will investigate. Before they can, Barricade detects the Ark's reemergence from wormhole travel, and the Nemesis manages to hide behind the moon of the planet the vessel reached. As the Autobots arrive, Ironhide assumes the vessel is Decepticon, but further analysis shows that it can't be. On board Ghost 1, the crew regains consciousness, and upon seeing the Ark, become concerned.

Back on Earth, Walter Simmons orders that the Ice Man be moved from the Sector Seven High Arctic Base to a secret location close to the more recently discovered Cube. The Soviets learn of the move and raid the convoy hoping to recover the frozen artifact. During the chaos of battle, Megatron partially wakes up in a bad mood. The Soviets are beaten back with the help of Staff Sergeant Martin and his unit of commandos. Megatron is re-frozen with liquid nitrogen and eventually makes the trip to Nevada without further incident.

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Transformers: Novel

An ancient conflict between the forces of chaos and those who covet freedom has come to Earth. Their War. Our World.

Novelization
The book begins with the history of Cybertron's destruction at the hands of Megatron, and his quest to obtain the Energon Cube. Megatron discovers the Cube on Earth, but crash-lands in the Arctic Circle, becoming frozen in the ice. Captain Archibald Witwicky and his crew of explorers stumble upon Megatron's body in the late 19th century. Megatron's navigational system is unintentionally activated, and Archibald's eye glasses are imprinted with the coordinates to the Cube's location. Sector Seven, a secret organization of the United States government, discovers the Energon Cube and builds the Hoover Dam around it to mask the energy signal. The still-frozen Megatron is moved into this facility, and is reverse engineered to further advance human technology.

In the present day, the rest of the Decepticons—Blackout, Scorponok, Frenzy, Barricade, Starscream, Bonecrusher, and Devastator—have already landed on Earth and assumed the disguise of Earth vehicles. Blackout and Scorponok attack a U.S. military base in Qatar in an effort to use the military database to discover the location of Megatron and the Cube, but they do not succeed. A small group of survivors from the military base attack wander through the desert and are attacked by Scorponok. The Autonomous Robotic Life Form (shortened to "Autobot") known as Bumblebee is also on Earth, disguised as a 1977 Chevrolet Camaro, and looking for Sam Witwicky, the descendant of Captain Archibald Witwicky. As soon as he locates Sam, the two quickly begin to bond as Bumblebee helps Sam try and woo his crush, Mikaela Banes; Sam is unaware of the fact that Bumblebee is an alien, until he witnesses Bumblebee transform and send out a homing signal for the rest of the Autobots. After Blackout's failure, Frenzy infiltrates Air Force One and discovers that Sam possesses the map that will lead the Decepticons to the Energon Cube. Frenzy and Barricade begin tracking Sam's location.

Barricade confronts Sam, demanding Archibald's glasses. Bumblebee, who is following Sam, transforms and battles Barricade. Mikaela, who is also following Sam, is caught in the crossfire, and leaves with Sam and Bumblebee to rendezvous with the rest of the Autobots. The Autobots—Optimus Prime, Jazz, Ironhide, and Ratchet—land on Earth and take on the forms of several Earth vehicles. Sam, Mikaela, and the Autobots return to Sam's home to retrieve the glasses. However, agents from Sector Seven arrive to take Sam and Mikaela into custody. Bumblebee is also apprehended, against the pleas of Sam who assures the agents—to no avail—that he means them no harm.

Frenzy secretly accompanies the group to the Hoover Dam, and releases Megatron from cryogenic stasis. Locating the Cube, he sends out an alert to the rest of the Decepticons. Megatron escapes, and Sam convinces the Sector Seven agents to release Bumblebee so that he can get the Cube to Optimus Prime. The Decepticons chase the Autobots, who now possess the Energon Cube, into a neighboring city. An battle ensues, resulting in casualties on both sides, with Sam ultimately destroying Megatron and the Energon Cube when he rams it into Megatron's chest. The remains of the Decepticons are cast into the Laurentian Abyss. With no other home to go to — Cybertron having been destroyed by Megatron and the Cube being the only thing that could have restored it — the Autobots decide to stay on Earth, and Optimus sends out a signal across space in an effort to locate any surviving Autobots, while Sam and Mikaela begin a relationship. Starscream, one of the Decepticons that survived the battle, leaves Earth.

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Transformers: Movie Adaptation

Transformers: Movie Adaptation is the title of IDW Publishing's four-issue comic book adaptation of the 2007 Transformers live-action movie. It was published weekly during the month of June, 2007.

Part 1
A car finds its owner while others look for the All Spark.

Over a million years ago, Cybertron was destroyed by war and the All Spark was launched into space, with Megatron in pursuit. Its course was altered to Earth. In 1897, on an Arctic expedition, Captain Archibald Witwicky falls through the ice and discovers a frozen Megatron. When the captain chips at the ice covering Megatron's face, light from Megatron's eyes blinds Witwicky, but burns a map of the All Spark into his glasses.

One hundred ten years later in Qatar, an unidentified helicopter previously thought shot down is forced to land at a military base. The helicopter is actually the Decepticon Blackout, who transforms and delivers a devastating pulse wave to the base before attempting to access files on Project Iceman. When the military cut the line and attack, Blackout deploys Scorponok into the sand, who follows a team that escapes while Blackout destroys the base. The team follows power lines to a village, but power is cut when one of the poles is sucked into the sand. Soldier Donnelly notices spikes poking through the sand and fires upon them, but they quickly disappear and Scorponok impales him from behind.

In Tranquility, U.S.A., Sam Witwicky fruitlessly attempts to sell his great grandfather's property on ePay before his father takes him out to buy a car. Salesman Bobby Bolivia sees a Camaro that he didn't know was on the lot which beeps at Sam. He sells it to the Witwickys for four grand and Sam drives off. Later that evening he offers Mikaela a ride home after she fights with her boyfriend. The Camaro stalls and Mikaela fixes the distributor cap. At night, Sam's car drives off and he gives chase on a bicycle, while informing the police on his cell phone. He sees the car transform into Bumblebee and shine an Autobot beacon into the sky. Bumblebee saves Sam from some attack dogs and honks at Sam, who runs away. The police arrive and arrest Sam, mistaking him for the thief. At the police station, Sam explains what he saw to a disbelieving officer before his father takes him home.

Aboard Air Force One, flying over Virginia, a radio boom box transforms into Frenzy and attempts to access files and plants a virus. When discovered and attacked, he deploys shuriken which kill several agents and converts back into the boom box to avoid detection. After landing, Frenzy sneaks off and rendezvous with Barricade in police car mode. He reveals information that matches Captain Witwicky to Sam's ePay transaction and Barricade downloads Sam's address.

Part 2
In Qatar, Scorponok battles with the military team and is eventually defeated by aircraft with 6000 degree Sabot rounds. He escapes under the sand with a bit of his tail broken off left behind.

In Tranquility, U.S.A., Sam flees from Bumblebee while he unbeknownst is pursued by Barricade and Frenzy. Barricade corners him in a parking lot and transforms, asking him about the auction of his great grandfather's artifacts. Mikaela follows Sam and the two are rescued by Bumblebee. Barricade deploys Frenzy to attack the humans while he battles Bumblebee. Mikaela cuts off Frenzy's head with a power saw while Barricade and Bumblebee fall off a cliff. The Autobot climbs back up and speaks to the humans through his radio while Frenzy's head scans Mikaela's cell phone and transforms into an exact copy. The humans travel with Bumblebee and give him the suggestion to transform into something nicer; he instantly converts into a 2009 Camaro. Bumblebee leads them to the site of a meteor crash. The meteor is actually Optimus Prime, who scans and converts into a semi truck. He then transforms and assures the humans not to fear as the other Autobots approach. He lets the humans know his name and that they are from Cybertron.

Part 3
Sector Seven pays Bumblebee a visit, and the Decepticons pay a visit to Sector Seven.

Optimus Prime asks Sam if he's related to Archibald Witwicky and introduces the Autobots (which Mikaela joins) to the humans: Jazz, Ironhide, Ratchet, and Bumblebee. Prime educates the humans on the Autobots' mission to find the All Spark, what it is, and who Megatron and the Decepticons are, along with Cybertron's war. He also lets Sam know that the All Spark's location is imprinted on Archibald's glasses and that if Megatron finds it, he will use its power to rebuild his armies.

Scorponok's tail is studied and it's discovered that the Transformers are sensitive to temperature.
Sam returns home and Mikaela is sneaked into his room to help look for the glasses. The Autobots attempt to be inconspicuous but Jazz leans against a power line and is shocked, knocking out power to the home. Prime continues to talk to Sam, making his parents suspicious until Mikaela reveals herself. When they finally recover the backpack containing the glasses, Sector Seven arrive and take Sam and Mikaela due to his report of the transforming car to the police. Sam plays dumb and Optimus Prime rips the roof off the SUV while Jazz takes the agents' guns. The agents are not that impressed with the giant f*cking robots and backup soon arrives. Using a pulse blast, the Autobots attempt to escape with the humans but when Mikaela almost falls from Optimus Prime beneath a bridge, Bumblebee and Sam save her, but are caught in the process. Prime and the Autobots decide not to pursue but instead to locate the All Spark, which Prime plans to merge with his spark to destroy it and end the Cybertronian wars.

Banachek fills General Keller in about Sector Seven and the Transformers on Earth and the group take off in helicopters to the Hoover Dam. Frenzy, riding in Mikaela's backpack, jumps out and alerts the other Decepticons to Sector Seven's location; Barricade, Starscream, Brawl, Bonecrusher, and Blackout travel toward Hoover Dam. Inside, Sam and Mikaela exchange their knowledge of Transformers with the agents while on their way to see "N.B.E.-1". When Sam sees it, he informs them that it's actually Megatron, leader of the Decepticons.

Part 4
The Autobots and Decepticons battle it out while Sam takes charge of the All Spark.

As Sam identifies Megatron, Agent Simmons informs the group that reverse engineering on Megatron is the source of all modern machines. Sam states the Transformers are on Earth because of the All Spark and the group heads to the area where it is kept. Simmons informs the group that the All Spark was discovered in 1913 and that Hoover Dam was built around it to hide its energy. He also demonstrates that the All Spark can give life to any mechanical device.

The Decepticons arrive and attack the dam—the blasts complete the awakening of Megatron. He kills the scientist near him and transforms into his jet mode. Sam convinces Simmons to free Bumblebee to help protect them. Bumblebee shrinks the All Spark into a tiny cube and leaves with Sam and Mikaela. Megatron meets up with the other Decepticons and give chase to the Autobots, knowing they have the All Spark. Bonecrusher and Barricade attack but Optimus Prime, who kills them both.

Simmons stops to call in an air strike and a jet soon arrives. Unfortunately, it's actually Starscream, who injures Bumblebee and causes him to drop the All Spark. Brawl attacks, unphased by the military but is attacked by Jazz. Jazz, in turn is killed by Megatron, infuriating Optimus Prime, who begins to battle his brother. Sam takes the All Spark along with Ironhide, who is blasted by Starscream. Megatron knocks out Prime and goes after Sam and the All Spark. Mikaela, meanwhile hooks Bumblebee up to a tow truck to get him to safety. Brawl pursues them, but is blasted by Bumblebee and killed.

Captain Lennox, along with an air strike kill Blackout while Sam faces off with Megatron. Megatron blasts the ledge, causing Sam to fall, but he's caught by Optimus Prime. Before Prime can destroy the All Spark, Megatron attacks again. Sam throws the All Spark into Megatron's spark, destroying him. In celebration, Mikaela kisses Sam but the Autobots gather around Jazz's body.

Later, Sector Seven is terminated and the Decepticons are dropped into the Laurentian Abyss and a nuclear blast buries them. While Sam and Mikaela enjoy life, Optimus states that the Autobots will live on Earth, hiding in their vehicle modes to protect the humans. He sends a message into space welcoming any surviving to join their brothers on Earth.

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Transformers: Reign of Starscream

The Reign of Starscream is IDW Publishing's five-issue comic series which is their official sequel to the 2007 Transformers live-action movie. It was published monthly (more or less, with several minor delays) from May to August 2008.
While originally not intended to tie in with the sequel film, it has since been tied to the Transformers: Destiny comic, which is a direct prequel to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Overview
The first issue is mostly a recap of events preceding and during the 2007 movie. Much of the actual story takes place in the very immediate aftermath of the movie, literally spanning only hours for the next two issues, covering an encounter between Starscream and Sector Seven at their Hoover Dam base, followed by his return to the Decepticons' temporary base on Mars. There, the Decepticons are ambushed by a group of Autobots, but the Decepticons are able to kill most of them, with Arcee as the only confirmed survivor.

The remaining two issues might cover a longer timespan; the exact time frame is not stated. Upon his return to Cybertron, Starscream attempts to construct a new All Spark and solidify his position as Decepticon leader. Arcee and another group of Autobots try to stop him, coinciding with a rebellion among the Decepticons. The final issue ends with Starscream returning to Mars.

According to the trade paperback, the story went through four revisions. The first was called Starscream's Revenge and Sam Witwicky was a major character. The second was entitled The Search for Starscream. The last two, which settled on the final title, had Soundwave in a major role and killed off Arcee. Mowry also noted that Rumble, Laserbeak, Ravage, Overkill and Devastator were in the early draft in addition to Soundwave.

Part 1
Starscream takes the mantle of Decepticon leadership after the death of Megatron.

In the distant past, Optimus Prime launches the Allspark into space to keep it away from Megatron and his Decepticons. Instead of wiping out the Autobots, Megatron pursues the cube and leaves Starscream to eliminate the Autobots. Prime leads a large contingent of Autobots aboard a massive ship to catch Megatron alone in space and recover the Allspark, while some forces stay on Cybertron to deal with the Decepticons. Starscream orders his troops to pursue in their own craft, though Barricade lets his dissent be known. Dreadwing reports that the cube is heading toward the Eshems Nebula, with Megatron following, as well as the Autobots following both of them. The Autobots let loose a volley of mines that damages the Decepticon craft and seriously injures Dreadwing, so the Decepticons are forced to halt for repairs.

Over time, the Allspark lands on Earth and Megatron ends up trapped in the frozen Arctic. Along the way, the Autobots send teams out to different locations, reacting to trace elements of Allspark energy. The Decepticons park their ship on Mars, and Starscream leads a contingent to Earth, traveling in their protoform alternate modes. Wreckage is soon killed by a group of humans, and Starscream concedes that while they may be weak, humans are also dangerous, and he stresses the need to reformat themselves for disguise.

They eventually discover the frozen Megatron at Hoover Dam and mobilize toward him. Starscream destroys the dam's power generators, allowing Megatron to thaw, but when Megatron learns that the humans have taken the Allspark, he can only state that Starscream has failed him again. The Decepticons engage the Autobots, and Ironhide causes Barricade to crash into a barrier. Blackout reports that Barricade may still be alive but Frenzy is most likely dead, but Megatron is still consumed with the cube. As the other Decepticons fall in battle, Starscream is angered by Megatron's non-concern with his brethren and fights the urge to destroy him. Sam Witwicky shoves the Allspark into Megatron's chest, destroying both.

As Starscream declares that the human will pay, a group of jets attacks him. Enraged, he destroys them all. He then travels to see if Barricade is still alive, which he is, though barely. Barricade states that Frenzy has detailed files on the Allspark and Sam. Starscream orders Barricade to continue reconnaissance on the Autobots when he has recovered and to refer to him now as Lord Starscream. Starscream then travels to Hoover Dam to recover Frenzy and prepares to assault the humans there.

Part 2
Starscream goes to the Hoover Dam to find Frenzy. He kills a lot of people.

Starscream arrives at Hoover Dam to find a number of soldiers there to meet him. He gives the puny flesh creatures a chance to surrender. Their response: a bazooka shot to his face. Starscream makes it clear that this was a bad idea via his cluster bombs, but even so, the humans' assault starts to overwhelm him. More irritated than injured, Starscream's priority is nevertheless to find Frenzy, and he flies into the dam's interior to do so.

Once inside, Starscream can sense residual All Spark energy, amused by how Megatron must have been driven insane by its closeness during his captivity. He can also sense Frenzy nearby, but is unable to pinpoint him due to interference (of the bullet kind) from nearby pests. He exterminates this annoyance and continues deeper into the dam, through narrow corridors that almost hinder his search, but not quite.
Outside, Sector Seven Agent Salazar contacts his troops. After ensuring that Agents Simmons and Banachek and Secretary Keller are out of the area, he tells them to get out now that "N.B.E.-3" is apparently trapped.

Meanwhile, Starscream has reached the dam's radio room, monologuing on how his Seeker attributes have not been hindered by this planet, nor has his ability to adapt. He detaches his hand from his arm, his wrist stretching out into little more than ropy wires, and reaches one of those wires into the room, pulling out Frenzy, as well as two human scientists. Surprisingly, he allows the two scientists to live, providing they give up Frenzy without a fight. They comply, and Starscream stores the little spy in his cockpit before rocketing quickly upwards out of the dam.

Outside, Sector Seven is waiting. Starscream cannot waste anymore time or energy fighting. He intends to run, but one of the humans addresses him by name, surprising him.

Agent Salazar orders Starscream to stand down. Starscream is not amused, but still cannot risk a fight. Sector Seven does not see it that way, and Salazar unleashes a "secret weapon": L.M.-1. Starscream senses an odd energy signature from the vehicle and realizes what it must be as it begins to transform. Even though it cannot complete its transformation, Starscream's curiosity gets the better of him, and he lowers his guard, giving Sector Seven a window in which to attack. Berating himself, Starscream pounces on Salazar's jeep, captures it and the agent, and takes off into the sky.

Apparently, merely flying is relaxing to Seekers, as Starscream's energy reserves begin to recharge. Using this time to his advantage, he tosses the jeep back to Earth and begins his interrogation of Salazar, demanding to know how the agent knows his name. Salazar uses the excuse that he's not authorized to tell Starscream anything, and an irritated Starscream drops him, then dives down and catches the plummeting flesh-creature, saying its job is now to tell Starscream what it knows or else be "returned" to its planet. Salazar stubbornly still refuses. With fighter jets appearing on the horizon, Starscream can no longer waste time with this game. He shoves Salazar into his cockpit, intending to take him back to Decepticon HQ. Transforming back to F-22 mode, Starscream prepares for his journey to Mars, confident that his Earth alternate mode can survive the trip.

His "passenger"? Not so much.

Approaching Mars, Starscream hopes his subordinates aboard the Nemesis have made themselves useful, theorizing that it's only a matter of time before they are discovered. As a certain, green spaceship observes him entering Mars' atmosphere, transmitting his findings to his friends on the planet's surface, Starscream's theory proves correct.

Almost out of energy, Starscream arrives at the Nemesis just in time, and "one of his own" is there to help him. Starscream has no time to waste in answering stupid questions and is quickly taken to the regeneration device.

After his recovery, while comfortably seated in his command chair, Starscream muses to his fellow Seeker on how interesting humans are, capable of great achievements, like destroying Megatron and the All Spark. Thundercracker expresses confusion at this, since apparently Starscream had told him that he had the All Spark. Belittling his subordinate for stupidity, Starscream explains that he does not have the All Spark itself, but rather a way to recreate it and Cybertron—under his rule, of course. Thundercracker, apparently confused, instead questions Starscream's Earth mode. Starscream assures him that while they may look like Earth vehicles, their adaptive abilities mean that they are not limited to the vehicles' abilities, and the modes will prove useful when they rule Earth. However, his priority is to rule their own planet, and the data in Frenzy's memory is the key to doing so.

Starscream orders Thundercracker to plug in Frenzy and start transmitting the data to Cybertron, also asking if a space bridge terminal has been constructed. A view outside confirms that one has been, but due to their distance from Cybertron, it will not be a straight trip, but rather a connection through multiple space bridges. This makes no difference, as Frenzy's data can be sent back to Cybertron ahead of Starscream making the trip himself. He is confident that with Optimus Prime on Earth, nobody will be able to stop his conquest of Cybertron.

Nobody, except perhaps the team of Autobots heading his way.

Part 3
The guy the series is named after vs. some guys we've never seen before. This can only end in tears.

Starscream's Decepticons await the Autobots' incoming attack on their base on Mars and send out their drones as a welcoming party. Smokescreen temporarily disables the first attack wave, which Cliffjumper and Camshaft use to destroy a few of them. Hardtop, who previously warned Thundercracker of the impending Autobot attack, prepares to snipe Smokescreen, but is instead sniped himself by Arcee. But just as the Autobots appear to gain the upper hand, a heavily damaged Air Raid is dropped by Thundercracker, who attacks the Autobots with a sonic blast.

Thundercracker makes his way through the Autobots, slicing Camshaft in half and knocking down Cliffjumper. Just as he is about to kill Cliffjumper too, Arcee, guilt-ridden for having failed to prevent Bumblebee's mutilation at the hands of Megatron attacks Thundercracker, inflicts some damage on him and then continues to attack him together with Cliffjumper. However, Cliffjumper is suddenly shot in the back by Starscream, who then transforms and proceeds to blow up Smokescreen, who is trying to carry the wounded Air Raid to safety. Starscream returns to Arcee, who is tending a heavily wounded Cliffjumper, and takes her out with one punch. Starscream then returns to his base and prepares a ship for launch, setting course back to Cybertron.

Meanwhile, on a base in the Nevada desert, an arriving Sector Seven commander is informed about Starscream's abduction of Agent Salazar and in turn provides a theory about how the Transformers create weapons from their own bodies. Unbeknownst to them, they are eavesdropped on by Barricade, who is standing on a mountain ridge nearby the base. The Sector Seven commander instructs his people that the President of the United States wants to have the vehicles that were given life by the Allspark in Mission City destroyed.

An unspecified amount of time later, Starscream's Decepticons return to Cybertron, landing in the city of Trypticon. Starscream and Thundercracker are greeted by Ramjet, while Dreadwing prepares to transfer the data retrieved from Frenzy's body. Starscream makes some "renovations" by destroying a giant sculpt of Megatron's head when he's informed by Stockade that construction of a new All Spark Cube is progressing on schedule.

Part 4
Starscream's horrific plan is revealed, and a ragtag band of Autobots is all that stands between him and galactic conquest!

The new AllSpark Cube is nearly completed, as Starscream continues to make preparations to rebuild the planet of Cybertron. In the process of chiseling the hieroglyphics on the cube, Grindcore collapses from exhaustion. Warpath, concerned about the well-being of his comrade, tries to help him up, but is immediately incapacitated by two Payload Drones. Warpath begins to express his discontent when Stockade shows up and kicks him. He tells the Payload drones to get him back to work and make more room on the line because Dreadwing is gathering more help.

Elsewhere, Signal Flare flees for his life through a desolate wasteland when Dreadwing warps in front of him and knocks him out with a single punch. He then contacts Starscream via built-in communicator and informs him of the new "test subject" that he just acquired. Starscream commends Dreadwing for his excellent work and informs him that they are almost ready to begin.

Meanwhile, in the Decepticon capital city of Trypticon, Starscream, muses on his status as supreme ruler of the Decepticons. Although he's held this position for nearly a quartex, he begins to wonder if those who already oppose his rule will ever realize the good that he will bring them.

Starscream begins to imagine a world without factions or needless sacrifices. Starscream promises Cybertron a new start, a fresh beginning for a dying planet. With the new AllSpark cube, he plans to unite all of Cybertron under his rule and make Cybertronians a proud species again once the planet has been restored. Starscream then declares that Cybertron has been waiting for a leader like him to restore her power, declaring himself to be her champion, as he welcomes all who wish to serve him. As for those who wish to oppose him, Starscream simply states, "Let them try." As Starscream ends his narrative, a Decepticon cruiser makes port at the docking station on the outskirts of Trypticon.

Two drones disembark the space cruiser at Trypticon; the Dreadwing drone initiates an inquiry of an audio anomaly, while the Payload drone maintains security protocol. The Dreadwing drone, having turned up nothing on the audio anomaly, begins an analysis of the ship surface. He detects an intruder and attempts to notify Master Dreadwing. The Payload drone is not so lucky; as he asks the Dreadwing drone to repeat the last transmission, he is eviscerated by Arcee. The Dreadwing drone also meets a similar end. Arcee muses on being back home but doesn't like the feeling, and begins to think that it may have been best for her to have remained on Mars.

Arcee flashes back to the moment when Starscream suckerpunched her. She thought that her life functions were going to stop, but instead she just went blank. When she came to, Arcee saw that Thundercracker and Starscream were preparing to leave. Going against common sense, she grabbed onto a piece of the landing gear as it was taking off. Arcee had hoped to break into the ship before the beam from the space bridge connected with the ship, because she thought anything not fused to the ship would not teleport. She turned out to be wrong and managed to hitch a ride back to Cybertron.

In the midst of her self-loathing due to her recent failure to prevent the destruction of four of her Autobot comrades, Arcee goes off in search of a safe zone, or a place where she would be able to regroup with an Autobot. She states that most of the Autobots had left with Optimus Prime, but some Autobots had chosen to stay behind, and that she hopes that she can find them.

Back at Lord Starscream's palace, Starscream is condemning Wreckage (who had been rebuilt by Sector Seven for their own purposes) for telling Sector Seven everything about Cybertronians. Starscream begins to wonder just how many more have betrayed the Decepticon cause. Dreadwing walks in and informs Starscream that he has returned and that the cube is finally ready. Dreadwing tells him that it is and the only ones who know are himself, Starscream, Stockade, and the unlucky workers who were forced to build it. Starscream commends Dreadwing, and decides that the time to activate it has come.

Meanwhile at the cube construction site the enslaved Autobots try to negotiate their release with their Decepticon captors. Ramjet bluntly states that if any of them try to run, they will be liquefied. Signal Flare and Warpath are having trouble trying to get a distress signal out; something might be blocking their transmitters. Starscream, Thundercracker, and Dreadwing arrive at the construction site. Starscream impatiently asks where Payload is and that he should have the generator by now. Elita-One attempts to beg Lord Starscream for mercy, only to find that Starscream has none to dispense.

Payload finally arrives with the generator, apologizing for the delay, stating that Dreadwing's drones weren't much help, and some of his comrades weren't cut out for hard work. Crankcase doesn't respond well to that remark. Having grown tired of Crankcase's incessant bitching, Starscream promptly puts an end to it by destroying his vocal processor. Ramjet places Crankcase with the other test subjects.

Arcee comes upon the ruins of an old training facility to look for a weapon, but instead chances upon Clocker. Arcee briefs him on the dismal events that led up to her return, including the death of Megatron and Starscream declaring himself the new leader of the Decepticons. They are joined by Crosshairs. Surprised to see that he is still alive, she asks of the whereabouts of Elita-One and the others. Crosshairs tells her that they were lost in a raid not too long ago, and that he, Clocker, and the others who stayed behind are planning a rescue.

Meanwhile, back at the cube construction site at Simfur, Starscream prepares to greet the masses of Cybertron with the newly constructed AllSpark cube. As the Autobots reach Simfur, Arcee can't believe what her optical receptors are seeing, Starscream has the new AllSpark cube and the captured Autobots, including Crankcase, are strapped to it.

Replica Allspark
The replica Allspark is a product of Starscream's somewhat dubious initiative to create an exact copy of the lost artifact using Sector Seven's exhaustive data, then jump-start it with a robot sacrifice.

This was a popular plan. You go into a city-state like Trypticon, and like a lot of places across the planet, you can see that the AllSpark has been gone for thousands of years, and nothing has replaced it. The general population, the kind of Joe-sixtrain that doesn't care about high-minded rhetoric or agendas, was failed by Megatron's leadership. And Prime's leadership, and every successive leader who promised that somehow these city-states were going to regenerate—but they never have.

So it's not surprising that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy towards species who aren't like them or anti-Autobot sentiment or anti-drone sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

When a population is sapped of hope, all they can think about is the shitty state of their city-state, and they will be ready to try anything, to believe in anything or anyone that promises to relieve their suffering.

Construction
The replica Allspark was constructed over a period of about a month using a combination of drones and slave labor. When it came time to activate the replica Allspark, five prisoners-of-war were sacrificed to activate it.

Signal Flare
Warpath
Elita-One
Crankcase
Grindcore

An energy pulse was used to extinguish all five lives simultaneously, then gather the energy released at the moment of death and store it in a generator at the cube's base. Once fed back into the cube this energy was supposed to open a connection through which would flow a infinite wellspring of power, much like the self-renewing energy source of a Transformer's own spark.

It makes perfect sense really; perform a death-ritual before a block with ancient symbols carved on it in order to open a gateway to the afterlife, which will supply you with cheap non-polluting electricity for all time. Of course it can't fail.

Then the damn thing didn't work. And then Dreadwing and Ramjet turned on Starscream and Thundercracker. And then a group of Autobots under Arcee launched a surprise attack.

Origin
The genesis of this plan appears to lie in Starscream's attempt to re-create the circumstances of an ancient illustration depicting the AllSpark's energy being regenerated while figures stand around it, their sparks feeding it. Perfectly sensible!

There are two problems however:

1. Starscream only sacrificed five sparks, the illustration clearly shows six figures—no wonder it didn't work!

2. Starscream got the image backwards. The AllSpark wasn't being re-ignited by six sparks that were sacrificed... it was channeling energy into the entombed creatures after absorbing the power channeled from a sun harvester.

Part 5
Can the Autobots stop Starscream from ruling all of Cybertron?

Just outside the temple at Simfur, Arcee and her crew contemplate their next move in saving their friends. Crosshairs suggests that they split into two teams: one to head back to Trypticon and cause a diversion, while the rest take on the rescue. Strongarm, Breakaway and Wingblade volunteer for the former, while Armorhide agrees to take a team to provide cover for the rescue party.

Down at the temple, Starscream marvels at what he has achieved. He looks over the crowd, seeing them not gathered out of fear or displaced loyalty, knowing no matter their previous allegiance, they will all bow before him as the new leader of Cybertron. He addresses the crowd, putting down the efforts of their previous leaders, and how he has returned to rebuild Cybertron for them. All he asks is that they swear allegiance to him and his cause, to which the entire crowd readily does.

After that, he explains the purpose of the prisoners shackled to the AllSpark; the five of them will give their sparks to reactivate the cube, and restore Cybertron to its former glory. Elita-One pleads with him to stop, calling his plan insane. But Starscream is resolute in his actions, and with the push of a button, the five "criminals" are terminated. Their spark energy is stored and, with another flick of a switch, Starscream activates the new AllSpark... only to find it's not working.

Starscream has little time to contemplate why it has failed, before he realizes he has bigger problems in the form of Dreadwing, who calls in his drones to surround the confused bot. Payload and Ramjet also show their true colours, siding with Dreadwing as he explains his actions. He saw the data from Frenzy, and decided he wanted it for himself. He brags about the size of his forces, and how easy it was to form this little coup. Starscream quickly rebukes him, calling Dreadwing a novice and regretting ever saving him. However, Dreadwing doesn't let it faze him and orders his drones to seize Starscream and his remaining followers.

Arcee and members of the rescue party watch in disbelief from the outskirts; their job has just become a little harder. Clocker and Crosshairs theorize that the master switch must be at Trypticon, and perhaps Breakaway can deactivate it. Arcee makes her move, using her rifle to take out the fake AllSpark with a mighty explosion. Dreadwing is not pleased, sending Ramjet and the drones to deal with the new intruders. Crosshairs and Armorhide hold the line, and Ramjet nearly runs the latter through before Crosshairs decapitates him.

Meanwhile, back at the temple, Starscream has had enough. He's furious that he let his lust for power blind him, as it did Megatron, and goes on the offensive. With the help of Thundercracker and Stockade, he takes out numerous drones before he notices Dreadwing escaping. Starscream leaves the clean up in his subordinates hands and goes after the traitor, taking a surprised Divebomb along with him. Admiring the valiant efforts of the Autobots fighting below, he intercepts Wingblade's message to Arcee about deactivating the drones. His path clear, he searches Trypticon until he finds the traitor.

On board a starship, Dreadwing plans to escape to the atmosphere and reactivate the drones. His plans are put on hold as Starscream throws Divebomb onto the front of the ship, before blowing him to smithereens. He cripples the ship before boarding, threatening to kill Dreadwing before the ship crashes. Dreadwing states he only did what Starscream never had the bearings to do to Megatron, but Starscream is not swayed. Below them, Arcee pulls her team out of Trypticon to avoid the collision.

However, Dreadwing has one final ace up his handless sleeve. As the ship tumbles out of control, he activates the Space Bridge before teleporting away from the enraged Starscream. His screams of the traitor's name are cut short as the ship collides. The explosion turns the Decepticon city into a smoldering crater before it's absorbed into the wormhole. Trypticon has fallen, and Starscream is gone.

Outside the city limits, Arcee and her crew observe the destruction. She notes that this could be the turning point in the war, but knows that if Starscream survived the explosion, he could turn everything around again. She vows to find him...and judging from the sight of the Thundercracker speeding away from the scene, she's not the only one.

Far away from Cybertron, on Mars, the disused Space Bridge antenna activates. The remains of the starship as well as the explosion come crashing through the wormhole, obliterating it. While this happens, a confused but very much alive Dreadwing emerges. He marvels at his miraculous escape just long enough for Starscream to sneak up, tear his head off and crush his spark core. The traitor addresses him as "Lord Starscream" before he finally goes quiet.

A damaged Starscream takes a moment to think about all that has happened. Dreadwing is dead, but his plan (or possibly his followers) have failed. But he knows there are allies back on Earth, and he knows they will join with him. He will have his rule no matter where it may be.

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[Leathurkatt]

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Transformers: Destiny

Transformers: Destiny is a series published by IDW Publishing. It serves as both a sequel to The Reign Of Starscream and as a lead in to Revenge of the Fallen, and as such is in direct continuity with the film. Destiny consists of two four-issue story arcs: the first arc, Transformers: Alliance, began in December, 2008, while the concurrent arc Transformers: Defiance debuted the following month.

Items of Note
Initially, Chris Mowry was asked to do a prequel series for Revenge of the Fallen. The theme of "destiny" was key, so that's what the title was called. Eventually, the staff of IDW felt that since there is so much to tell in the movie universe, there should be two separate series. So while there are two stories, they fall under the "destiny" banner and help to explain a larger story.

A teaser advertisement for Destiny, written mostly in Cyberglyphics, appeared in the last issue of The Reign of Starscream.

Chris Mowry said he wanted to have Laserbeak appear as a Predator Drone in Alliance, but he was not permitted.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Alliance

Transformers: Alliance is a 4-part comic series published by IDW Publishing which originally ran from December 2008–March 2009. It serves as both a sequel to The Reign Of Starscream and as a lead in to Revenge of the Fallen, and as such is in direct continuity with the film. Alliance and another four-issue story arc called Transformers: Defiance are together known as Transformers: Destiny.

Overview
Prior to the Mission City battle, Wreckage is experimented upon by Sector Seven. After the Mission City battle, the Autobots help Captain Lennox eliminate rogue 'bots brought to life by the All Spark, and then leave before Sector Seven arrives. Sector Seven wants help from Lennox, who has agreed to help the Autobots. While Barricade sends out a signal for Decepticon help, Starscream plans his revenge. When the time comes to dump the robot remains in the Laurentian Abyss, Optimus travels with Jazz's remains, leaving a fragment of the All Spark with Sector Seven. The shard reactivates Wreckage, but Starscream and Bumblebee arrive in time to help. Starscream kills Wreckage, and, receiving a signal from Soundwave, goes to rendezvous with the latter.

Part 1
As the Autobots clean up after Megatron's Mission City rampage, old enemies begin to resurface.

Four months before the Mission City "incident", two F-22 fighter jets fly over the Nevada desert, escorting a US Air Force cargo plane to a secret Sector Seven base. Agent Salazar is delivering Wreckage for the purpose of conducting research. After explaining Wreckage's story to Professor Vine, Salazar oversees the beginning of experiments conducted on Wreckage.

One month before the "present" time: In the aftermath of the Mission City battle, Ironhide, Captain Lennox, Technical Sergeant Epps and a few other soldiers track down and destroy the All Spark's creations. Meanwhile, Ratchet is reattaching Bumblebee's leg. Sam and Mikaela are watching on when Sam is suddenly hit by a soda can. Dispensor attacks them, but Ratchet nonchalantly stomps him into pieces. Optimus Prime asks Lennox for a favor, helping them leave the city before humans he doesn't consider trustworthy show up. After placing the remains of Jazz in a truck trailer Prime can haul, the Autobots set out to leave the city. Lennox gives Ironhide his cell phone so Sam can call Epps when they have left the city.

Shortly afterward, Agent Simmons and his fellow Sector Seven agents show up to retrieve the remains of the fallen Decepticons and the All Spark's creations. Simmons asks Lennox for Sam's location, but Lennox claims Sam just disappeared. Simmons wants to recruit Lennox and Epps for Sector Seven, but Lennox would prefer to return home to his wife and daughter. Just then, Epps's cell phone rings. Sam informs then that they have left the city, but because of the bad connection, he's yelling into the phone, loud enough for Simmons to hear him as well. Lennox asks Simmons for a vacation before he agrees to accept the offer.

The next morning, Simmons is in the Sector Seven facility in Nevada, overseeing the arrival of the Decepticons' remains. He informs the scientist that he has received orders to dump the robot bodies into the ocean, so they only have one month to conduct their research. The scientist replies that Wreckage has not been active since Salazar shut him down a few weeks earlier, and now Salazar is dead. Simmons suggests calling Lennox in case Wreckage doesn't wake up.

One month later, Lennox and Epps have a secret meeting with Optimus Prime, Ratchet and Ironhide (according to Optimus, Bumblebee continues his assignment as Sam's guardian). The Autobots mention having been followed by a police car, which Lennox suggests might have been Barricade. Lennox informs Prime that the Decepticons' remains are about to be dumped into the ocean, and they want the Autobots to escort the transport. Unbeknownst to them, however, they are secretly being spied on by Barricade, who transmits his newly gained information to Starscream, who has recently returned to Mars. Though unsure whether Barricade might end up betraying him as well, Starscream decides that the opportunity of disposing of Optimus Prime, Megatron and Wreckage all at the same time would be too good to ignore.

Optimus Prime’s Holo-Driver
Looks suspiciously like Peter Cullen, Optimus’ voice actor from the G1 series and the Live Movies

Part 2
Wreckage and Starscream have a (w)reckoning.

It's moving day in Nevada, and Vine and Simmons are still packing. They lament the loss of their new source of information as they wait for their escort to arrive. They also discuss N.B.E.-03 (whom Vine, surprisingly, refers to by his name), who still hasn't woken since he went on a rampage through Sector Seven headquarters and Agent Salazar pulled the plug on him. Salazar used information Wreckage had given (while in a more cooperative mood) to create the L.M. units. Vine speculates that if he alive, he is some sort of hibernation, Simmons isn't worried, as he believes that when Wreckage does come online, Lennox and Epps will be able to handle him.

As Lennox regrets his decision to join S7, the Autobots finally arrive. Optimus Prime insists on accompanying Jazz's remains, and also gives Vine a shard of the All Spark. (Megatron's corpse + life-giving power = a very bad day.) As the caravan leaves, Lennox leaves Salani in charge of the others. The soldiers and Autobots speed toward the waiting aircraft carrier.

On Mars, a shadowy figure examines the wreckage of Starscream's ship, Dreadwing's head, and an impression of Frenzy. He is unaware of the recent events, but is soon able to piece together the mystery—and looks toward Earth for an answer.

Back in Nevada, Simmons and Vine argue about whether the All Spark shard is safer underground, where any stray Decepticons won't be able to detect it, or above ground, where it won't get close to the offline Wreckage, which Vine has a bad feeling about. When Salani chimes in on Simmons's side, Vine agrees to take it underground, giving it to a pair of S7 guards, but insists that they keep it isolated from Wreckage. As soon as they pass Wreckage's chamber, the shard flies out of their hands, and into Wreckage's chest.

Things kind of go downhill from there. The newly reactivated Decepticon promptly rampages through the base; Salani lays down covering fire as Vine and Simmons escape. Wreckage soon bursts onto the surface, looking for revenge against Salazar and the location of Megatron. Suddenly, three of the Landmine units attack. Simmons realizes they must have been brought online by the shard as well, and Vine goes to look for it as the battle rages. Wreckage is surprised that they can transform, but quickly dispatches the Landmine units with ease. Wreckage is about to squash the scientist when a missile strike from above slams into him, and Starscream descends on him like an avenging angel. The two titans clash, each shouting accusations of betrayal: Wreckage for working with Sector Seven, Starscream for leaving him to die. During the battle, Wreckage knocks Frenzy's remains out of Starscream's chest; they land near Simmons.

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime changes his mind about leaving the All Spark fragment with Vine, and he sends Bumblebee and Ironhide back to retrieve it. Bumblebee, show-off that he is, speeds ahead and is able to arrive at the base with reinforcements just in time. Wreckage gains the upper hand—and Bumblebee promptly shoots it off. Starscream immediately takes advantage of the distraction to rip out the traitor's Spark, then turns against the humans and Autobot. He downs Bumblebee and is about to finish the job, when he receives a communication from a Decepticon on Mars. Recognizing the sender, Starscream once more blasts off into space, now with renewed confidence. Starscream informs his compatriot of the death of Megatron, the loss of the All Spark, and the apparent alliance between the Autobots and humans. The recently arrived Decepticon asks what threat this poses, but Starscream is confident they can defeat it, and becomes even more confident when he learns that reinforcements are heading toward Earth, with even more held in stasis on the ship.

In space, several comets streak toward Earth as Starscream makes his plans with Soundwave, who claims he still has orders to follow.

Part 3
The alliance between humans and Autobots grows as a Decepticon threat arrives on Earth.

All around the world—in Italy, San Francisco, Africa, China, the South American rain forest and Sydney, Australia—Decepticons land on Earth in comet form. On the devastated Sector Seven base in the Nevada desert, Ironhide has arrived and is tending Bumblebee, whose vocal processor has been damaged in battle with Starscream. Meanwhile, Salani, the soldier Lennox had assigned to stay at the base, is retrieving injured Sector Seven operatives, while Agent Simmons is sitting nearby, silently complaining about those robots' manners. When Salani calls him, Simmons secretly hides Frenzy's head, which is lying nearby. Salani informs Simmons that many Sector Seven personnel have been killed, among them Professor Vine. Simmons, however, is mostly interested in finding the Allspark fragment. At this moment, Lennox, Epps, Optimus Prime and Ratchet arrive at the devastated base. Lennox hands Simmons a radio that connects him to Defense Secretary Keller, who informs Simmons that Sector Seven has been disbanded with immediate effect, and he has put Lennox in charge of the operation. Simmons drives off, keeping Frenzy's head with him. Shortly afterward, Salani returns with the Allspark fragment, which he has found in the lab, and hands it back to Optimus Prime. The remains of Wreckage and the Landmine units are loaded onto flatbed trucks.

Two weeks later, Lennox has to explain himself to his superiors via video conference, because he wants to cooperate with the Autobots—the military still has a problem telling Autobots and Decepticons apart. Lennox and the Autobots are on board of an aircraft carrier. A crane dumps Optimus Prime's trailer in the ocean, which contains the remains of Jazz. Optimus thanks the soldier for participating in his first lieutenant's funeral. Afterwards, the Decepticons' remains are dumped in the ocean. Back under deck, Lennox informs Optimus that many comets have entered Earth's atmosphere recently. Lennox's superiors want the Autobots and the US armed forces to form a defense alliance against the Decepticons. As a basis for their cooperation, Lennox demands mutual trust, which Optimus willingly agrees to.

Meanwhile, in Italy, a racing car breaks through the barrier of a military base, followed by two Decepticons in robot form. Fracture informs her two partners that she has found suitable alternate modes for them. At the same time, Decepticons also destroy military bases in other parts of the world and scan new disguises—Overcast in Japan, Jetstorm in the Middle East and Dropkick and Incinerator in Florida. Back in Italy, Gunbarrel and Reverb have assumed their new Earth forms and join Fracture, who informs the other Decepticons that they will need a distraction while they search for Megatron. In San Francisco, Swindle and Dead End are driving on the Golden Gate Bridge, letting each other know how much they hate each other, and prepare for the distraction Fracture asked about.

On the island Diego Garcia, a US military base in the Indian Ocean, Lennox, Epps and other soldiers are training together with the Autobots. While Ironhide congratulates Bumblebee for a good shot, a promoted Major Lennox discusses the future of their alliance with Optimus Prime. The Allspark fragment is also stored in a facility on the island. When Lennox asks Optimus about the Autobots he called to Earth, Optimus replies that he hopes they will arrive soon. At the same time, what appears to be an Autobot probe has landed on a scrap yard near Mission City. Suddenly, Lennox receives a distress call: An explosion has occurred at a gas station in San Francisco, and footage from a surveillance camera shows a Decepticon whom Ironhide instantly identifies as Swindle. Lennox promptly orders his team to roll out.

Part 4
Everyone gets ready for the Revenge of the Fallen.

En route to San Francisco, the Autobots and NEST soldiers converse about their mission. Two Decepticons have been spotted in the city, but thankfully, there was no mention of robots, so they must be in their vehicle modes. Lennox wonders how their team can do this without drawing attention from bystanders; Ironhide tells him to leave it to the Autobots, knowing that the two Decepticons will put up a fight. Once they land, Salani reminds them that this is for real. Team 3 is to serve as perimeter defense, Team 2 sets up the trap, and Team 1 (consisting of Lennox, Optimus Prime, and Bumblebee) will flush them out. Lennox once again lays down the plans, with a chemical spill used as cover for their operations, as they need as much secrecy as possible.

In downtown San Francisco, the area is cordoned off, and the civilians have been moved out, so Team 2 is cleared to go. Ratchet teases Ironhide about his appearance being unsuited to the mission, but Ironhide tells him to stow it. Suddenly, Ratchet picks up energy readings, then Swindle and Deadend crash through a sliding wall and Team 2 picks up the chase. Swindle thinks that, if Barricade's intel is right, he and Deadend are chased by Ironhide and Ratchet; no sign of Prime. Just then, Prime appears out of nowhere and runs over Deadend. Oops. Swindle runs off, but Bumblebee chases after him.

Prime is okay, but Deadend isn't, as noted by Ratchet. Salani calls Epps for a clean-up crew, while at the Golden Gate Bridge, Epps asks Lennox for his status. Lennox is pursuing Swindle, and Swindle is heading toward the Bridge fast. Lennox tells Epps to have the soldiers let Swindle get a bit of "clearance", then he and Bumblebee continue the pursuit. When they reach the bridge, Swindle transforms and is incredulous that Bumblebee came alone, but Lennox tells him otherwise. Swindle blasts at them, then beats up Bumblebee. Lennox fires at Swindle, and he turns his attention to Lennox, but before he can do anything, Bumblebee blasts him. Dying, Swindle declares: "None of you are safe. We'll find it," but shuts down before he says anything more. Lennox considers the mission a success, and Epps thinks they pulled off the secrecy thing.

Hours later, during the trip back to base, Optimus Prime notes that Lennox looks tired, but Lennox says that he was wondering if things are about to get worse, and is worried about what Swindle said. Prime asks him if he's also worried about Sam Witwicky; Lennox says yes, but is more concerned about the "we'll" part--are more Decepticons going to arrive, and if so, why are they on Earth? Prime doesn't have the answer to that, but does agree that Sam needs to be kept safe--whatever's going on, Prime thinks he's going to be involved. Lennox tells Prime that they need someone to watch over him, and Prime knows just the one.
When the team lands back at the base, a refreshed Epps meets with the still-tired Lennox, who tells him that something's going on out there. Epps tells him that they're ready for anything, but Lennox questions this, saying that for all their training, they weren't clean during the day's mission. Epps thinks it could have been worse, but Lennox says that it might get worse, as well as saying that Bumblebee is leaving the team to once again guard Sam. Epps is upset, saying that they can't lose team members that came from another planet; Lennox agrees.

Later, Lennox is debriefed by the Army on the day's mission. Lennox tells them about the incident at the Golden Gate Bridge; the commander debriefing the team isn't pleased with this, as they were given strict orders to not transform. If the Decepticons did so, then so be it; however, the team was ordered not to, as the Army doesn't want to risk disclosure in a major city again. Lennox says that they had no choice, as the Decepticons had engaged them, and they took caution in how they responded. The commander says that civilians aren't used to seeing robots or jets flying in major cities. Lennox points out the jet was an enemy, and only proves that the army needs the Autobots on their side. The situation isn't perfect, but they're working on it, and despite the incident at the bridge the mission was a success.

The army commander still isn't sold on Lennox's idea. They authorized that mission, but they expect that the rules to be followed in the missions that will be coming, and that the unit will be used to fix problems, not make new ones. After making Lennox clear on this issue, the commander says he'll pass this onto his superiors, and tells Lennox that he and his men need to look over the day's mission and learn from them. When the conversation ends, Lennox is upset at the commander, saying that he's impossible to work with. Prime says that the team will have to work harder, but Lennox thinks that the problem is the army still doesn't get the difference between Autobots and Decepticons. Optimus Prime says that they have to succeed.

The next day, Bumblebee says his brief good-byes to the group. Ironhide tells him to stay out of trouble, while Optimus Prime reminds Bumblebee that Sam's protection is his first priority, then Bumblebee leaves. Later, the team is briefed by the army. There have been multiple Decepticon sightings all over the globe. Lennox lets Optimus Prime talk to the army, and Prime believes that, given Swindle's comments, the Decepticons are looking for something, be it Megatron's remains, Sam's house, or something else. The commander asks if they aren't spreading out for another attack, but Prime thinks these Decepticon soldiers are acting less like soldiers and more like scouts. The commander gives them new orders; they are to find these Decepticon scouts, engage, hunt down, and eliminate them.

And so, as Prime relates, with upgraded technology from Sector Seven installed by Ratchet, the Autobots found the Decepticons, and, when found, they were destroyed immediately (in Italy, Fracture gets smashed by Ironhide and falls to the ravine). With help from NEST, the war with the Decepticons continues. As weeks, then months went by, they trained and got better. Soldiers from all over the world signed up. Together, they celebrated triumph (in Europe, Overcast is shot down by NEST forces) and mourned those who made sacrifices (a mission in the Middle East resulted in the death of Salani). They grew as a team and learned from one another, becoming stronger allies in an ever-changing war. The Decepticons wouldn't give them info, but they never lasted long enough anyway (in Florida, they eliminate Dropkick and Incinerator), and others they couldn't get rid of (Barricade flees after the Florida battle).

Each mission was followed with an army debriefing. It was from there that they received judgment and new orders. It was in one briefing that they were given hope and joy. The next day, the Autobots head to a junkyard. Lennox says that the rad detector is going crazy, and that it's not them. Optimus reassures Lennox, then calls to the hiding Autobots. The new Autobots respond by appearing (in the guises of a silver sports car, three motorcycles, and an old ice cream truck), and saying that they got Optimus' call. However, the reunion is cut short by more sightings. The old Autobots catch up with the new ones through their training. The training ends as they are called to the briefing room, as Optimus wonders that if something is out there, friend or foe, they are the only ones who can deal with the situation, one which is threatening their new home, themselves, and their alliance with the humans.

Inside, Lennox briefs the team on a new assignment, which will involve the new Autobots sticking to their training and watching their backs. Their target location: Shanghai...

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[Leathurkatt]

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Transformers: Destiny

Transformers: Destiny is a series published by IDW Publishing. It serves as both a sequel to The Reign Of Starscream and as a lead in to Revenge of the Fallen, and as such is in direct continuity with the film. Destiny consists of two four-issue story arcs: the first arc, Transformers: Alliance, began in December, 2008, while the concurrent arc Transformers: Defiance debuted the following month.

Items of Note
Initially, Chris Mowry was asked to do a prequel series for Revenge of the Fallen. The theme of "destiny" was key, so that's what the title was called. Eventually, the staff of IDW felt that since there is so much to tell in the movie universe, there should be two separate series. So while there are two stories, they fall under the "destiny" banner and help to explain a larger story.

A teaser advertisement for Destiny, written mostly in Cyberglyphics, appeared in the last issue of The Reign of Starscream.

Chris Mowry said he wanted to have Laserbeak appear as a Predator Drone in Alliance, but he was not permitted.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Defiance

Transformers: Defiance is a 4-part comic series published by IDW Publishing that ran January–April 2009. Along with another four-issue story arc called Alliance, it serves as both a sequel to The Reign Of Starscream and (as it is set far in Cybertron's past) provides backstory for Revenge of the Fallen, and as such is in direct continuity with the film. The two arcs together are known as Transformers: Destiny.

Part 1
As the Cybertronians search for the secrets of their past, an ancient threat rises...

Commander Starscream returns to Cybertron after a patrol of the Eshems Nebula and is met by First Officer Ratchet. Starscream is sporting a wound from an encounter with a scout ship, the fourth one he's spotted so far. As Ratchet works on him, they chat about the science sector's latest archeological dig. With repairs complete, Starscream meets up with his captain, Ironhide, and the two go to meet "the boss". Meanwhile, Optimus is filling in Megatron on the dig's progress and recent unusual energy pulses being emitted by the Allspark. Starscream and Ironhide interrupt, however, and Megatron has them report on the defense record of the past solar cycle.

In the Eshems Nebula, an alien fleet awaits, attracted by a mysterious signal. The aliens decide that they should launch an attack and try to claim the energy source.

In Simfur, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper are standing guard over the Allspark. Bumblebee complains that Optimus is running off on a dig when he should be investigating the Allspark energy spikes. Cliffjumper tells him to calm down and points out Bumblebee is just complaining because he'd rather be out fighting someone. Cliffjumper tells him the two of them are able for anything and are already Defense Force material, but that they'd be just as bored with the Defense Force, going on nothing but patrols.
Above Cybertron, the aliens ready for their attack.

At the dig site, Arcee's team finds something, and she rushes off to tell Optimus. Observing with Ratchet and Jazz, Optimus is considering whether or not the artifacts they keep finding might actually predate their race. His thoughts are interrupted as Megatron arrives and asks Optimus what he thinks the site contains. Optimus isn't ready to give any definite answers, and the pair quickly start arguing over procedure, culminating in Megatron telling Optimus that when he chooses to lead, he can make the decisions, not before. They're interrupted by Arcee, who tells them of her team's discovery, an intact artifact bearing an unknown marking. Following her to the site, they find a large, triangular slab bearing a strange symbol. Megatron wants the artifact removed at once, but Optimus says that they need time. Before the argument can kick off again, an explosion goes off in the nearby city of Metrotitan. Starscream calls in, confirming it to be an attack by the same species he encountered before. Megatron prepares for battle, but Optimus wants to have his division follow the same procedures as before: They will guard the site and the Simfur Temple, while the Defense Force fights directly. Megatron accepts this, but orders the artifact transported to his quarters in Trypticon.

In the Simfur Temple, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper are pinned down and desperate for help. It arrives in the form of Megatron coming through the city. He is disgusted that they haven't taken the fight to the enemy, but takes a serious wound while berating them. He quickly destroys his attacker, and as Starscream arrives, orders him to continue the battle and to keep Optimus' team out of their way.

Megatron returns to Trypticon, drawn to the artifact, feeling as if it calls out to him. He begins to scrape the dirt away from it, but his injury overwhelms him and he collapses. As he lies there, the artifact moves ever so slightly closer...

Part 2
Megatron begins to change... for the worse!

Thousands of years ago, in what will become Egypt, a bunch of humans are building a pyramid. The start of a thunderstorm sends them fleeing into a stone archway—an entrance adorned by a Decepticon insignia. Not too long ago, the people had witnessed the actions of a great evil, and though it has gone, they fearfully await its return.

Cybertron, in Megatron's quarters in Trypticon. The Cybertronian leader lays vulnerable on the floor, until a mysterious voice tells him to "awaken."

Clocker, Warpath, and Signal Flare dig up the remains of dead Transformers under the watchful gaze of Optimus. When they ask what happened, Optimus explains about the earlier alien attack. Before he seeks out answers about who attacked them or why, though, he wants to help the attack's victims. He sets out to the temple at Simfur, where Bumblebee and Cliffjumper wonder about what's going to happen next; Bumblebee feels something big is about to happen, but Cliffjumper reminds him that they're just sentries, and will probably be left out of it. Prowl arrives, and after scaring them into shape, asks them about the behavior of the AllSpark during the battle. Jazz and Prowl accompany Optimus; Prowl notes that it looks like the aliens were trying to break in, and bets that they were after the AllSpark itself.

Megatron arises, guided by the mysterious voice, which explains it has used the last of its power to heal his grievous wound. His demands to see the voice's face, and the voice responds that it cannot do so, unless Megatron helps. Megatron demands to know why the Protector of Cybertron should follow its demands, and Megatron then sees that the voice is coming from the relic, which says it can take Megatron from being Protector of Cybertron to being its Lord. It then fires a beam into his eyes, asking that he allow it to "expound."

Back on the battlefield, Optimus and Arcee find the body of one of the aliens. Unfortunately, it's already dead. Unable to glean any more information, Optimus goes to find Megatron, leaving Arcee and the others to take the remains to Ratchet. When he arrives, Megatron delivers a surprising proclamation: Cybertron is going to war! Optimus, while not able to fully understand, promptly states that his division, never meant for battle, will not be on the frontlines. He also points out that Megatron's team is supposed to defend, not attack. Megatron responds by slamming Optimus into a wall, and demanding once again that he assemble his team.

Ratchet analyzes the alien remains, discovering that their structure is actually similar to that of Transformers; although they appear incapable of transformation. They have what could be spark cores. Signal Flare drops in to announce that Optimus has called a meeting, and they need to be there now. Soon, Optimus stands before his fellow Autobots, and says that they should focus their efforts on helping the ruined city of Metrotitan. He says that, when Megatron tells them to join in the counterattack, they should not follow him, as it goes against everything Autobots stand for. He says that those who wish to fight may do so, but extends his thanks to those that would rather stay with him. He and the Autobots then travel to Trypticon.

There, Megatron delivers a similar speech, rallying his soldiers to battle. Until this situation ends, Megatron declares that he is control of Cybertron, and all soldiers are required to fight. Those unable to fight are to await orders. Ground forces will pick off evacuees while the fliers join him. After he finishes barking out orders, he leads his troops into space to attack the alien fleet in the Eshems Nebula. Reaching the enemy fleet, the Defense Force attacks. Dreadwing sends the drones to attack the alien flagship, but they are destroyed by the ship's primary weapon, resulting in the loss of half the Transformers attack forces. It matters little, as the Defense Force has superior maneuverability and weapons, and pretty soon, the kills start to rise. However, they cannot yet launch an attack on the flagship, as the primary weapon is still online. Starscream orders Blackout to launch a disruption wave at the ship. While they fight, Optimus remains with some of his own troops on the ground. He speaks to Prowl about Megatron's leadership, noting that there seems to be a divide in their ranks. Jazz replies that Megatron hasn't incorporated them into his army, instead giving them little more than sentry duty. When Prowl tells Optimus that includes guarding Megatron's quarters, Optimus asks for a favor.

Blackout disrupts the enemy ship's shields and communications; Megatron promptly moves in for the kill. He rips his way through the ship; as his "master" says, since they came for the AllSpark, he's coming for their lives, a fair trade in his mind. He finds and kills the ship's captain, then orders Starscream to destroy the ship altogether. He reveals to Starscream that passivity has weakened them, and that in the coming days, they will conquer the surrounding systems. He also reveals that he is allied with a powerful entity that will guide them in this endeavor.

And on Cybertron, Optimus, Jazz, and Prowl stand before the doors of Megatron's quarters...

Part 3
Megatron forges a new path for Cybertron, as fate calls upon Optimus.

In the Capital City of Trypticon, Optimus and Megatron's two security officers, Prowl and Jazz, break into Megatron's quarters. Optimus believes that something happened to Megatron, and that he wanted to look for a clue. When they enter, they notice the mysterious triangle-shaped relic. Optimus is fascinated by it, but is confused, as the artifact wasn't in its newly-pristine condition when Optimus' excavation team found it, to which Optimus believed that Megatron did the restoration himself. But before Optimus can think further, Prowl tells Optimus that Megatron is returning, and so they leave.

Later, Megatron walks in victorious, and is awaiting his next command from his master, the "artifact". The voice tells him to await his return. Megatron asks how he can help, to which the voice tells him to expand his army, and that Cybertron will be his for the taking, while the voice tells him that everything else will be his.

At the Burthov Launch Site, the excavation team test out a booster separation system, which is successful. Ratchet tells Optimus that the team were analyzing the fragments that they found, while Optimus tells him about the artifact's mysterious restoration. The conversation is interrupted by Arcee, who discovered a match with a symbol found on one of the fragments. When Optimus asks which one, Arcee points to his head, which has the same symbol carved on it. Ratchet says that this proves that the Dynasty of Primes does exist, and that Optimus is somehow connected. Optimus wonders: is he a Prime?

Meanwhile, the "artifact" tells Megatron about Optimus being in his quarters during his battle against the aliens. Megatron is furious, believing that Optimus and his group want the same power that the "artifact" promised him. The "artifact" tells Megatron that he'll still get the power, but he must deal with his new enemies, to which Megatron knows how... by death! Megatron orders Prowl to look for Optimus, then gives another set of orders to Starscream.

At the excavation site, Optimus, Ratchet and Arcee are discussing their discoveries. Ratchet believes that "Optimus Prime" has a good ring to it, but Optimus isn't convinced yet, believing that it could mean "records clerk" or something. Arcee couldn't find the construction drones, and asks Optimus about the site. Optimus replies that if it's related to the Prime dynasty, then it could shed light into the history of the AllSpark, but the biggest piece of the puzzle is with Megatron, who doesn't seem to be in a sharing mood. Optimus wonders why it was the only intact one found, and Ratchet expresses his theory that the others were deliberately destroyed. The discussion is halted when Prowl's security team arrives, with orders from Megatron to detain Optimus and the others for treason. Optimus angrily questions this to Prowl, but Bumblebee tells him that they're only following orders. Optimus thinks it's absurd, but comes along nevertheless. Frenzy spies on the group and Megatron gives Starscream his orders; terminate everyone except Optimus.

Optimus realizes that something isn't right; Wreckage told him that there was construction to the main road and that the route was cleared for them. Prowl agrees with Optimus' request to stop. Prowl orders Jazz and Camshaft to check the road, and he and Optimus talk about the sneak-in at Megatron's quarters. The group then gets attacked by Starscream's group. Optimus deduces that the area is unstable due to damaged energy lines, and that it would be a perfect ambush spot. Optimus orders everyone to stay sharp and for Ratchet to help out the injured.

Smokescreen lays out a disruptor cloud to buy some time for everyone to head to Burthov. Optimus ambushes and threatens Starscream, to which he replies that Megatron is the chosen one. Optimus refutes this by saying that he, too, is chosen, and to tell Megatron that he will not control them before punching Starscream unconscious. Optimus lays out some explosive charges, and transforms, after which the explosives go off, bringing the city down on Starscream's group. While driving away, Optimus ponders about how Cybertron will be on the brink of something different, and questions if everything that has happened was either their own doing, or if it was just destiny...

Later, in Trypticon, Megatron tells his fellow warriors that the long-reigning peace has been too long, what with attacks from beyond Cybertron and betrayals. Megatron requests that the brave Cybertronians forge a new path; one based on vengeance, redemption, and defiance. The new faction will crush their enemies both on Cybertron and the stars. Megatron urges the group to join his group; for those that side with him will be known as... the Decepticons! Almost everyone sides with Lord Megatron, while others silently question this...

Part 4
The seeds of the first movie's plot are planted.

Far from Trypticon, Captain Ironhide wanders far away from the city, his thoughts occupied elsewhere. Suddenly, he is ambushed by Cliffjumper. When Ironhide readies his ion cannons, four more Autobot soldiers surround him. Ironhide lowers his weapon, saying that he doesn't want to fight, that there's nothing for him back at Trypticon, and that the tide has changed. Jazz reports this to Prowl, who responds by asking him to bring Ironhide to Optimus Prime.

Inside a hidden base, Optimus requests to Prowl to make the base isolated, with Prowl agreeing to this. Ironhide enters, repeating his word about not wanting to fight. Optimus asks Ironhide why he's at the base, to which he replies that he wants to join Prime's forces. Ironhide then fills in Optimus about Megatron forming his large army. Ironhide is a soldier made for war, and Optimus' group isn't. Optimus corrects him, saying that everyone are brothers born from the All Spark. Ironhide counters that some Cybertronians believe in chaos and destruction, and that some of the troops that used to serve with Ironhide are now with Megatron's Decepticons. Optimus asks why he left and how he found them. Ironhide says that he has no desire to kill innocents, and that Prime's group is innocent. The Autobot leader dismisses being referred to as a "Prime", but Ironhide said that his Autobot team called him that. Optimus asks Ironhide how he knew, to which he replied that he had been listening to Prime's group for solar cycles. Ironhide asks Prime to trust him, as he isn't all punch and no processing.

On Trypticon, Megatron oversees the progress of the Nemesis, then later on, enters his quarters. Megatron reports the Nemesis' progress to the mysterious "relic". The "relic" promises that once they find the Matrix, the power of the All Spark will be theirs, and that the entity inside the relic will return. Megatron promises to free him, but the relic replies "only after it has been found". The "relic" notes that there are parallels in their existence, and tells Megatron not to make the same mistakes that he made, and that he must strike swiftly with no hesitation, because it drives the Decepticons into conquest and destruction, all for the sake of power...

...of the All Spark. It held tremendous power, the same one that created the entity's kind. As the All Spark energy gave the "creatures" life, they soon realized that its power wasn't limitless and had to be replenished and restored. As if on cue, an exploding star recharged the All Spark. But when the planet's landscape changed due to the All Spark, the "creatures" realized that they need to find another energy source. Though the creatures possessed the ability to jump between dimensions, they were helpless in locating a star, but as before, the All Spark had the "solution": it created workers, but they were not like the "creatures". They were special, in that they were the first breed of Transformers, in which they had the ability to transform into different forms.

Some of these Cybertronians were able to travel across space. They were called "Seekers", and when they found a star, they led the "creatures" to it. Once a star was found, the entity and his "brothers" traveled by "dimension-hopping", but they needed help harvesting the star. In response, the workers built a "harvester" and activated it, which would give the All Spark the power it needed. But then, the entity decided to have the power to himself, and decided to act. When preparing to claim the All Spark, he tried to erase the existence of his "brothers", but when his strength was nearly gone, he made his mistake. The "brothers" survived, but sacrificed themselves to seal the entity in his sarcophagus. And so he has remained in his "tomb" until the Harvester is located again, and then, the entity will have his revenge.

Megatron promises to help him. Once the Nemesis is built, he will travel the galaxy to look for the last Harvester. The Decepticons will find it, conquer other planets, and crush anyone standing in their way. The entity decides to come along to ensure this. Megatron tries to say that they both will, but the entity says that only he will go, and that Megatron will remain on Cybertron and await his return. Megatron tries to ask for his help, but the entity forcefully and angrily quiets him. The entity orders Megatron to gather his crew once the Nemesis is built, and compliments him on his large army, while also ordering him to kill anyone opposing Megatron. Megatron says that he has scattered them, and will make them pay for their betrayal. The entity suggests that if they don't wish to serve the most powerful army on Cybertron and in the galaxy, then they may find a different side.

Outside Trypticon, Bumblebee and Arcee manage to take pictures of the Nemesis, and report this to Optimus. After looking at the images, Optimus ponders about why the Decepticons wanted to build something that would hold thousands of Cybertronians. Ironhide doesn't have a clue, while Prowl thinks that Megatron is using it to abandon Cybertron. Optimus believes that Megatron will use it himself, and that Megatron is intentionally doing it to send his troops out to the galaxy. Jazz asks if the Autobots should have their own ship. Optimus considers it, but thinks that it will be used to hide his group. Ironhide chimes in, stating that it doesn't have to be a transport ship, and that there's one hidden somewhere that was salvaged a long time ago. If they repair it in secret, it would help them.

As the Nemesis nears completion, Megatron surveys the ship, then asks Soundwave to join his troops as they enter the ship. Once inside the ship, Megatron has a private conversation with the "relic". The "relic" is pleased at Megatron's progress, and tells him that once he locates the Harvester, he will return... and Megatron will be rewarded while remaining full rule of Cybertron. And as the group of Decepticons gather inside the ship, Arcee and Bumblebee are taking notice of this.

As the Nemesis left Cybertron, the Transformers were left at a disadvantage. The Decepticons' recruitment became smaller, while the Autobots' ranks swelled. Just as Megatron traveled across Cybertron looking for soldiers to recruit to his cause, Optimus did the same, discovering brave citizens wanting to be free from Megatron's rule. With the Autobots ready, they fought back against the Decepticons, raiding munitions and storage facilities. But as the frequency of their battles grew, so did the scale of battle, and over time, casualties mounted.

As time went on, Cybertron was devastated by the endless fighting between the two factions, with both sides never gaining the advantage. Optimus realized that he will never know when the war will end. After many, many stellar-cycles of fighting, Optimus does the unimaginable. He makes the decision to capture the All Spark, saying that Cybertron is being destroyed by their actions, and that it must end. The ship which they had repaired in secret has been ready. Now it is time for the Autobots to take their destiny. However, the ship cannot hold all Autobots, so Optimus asks fore volunteers to enter the ship. Those that remain must come up with an alternate escape plan. With that, Optimus readies the Autobots for their final move.

In the sequence of events that soon followed, the All Spark was shot into space. Megatron, seeing the All Spark flying out of Cybertron, believes that with this action, Optimus Prime was showing cowardice, and with no time to spare, follows the Cube. Unable to use a space bridge, Megatron followed the All Spark, but just as he closed in on it, he picked up a distress signal from the Nemesis. Entering, he finds it abandoned and Megatron calls for his master. The "relic" appears from below and asks Megatron if he found it yet. Megatron proceeds to tell the "relic" that the All Spark has sent into space, and that it continued to travel when he received the signal.

The "relic" is furious, saying that if he had his strength back, he would kill him, but instead, the "relic" orders him to resume pursuing the All Spark. If it is freed from Cybertron, it will lead to where the Harvester is. Megatron continues to chase the All Spark, while Optimus and his crew are inside their ship. Light years away, the All Spark's journey will come to an end, its energy like a beacon for anyone within its range. Megatron follows, weak but determined to claim the All Spark, as his master ordered. However, Megatron doesn't have the strength to survive his landing and ends up lost in Earth's cold elements, trapped in a frozen tomb. All Megatron can do is wait... after all, freedom is only a matter of time.

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[Leathurkatt]

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Transformers: The Veiled Threat

NEST forces mobilize to counter isolated Decepticon activity around the globe.

The Veiled Threat
Present-day, Megatron lies dead, at the bottom of the sea. Cut to the Gulf of Aden where pirates attack a freighter which just so happens to be ferrying Epps, Lennox, Ironhide, Ratchet, and other NEST (Networked Elements: Supporters and Transformers) members to their base on Diego Garcia. Ironhide soon transforms to robot mode and scares the pirates off. Arriving at Diego Garcia, the boys meet up with cybernetics expert Kaminari Ishihara, who has been swimming in the lagoon, with the newly arrived Autobot veteran Longarm serving as lifeguard. Everyone enters a briefing where a sighting of Starscream in Zambia is discussed and a plan is hatched with Optimus Prime to confront him.

Meanwhile, we find that Agent Simmons is now, with the disbanding of Sector Seven, working in his mother’s deli in New York City. He’s also tinkering with Frenzy’s disembodied head in his basement. In Africa, we learn that Starscream is not only in the area, he’s gaining control over local rebel groups by using his internal synthesizers to create gold coins. He is also accompanied by three other Decepticons, Dropkick, Macerator, and Payload. They soon attack a local dam construction site, making short work of the security forces, and proceed to steal mass quantities of explosives.

The NEST team soon arrives in Africa with Prime, Ironhide, and Ratchet as well as new arrivals Salvage and Beachbreak, who transforms into a commando jet ski. The Autobots soon engage Dropkick, Macerator, and Payload in battle in the Zambezi River. This is all part of Starscream’s brilliant plan, however, as the Autobots soon discover that the current is pushing them towards Victoria Falls. Everyone but Prime and Macerator gets out in time, the dueling pair going over the side. Starscream swoops in to save Macerator while Prime dangles helplessly. Eventually the NEST team manages to haul Prime up using Beachbreak’s tow-cable, but the celebration is short lived as Starscream swoops in and knocks the diminutive Beachbreak off the falls and to his death.

The Autobots and their human allies soon realize that Starscream may try and destroy a series of dams along the Zambezi and head off after the fleeing Decepticons. At one of the dams, the ground-based Decepticons attack. Payload heads to the valley floor to try and crack the dam with repeated blasts while Dropkick and Macerator fend off the arriving Autobots.

After a short scuffle, Prime manages to knock Macerator over the side of the dam before dispatching his dangling foe with his built-in sword. Ratchet takes repeated hits from Payload while trying to melt the fissures in the cracking dam back together. Both Ratchet and the dam are ultimately saved when the humans enter the dam and open the flood gates, knocking Payload downriver and out of the book. A damaged Dropkick escapes and everyone returns to Diego Garcia.

Again, we cut back to Simmons in his basement, experimenting on Frenzy and brooding that that punk kid Sam Witwicky has a hot girlfriend and is going to Princeton. Frenzy tries to subvert the building’s electrical system, and after a little chaos, Simmons decides he needs to move the Decepticon head to a space beneath his mother’s deli.

Back at NEST headquarters, two more Decepticon presences are detected and a pair of teams is readied to head out and take care of them. Epps and Russian scientist Petr Andronov accompany Longarm and impetuous young motorcycle Knockout to Peru to find Decepticons that have been detected in the deep jungles. On a steep mountain pass, the party is attacked by Decepticons Ruination and Blademaster. Despite inexperienced and risky behavior by Knockout, both are severely damaged and driven off.

Simultaneously, Lennox, Ishihara, Prime, Ironhide, and Salvage arrive in the Western Australian Outback and begin searching for Decepticons. Lennox soon realizes that the ‘Cons are attacking sites with energy reserves, oil and coal in Peru and uranium in Australia. The team decides that there is a second group of Decepticons not under Starscream’s command, harvesting massive amounts of energy in an attempt to revive Megatron.

Arriving at a uranium mining site, the NEST team discovers a trio of construction vehicles which, naturally, turn out to be Decepticons. The leader, Kickback, confirms the team's suspicions on attempting to revive Megatron, but also mention that there is an ancient power on the rise. Kickback takes Prime on and is quickly run through with the Autobot leader’s sword. The other two, Tread and Trample, are quickly killed through the combined efforts of the rest of the team.

Back at Diego Garcia, a small crab Decepticon infiltrates the base and hacks into the NEST computers before sneaking back into the sea and an unknown accomplice. Despite the break-in, the NEST team continues their usual business: discussing different ways the Decepticons could draw massive quantities of power to revive Megatron.

In Italy, Starscream enters into a deal with an Italian criminal named Bruno Carrera to help destroy Optimus Prime in exchange for dominion over Europe when the Decepticons triumph. A plan is hatched and Swindle and Deadend begin ripping through the streets of Rome, causing general chaos and trying to draw the Autobots out. After an extended chase where Knockout proves he has what it takes and more, Starscream challenges Prime to single combat inside the Coliseum.

Prime and the Autobots enter the ancient structure, and Prime promptly falls through a trap door to a subway tunnel extension and into a strong set of restraints arranged by Carrera. Starscream then proceeds to attack the remaining Autobots while a helpless Prime is confronted by a vengeful Barricade. Before the Decepticon can dispatch Prime, the humans attack Barricade and Prime manages to work himself free. He easily hands Barricade his skid plate and returns to the surface where Starscream has fled.

On his way to whatever scheme he has cooked up next, Starscream takes the time to visit Carrera at this villa, where he pays him back for his "failure". Finally, Epps and Lennox are relaxing on the beach back at Diego Garcia when Knockout approached and informs them that something significant is happening, mentioning how he is unfamiliar with the term “shanghaied”.

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Novel

As Sam Witwicky seeks a normal life and the Autobots seek acceptance, The Fallen rises again...

Novelization
On ancient Earth, early human hunters are stalking a tiger when they find what they believe to be a god. Said god briefly examines one, then lets it drop and walks off. Some of the hunters follow the god when they find smaller gods building something....

In the present, the city of Shanghai is being evacuated due to a major chemical spill. However, the team sent in are not hazmat teams, they're NEST, special force of soldiers from multiple Earth governments working with the Autobots to locate and eliminate the Decepticons still on Earth. Ironhide, Arcee, Sideswipe, and the Twins are deployed to locate a Decepticon in an industrial sector. When Major Lennox discovers two children who were not evacuated, the Decepticon Demolishor strikes. As Demolishor attacks, his partner Sideways tries to escape, and is forced to fight Arcee and the Twins. He fights them off but is killed by Sideswipe. Demolishor continues his attempts to escape, but is intercepted by Optimus Prime. He and Ironhide fatally damage Demolishor, but the dying Decepticon relays a warning: "The Fallen shall rise again."

Back in Burbank, Sam Witwicky is packing up for college while watching a report of the cover up on Mission City, which laid blame on Massive Dynamics. Sam dismisses it with disgust and resumes his packing. He then has to deal with his mom Judy suffering from sadness over Sam's departure. As his father Ron expresses pride in Sam for getting a scholarship to Princeton, Sam gets a call from Mikaela, who halfheartedly announces that they're breaking up. Sam then announces that he has a long-distance relationship kit for her, including some personal items, a Sector Seven badge, certain glasses, and even offers up the shirt he was wearing that day. As he unfolds it, a fragment of the AllSpark falls out. Picking it up, Sam experiences a brief flash of images, then is shocked by the fragment and drops it, which burns through his floor and lands in the kitchen. The resulting surge of energy brings several appliances to life, who immediately make their way to Sam's room and attack him. Sam jumps out the window and seeks cover with his father, before Sam yells for Bumblebee. The little Autobot manages to destroy the rampaging mutations, but is overzealous and destroys Sam's room in the process, damaging the house.

Emergency services are already there when Mikaela arrives and Sam gives her the fragment, telling not to tell anyone about it. Judy then announces that Bumblebee will be leaving when he leaves, and since freshmen aren't allowed to have cars on campus, Bumblebee is going back to the rest of the Autobots. Sam and Mikaela share a goodbye, but reach a minor rough patch when both hesitate to be the first to say "I love you". They move though, and Sam and his parents head for the airport, while Mikaela heads home. Unknown to her, Wheels, a Decepticon, is watching her, and discovers that she has the AllSpark fragment with her. He relays his discovery to Soundwave, who orders him to retrieve to the fragment.

On Diego Garcia, NEST is returning to base after the operation in Shanghai when Director Galloway arrives, saying he has a message for the Autobots. NEST is preparing to debrief Admiral Morshower, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, via satellite conference. Soundwave promptly hacks into the satellite and listens in on the message. Optimus Prime relays the warning of "The Fallen", and admits that he is unaware of its origins. It implies a link to the past, but since the only recorded history of Cybertron was contained in the AllSpark, they cannot research it. Director Galloway then interrupts, asking why the Decepticons are still interested in Earth with the AllSpark's destruction. Galloway reveals the President is concerned over the destruction resulting in Shanghai, and takes issue with the Autobots refusing to share weapons technology with the humans and continued sending of transmissions into space inviting more Autobots to come to Earth. Major Lennox and Sergeant Epps defend the Autobots, but Galloway dismisses their defense. Galloway then explains that with Megatron at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyss, and the last fragment of the AllSpark locked on Diego Garcia, there is only one reason for the Decepticons to be interested in Earth: they're here to hunt the Autobots. Galloway then asks that if they conclude that humanity would be better protected by denying the Autobots further asylum on Earth, would they leave peacefully? The other Autobots and NEST personnel are less than thrilled with the concept, but Optimus says that as freedom is the right of all sentient beings, he will honor the request. However, Optimus aks Galloway to relay a question to the President: what if they leave, and the Decepticons do not? Having learned of Megatron and the AllSpark shard's location, Soundwave begins to formulate a plan...

Arriving at Princeton, Sam makes his way to his dorm and meets his roommate, Leo Spitz, owner of The Real Effing Deal, an alternate news website trying to prove the existence of alien robots on Earth. He and his partners are working on a scope regarding the recent events in Shanghai, but they are beaten to the punch by their rival, Robo-Warrior, at GiantEffingRobots.com. Sam quickly realizes that they may have some conflict of interest, and asks if there is another room available, but there are no other rooms available. Sam and Leo are introduced to Alice, an attractive young girl who seems interested in Sam, but Sam has other priorities—namely, controlling his mother, who has just ingested marijuana laced brownies and nearly reveals the existence of the Autobots.

Over Diego Garcia, Soundwave releases his partner Ravage, who sneaks onto the base and releases the microcons comprising Reedman. Reedman manages to remove the AllSpark fragment in the vault, and kills several soldiers in the process. Rejoining Ravage, the pair blast off for their next destination.

At Princeton, Sam is dragged to a fraternity party by Leo, despite his insistence that he has a web chat date with Mikaela. While he avoids any brownies, he does feel strange at the party, seeing strange images. Alice is there, and starts chatting him up, until a member of the fraternity announces that a yellow Camaro is parked outside in the bushes. Sam runs out and sees Bumblebee, and quickly decides to take him away. Alice hitches a ride, and makes it clear she's interested in Sam. Bumblebee disapproves of the girl, and douses her in lubricant, causing her to get out in a huff. Sam is angry at Bumblebee's behavior until he mentions a meeting with "the boss". Mikaela eventually gives up on the live chat date, while Sam is taken to an abandoned graveyard to meet with Optimus Prime, who informs Sam of the theft of the AllSpark fragment and the trouble he's having with the United States. Optimus needs outside help, and believes Sam to be a worthy ambassador. Sam is upset, as he just arrived at college. Optimus knows that fate rarely calls at a moment of one's choosing, and believes that there is greatness in Sam. Sam, however, disagrees, and declines the request. Optimus is disappointed but respects his decision.

On the Bayos, a ship traveling across the Atlantic Ocean, a sailor finds of his comrades dead, but is quickly killed himself by four of the Constructicons on the ship. Ravage arrives on the ship, and the five Decepticons jump overboard and begin diving for the ocean floor. A Naval submarine detects their presence and begins diving as well. Finding Megatron's shell, the Doctor is released and declares that he needs more parts. Three Constructicons descend upon the smallest of them and kill him, quickly using his components to repair Megatron. Once they're complete, the Doctor inserts the fragment into Megatron's spark core. The plan works, and Megatron is reactivated, hitting the submarine on the way to the surface.

At Princeton, Sam attends Professor Colan's Astronomy 101, and quickly begins seeing the images from before. He quickly reads Colan's book in seconds, and then stands up and says that Einstein was wrong about the theory of relativity. It's only accurate if you take this dimension into account, but false if you take the other seventeen. He then writes down complex equations on the chalkboard in alien script and cites the Sentinel Prime expedition as his source. Furious, Colan orders Sam out of class. Realizing something is wrong, he looks up information on his great-great-grandfather, Archibald Witwicky, and learns that he drew the same images after he discovered Megatron.

Elsewhere, Megatron has reached a dying star system and made his way to a dead, cold world, where the Nemesis lies in ruins. Once he reaches the cargo hold, which still houses hundreds of Protoform Decepticons in stasis, an image begins to form, which Megatron bows before as the face of his master, The Fallen, who is gathering forces in other dimensions. Megatron tells the Fallen that the AllSpark has been destroyed, but the Fallen tells him that the Cube was destroyed, while the knowledge within the AllSpark was instead transferred into Sam. With it, they can find another source of Energon to raise their army. Once he has succeeded, The Fallen will grant Megatron the powers of "The Dynasty". An incredibly fearful Starscream then enters the hold and tells Megatron he needed to take command in Megatron's absence. Megatron swats him aside and warns him that even in death, there is no command but Megatron. He then activates thirteen protoforms...

Meanwhile, Mikaela reaches the shop she works at, and is followed by Wheels. Sam calls her and starts telling her about the symbols she is seeing, and realizes they started happening when he touched the AllSpark fragment. She reassures Sam that it's safe in the shop vault. Wheels goes to retrieve it, but is caught in several mousetraps and attracts Mikaela's attention. She captures him, and says that she's heading for Sam. Meanwhile, NEST receives multiple Decepticon contacts on the East Coast, but the Autobots are both responding to the contacts, and not responding to NEST's communication attempts. Lennox orders NEST ready.

At Princeton, Leo attempts to woo Alice, who is more interested in Sam. They reach Sam and Leo's room, to discover that Sam has covered the room in alien symbols. Alice dismisses Leo, and attempts to seduce Sam. Leo goes to watch some television, when he happens across a commercial for an Alice in Wonderland amusement park...and the "Alice" of said amusement park looks exactly like Alice. Mikaela reaches Sam's room, and finds Sam with Alice. Before he can explain, Alice reveals herself to be a Decepticon. She chases Sam, Mikaela, and Leo to the library, and then to the parking lot, where Mikaela hot wires a car and runs over Alice. The car is intercepted by a helicopter Decepticon and taken to an abandoned foundry where Megatron and Starscream await. Megatron taunts Sam with threats of death, and restrains him as the Doctor inserts a probe into Sam's mind. The probe replays images from Sam's brain, including the symbols he's been drawing. Megatron orders the Doctor to remove Sam's brain, but the Doctor is destroyed by a sniper shot, just as Optimus Prime and Bumblebee break into the foundry. Optimus escapes with Sam, while Bumblebee escapes with Mikaela and Leo. Megatron, Starscream, and the copter Decepticon reach up with Optimus at a nearby forest, and Megatron says that the boy is the key to another Energon source. Optimus refuses to let him have Sam, unsheathes his swords, and fights the off the Decepticons, killing the copter Decepticon. As Optimus goes for Starscream, Megatron impales Optimus with his sword from behind. Fortunately, the rest of the Autobots arrive before Megatron can finish off Optimus and take Sam. Unfortunately, the damage is severe, and Optimus will be in complete stasis lock until he can heal, which will take some time.

A few days later, Megatron and Starscream meet near the Arctic. They cannot find Sam, and there are over seven billion humans to look through. Megatron decides to compel the humans to bring Sam to him, and then destroys the U.S.S. Lincoln, while Soundwave tracks Ron and Judy Witwicky to Paris, and dispatches another Decepticon to retrieve them. Following this, Megatron makes a televised broadcast to humanity, revealing the existence of the Transformers and demanding Sam be turned over to them within a day. At the military base where Optimus Prime's body is taken to, the United States military surrounds the Autobots at gunpoint, as Galloway reveals that he has operational command now and has deactivated NEST as a sign of good faith to the Decepticons, who they are negotiating with to buy time while they make a coordinated military strategy. Ironhide believes Galloway to be insane if he thinks the Decepticons will negotiate, but Sideswipe reminds him that this is not what Optimus would want. Reluctantly, the Autobots stand down.

At an abandoned prison in New Jersey, Sam, Mikaela, and Leo are hiding with Bumblebee and the Twins, Skids and Mudflap. They learn of NEST's deactivation, and the manhunt for Sam. Blaming himself, Sam announces that he will turn himself in, but Bumblebee and Mikaela insist that this will only make things worse. Sam then decides to figure out where this energon source is. He assumes that some knowledge got transferred to him when the Cube was destroyed, and Mikaela surmises that the information is what allowed Sam to ace his SATs and get a scholarship to Princeton. Sam has no idea what the symbols mean, and asks if the Autobots can read what he's writing. They identify it as the Language of the Primes, an ancient Cybertronian language they cannot translate. Leo then offers up the location of the Robo-Warrior, his rival.

Heading to New York City, Leo explains that he and his friends once revenge-hacked Robo-Warrior's site, and saw some of the symbols on his site. The group make their way to a deli, where Robo-Warrior is located. To Sam and Mikaela's shock, Robo-Warrior is none other than Seymour Simmons, former chief agent of Sector Seven, now working in his mother's deli. For his part, Simmons is hostile to Sam and Mikaela, blaming them for the loss of his job and failing to kill Megatron. Simmons tells them to get lost, but when Sam mentions the symbols, Simmons interest is piqued. Taking them to the attic above the meat locker, Simmons shows them his archive of research he poached from Sector Seven (along with the head of Frenzy). The research is the presence of alien symbols on ancient ruins all over the world, meaning that the Transformers visited Earth several thousand years ago, and Simmons believed some were left behind. He shows them evidence of suspected Transformers across the planet, which Sector Seven dismissed as insignificant, despite Simmons insistence on investigating them. However, Simmons is just as in the dark on the symbols as the Autobots. With no choice, Mikaela brings out Wheels, who panics when he sees Frenzy's head. It's enough to frighten Wheels talking, who says that he cannot read the language of the Primes either, but tells them of those who can: the Seekers, the Transformers that Simmons mentioned, who were sent to look for something thousands of years ago. He tells them where to find them, and the nearest one is in Washington, D.C..

The group head to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, where the Seeker is located. After dispatching the guards, the group finds that the Seeker in question is the Blackbird on display. Unfortunately, it's also a Decepticon, and is revived by the AllSpark fragment from Sam. It quickly becomes apparent that the Decepticon, named Jetfire, is barely functioning. He makes his way outside and is shocked by how much time he's been in stasis, also revealing that he defected to the Autobots. This amazes Wheels, who announces that he's defecting to Mikaela, dubbing her "Warrior Goddess". Jetfire also says that he has a mission, but cannot remember what it is. Sam writes down some of what he's been seeing, and Jetfire realizes that they're part of his mission. He quickly teleports them to Egypt. The trip is unpleasant for all, human and Transformer. It also attracted the attention of another Seeker, this one as barely functional as Jetfire, but still a Decepticon. The Seeker tries to kill Jetfire, but his shot bounces off him, and Jetfire crushes the Decepticon under his foot.

With things settled down, Jetfire explains what is going on: in the beginning, the Transformers were ruled by the Dynasty of Primes, the Thirteen original Cybertronians and their descendants, who were forged by the AllSpark to bring order to Cybertron. Because Energon was scarce, the AllSpark forged for them the Matrix of Leadership, which contained the AllSpark's power and fueled the Great Machines needed to recharge the AllSpark...by destroying stars. The Dynasty had a single rule in their searches: life is precious, so any inhabited star system was spared. One day, the Dynasty came to Earth and built a machine in Egypt, but when they discovered the humans, twelve of the Primes upheld their law. One of the Primes despised the humans and tried to defy the rule, and he was forever known as The Fallen. He killed eleven of his brothers, but the twelfth stole the Matrix and hid it in a tomb made of his brothers bodies, sacrificing his own spark to fuse it shut. The machine was abandoned, and the Seekers dispatched to find the Matrix. If The Fallen finds the Matrix, he will activate the machine, which will mean the end of all life on Earth. Mikaela asks how they can stop him, Jetfire explains that only a Prime can defeat The Fallen. Sadly, The Fallen knew this, and he destroyed the rest of the Dynasty when he returned to Cybertron. A single orphan was hidden from him, unaware of his lineage. Sam recognizes that he's talking about Optimus, and wonders if the Matrix, as a part of the AllSpark, could heal Optimus. Jetfire says it's possible, but they need to find the Tomb first. He then relays a riddle the Seekers discovered: "When dawn alights the Dagger's tip, Three Kings will show the way". Unable to help them further, Jetfire goes back into stasis. Leo is ready to give up, but the rest of the group leaves him and drives far enough away to convince him to shut up and get in Bumblebee.

In New Jersey, the Autobots are loaded onto cargo planes, strapped in nets and under heavy guard. Although they could easily free themselves, they realize that this is what Optimus would want, and that time will make the humans realize that they are still valuable allies. Lennox and Epps have no such extended concept of time, and are angry at the Autobots mistreatment. It would comfort them to know that Morshower and the Joint Chiefs are working to relieve Galloway of command, but without a proper target to retaliate against, the Administration needs a scapegoat.

As Sam's group travels through the desert, Simmons calls his CIA contact in general history, and learns that "the Dagger" is the Gulf of Aqaba, a region which separates Egypt, Jordan, and Israel. The group find themselves at a checkpoint, and the Twins are easily able to move through without papers as their holodrivers used supermodels. Simmons tries to take charge, but he doesn't speak Arabic and the soldiers do not speak English. Worse, there are cameras at the checkpoint, and Sam tells Bumblebee to drive, fearing that he was identified. They are able to make their way through Cairo, but pick up police on the way. Unable to shake them, Wheels jumps out Bumblebee and attacks the following police car, his screams surpassed only by those of the police. After driving the car off the road, he steals a window wiper as a trophy and says his actions are evidence of his defection. Sam needs to call Lennox and have Optimus brought to Aqaba, but Simmons says that contacting Lennox will allow him to get traced. Instead, Sam calls Lennox's wife Sarah, and tells her what is going on. The group then makes their way to abandoned tourist center outside the Pyramids of Giza.

Sarah and Epps wife Monique call their husbands, but Galloway refuses to allow a private call and places them on speakerphone. Saying that Monique is interested in plastic surgery, the two wives are able to convey the message in an incredibly unsubtle way. Fortunately, Galloway is untrained in subtlety. Lennox and Epps then talk with the pilot of the plane that will take them back to Diego Garcia, who says that the coordinates are in Jordan. Lennox realizes that Sam knows or has something Megatron wants, and hatches a plan to fake engine trouble over the coordinates, while Lennox has a message relayed to Admiral Morshower, who is trying to get NEST reactivated. Morshower realizes that Lennox knows something and arranges for assets in the target area.

Traveling to Egypt in jet mode, Megatron makes a stop at the Rock of Gibraltar and contacts The Fallen, saying that Sam has been spotted in the land where the harvester was constructed. The Fallen tells Megatron the harvesters specific coordinates and gives him two commands: assemble his forces, and prepare for his arrival.

At the tourist center, Sam and Mikaela get into another argument over who will say "I love you" first, with Mikaela pointing out the romantic location under the stars, which jogs something in Sam's memory. He recalls the textbook saying that Orion's Belt were called the "Three Kings", because they lined up with the pyramids when they were built. The trail leads to Petra, which appears to be a dead end. Skids declares that he's done listening to Sam, and when Mudflap defends the human, the Twins get into a brawl which ends up damaging the ruins. However, it also reveals Cybertronian symbols underneath, and Bumblebee blasts a hole in the wall. They find the Tomb of the Primes, but only find sand where the Matrix should be. Simmons assumes that the Matrix devoured itself in the years waiting, but quickly leaves when he hears C-17s approaching. Sam refuses to believe that something from the AllSpark would simply decay, so he gathers up the dust. On the C-17, the pilot announces engine trouble and orders the passengers to bailout. Galloway is tricked into opening his parachute while inside the plane, forgetting his cellphone and laptop. The team then parachutes out with Optimus' body, and Lennox relays words to the Autobots aboard the other plane, who immediately start releasing exhaust. When a guard opens the cargo door for fresh air, Arcee brings up her guns and "persuades" the guards to allow them to leave. The Autobots meet up with NEST on the ground at an abandoned fishing village. Bumblebee's team is quickly spotted, and a flare is popped. Unfortunately, Starscream reaches the area and releases an EMP burst, disabling communication. He and Megatron begin strafing Sam's group, and Sam and Mikaela leave on foot while Bumblebee, the Twins, Simmons, and Leo draw them away. A force of Thirteen Decepticons then land searching for Sam. At the Pentagon, Morshower begins observing the area through a satellite, but the Decepticons are not on the image. Soundwave is connected to the satellite and is doctoring the video to remove the Decepticons presence. After a while, Morshower becomes suspicious at the lack of communication, and asks for help to be sent from Egypt and Jordan to confirm on site visuals.

In the abandoned village, Sam and Mikaela sneak into a building as Starscream leads a group of Decepticons to search for him. A tiny Decepticon flies in and is crushed before Sam realizes what it is. Starscream tears off the roof and tries to grab the teens, but they manage to escape. Meanwhile, the Twins take Leo and Simmons to a quarry near the pyramids, where they find four heavy Construction vehicles. As Simmons grows suspicious, three more vehicles arrive...and the seven vehicles combine into one: Devastator. Back at the village, Sam and Mikaela are making their way to the soldiers when a Decepticon cuts them off, depositing Ron and Judy Witwicky, and demanding the Matrix. Sam is ready to give him the sand, but Bumblebee manages to ambush the Decepticon and kill him. Sam then tells Bumblebee to take his parents somewhere safe, despite Ron's initial refusal to leave Sam.

At the quarry, the Twins presence causes Devastator to activate his maw and suck everything in, which includes Skids. As Simmons realizes hiding underneath it is the only safe place, Skids busts out, and Mudflap helps him by climbing up. However, Devastator shrugs them off and makes his way to the Great Pyramid of Giza, where Megatron is waiting. Just then, a space bridge opens above the pyramid, and a Transformer arrives, this one appearing on fire: The Fallen has risen again, and he commands Megatron to go forth and deliver the Matrix to him. Two Jordanian helicopters arrive; one is shot down, while the other is crashed by the Fallen, who uses telekinesis. As Simmons and Leo make their way to the downed helicopter, Leo notices Devastator has begun attacking the pyramid, and realization hits Simmons: the pyramid is built right over the solar harvester. Taking a radio, Simmons makes contact with Captain Wilder of the U.S.S. Roosevelt, and says that an experimental rail gun is the only way to destroy Devastator.

At the village, a UAV reaches the battle site, and begins transmitting information of what is really happening to the Pentagon. Morshower orders everything available sent at once. Just as Megatron arrives and begins attacking in tank mode, heavy armor from the United States, Egypt, and Jordan begin pouring in, reinforcing NEST and allowing Lennox and Epps to reach Sam and Mikaela. Just as they prepare to make a break for it, a Decepticon finds them. Before it can act, Jetfire appears and blows up the Decepticon. Unfortunately, Scorponok makes a surprise attack on Jetfire, impaling him with his tail. Jetfire is able to rip his head off, but is seriously injured. An Air Force strike manages to destroy most of the Decepticons, and Sam makes a mad dash toward Optimus' body. Just as he reaches it, Megatron fires a shot which hits the ground near Sam, sending him flying. Although Megatron is forced to retreat under human fire, Sam appears dead. Medics are unable to revive him, and even Mikaela's admission of love fails to do anything.

On another plain of existence, Sam finds himself with twelve Transformers, who identify themselves as the Dynasty of Primes. They have been watching him for a long time, as he was destined to find the Matrix. But the Matrix cannot be merely found; instead, it must be earned. Sam's courage, selflessness, and sacrifice were tests, and now he has earned the Matrix, and must fulfill his destiny: raise up the last Prime. Sam is returned to life, and tells Mikaela he loves her, as the Matrix begins to reform before him. Sam makes his way to Optimus's body, and drives the Matrix into him. The plan works, and Optimus Prime is reborn, and pleased that his assessment of Sam was correct. Unfortunately, The Fallen teleports in and steals the Matrix, crushing Optimus beneath him and swatting Ironhide and Sideswipe like they're nothing before teleporting to the now exposed harvester. Sam frantically urges Optimus up, but he is still injured from his fight with Megatron. Already injured, Jetfire offers his parts to Optimus, and snuffs out his own spark. Though all are shocked, Optimus recognizes that they do not have the time mourn, and orders Ratchet to start refitting the necessary components onto his structure. Soon, Optimus Prime has achieved a more powerful flight mode, and flies off.

At the pyramid, The Fallen, with Megatron, Starscream, and Devastator, inserts the Matrix into the harvester. As it powers up, Devastator sees Optimus and prepares to fire. Just then, Simmons relays coordinates the ship with the rail gun, which fires, killing Devastator. Unfortunately, the machine also activates, firing a beam which destroy the sun in eight minutes. Distracted by Devastator's death and the machine's activation, the Decepticons are unable to shoot down Optimus, who flies through the harvester and causes the beam to collapse, seriously wounding Megatron and Starscream. The Fallen is enraged, not just at the attack on the harvester, but at Optimus's presumption to challenge him, a Prime. Optimus declares that The Fallen abandoned that name when he slaughtered his brothers, and that as the last Prime, it is Optimus's destiny to avenge his lineage. As Optimus battles The Fallen, it quickly becomes apparent that Optimus is going to win. Incredulous and angry, Megatron reminds The Fallen of his promise to make Megatron a Prime. Optimus reveals that this is a lie, as Primes are born, not made. Panicking, The Fallen opens a space bridge and tries to flee, but Megatron and Starscream leave The Fallen to his fate. Optimus then rips off the top of the harvester and drives it through The Fallen's head, killing him. Optimus then recovers the Matrix and rejoins the others, who are also joined by Simmons, Leo, and the Twins.

Later, on the Roosevelt, Sam and Optimus watch the view, and Sam says that he can no longer see the symbols. Optimus explains that the knowledge of the AllSpark has been absorbed within the stuff of the Matrix, which is attached to his hip, and thanks Sam for preserving Cybertron's past and saving his life. Sam then asks what the future will hold, and Optimus Prime declares that it is a future Humanity and the Autobots will face together, as their ancestors did once before.

That future may be sooner than they think, for on the Nemesis, Megatron commands his Protoform army to "arise"...

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[Leathurkatt]

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Movie Adaptation

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 4-part comic series published by IDW Publishing. It is an adaptation of the movie Revenge of the Fallen .

Part 1
An adaptation of the summer blockbuster of 2009.

It is the dawn of mankind. Primitive humans stalk game through a lush jungle. Their hunt is interrupted by the impact of a colossal foot, cracks in its structure glowing with otherworldly energies. The Fallen takes notice of these curious fleshlings, wondering if this is truly life. He shrugs the question off, looking to the construction of the harvester which will soon extinguish this feeble planet's sun.

In the modern day of Shanghai, China, the NEST forces engage Demolishor, who comments on the annoying tenacity of the human race. Meanwhile, Sideways tries to make good his escape elsewhere in the city, with Mudflap and Skids hot in pursuit. Unfortunately, their combined ice cream truck form proves too ungainly to handle the turns, leaving the three motorcycles that make up Arcee to continue the chase. Arcee is advised to make certain Sideways does not breach the quarantine perimeter, to prevent public knowledge of the incident.

Ironhide and Optimus Prime finally manage to take down Demolishor, while the timely arrival of Sideswipe aids in neutralizing Sideways. As Prime stands over the wrecked form of the Constructicon he felled, Demolishor delivers a warning: their days on this planet are numbered as The Fallen will soon claim it!

Back stateside, Sam Witwicky snorts derisively at the government coverup of the Mission City debacle. He is nearly finished packing to go off to college. He gets a call from Mikaela, now working at a motorcycle repair shop. She announces she's breaking up with him, which he objects to just shortly before he discovers a shard of the All Spark embedded in the shirt he wore in Mission City. His vision is flooded with Cyberglyphics, and the shard tumbles to the floor, burning a hole in it. In the kitchen below, all the appliances are brought to new, malevolent life!

The timely intervention of Bumblebee saves the Witwickys from the newborn Transformers... at the cost of entirely demolishing their home. Mikaela arrives, having rushed over when Sam went quiet. Sam entrusts her with the All Spark shard, urging her not to tell anyone of it. Little does he know that the RC truck over by the fire hydrant is actually the Decepticon Wheelie, who is spying on them. Ron calms his wife down by saying that the government will take care of their house. Sam talks with Bumblebee, telling him that unfortunately freshmen aren't allowed cars on campus, so this will be goodbye for awhile.

Back at the Diego Garcia base of NEST, the Autobots are met by a representative of the U.S. government, on orders from the president. Director Galloway and Admiral Morshower's briefing for them is classified, even from other NEST operatives, but in low orbit the Decepticon Soundwave parasitizes a communications satellite to listen in. Optimus Prime tells the Admiral that the Decepticons have most definitely not abandoned Earth, and relays the cryptic warning he received in Shanghai. Galloway is concerned that the Autobots are keeping secrets, as they have kept weapons technology from their allies and have been sending unauthorized transmissions into space. He asks if the Autobots will leave should the president decide to ask them to. Prime reluctantly answers that they will. He however asks Galloway and by extension the president to consider what will happen if the Autobots leave and the threat still remains.

Moving into his dorm on campus, Sam meets Leo Spitz, his conspiracy theorist roommate. Leo manages a website dedicated to sightings of Cybertronians, and one of his contributors is uploading footage of the Shanghai incident. As Sam watches, he is approached by the extremely enthusiastic Alice, his neighbor.
Meanwhile off the shore of Diego Garcia, Ravage arrives via orbital insertion. Transforming to robot mode, he infiltrates the NEST installation and seeds its ventilation system with microcons. This swarm forms the crude outline of a body, and manages to pilfer the All Spark shard being held at the base.

Apparently wasting no time, Sam attends a party at the Delta Fraternity that night. Though amply distracted by Alice's ample mammalian traits, he insists he ought to call Mikaela. Alice has other ideas, and suggests he just pretend that she is his girlfriend. Sam offers half-hearted protest, and is thankfully saved from embarrassing himself by the arrival of Bumblebee. Bumblebee urges him to get in, and he takes the welcome reprieve as he is driven off to speak with Optimus Prime. Prime reveals to Sam that the shard of the All Spark has been stolen from the NEST base, and that the Autobots are under fire from human authorities. He asks Sam to speak on the Autobots' behalf, to help the humans understand. Sam says he's got enough on his plate, and thus can't help the Autobots right now.

Beneath the ocean, deep in the Laurentian Abyss, Ravage meets up with a tiny Decepticon. Surrendering up the shard, Ravage watches as his compatriot uses it to revive the inert form of Megatron. Optics blazing, Megatron rises from the ocean and vows retribution upon the Earth!

Part 2
An adaptation of the summer blockbuster of 2009.

At the final resting place of the Nemesis, Starscream is surprised by the arrival of his deceased commander, Megatron. After berating Starscream for old times' sake, Megatron approaches the sarcophagus of The Fallen. He announces with some regret that he has failed his master. The Fallen disagrees, asserting that things can still be salvaged if Megatron locates the harvester, and that the All Spark can guide him there. Megatron states that unfortunately the All Spark is destroyed, but is rebuffed by The Fallen, who states that an object of such power can never truly be destroyed, only changed. He tells Megatron to seek out the human who killed him, who is now the vessel for the All Spark.

Said human, Sam Witwicky, is at that moment in his Astronomy 101 class. In a daze, he doodles Cyberglyphics in his notes while barely acknowledging the presence of Professor Colan. Leo Spitz urges him to pay attention and open his textbook, so he won't get in trouble. He does, and manages to digest its contents merely by rapidly flipping the pages. Slamming it shut, he announces to the professor a shocking thing: Albert Einstein was wrong! After the professor corrects him on the pronunciation of his name, he is invited up to the chalkboard to explain the nonsense he had just exclaimed. Sam covers the chalkboard in Cyberglyphics, babbling about the expeditions of Cybertronian explorers, claiming that Einstein's theory of relativity is only a valid observation of this dimension, not the other seventeen. This proves quite amusing to most of the class, but Alice in particular watches with rapt interest. The professor tells Sam to kindly get out of his class.

Immediately afterward, Mikaela receives a belated call on her cell phone. She begins castigating Sam for not calling the night before but he interrupts, asking if he remembers what he told her about Archibald Witwicky. After being exposed to Megatron's tracking program, Sam's grandfather had started seeing strange symbols, which he had drawn endlessly during his time in the asylum. Sam asserts that these are the same symbols he now has been seeing ever since he touched the All Spark fragment. He asks Mikaela if it is still safe, which she reassures him is true. As they talk, a child's toy truck rolls into the garage where Mikaela works, transforming into a diminutive Decepticon. He approaches the safe where the fragment is stored only to be foiled by a mouse trap, causing him to cry out in pain and knock over a pile of paint cans. Mikaela hears the ruckus and corners the little Transformer, threatening him with a welding torch. Sam asks what the commotion is, and Mikaela tells him to stay put as she's coming over.

At the NEST base in Diego Garcia, the klaxons sound. Numerous Decepticon contacts have been spotted in the Eastern United States, and the Autobots are being mobilized.

Back at his dorm room, Sam is cornered by Alice, who has noticed that even the walls have now been covered in the Cyberglyphic drawings Sam has been making. She tells Sam that the solution is obvious: they must have sex immediately.

In the next room over, a dejected Leo is on the couch with his enterprising buddies, Sharkatron3000 and The Fassinator. He complains that Alice kicked him out and called him a pervert because he'd asked if he could watch her make out with Sam. Sharkatron3000 interrupts, telling The Fassinator to rewind the video they're watching. Once this has been done, he points out Alice's uncanny resemblance to the animatronic girl from a commercial regarding an Alice in Wonderland tour.

Back in the dorm room, Sam quickly discovers that Alice is much stronger than she looks. She forces herself on him, which manages to distract him from the large robotic torture tools emerging from the back of her head. The timely arrival of Mikaela alerts Sam, but Alice wraps mechanical tentacles around his neck. Alice's inhuman nature revealed, Mikaela clobbers the Decepticon spy with the metal case she'd stored the All Spark fragment in. Leo arrives to tell Sam there's something funny about Alice, just in time to see the Decepticon's true face and have to dodge a hail of razor-sharp projectiles. All three humans flee, Leo expressing surprise that alien robots are actually real. He asks why Alice looks like her animatronic doppelganger, and Mikaela and Sam explain that Transformers can mimic any machine. Leo bemoans that obviously this is all due to his work on The Real Effing Deal, and that he's being silenced for getting too close to the truth. Mikaela is about to give Leo a piece of her mind when Alice bursts in and nearly fries them all with a blast of plasma energy. The three escape through the gaping hole in the wall. Mikaela hotwires a car, causing Leo to comment that she is obviously a keeper. They grab the box with the fragment and speed off, only to be captured by the looming form of Grindor.

Sam is brought to an abandoned industrial plant, where he is put on an examining table in the presence of Megatron and Starscream. The tiny Decepticon that revived Megatron is perched on Sam's head, wielding a bonesaw to cut open Sam's very valuable head. Sam begs them to let his friends go, but his pleas fall on deaf ears. Thankfully, the Autobots managed to track Sam down, and Optimus Prime's sharpshooting picks off the miniature malefactor without harming Sam. Bumblebee rescues Mikaela and Leo, while Prime prepares to face off against Megatron. Megatron asks Prime why he would risk so much for a human child, to which Prime retorts that Megatron has no concept of friendship. Megatron replies that there is a great deal at stake here, a source of Energon hidden on the planet by The Fallen, which Sam can lead them to. This being the second time that Prime has heard the name, he asks Megatron who The Fallen is. Megatron scoffs, as Prime is unworthy. The Fallen is their past, and their future!

The Autobots speed towards the battle, concerned because Prime is outnumbered due to Starscream and Grindor joining it. Prime tells Sam to flee so that he can fight Megatron unencumbered. He is expendable, but Sam is vital to the plans of both sides of the battle. Taking the opportunity presented, Megatron outflanks Prime and impales him through the chest. Prime again tells Sam to flee before going offline. Megatron is unable to give chase, as the remaining Autobots have arrived and their gunfire drives him off.
Expressing frustration at the loss of his strategic asset, Megatron takes to the skies and rendezvous with Soundwave. Using the Decepticon's parasitized communications satellite, he announces to the people of Earth an ultimatum: give him Sam Witwicky or the planet will burn!

In Paris, Sam's parents are watching the broadcast in a cafe when a robotic fist smashes through the window. They are taken away.

In Trenton, New Jersey Sam is a fugitive. NEST is being disbanded, the Autobots disavowed by the government, and as Leo points out, every human in the world is looking for him. Sam theorizes that his only hope is to figure out what the symbols in his mind actually mean. Neither Mudflap nor Skids can read the Cyberglyphics, but Leo says he knows someone who can.

In Brooklyn, Leo explains that he doesn't like doing this. He is taking them to see his rival, the webmaster known as "Robo-Warrior", who claims to be an expert on such things. Sam soon discovers that "Robo-Warrior" is none other than the former Sector Seven agent, Seymour Simmons! Now running a sandwich shop, Simmons takes them to his basement where it is shown that he has a sizable cache of Sector Seven documents and artifacts, including the severed head of Frenzy. He shows them photographs of Cyberglyphics exactly like those Sam has been drawing. These, he says, show that the Transformers have been on Earth far longer than most previously suspected!

Part 3
An adaptation of the summer blockbuster of 2009.

Under threat of physical harm, Wheelie reveals to Mikaela Banes that he recognizes the Cyberglyphics but does not know how to read them. He went on to say that Seekers would be able to read them, then leads them to the Smithsonian Institute where one can be found. While Sam Witwicky, Mikaela, Leo Spitz, and Seymour Simmons search the museum, the All Spark fragment Sam was carrying jumps from his hand and attaches itself to a SR-71 Blackbird on display. This rouses the Seeker from his slumber. He reveals his name to be Jetfire but does not remember what planet he is on or what he is doing there. He states his dislike of Decepticons and says that he had defected to the Autobots some time ago.

Jetfire displays no interest in dealing with the humans until Sam mentions The Fallen. This seems to jog his memory and he becomes suddenly serious and insists that Sam tell him what he knows. Sam then reveals the Cyberglyphics that have been racing through his head. When he hears enough, Jetfire transports himself, the four humans, Bumblebee, Skids, and Mudflap to Egypt via trans-dimensional space bridge. The humans don't know why Jetfire needed to go to Egypt so they ask him to explain. Jetfire then holo-projects some of the relevant historical footage to explain.

The All Spark created the Dynasty of Primes for the protection of Cybertron. The Matrix of Leadership was also created as a key to the harvesters and entrusted to the Primes. The Primes were not to harvest the power of a sun from a star system with life. The Fallen defied that rule and destroyed all but one of his fellow Primes. The last of the twelve created a tomb from the chassis of his deactivated brothers. He sealed himself and the Matrix inside using the last of his own life essence. The tomb is hidden somewhere in Egypt.

Jetfire also reveals that only a Prime can stand against The Fallen. While the wars on Cybertron destroyed the Prime Dynasty, one orphan was left with no knowledge of his history. Optimus Prime.
In New Jersey, Director Galloway informs William Lennox and Ray Epps that, by order of the President, the Autobots have to stand down and return to Diego Garcia.

Back in Cairo, Egypt, the humans ride in Bumblebee trying to figure out the clues to the location of the Prime crypt that were obtained when Jetfire translated the Cyberglyphics. Local authorities spot Sam and try to detain him. Bumblebee and the Twins lose the police, but not before Soundwave is able to pinpoint Sam's location from intercepted communications.

Sam decided he needs to get a message to Lennox and Epps, but knows that calling them directly would give himself away, so he comes up with a plan to deliver the message indirectly. He gives the message to William Lennox's wife Sarah who then tells Ray Epps's wife Monique who then calls her husband on an insecure line. While she makes the call appear to be about ordinary husband and wife chit-chat, Monique is able to get the true message through. Sam wants them to deliver Optimus Prime to Egypt.

The clues from the Cyberglyphs lead Sam and the others to an ancient tomb of human origin. This appears to be a dead-end until the Twins get into an argument that becomes physical. Mudflap shoves Skids into a wall which crumbles, revealing the tomb of the Primes. They find the remains of the Matrix of Leadership. After thousands of years, the Cybertronian artifact turns to dust, which Sam collects in his sock.

Lennox, Epps, Galloway and the Autobots arrive in C-17s. The pilot feigns engine trouble as an excuse to jettison the cargo over Galloway's objections. The Autobots and humans aboard parachute out of the plane. Sam and company are then attacked by Megatron and Starscream while at least 11 cometary Decepticons rain down into the action. Human communications are disrupted by an EMP burst from the Decepticons while Soundwave alters satellite imagery so that the United States military will not see anything out of the ordinary happening in Egypt.

While Simmons, Bumblebee, and the Twins draw the Decepticons' fire, Sam and Mikaela try to get to Optimus Prime in hopes that the Matrix of Leadership dust could still revive him. Starscream is in pursuit of Sam and Mikaela when The Fallen appears atop a pyramid (via Space Bridge).

Part 4
An adaptation of the summer blockbuster of 2009.

The Fallen orders Megatron to find Sam Witwicky and bring him the Matrix of Leadership. Megatron agrees.

Seymour Simmons and Leo Spitz decide to stay in their place of relative safety with Skids and Mudflap but to keep their eye out for an opportunity to help. The Twins then agree they were totally and majorly screwed.

Sam and Mikaela Banes are still running from Starscream when they are found by Rampage who is holding Sam's parents hostage.

William Lennox and Ray Epps wonder why the United States military is not sending help, figuring they could see the conflict from satellites. However, satellite images continue to be disrupted by Soundwave.
Some Constructicons form Devastator.

Sam is about to trade the sock full of Matrix dust to Rampage in exchange for his parents when Bumblebee shows up and defeats Rampage with his bare hands. Bumblebee drives Ron Witwicky and Judy Witwicky to safety just before Megatron opens fire on Sam and Mikaela, missing.

The Fallen downs a couple of American helicopters by telekinesis. One helicopter is completely destroyed but the other is able to make a crash landing. Simmons borrows its radio. While Devastator begins demolishing a pyramid, exposing a harvester, Simmons reaches a nearby US Naval destroyer on the radio. Simmons tells the captain to prepare his prototype rail gun and be ready to fire when he gives him the coordinates. The captain briefly argues about security clearance but Simmon's persuasive personality convinces him.

An unmanned aerial vehicle is finally able to get images back to the US military and they send a tank battalion led by General Salam into the fray. Sam and Mikaela are pinned down by Megatron near Lennox's position when the tanks arrive. Lennox orderes the tanks to give covering fire and Sam and Mikaela are reunited with Lennox. Long Haul then arrives barreling down on their position. Before he can run all the humans over, Jetfire swoops down and destroys Long Haul with one shot. US planes are entering the area on a bombing run, so Lennox and Mikaela run to safety. Sam instead runs to Optimus Prime. Scorponok appears out of the sand and stabs Jetfire through the chest. Sam arrives at Optimus Prime's body when an explosion from Megatron knocks him unconscious.

Sam's heart stops, and he has a vision of the Dynasty of Primes, who tell Sam that he has proven his leadership ability and give him stewardship of the Matrix. Sam is resuscitated by a medic. He pours the Matrix out of his sock and it reforms itself into a solid artifact. Sam jabs the Matrix into Optimus Prime's spark, reanimating him. Having apparently gained knowledge through the Matrix, Prime wakes up wanting to know where he can find The Fallen.

The Fallen teleports to where Sam is, steals the Matrix through telekinesis, shoves a couple of Autobots out of the way with a wave of his hand and teleports away. Optimus Prime declares he is still not in shape to face The Fallen, so a dying Jetfire offers his chassis for parts. Ratchet then performs a field refit of Optimus, installing Jetfire to him, forming a makeshift super mode.

Simmons makes his way under Devastator's feet and tells the destroyer captain to fire the rail gun directly above his position. This is a direct hit and Devastator is destroyed. Optimus Prime then goes on the offensive, and takes out the harvester. The Fallen is incensed that anyone would dare challenge him, as he is a Prime, but Optimus says that The Fallen renounced that name when he slaughtered his brothers, and that there can only be one Prime now. Megatron objects, calling Optimus a liar because The Fallen promised the power of the Primes to him. Optimus informs Megatron that he was deceived by The Fallen then chops off one of Megatron's arms and one of his legs.

The Fallen opens up a portal in preparation for a retreat, but takes too long in his farewell monologue because, at that moment, Optimus uses grappling hooks from off-panel to tangle him up. The Fallen begs Megatron for help, but Megatron instead uses the portal to escape to the Nemesis. Optimus then finishes off The Fallen by driving a spike through his head.

Later, the humans and Autobots are on the U.S.S. Roosevelt celebrating their victory. Sam says the symbols in his head are gone, and Optimus tells him that the knowledge had passed to him, and they are all that are left of Cybertronian heritage. Optimus is grateful to Sam for keeping the information safe. Sam asks about the future and Optimus gives a speech about facing it together.

Megatron is then back on the Nemesis with all of his limbs. He is busy raising a new army from stasis pods located there.

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[Leathurkatt]

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Tales of the Fallen

Transformers: Tales of the Fallen is a 6-part comic series published by IDW Publishing that ran from August 2009 to January 2010. It takes the form of six spotlights, with each issue focusing on a different Revenge of the Fallen character: Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Jetfire, The Fallen, Ravage, and Arcee.

Bumblebee
Bumblebee adjusts to life with Sam.
The events of this book take place between the events of Alliance #4 and Revenge of the Fallen #1.

After the events of Alliance issue 4, Bumblebee returns to his role as guardian to Sam Witwicky. In doing so, 'Bee scares Mojo onto the front lawn, much to the displeasure of Ron Witwicky, and a cat up into a tree. After Sam returns Mojo to the back yard, Bumblebee "helps" by shaking the tree until the traumatized cat is free.

After discovering that Bumblebee is there to watch over him, Sam uses the Autobot as his ride for a double date to the movies. Sam and Mikaela are accompanied by Miles Lancaster and Mikaela's friend Lyndsey. On the way to the movie, Sam sees Trent's truck and totally freaks out. The movie night goes without a hitch, but it seems Bumblebee decided to overturn Trent's truck, much to the jock's consternation.
Without the guiding influence of the other Autobots, Bumblebee grows more reckless and impulsive, running red lights and even flinging a random punk into the air with his vehicle doors.

Sam discusses his upcoming college plans with Bumblebee, explaining that the yellow guy might not be able to accompany him at school. Sam tries to persuade his parents to let Bumblebee stay in the garage while he's at school, but Ron rather strenuously rejects that notion, stating that 'Bee can only stay for the summer.

Frustrated, Sam decides to walk to Mikaela's to cool off, but twenty minutes in, Sam encounters a rather less friendly Cybertronian presence. Hours later as Bumblebee prepares to shut down for the night, Ron comes into the garage and explains that Sam never made it to Mikaela's.

Bumblebee zooms out of the garage and drives towards Mikaela's house but he hears a report of hacked highway matrix signs on the radio. The signs turn out to be a message in the Cybertronian alphabet "The All Spark for the boy."

"The boy" is chained up and hanging from a hook over a junkyard car crusher as he is being interrogated by Barricade. The Decepticon is trying to find the location of Bumblebee or the All Spark fragment. Sam, having no idea where these items are located, is being a less than stellar interviewee. Barricade makes preparations to drop the fleshling into the crusher, but is interrupted by Bumblebee leaping in. The Autobot's intervention is timely enough that Sam is able to fall onto a pile of tires while Barricade is taunting Bumblebee.

Barricade easily swats Bumblebee aside and begins to re-apprehend Sam using a shuriken like weapon. Bumblebee manages to pull himself out of the scrap and assaults Barricade once more. The two robots duke it out, with the Decepticon having the upper hand until Sam drives in with a crane. However, Sam is having trouble controlling the vehicle and Barricade snaps the chain-hook off and tosses it aside before charging at the crane's occupant. Bumblebee swings the abandoned chain-hook and knocks Barricade into a pool of gasoline.

Barricade rises from the gasoline pool and stalks towards Bumblebee. Bumblebee sends Sam off to a safer distance and fires his cannon at the gasoline-soaked Decepticon menace, causing a massive explosion. Bumblebee steps out of the explosion to pick up Sam, but makes it clear he doesn't think Barricade is finished. Sure, enough, this is confirmed as we see Barricade driving out of the flames.

Sideswipe
Sideswipe risks becoming the very thing he's fighting against.

Demolishor could have hit any Autobot colony, but he chose the one that Sideswipe was tasked with defending. Sideswipe failed to stop him, and is now determined to get brutal revenge on the Decepticon... leading him to Earth, where he tears his way through the highways of Montevideo to reach his foe!

Admiral Morshower is distinctly unimpressed when Optimus Prime informs him that this vicious new arrival is an Autobot: the deal with the Autobots was there would be no grey areas. Optimus tells him that they'll handle it, and NEST's techies pinpoint the new arrivals crossing into Argentina. A joint strike team is ordered to ready itself, and Optimus makes it clear that if Sideswipe won't stand down he'll be... dealt with. Ironhide speaks up when he hears this, requesting to have first crack at trying to bring him into line: he trained Sideswipe, he used to be like him once, and he knows he's an asset NEST can use. Optimus gives him one hour's grace...

On his way to reach Sideswipe, Ironhide remembers a time when the two of them were locked in combat... and his student broke rank despite an order to fall back, declaring his teacher had become conventional and he'd grown beyond him. Meanwhile, Sideswipe enters Ezeiza International Airport, Buenos Aires: he's tracked Demolishor to this location, but has no idea why the Decepticon would be hiding here. Deciding the Decepticon is waiting for reinforcements, he charges into the airport and storms about the hangars looking for him...

And Demolishor attacks! But while the Decepticon is both fast and strong, Sideswipe is faster and deliberately makes his foe mad, knowing anger will make him careless and that will make him more vulnerable. However, while the hangars get trashed, Sideswipe is unable to land the finishing blow... and then Ironhide arrives, and Sideswipe realises the Decepticon was waiting for more Autobots to arrive so he can achieve a greater kill-count! This achieved, the Decepticon rolls out into Buenos Aires; Sideswipe moves to pursue, not caring when Ironhide points out the Decepticon wants a battle in the city so it will cause massive collateral damage. They both yell at each other, Ironhide pointing out Sideswipe is too reckless and Sideswipe accusing him of just having wounded pride... but it leaves a mark when the older Autobot points out Sideswipe's crossing the line into becoming just like the enemy.

Demolishor is tearing up Buenos Aires to goad the Autobots and Sideswipe takes the bait, leaving Ironhide to try and shelter civilians as best he can. The two rivals come at each other with intent to kill... but the Argentine Air Force is entering the fray, and thanks to Sideswipe all three Transformers are seen as hostiles! The missile salvo stops the battle and downs all three Transformers, and Sideswipe finally recognises—and respects—the humans.

Luckily, Optimus Prime and NEST have arrived, calling in for the Air Force to back off. Demolishor hobbles off declaring there will be another battle of his choosing, and Sideswipe fights off his urge to pursue and gets medical aid for Ironhide instead. His teacher was right: he'd stepped over the line. There are lessons still to be learned...

Jetfire
Jetfire works for The Fallen. No, really!

Ages ago, the Seeker Jetfire served directly under the Prime who would become The Fallen, finding for him various stars to harvest; he believed he was serving the Dynasty of Primes as a whole and harvesting non-living systems, not realising he'd been conned by his master into killing a living world.

Reporting back to the not-yet-Fallen, he was surprised to find his master had already located a new world. When he asked questions about this, his master became impressed that he dared seek answers from a Prime, and decided to let him in on the truth: the rest of the Dynasty had betrayed Cybertron, and were leading it to extinction! It was still-not-yet-Fallen's duty to take control and save the planet from this fate! Confused by all this, Jetfire was taken to the Chamber of the Dynasty of Primes, home of seven sarcophagi from which the Dynasty could communicate; he soon became more confused when six of the Primes stated that he'd committed a heinous act that had to be punished!

The almost-Fallen defended both "my Seeker" and his actions, causing the Dynasty to warp into the chamber to ask about this nonsense he was speaking. While they remained adamant that a grave sin had been committed by killing a living planet, he asked how this sacrifice could matter now after they'd gained so much valuable energy for Cybertron? The other Primes were having none of it, and none of the about-to-be-Fallen's arguments that this gained them power far more quickly; one of them made it clear that the whole Dynasty would have to be in congress before the Solar harvester would be used again, and there would be severe consequences if he made this "mistake" again. The from-the-next-page-he's-Fallen assured them there'd be no more mistakes...

Jetfire left the meeting confused: his master had explored that last planet and there'd been no life on it... had there? He was told a mistake had been made, but the important thing was that the Dynasty were allowing Cybertron to die; that they wish to take power; that someone had to stop them. And that someone was the Fallen, and his hand-picked army of construction drones... the Decepticons! Jetfire is left confused by this new name, but is informed that this group is the future of Cybertron... and there's a place in it for him...
Despite his doubts, Jetfire joined the Decepticons and followed them to a desert on a small blue planet to build another solar harvester. This doubts flared up when Long Haul found primitive life was on this planet... and the Fallen did not care. Jetfire was shocked and finally broke rank, ordering Long Haul to cease work on the harvester. He then pleaded with the Fallen that they couldn't harvest another living world... but since the Fallen had just killed one of the primitives for the hell of it, you can guess how that went. All the Fallen wanted was for the other Primes to come to this world where he was ready to all, or remain in limbo for eternity. Either way, he wins. Jetfire declared he'd stop him, only to get easily swatted down and left to be killed by the Constructicons...

But the Primes had arrived, just as the Fallen wanted. Before engaging in battle, he warped Jetfire and his minions away, and the Seeker found himself under attack. Determined to reach the harvester and stop it, he began tearing through the drones: even wounded, he had power and abilities beyond them! One by one, he dispatched the drones until only Mixmaster remained standing. Unfortunately for Jetfire, Mixmaster got the drop on him and the only way to avoid being crushed was to teleport into the planet's atmosphere and let re-entry finish him off. Unfortunately, Jetfire was paralyzed and unable to fly; the stunt doomed him as well.
Thousands of years later, Jetfire awoke in a desert. Confused, he wandered it until a spy plane crashed into him. He took its form, and the rest is history...

The Fallen
The Fallen betrays his brothers. Basically it's the same story as last issue.

A long time ago, the one who would become the Fallen began to hear the AllSpark speak to him. It anointed him its chosen one, granted him an armada of lesser Transformers, and sent him abroad to find suns for harvesting... all while forbidding him to speak of this to his brother Primes, telling him that one day he would need to stand alone.

That time came when the Primes met and came to the conclusion that while Cybertron's growth was requiring more energy than they had and they needed to harvest yet more suns, they must be "judicious" and avoid harvesting suns that were supporting other lifeforms. The not-yet-Fallen broke in to snarl that, as the children of Primus and servants of the AllSpark, it was their divine right to simply take the energy the All Spark required. One Prime, however, demanded that they take an oath not to harm other lifeforms.
The almost-Fallen, obviously, ignored this and harvested the first system Jetfire found. Jetfire took the blame for the carnage caused and it was decreed that, in the future, a full congress of the Dynasty must meet before the star harvester is used. The about-to-be-Fallen ignored this, too and found his own world (an inhabited one) and built his own harvester, deciding the others were unworthy and he would show his devotion to the All Spark. Unfortunately for him, the Matrix he'd built for this job didn't work very well: he was consumed by primal fires and emerged as a burning, insane figure that blamed the Dynasty for driving him to this and swore they would pay!

The Dynasty, aware he'd done this, cast him out and declared him... Fallen.

The Fallen made an act of contrition and pretended to accept their judgment, then began to tear his way through the galaxy, ravaging inhabited worlds, assimilating any advances in science and methods of warfare he found, and coming to believe himself beyond the All Spark. Once he was prepared and armed, he called the Dynasty from Earth claiming he'd totally found an uninhabited world, and they should come down to harvest its sun, intending to slaughter them and take the Matrix once they arrived. They could face him or stay in limbo, but either way he wins!

Jetfire tried to stop him and was cast out, but the Dynasty arrived in full force. While they waffled at him to explain himself, the Fallen drew out two of the weapons he'd collected on his travels and began to massacre his way through his brothers. Only one, the Prime who had demanded the oath, remained alive, and he began to flee across the planet in multiple teleportation bursts. The Fallen followed... not knowing the Prime had, during the jumps, been gathering the sum total of all of the Dynasty's lifeforce, and once the Fallen had run his energies down he banished the monster into his sarcophagus!

The Fallen swore he would have... revenge!

Ravage
Ravage is raised for a new mission.

Flashback to Ravage's death at the hands of Bumblebee just before Rampage's demise. In the present, Ravage's reconstructed form is brought back on-line in an undisclosed location. Again shifting locations, Ravage appears outside Guantanamo Bay, searching for a "new target". Breaking in, he finds the remains of the appliancebots and appropriates them. His presence at the base is detected and he is forced to make a run for it, dodging helicopters and soldiers before escaping into the ocean. The military mobilizes several jets to track him down. Ravage, meanwhile, has emerged on a beach near MacDill Air Force Base and appears confused, revealing he is following the commands of a mysterious new master. He curls up on the ground to await further instructions, however, his catnap is interrupted by helicopters as the military tracks him down. Ravage destroys several helicopters before being surrounded by soldiers and jeeps. He unleashes Reedman, and although the smaller robot is eventually taken down by electric prods, he provides the distraction needed to allow Ravage to escape into an petrochemical plant.

Deciding the relatively subtle approach isn't working, officials at the White House ask the President of the United States for permission to level the plant.

In space, still linked to the US satellite, Soundwave is shocked and outraged that Ravage's remains have been tampered with.

Ravage makes a run for it as several jets close in on the plant. As they cut loose, he attempts to blast his way through the ground but the missiles detonate, demolishing the plant and throwing Ravage's battered body into a pit.

As the news reports blame a faulty intake valve for the explosion, a damaged but still online form settles in to wait for new instructions, surrounded by the remains of the appliancebots.

Arcee
Arcee finds herself as the subject of a twisted Decepticon experiment.
The events of this book take place between Reign of Starscream #5 and Alliance #4.

As the ship Arcee is on enters a planet's atmosphere (probably Earth), Thundercracker appears and blasts the ship from the sky. Arcee is trapped in the ship's remains as her shipmates leave the wreckage to battle Thundercracker. As she finally frees herself, she finds it has gone strangely quiet, as Thundercracker has emerged from the battle victorious. As he approaches her and says he's glad to see her, she blacks out.

She wakes up later with a scream, horrified by seeing her dead and dissected body on a table in front of her. She is in the laboratory of Flatline, a Decepticon field medic, and her spark has been transferred to a protoform body. Flatline notices she is awake and reports to Thundercracker that he thinks her spark is not strong enough to power "the rest". Thundercracker disagrees and tells Flatline to try again, without making any more mistakes, as they're running out of protoforms. As Thundercracker heads down to see their new warriors for himself, Flatline leaves to gather more supplies, telling Arcee to stay put.

As she looks around, Arcee is surprised to see Skids and Mudflap in an energy cage. The Twins note that Arcee "doesn't look right", "none of them do". This leads Arcee to further notice the two lifeless protoforms next to her, and wonder aloud what is going on. The Twins debate over which one should answer her, but when she cuts them off and demands they just tell her, Flatline returns and answers her for them: Arcee's spark was saved by the medic as part of an experiment to speed up the development of new protoforms and quickly produce more Decepticon soldiers.

Flatline also explains that he only did part of the dissection, with most of the initial damage having been caused by Thundercracker. The mech in question comes in just in time to hear this, and claims he was happy to do so. Arcee feels a surge of hatred over Thundercracker killing her teammates, but can't yet remember his name.

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[Leathurkatt]

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Transformers: Nefarious

Transformers: Nefarious is a 6-issue comic-book mini-series published by IDW Publishing in 2010. Set after the events of Revenge of the Fallen, the series details the Autobots making a "desperate alliance" with Soundwave and Theodore Galloway to investigate the Initiative, an unknown human group with designs on the Transformers.

Part 1
Soundwave monitors N.E.S.T. whilst a new player emerges on the scene.

The sequel to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen starts here!
What is The Initiative? More to the point, why doesn't the all-seeing Soundwave know anything about it? How did they come to reanimate/control Ravage? Soundwave must find the answers, and he'll destroy anything in his path to get them!

Orbiting the Earth, the sinister Soundwave is gathering information about the planet's inhabitants from their various news broadcasts. The space-faring Decepticon's eye is caught by police pursuing an apparently stolen RV in Seattle. The involvement of the NEST forces under the command of Major Lennox tips off that a Cybertronian is involved in this pursuit, something which is quickly confirmed by the sight of Alice driving the RV whilst the terrified owners cower away from the sinister Pretender, hiding in the back of the vehicle.

Skids & Mudflap are deployed to deal with Alice's Grand Theft Auto as well as the Decepticon's highly reckless driving. The Twins box the RV in, limiting the destruction Alice can cause, but the Pretender shows no sign of slowing down for an upcoming roadblock, forcing Sideswipe to enter the fray and attempt to ram the RV. At the last possible moment, Sideswipe transforms and stabs Alice in the face through the windshield of the RV, ending the vehicular rampage and terrifying the vehicle's owners even further.

With the confrontation over, Soundwave focuses his spying on Theodore Galloway, roaming the corridors of power. It seems that Mr. Galloway is doing all he can to dismantle NEST and the Autobot-military alliance, still upset at his forced deplaning at the hands of Lennox. Soundwave is happy that the human is doing his work for him, and that if other members of the global infrastructure act in this manner, then by the time Megatron is combat-ready, Soundwave will have already conquered the Earth by stealth.
Of course, the best laid schemes o' glitch mice an' mechs gang aft agley and Soundwave's carefully considered plan receives a spanner in the works as the Decepticon satellite discovers that his minion, Ravage, is apparently functioning again, a feeling that wasn't passed on to Soundwave, unlike the sensation of Ravage's death.

Not far from the newly re-animated Ravage, a pair of mysterious trucks are allowed through a security checkpoint onto the grounds of Kingdom Petrochemicals after handing a police officer some official-looking documents. Once through, the trucks disgorge some yellow ground attack vehicles and a lot of people wearing military-style hazard suits.

At Diego Garcia, Optimus Prime is discussing the success of the previous mission with NEST, but both sides note that without some way of knowing how many other Decepticons are active on the planet, Alice's capture means very little. Lennox notes that due to Galloway's actions, NEST doesn't have the funding for the required level of vigilance.

After Sideswipe expresses a rather poor opinion of Humanity, Bumblebee, Knock Out, Dune Runner and Jolt are dispatched to Kingdom Petrochemicals to monitor five unknown spark traces, with Breakaway acting as air support. Once the Autobot patrol arrive at their destination, they encounter the mysterious military-looking people and ground vehicles. Bumblebee gives the order merely to observe proceedings.

Unbeknown to 'Bee, others are also observing the scene, namely Buzzsaw. The Decepticon condor reports back to Soundwave about this new group of humans, describing them as "Armed. Organized. Well-equipped." Concerned by this unknown factor, Soundwave unleashes his animalistic minions with the orders to bring him a single survivor for interrogation and eradicate the rest. The humans detect this new Decepticon threat and respond with force immediately...and appear to gain the upper hand, much to Soundwave's astonishment.

Soundwave is forced to take direct action and enters Earth's atmosphere, where he is confronted by Breakaway. Soundwave brusquely tells the Autobot that the current situation is not their business. Breakaway refuses to back off and is promptly obliterated by Soundwave's Sonic Cannons. Upon the death of their teammate, the Autobots open fire on the Decepticons.

The mysterious human group, caught in the crossfire of an inter-Cybertronian battle, withdraw, realizing that they cannot complete their mission in these circumstances. Soundwave copies the human example and withdraws his forces, expressing frustration at being unable to track these humans.

Shortly, a group of humans meet in holographic form to discuss the results of this mission. They state that it was an incomplete success and that not enough energy was extracted to feed the group's "infant"—the partially restored AllSpark Cube.

Part 2
The Autobots begin to suspect that a human organization is working against them, while Soundwave continues to investigate the resurrection of Ravage.

Layers within layers are revealed as the massive global conspiracy that is Project: Nefarious continues to unfold. OPTIMUS PRIME wants answers, and he's prepared to go to any lengths to get them. But how far is too far? And by committing his forces to stopping SOUNDWAVE, is Prime just playing right into The Initiative's hands?

Galloway is prepared to shut down N.E.S.T. after the battle at Kingdom Petrochemicals, but Major Lennox is not going down without a fight. Galloway explains that all Cybertronians must have the proper paperwork to be active on Earth, which Jolt and Knock Out apparently don't have. The Decepticon threat level has been downgraded to blue, which means N.E.S.T. will no longer be needed. Lennox tries to explain how Bumblebee, Jolt, and Knock Out just fought a bunch of Decepticons at Kingdom Petrochemicals, but Galloway won't hear it. After Galloway and his boys leave, Optimus Prime and Lennox discuss the possibilities of a possible third organization involved in their situation in some way.

Meanwhile, a team of investigators is inspecting the sight at Kingdom Petrochemicals, and while searching through the ground, they discover a sub-level, and send down a team to investigate. When the humans go down there, Ravage comes charging out of the hole, and Soundwave orders him to to find a safe place to hide until he arrives, while he sends Buzzsaw to rendezvous with a strike team in Wendover, Utah.

While these events unfold, the people at Initiative are testing their newly reconstructed Allspark, but some of its members are worried about what could happen if things go wrong, while others tell them to shut up, and that everything'll be fine. Meanwhile, three Decepticons proceed to absolutely OBLITERATE a farm in Utah, looking for something to do with Ravage. They spy a sub-level in the farm, but they see a flashing red light, and Soundwave tells them to GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!

This has attracted both Initiative forces, and N.E.S.T. forces, with only N.E.S.T. responding. Lennox tells them to deploy Ironhide's team, as they are the closest to the Utah location, and when they get to the Utah area, they proceed to try and defeat the Decepticons. The Autobots fare pretty well against the Decepticons, killing two of them and causing Dirt Boss to surrender, but that is when Soundwave comes in and attacks. He unleashes Ravage to attack Ironhide, but he is quickly dispatched of. Just as Soundwave is about to use his saw on Ironhide, Optimus Prime comes parachuting down from the sky, and quickly defeats him. Soundwave then tries to convince the Autobots not to cryo-freeze him, as he is a valuable asset to them if they need to investigate who's working against them. Optimus Prime says that they will arrange for Soundwave's arrest, but they won't freeze him. In return, however, he has to tell them everything he knows.

Just then, the Initiative discovers that the Hoover Dam is gone off the radar...

Part 3
The Decepticons stage a jailbreak, while the Initiative's plans kick into high gear.

Capturing SOUNDWAVE is one thing, holding onto him quite another... as BUMBLEBEE, JOLT, KNOCK OUT and DUNE RUNNER are about to find out! And while the Autobots and Decepticons continue to stumble in the dark, National Security Director Theodore Galloway closes in on the secrets of Project: Nefarious... but his days are numbered!

In Utah, Bumblebee is reflecting on the type of soldier he is; he doesn't waiver, doesn't compromise and NEVER disobeys an order from Optimus Prime. Bee considers that the same applies to his trio of cadets: Jolt, Knock Out and Dune Runner. However, that kind of uncompromising, unquestioning attitude is precisely what got Breakaway killed.

The yellow Autobot's reverie is broken by a communique from Optimus Prime. Prime informs Bumblebee that the Autobots are ready and that 'Bee should bring Soundwave in at Bumblebee's discretion. Bumblebee acknowledges the order, but it's apparent, at least to Jolt, that the yellow Autobot thinks that Prime is underestimating the danger posed by Soundwave, even in his current, imprisoned and restrained, predicament.

As he is being transported in a NEST cargo plane, Soundwave smugly intones that the Autobot patrol have a mere twenty-two minutes left to live. Knock Out dismisses it as head games, but Jolt and Dune Runner are less sure, a view reinforced by Buzzsaw tailing the plane.

In a disused nuclear shelter in Odessa, Texas, Optimus Prime is asking Ironhide for confirmation that they'll be ready for Soundwave's impending arrival. Ironhide assures the Autobot commander that things will be ready "if and when" Soundwave makes it to them. Optimus questions Ironhide's use of "if," but Ironhide sticks to his guns. Further, Ironhide tells his senior officer that he should be there overseeing the transfer, as Soundwave is tricky to contain. Prime agrees but he claims to need Ironhide's expertise at their base more so than in the field. Ironhide pointedly asks Optimus why he's at the base instead of trying to patch things up with NEST. Prime confesses that he's not in the mood to deal with Lennox right now.

Back on Soundwave's prisoner transfer flight, the Autobot field team is in trouble. Buzzsaw destroys both of the cargo plane's starboard engines, leading to the inevitable fiery crash.

Over at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Theodore Galloway boards a helicopter and tells its crew to disregard any order they might have received barring them from conducting any reconnaissance over Sector Seven's old stomping grounds. The flight personnel acquiesce to Director Galloway and two helicopters are soon en route to the Hoover Dam.

Inside the Dam, some Initiative personnel are beginning a drilling operation that will lead them to reach an unspecified payload within thirty-six minutes.

Somewhere in the region of Inyokern, California, Initiative-1 AKA Carter Newell, is bemoaning the amount of time it's taking to drill through the reinforced concrete, whilst he is in radio contact with another of the Initiative's 'cardinals,' Mr. Kirkpatrick. Mr. Newell assures Kirkpatrick that he will deal with Galloway. Newell immediately contacts Woolf who is with the Allspark cube. Carter asks Woolf for a fast thaw, specifying that it must be an airborne unit.

At the NEST plane's crash site in New Mexico, the joint human/Autobot unit are checking their wounds. Bumblebee is a little unsteady after using his body to shield much of the human crew, as well as their 'cargo' from the worst of the impact. The Autobots are unable to send out a request for medical aid as Soundwave has comprehensively taken over the regional airwaves. Bumblebee realizes that leaves them as sitting ducks, so Bumblebee and his patrol race away, dragging the still-restrained Soundwave along for the ride. Bumblebee is seriously questioning the wisdom of transporting Soundwave to Odessa Base at all costs -- something that becomes even trickier when Buzzsaw, Beastbox, Rumble, Dirt Boss, Ratbat and Ravage show up to make their acquaintance.

At Odessa Base, Prime is dealing with a NEST captain, and agrees that they are unilaterally out on a limb. The operation is a risk and a subterfuge that will be entirely meaningless if Soundwave is lost.

Back in New Mexico, Bumblebee and his patrol are trying to deal with Soundwave's militia so that they can bring Soundwave to Odessa. Things start off well with Bumblebee taking on Rumble directly. Unfortunately, the Autobots are unable to deal with the Decepticon air support. Realizing that they can't win the combat, Bumblebee decides he has to take decisive action.

During the melee, Soundwave orders Ravage to free him from his restraints. Ravage goes to obey, but before he can do so, he is once more under the control of the Initiative. Soundwave expresses his disgust at this development. Meanwhile, Bumblebee decides that this team isn't fighting to the death - not his own, nor that of his cadets. Surmising that the Initiative clearly wants Soundwave very badly, Bumblebee blasts the Decepticon prisoner's restraining sled and abandons him to the desert. Knowing that he'll face consequences for his decision, but also knowing that such a decision meant life for himself, Knock Out, Dune Runner and Jolt, Bumblebee gets his cadets together.

In the airspace above the Hoover Dam, Captain Cox radios to Director Galloway that there's an unknown aircraft on an intercept course, right before Cox's 'copter explodes. The other helicopter takes evasive actions but is still hit by the unknown assailant. Soon Galloway makes visual contact with the attacker - a WWI-era biplane with clearly hostile intent...

Part 4
While Galloway fights for his life against Ransack, Soundwave confronts the Initiative head-on!

Even SOUNDWAVE's monumental patience has limits, and at last he goes fully on the offensive-staging a direct assault on The Initiative's base of operations. But the mysterious human organization always seems to have an extra trick up its sleeve, and this latest one's a real jaw-dropper!

Just outside of Boulder City, Nevada, Director Galloway and his accompanying helicopter crew are under a vicious attack from an Initiative-controlled Ransack, whilst over in Inyokern, California, Carter Newell and Ingrid are remotely observing the carnage. Ingrid asks Carter why has such hatred for the Cybertronians, a hatred that goes so far as not even considering the possibility of them having names. After that, Ingrid presses further, demanding to know what's in Isolation-1, an Initiative subdivision that Carter, and only Carter, has access to. Newell cuts Ingrid off, stating that despite their familial connection, she asks too many questions.

Over in Nevada, things go from bad to worse for Galloway's group, with Frank having his stomach impaled by a piece of debris thrown up in the chaos. Galloway searches the body of their helicopter pilot and finds a radio. At the same time, Carter & Ingrid are updated on the progress of their operation at the Hoover Dam. It's tight which worries the Initiative scientist as it may mean Armageddon, something that Ingrid proclaims to be "Cool." Someone who is finding things far less cool is Galloway, who is radioing an urgent help request to the NEST Tactical Base as Ransack looms ever closer...

Five minutes earlier at that very same base, Optimus Prime and Major Lennox are discussing how Soundwave's escape has left the trail that they were following completely cold, which, combined with how far off-book they went to achieve Soundwave's capture in the first place, means that Galloway could effectively shut NEST down completely. As this grim possibility is being pondered, the base receives Galloway's emergency radio call. Optimus dispatches the only Autobots in the area, Skids and Mudflap, to come to Galloway's aid. Ironhide isn't entirely sure Galloway deserves to be helped, but Prime's order is relayed.

In Eastern California, Soundwave and his minions, accompanied by Dirt Boss are investigating an operational base located within restricted airspace. Soundwave surmises that the humans were smart to minimize aerial surveillance in this way. Dirt Boss thinks that if these humans were that smart, they'd realize that Ravage's new handlers would be traced. Soundwave thinks they may have done, and that it could be a trap. Dirt Boss pooh poohs this and charges forwards, exposing a gap in the humans' outer perimeter by the simple means of getting blown the hell up. Buzzsaw and Ratbat penetrate the gap opened by Dirt Boss, but are forced back and conquered by automated aerial defenses. Soundwave orders Beastbox and Rumble to face the oncoming military vehicles, but they, too, are quickly subdued and destroyed by the human forces.

Forced to go in by himself, Soundwave claims to have taken the measure of the foe. He is quickly proven wrong as the military vehicles raise up and disgorge two more Initiative-controlled Transformers, who fire at Soundwave, rendering him unable to continue the attack.

In Nevada, Ransack is closing in on the dying Frank, until Galloway breaks cover and draws the Decepticon's attention away. As Ransack chases and fires at the NEST director, Skids and Mudflap finally arrive and start blasting at Ransack whilst mocking the Decepticon's retro styling. Outgunned, Ransack transforms back to his bi-plane mode and flies off, raking the Autobot twins with gunfire as he flies off. Unfortunately for the Seeker, his escape is cut short by a squadron of NEST gunship helicopters who promptly blast Ransack out of the sky, effectively neutralizing the threat.

As Galloway's helicopter crew is extracted and a medic tends to Frank, Galloway reports to Lennox that someone tried to kill them all because they had gotten too close to something at the Hoover Dam. This prompts the group to head over to the Dam, where they note signs of forced entry. The Twins surmise that whoever forced the entry were going after the AllSpark.

Back at the Odessa base, an enemy contact is detected and closing in fast. Prime sends out Ironhide and a squad of humans to investigate the new arrival. It turns out to be Soundwave, who tells the welcoming committee to lower their weapons, as he is there to propose an alliance.

Over at the Initiative, Carter appears to be in Isolation-1, and is musing on Ingrid's words, talking to a sinister-looking Transformer head about how he hates the robots as they took everything that he cared about. As he says this, a wrecked vintage car is clear behind him. Apparently he's dedicated his life to humbling all robots, and soon all robot-kind will know his revenge.

Part 5
Can Soundwave's uneasy alliance with the Autobots stand against the forces of the Initiative?

The full scope and scale of The Initiative's grand plan-some eighty years in the making-is revealed, and the pooling of AUTOBOT and DECEPTICON forces may just be too little too late. Armed with his very own Allspark, Carter Newell has nothing less than total annihilation on his mind!

Following Soundwave's lead, the Autobots and NEST arrive at the site of the Initiative's base in Inyokern, California, only to discover that the base has completely disappeared! Suspecting some kind of mobile/modular headquarters, Optimus Prime's fear that their enemies have access to Cybertronian technology continues to grow, and Soundwave, seeking to maintain the upper hand in their uneasy alliance, refrains from confirming Prime's suspicions by telling them about the mind-controlled Transformers he battled previously. While the NEST team preps for departure and Galloway gives Lennox some uncharacteristic words of encouragement, Ironhide escorts Soundwave to a nearby cellular tower, where the spymaster uses his abilities to track the Initiative down.

The Initiative base, meanwhile, has relocated to Crater Lake in Oregon, where the facsimile AllSpark has been briefly stabilized by the infusion of the residual energy harvested from Hoover Dam. Exploiting this lull, Carter Newell uses some kind of technological apparatus to link himself into the cube's energies, finally giving him control of them. Soon after, when the Initiative's board of directors convenes in their virtual reality boardroom, the directors announce their intention to force Carter out... and Carter responds by transmitting AllSpark energy through the virtual systems, into the board members offices, where it brings various pieces office equipment to life. The feral Allspark Mutations kill all the board members, leaving Carter in sole control of the Intiative and Project: Nefarious.

The surge of AllSpark energy released by Carter is felt from afar by Optimus Prime as he, the Autobots and NEST home in on the Initiative's new location. The group divides to attack the base from every side, and the Initiative's human troops quickly fall before their superior opponents. Carter demands that every Transformer the Initiative has captured over the years be thawed out to join the battle, as he activates the counterfeit AllSpark to supply them with the necessary power. The Autobots react in horror to the sight of familiar friends and foes emerging from the Intiative base, but a greater horror is brewing within... the energy demands Carter has placed upon the AllSpark prove too much, too soon, and it begins to go into meltdown!

Part 6
A great battle between evil and good! Who will reach the cube?

The fate of the entire planet teeters in the balance as OPTIMUS PRIME makes a fateful decision; a no-win scenario he never thought he'd have to face... again. Cover-to-cover searing battle action and truly epic stakes, the sequel to Revenge of the Fallen concludes!

Carter Newell descends further and further into insanity, intent on using the facsimile AllSpark to exterminate all Transformer life, beginning with Optimus Prime and his Autobots. Outside the Initiative base, the Autobots struggle in their battle against the Initiative-controlled Autobots and Decepticons; unable to fight to their fullest extent due to their unwillingness to hurt their friends, they are forced instead to subdue them, allowing Ratchet to cut them off from the controlling energies of the artificial AllSpark.

With the AllSpark entering meltdown due to Carter's misuse of it, Hank Kirkpatrick attempts to stop the madman, only to have Carter blast him with the AllSpark's energies, reducing him to a pile of smoking bones. This horrific sight prompts Carter's niece Ingrid to race to the isolation unit where the mysterious Transformer head held captive by Carter resides, agreeing to liberate the Transformer in order to stop Carter if he explains what is going on. The robot explains that he is a Seeker named Fortress, one of many left abandoned on Earth by The Fallen thousands of years beforehand. In 1929, a reckless contest between Fortress and another Seeker for information on the location of the Tomb of the Primes led to the young Carter Newell's parents being killed in a car crash, and Carter himself being crippled. Carter has hated the Transformers ever since, and has used his parents' wealth to build the Initiative for the goal of destroying them.

Exploiting the chaos of the battle, Soundwave is able to wrest control of Ravage back from the Initiative, and has him deploy the Microcons. Just as Carter is using the power of the AllSpark to inflict pain upon Prime and the Autobots through their very sparks, the tiny robots sneak up behind the human and form Reedman, grievously wounding him before they are destroyed by an AllSpark-powered blast. Believing the AllSpark will heal his wounds in time, Carter disconnects a portion of the mobile base and flees with the cube, only to be pursued by Optimus Prime, Buzzsaw (at Soundwave's command), and Fortress himself, who has been freed by Ingrid and has reconstituted his body from the remains of the abandoned mobile base. Prime is forced to propel Carter's escape vehicle off the road, plucking the cube from the wreckage and attempting to bring it under control by feeding it the energies of his own spark. Carter emerges from the rubble and is about to use the cube to destroy Prime, when he is killed by a cannon barrage from Buzzsaw. At that point, Fortress arrives and convinces Prime to give him the cube, teleporting away with it to some far-off corner of the cosmos, where it explodes harmlessly, taking no lives but Fortress's own.

In the aftermath of the battle, the Autobots and NEST arrest the surviving Initiative personnel and comb through the base's computers, but information on the full extent of Newell's organization and his operations remains elusive. Prime fears that everything Carter did could all happen again...as up in orbit, Soundwave completes his upload of the Initiative's databanks...

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[Leathurkatt]

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Transformers: Sector 7

Transformers: Sector 7 is a 5-issue comic-book mini-series published by IDW Publishing in 2010, telling the story of secretive Sector Seven. It has been billed as the first prequel to Transformers: Dark of the Moon, but by all appearances, it doesn't really have anything to do with it.

“At last—the secret history of the Transformers is finally revealed, through the multigenerational saga of the clandestine spy group code-named SECTOR 7. Events in this series tie directly into all of the massive hit Transformers movies, but trust us when we say—there has never been a movie-tie in comic like this before!”

Sector 7 follows the Simmons lineage down through the years, beginning with Walter Simmons in 1898, the discovery of the frozen Megatron and the founding of the organization that will become Sector Seven. Simmons is consumed by the alien wonders that Megatron—and later the AllSpark—present, slipping into a self-destructive decline that initially pushes his family away, only to slowly, inevitably, draw them back into an all-consuming obsession that defines the Simmons legacy through to the present day. The only hope for breaking the cycle lies with Jetfire, wandering the Earth after his abandonment by the The Fallen, whose path continuously finds itself intersecting with that of Simmons and his descendants.

The series pays particular attention to the fragmented continuity of the live-action movie continuity family, doing its best to forge connections with disparate pieces of fiction (including the films themselves, IDW's own comics, and surprisingly, the Ghosts of Yesterday prequel novel), as well as to address and smooth over any obvious continuity errors. Real-world history is also folded in where appropriate, including events such as the Spanish-American War, the Boxer Rebellion, and World War II, and the lives of historical figures like Herbet and Lou Hoover, and Bonnie and Clyde. Every issue features a page of notes by the author to highlight and further explain in detail both the Transformers continuity and real-world references.

Original
1898: by order of the President, an investigation is undertaken of a blind mental patient's claims of a thirty-six feet tall steel man...

While on their latest fantastical exploit, gentleman adventurers Walter Simmons and Joseph Wells run afoul of a race of inhuman subterranean monsters beneath the Sierra Nevada mountains. After escaping the beasts and re-entombing them beneath the Earth through a combination of Joseph's fondness for firearms and Walter's predilection for rational thinking, the pair are approached by United States Secret Service agent Billy North, who has been sent to draft the two men on orders of the president. Walter and Joseph's history of endeavours into the worlds of the unreal make them the ideal men to study the case of Captain Archibald Witwicky, who has returned from a voyage to the Arctic blind and mad, spinning "delusional" tales of a giant mechanical man frozen beneath the ice. After questioning Witwicky in Boston, Walter is intrigued at the possibility, while Joseph scoffs at the notion, enraging Witwicky's first mate, Reginald Danco, who accosts him. Defusing the confrontation, Walter and North learn that Danco also saw the metal man, and begin putting together an expedition to follow Danco's directions back to the Arctic and see it for themselves.

A short time later, Walter, Joseph, North and Danco set sail for the Arctic, joined by metallurgist Jack Arden, explosives expert Philippe Bowen and geologist Theodore Grant. Witwicky's claims prove more than mere fantasy when the team discovers the frozen form of Megatron, and Walter begins speculating about the true nature of the alien marvel before him. As Witwicky's presence did before, however, the arrival of the seven activates something within Megatron, and one-light second away, in Havana, Cuba, the long-dormant Jetfire senses the Decepticon leader's energy signal. Having been disguised as a boat, Jetfire promptly transforms and flies away, leaving his crew none the wiser, thinking that their ship has merely been sunk by the Spanish.

Danco advocates destroying Megatron to North before he can pose a threat to humanity, while Walter and Joseph discuss each other's reactions: the former shocked by the latter's incredulity, the latter fearing the former may be consumed by the enormity of what they face. Arden, meanwhile, studies Megatron's metal body, coming to the frustrating conclusion that he is made of no metal he has ever seen; information without which Grant cannot calculate where Bowen should place his charges to free Megatron. The whole matter soon becomes a secondary concern when Jetfire comes crashing through the roof of the ice cave, having followed Megatron's signal there. Ignoring the humans, who look on in awe, he converses with the reactivated Megatron, but upon learning that the Decepticon is not The Fallen, upon whom he seeks revenge, he simply punches his prone form. Jarred out of their shock by Jetfire's violent act, the seven spring into action, with North firing upon the Transformer with his six-guns. Irritated by the "insect's stings", Jetfire seizes North, and hurls him over his shoulder to his death. At Danco's direction, Grant and Bowen set up charges to blow the ice out from under Jetfire, while Walter, Joseph and Arden distract him from either side. The resultant explosion sends Jetfire plunging into the depths of the freezing sea, and partially immerses Megatron as well, knocking him offline; as he shuts down, Megatron gasps out his name, which Walter mis-hears as "Mega-Man".

The death of Agent North weighing heavily on his conscience, Walter tells Joseph that to be consumed by the extra-terrestrial mystery is inevitable. He tells the others he expects nothing from them, their duty to him and the mission done, but they all object, insisting that the group stay together. And so ends the first and only adventure of the First Seven...

Irreplaceable
1913: Walter Simmons discovers the AllSpark where the Hoover Dam will be built, and Jetfire wants it for himself...

In the fifteen years that have passed since Walter Simmons, Theodore Wells and their group discovered the frozen "Mega-Man" in the Arctic, Simmons has become consumed by the mysterious metal creature, as well as a giant cube uncovered in the Colorado River in 1902, which he believes to be connected to the robot. Simmons's wife Clara and their daughter Margaret, living in the middle of the Nevada desert, have not seen Walter in eight months, their needs looked after by Wells… but Clara's patience is wearing thin, and Wells is running out of excuses…

Wells and Simmons's group of seven has gained and lost members over the last few years; metallurgist and geologist Lou Hoover and her mining expert husband Herbert have joined the group after meeting Wells when they were all caught up in the middle of the Boxer Rebellion in Tianjin, China at the turn of the century, as has the enthusiastic young Roy Thompson. Wells returns from his latest visit to Clara and Margaret just as the Hoovers are telling Roy how they met Wells, and they all head down into the Colorado River basin to join Simmons for the excavation of the cube, finally made possible after nearly a decade thanks to Herbert masterminding the diversion of the river around the mysterious object. Wells attempts to remind Simmons of his family, but Simmons is more concerned with the glyphs on the cube's surface, which match those on the Mega-Man, definitively proving the two relics to be related. As the cube is hoisted from its crater, revealing a cave system below, Wells and Simmons are shocked to see traces of the same mysterious glowing material that they found in the caves in Sierra, Nevada fifteen years ago, and the team heads underground to investigate.

Once under the Earth, the team realizes that the caves must form a huge network that connects to the ones Wells and Simmons previously explored. Puzzling over the glowing substance, they happen upon the corpses of many of the creatures Wells and Simmons had encountered on their last adventure, and are promptly confronted by the beasts' slayer: Jetfire still lives! Even after spending years questing through the tunnels after sensing the cube's power signature, the energy-deprived Jetfire recognises Simmons and Wells and attacks. The team scrambles for the surface, and Simmons calls for the cube to be dropped on Jetfire, despite the fact that Wells has not yet emerged. Thankfully, Wells is able to escape, but before the cube can be dropped, the shocked Jetfire recognizes the AllSpark and reaches out for it. He triggers a surge of energon from the cube which brings the crane hoisting it, a nearby car, and Thompson's shotgun to life, and overloads his own systems, forcing him to teleport away. Wells has to physically drag the mesmerized Simmons away from the cube as the Hoovers break open the water bypass floodgates diverting the river, flooding the basin once more and "drowning" the crane robot. Dismissing his willingness to abandon Wells, Simmons decides to move to Colorado to study the cube permanently, leaving the Mega-Man under the watch of the other group members in the Arctic. But everyone has forgotten the car robot brought to life by the AllSpark, as it silently drives away into the desert…

Later, a knock comes at the door of the Simmons residence, and Clara answers, thinking Walter is home at last. But it is Wells at the door… and having seen how much his old friend has irrevocably changed, he begs Clara to forget about Walter… and run away with him!

Together
1934: Let us tell you a story of two bank robbers named Bonnie and Clyde... and their transforming death car!

On January 8, 1934, infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde complete another successful bank robbery in Sowers, Texas, only to have their getaway driver W. D. Jones crash into the police car that arrives in response to the crime. With Jones out cold, the two criminals seek an alternative means of transport, and spy an old car nearby with its engine running. A cop draws his firearm on them before they can board the vehicle, but he is as surprised as they are when the car transforms into a giant robot!

Two days later, veteran Sector Seven officer Roy Thompson arrives in Sowers to investigate the cop's report, on assumption that it may be connected to the car which was brought to life by the power of the AllSpark over twenty years beforehand, though he is highly skeptical. He is accompanied by Margaret Simmons, daughter of Sector Seven founder Walter Simmons, who has been given the job by her father following the recent end of her marriage, on the belief that it will be a safe assignment that will keep her out of danger. Walter's assumption, however, is soon proven very wrong when Roy and Margaret discover that the cop is bandaged from head to toe, and his description of the creature that attacked him is identical to the robot they are looking for.

At Bonnie and Clyde's hideout, Clyde attempts to get the car to transform again by shouting various phrases at it, while Bonnie works on her poetry, penning a morbid prediction of the deaths the couple are destined for when they are caught. When Bonnie comments that she wishes the car had windows like their other vehicle, the pair watch in amazement as the AllSpark mutation disassembles the other car and incorporates its parts, reshaping its appearance to Bonnie's liking. Convinced of the car's willingness to help them, the pair prepare to employ its power in staging a jailbreak to free the captive W.D. Jones.

Deducing Clyde's plan, Roy Thompson readies the Texas Rangers at Eastham Jail for the criminals' inevitable attack, and arms himself with a gun created by Sector Seven's Dr. Oppenheimer that will disrupt the robot's mental functions. As Roy is explaining the history of the gun and the AllSpark mutation to the bewildered Margaret, Bonny, Clyde and the car arrive and open fire on the jail. The robot breaks down the prison walls and frees all the inmates, but during the chaos, Margaret is able to shoot Bonnie in the arm. The robot takes this badly and unleashes a furious barrage of firepower, causing Roy to drop the gun, but Margo is able to recover it and blast the robot, reverting it to vehicle mode. Nevertheless, the criminals are all able to board the car and drive off, leaving Bonnie behind. But Margaret has observed that the robot has sentience and feelings, and quickly concocts a plan...

Some time later, Clyde and the inmates make camp in the wilderness under cover of night, while the recovered robot wanders off into the woods. Without his mechanical bodyguard around, the inmates start to argue with Clyde: many of them only had short sentences, but they now know they will get the death sentence if they are re-captured. One particularly vocal inmate is suddenly silenced when the robot returns and grasps him in its hand, crushing the life from him. As the other crooks flee, the robot reveals that it has found a map in the woods, showing Bonnie's location. Clyde can tell a trap when he sees one, but the robot is insistent that they not leave Bonnie behind, and Clyde can't help but agree with the sentiment. Following the map, they naturally walk straight into a Sector Seven ambush... at which point the car transforms to robot mode, and guns Bonnie down, preferring to see her dead than behind bars! The agents return fire, and Clyde is killed, leaving only the crippled robot. Margaret walks up to it, and as it apologizes, deeming its actions "the only way", she unloads the gun into its head at point-blank range. After a moment, the robot explodes, as the Sector Seven agents wonder how to cover up the whole bizarre affair. Recovering Bonnie's poem from the rubble, Margaret quotes it as an answer to their question: it was death for Bonnie and Clyde.

Weapon
1944 — At the height of World War II, the Allies' worst fears are realized: the Nazis have captured a Transformer!

On April 3, 1944, Walter Simmons summons his grandson, Private Billy Simmons, to the Sector Seven beta command post at the Hoover Dam, having orchestrated his transfer from his military unit to the Sector Seven forces. Billy is not happy with the situation, preferring to be out facing the Nazis on the battlefield, but as his grandfather reveals the secret history of Sector Seven to him, it becomes apparent that that's exactly where he's going: behind enemy lines to destroy an N.B.E. that the Nazis have captured and are reverse-engineering to create incredible weapons of war!

Together with Sergeant Donovan, hand-to-hand expert Horwitz, infiltrations specialist Louie Corliss, machine-gunner Garcia, intelligence officer Newcombe and sniper Lupton (nicknamed "The Kid" because he lied about his age to join the army), Billy departs for an air-drop into Nazi territory, close to Castle Neuschwanstein where the N.B.E. is being kept. The heavy-handed speeches of Donovan and the joking of Corliss get the mission off to an uneasy start, but things suddenly get exponentially worse when the team's plane is shot down by Nazi laser-tanks! Simmons, Donovan, Newcombe and Lupton are the only ones to survive the fall, managing to deploy their parachutes, but Newcombe doesn't last long on the ground, crushed by one of the freakish tanks as it comes rolling in pursuit of the soldiers. The three remaining men take cover in a ditch, reasoning that the tank will not be able to follow... only for the tank to transform into a humanoid mode! Luckily, the tank's conversion time gives Donovan a chance to load a bazooka and topple the tank-robot, which is revealed to have a human pilot wired into its systems. The pilot pleads for Simmons to kill him in German, and Simmons does so—but not out of mercy, since he doesn't speak German. Detecting the approach of more tanks, the men prepare to leave, but Simmons and Lupton discover that Donovan has been fatally wounded by blow-back from the bazooka, and obey his wishes to leave him.

Deducing that the pilots' brains are wired into the robot tanks to help them maintain an equilibrium, Simmons has Lupton lead the two tanks pursuing them through a dense crop of forest, where they fell all the trees in their wake. Simmons then strikes from behind, hoping to cause the robots to stumble over the collapsed trees, but only one tank falls, and the other continues to attack him. Lupton smashes his way into the fallen tank and seizes the manual controls from its pilot, bringing the robot's cannon to bear and taking down the other with a blast that also, unfortunately, severs Simmons's hand.

Simmons and Lupton conceal themselves in the captive tank and try using it to approach Castle Neuschwanstein by hiding in plain sight, but the tortured pilot's repeated pleading screams that they kill him tip off the castle guards. Abandoning stealth, the two men take the tank through the castle walls all guns blazing, prompting the scientists within to activate their ultimate creation: the "Panzer-Giganten", a huge robot that proceeds to smash the tank and kill Lupton. Simmons evades the robot and machine-guns his way through the ranks of Nazi soldiers that come at him, seizing a scientist and demanding answers. Getting only the standard "I was following orders!" response, he hurls the man out a window, but immediately regrets it, since he could have used his help in finding the captive N.B.E. The Panzer-Giganten comes crashing through the floor after Simmons, who hurls a satchel of explosives at it, only for the automaton to swat it aside. As luck would have it, the satchel blows open the cryo-containment chamber holding the captive N.B.E.—none other than Jetfire himself! Sickened by the Panzer-Giganten, Jetfire drives his fist through the Nazi robot, tearing out its human components and causing it to drop to the floor, deactivated. Jetfire then turns on Simmons, demanding to know how his own kind could do so monstrous a thing. Simmons tries to explain that it was not his doing, and that he thought the bomb would kill them all, prompting Jetfire to question why he values his life so little. Simmons's retort that he values his life, but values freedom more, causes memories of Jetfire's rebellion against The Fallen to well up in the Seeker's mind, and he tells Simmons that they are more alike than they may well realize.

After destroying Castle Neuschwanstein and everyone in it, Jetfire flies Simmons to an Allied command post and departs without leaving any tangible evidence of his existence. One great mystery remains: a map of a cave system that Nazis had pried from Jetfire's mind. Although the copy in the castle was destroyed, Simmons fears that they may have duplicated the information, and requests permanent transfer to Sector Seven, at last understanding why someone, like his mother and grandfather before him, would so dedicate themselves to the organization.

Frozen
1954 — What you fear most... is among you.

On February 9, 1954, disaster strikes the Sector Seven command post in the Arctic: an act of sabotage has sent the furnace heating the base into overdrive, driving up the temperature in the base and threatening to defrost the Mega-Man. The rising temperature triggers an unbreakable lockdown, trapping the skeleton crew manning the base—Bill Simmons, Anne Fischer, Philip Nolan, Joe Danco and Fontaine—inside, and leaving Walter Simmons with no alternative but to have the complex struck with liquid nitrogen bombs in order to ensure that the Mega-Man does not thaw.

Inside the base, tensions run high as Bill (now sporting a robotic prosthetic fist) is forced to subdue and lock up the unstable Nolan, who believes that an N.B.E. is among them in human form. With the group unable to communicate with anyone outside thanks to a destroyed radio, Danco explains that the furnace is trapped in a loop that is pulling in the warm air that heats the crew's living quarters above, heating it further, and cycling it into the Mega-Man chamber. With only four hours before the alien defrosts, Anne, Fontaine and Danco concoct a plan to link an air duct that leads outside to the chamber, restoring the freezing Arctic air that will keep the Mega-Man immobile. Being the smallest, Fontaine has the unenviable job of climbing up into the ducts to make the link.

Anne visits the imprisoned Nolan, who denies responsibility for the sabotage and grudgingly admits that his hostile actions were born purely out of his hatred for Bill; a hatred that is the result of Bill accusing respected Sector Seven scientist Robert Oppenheimer of being a Communist and disgracing him. He is unsurprised when Anne tries to defend Bill's actions, knowing that there is something going on between them, but more important matters suddenly come to the fore when blood splashes on Nolan from above, and Fontaine's corpse slumps out of a duct in the ceiling. No sooner has Bill rushed to respond to Anne's scream at this sight than an explosion draws the trio back to the Mega-Man chamber, where the control panel Danco was working on has exploded, driving the generators even further and giving the team only an hour until the robot awakens.

Having seen their transforming abilities in action during World War II, Bill is forced to accept the possibility posited by Nolan, that an N.B.E. could have taken human form. Taking blood samples from sick bay and comparing them with fresh samples drawn from each of the crew, Bill proves that he, Nolan and Danco are human beings, but Anne's sample does not match. Thankfully, this is quickly proven to be because she is pregnant, leading to the revelation that she and Bill were secretly married the previous year, but that they couldn't say anything because of regulations. Unwilling to trust either of them now that he knows they are together, Nolan draws a gun on Bill and demands that he show them where he was when Fontaine was killed. Bill reveals that he was investigating the mysterious cave system that links the Arctic base to Colorado, and which stretches all over the world—that this has been his job at the Arctic base ever since the war ended. With the caves now offering an escape route, the saboteur, and Fontaine's murderer, reveals himself: it is Danco, who has defected to the Communist side and plans to escape to Russia with Sector Seven's secrets. Before Danco can kill the others, however, the defrosted Mega-Man comes crashing through the wall, bringing the base down around him as he claws his way to the surface.

Aboveground, reflecting on the family tragedies his obsession has caused, Walter Simmons gives the command to drop the liquid nitrogen bombs on the base. One of the spy planes circling overhead suddenly dives to intercept, revealing itself to be Jetfire, who transforms and shields Nolan and Anne from the freezing blast as it consumes Bill, Danco and Megatron. Walter approaches Jetfire, recognizing him from their encounters in 1898 and 1913, asking for his grandson, who Jetfire regretfully tells him is dead. When Walter asks why Jetfire has done this, the ancient Seeker relates how Bill saved him from the Nazis during the war, and how it made him realize the extent of the contradictions that exist within humanity, and within himself. Jetfire seeks to atone for past sins, and as he departs, tells Walter he is no longer the creature he met in those caves... and that Walter does not have to be either. As Jetfire disappears into the sky, Walter begs Anne for one thing: to keep her baby away from him, away from Sector Seven, away from the self-destructive Simmons legacy.

In his journal, Simmons writes of how Bill and Danco's bodies were never recovered... but that five months later, the Soviets activated a nuclear power plant, suggesting Danco made it behind the Iron Curtain with his stolen secrets, and giving Walter hope that Bill could have survived. Anne took the Simmons name, and followed Walter's wishes, returning to a normal life and opening a delicatessen. She named her child Seymour... a child who, for both their sakes, Walter hopes he will never meet.

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