Timelines # 2
Story by Forest Lee, Pete Sinclair, and Benson Yee
Written by Forest Lee
Penciled by Alex Milne
Colors by Drew Eiden and Josh Perez

“Games of Deception”

Note: 

This story takes place in the “Classics” continuity, which follows some years on from Marvel comics continuity, but ignores the UK material and Generation 2.  This comic follows the Transformers Fan Club Magazine’s second story arc, which as of the writing of this review, hasn’t been completed yet.  So yeah…expect some confusion.

Summary:

In Earth orbit, the Autobot space cruiser Graviton floats while its crew observes the planet from the bridge.  On the bridge, Ultra Magnus comments that he never thought he’d see Earth in his lifetime, and figures the planet’s terrain must be tough to maneuver on.  Springer tries to assure him it isn’t so bad, but Huffer is quite adamant that Earth has never been anything but bad luck for the Autobots.  Springer changes the subject and mentions that it will be good to see Grimlock again.  Ultra Magnus asks Strong Arm for the whereabouts of their Decepticon targets, and the Mini-Con responds that he’s located their ship hidden in the dark side of the Moon.  There are no life signs, however, so Bug Bite and his Decepticons must have already landed on Earth’s surface.  Springer mentions to Snarl that the information he got from the Nebulan Monzo was accurate, to which Snarl responds that the “little fat man” wasn’t so tough.  Elita-One informs Ultra Magnus that there are standing orders from Optimus Prime to shield their presence on populated worlds, so Magnus orders the whole crew to get their alt-modes configured for Earth.  Since Huffer is staying behind on the ship, Magnus tells him to look out for Tyrannitron, who is still aboard and might “eat something important”.  Meanwhile on the Earth’s surface, Bug Bite’s crew is loitering about, with Dreadwind complaining how he should have stayed with Darkwing and how no one likes him here.  Bug Bite almost jokingly tries to cheer the larger Decepticon up, as the rest of the crew exit their drop ship.  Thundercracker is being rightly annoyed by Weirdwolf’s constant poetry and rhyming, and Thrust reports to Bug Bite that they’ve been spotted by Megatron’s Earthbound Decepticons.  Elsewhere on Earth, Optimus Prime’s Autobot team returns to base after some harrowing encounter with Devastator.  Prime is holding Rodimus’ damaged body in his arms and orders more reinforcements summoned from Cybertron.  Optimus asks Bumblebee to help him put Rodimus into a CR Chamber, then he needs him to help figure out some message that was received earlier from Cliffjumper.  Grimlock walks into another room for some privacy and receives a transmission from Springer, who tells him that they’ve tracked some of Bludgeon’s Decepticons to Earth.  Grimlock tells Springer to send him the coordinates and he will meet them there.  Unbeknownst to the Dinobot commander as he leaves the Autobot base and flies off, Mirage is following him in cloaked mode, wondering where Grimlock is going at this troublesome hour.  A few hours later, Starscream, Skywarp, and Ramjet are flying along, having located Bug Bite’s temporary base-camp.  Ramjet and Skywarp are somewhat demoralized after a beating they took from the Autobots, but Starscream berates them for being incompetent.  They transform and land, with Starscream issuing a greeting to Bug Bite’s group.  After a few comments exchanged between the two groups of Decepticons, Starscream gets down to business and asks what Bug Bite is doing here on Earth.  Bug Bite explains that he wants to negotiate mutually-beneficial terms with Megatron, as nearby, a cloaked Mirage takes note of the Decepticons in the area and begins listening in.  Dreadwind and Weirdwolf both seem to notice the presence of an Autobot, and Starscream orders them to spread out and find it.  On a nearby cliff over-looking the Decepticon base-camp, Grimlock has met with Ultra Magnus and his team and are watching the proceedings.  Grimlock thinks the Decepticons have spotted Elita-One, who is also down there spying on them, but Springer comments that she’s too good to be spotted so easily.  Below, Dreadwind finds the cloaked Mirage and blasts him.  Starscream puts his rifle to the downed Mirage’s head, preparing to end the spy’s life, but suddenly Bug Bite’s Decepticons open fire on him, Skywarp, and Ramjet.  Starscream finds that he cannot move and Bug Bite explains that they’ve been hit with cerebro-shells, modified to fired out of standard weapons.  He’s been using these shells to gather his own little Decepticon faction; all his troops have them equipped, giving him near-perfect control over their actions, and he aspires to be leader of the Decepticons using them.  Above, Grimlock grumbles about Mirage having followed him and how he hates rescue missions.  Springer confirms the use of modified cerebro-shells, which was information that Snarl also gleaned from interrogating Monzo.  Magnus asks Springer if the jammer they brought along will work, and Springer confirms that Perceptor built it and it should scramble most of the cerebro-shells’ signals.  Below, Bug Bite orders Mirage to be taken with them as they go to meet Megatron.  The Decepticons take off with Mirage in tow, as Grimlock orders Swoop and Elita-One to quietly track them.  Meanwhile at the Earthbound Decepticons’ base, Megatron ruminates in his private quarters about Bug Bite, asking Shockwave for background on the mysterious Decepticons.  Shockwave, now only reduced to a head on a stand, informs Megatron that Bug Bite was a technician whose specialty is modifying already-existing technology to his benefit.  There is little other information available on him, as he only joined the Decepticons a short time before they left Cybertron and crashed on Earth.  Megatron affirms that Bug Bite will be useful then, and Shockwave adds that he would be more useful if he had access to the computer systems.  Megatron denies Shockwave’s request and simply seals his former lieutenant’s head in a enclosed chamber.  Meanwhile outside, as Bug Bite’s crew enters the base, Swoop and Elita-One have followed them there.  Elita notices one sentry- Ravage, and radios back to Grimlock for further orders.  Inside the Decepticons’ base, Megatron and Bug Bite meet and Megatron demands to know what they are doing on Earth.  He asks if Bludgeon’s Decepticons have agreed to submit to his command.  Bug Bite responds by hitting a button on his control pad, which forces all his Decepticons to raise their weapons and open fire on Megatron and his Decepticons, hitting them all with cerebro-shells.  Outside, Grimlock gives Elita-One the go-ahead to take Ravage down, and she moves in.  However, Ravage isn’t where she last saw him.  Above her, Ravage perches on a rock, complimenting Elita for her stealth skills, but informing her that she isn’t as stealthy as him.  Ravage leaps at her, claws extended, but Elita deflects his attack and explains that her skin allows her to blend into backgrounds seamlessly.  She delivers a few strikes to Ravage, who identifies her fighting style as Circuit-Su.  Ravage fires a laser blast from his mouth, but Elita is able to reflect the laser’s light off her skin and blind the Decepticon cassette.  Another strike to the head, and Ravage is down.  Inside, Megatron demands an explanation of Bug Bite, who comments that he wanted to meet the legendary commander of the Decepticons face-to-face.  Bug Bite goes on to explain that there are a myriad of alternate worlds across the multi-verse, and across that span certain universes cause damage to other universes simply by existing.  Outside, Strong Arm breaks the lock to Decepticon base and Grimlock’s team moves in.  Back inside, Bug Bite explains that he originates from an alternate universe that is slowly being destroyed by this universe.  While others from his universe simply want to stop the deterioration of their world, Bug Bite just wants revenge on those who caused it.  Nearby, the Autobots patrol the halls of the Decepticon base, as Magnus orders Springer to ready the cerebro-shell jammer.  Back inside the meeting room, Bug Bite explains that with Megatron under his control, he will lay waste to the Autobots, and then he will slaughter all the Decepticons as well.  Then he will steal their technology and use it to help repair what remains of his world.  Suddenly, Megatron grabs Bug Bite’s neck, lifts him up to face level and calls him a fool.  Megatron says that he is not susceptible to mind-control, holding up the cerebro-shell that he was hit with.  Panicked, Bug Bite orders the other mind-controlled Decepticons to protect him and they all raise their weapons to Megatron.  Outside the room, Elita sees what is going on through the use of a spy-cable and notices that Mirage is in there, beaten-up but still functional.  The order is given to activate the cerebro-shell jammer and half of the controlled Decepticons inside the room painfully grab their heads as their cerebro-shell signals are scrambled.  They immediately turn their weapons on those who are still under Bug Bite’s control.  Megatron admits that he is amused that Bug Bite’s universe may have unwittingly been destroyed by his actions, and orders his Decepticons to destroy any who still oppose him.  The room erupts in violence as Megatron slowly begins to crush Bug Bite’s neck.  Suddenly, the door is blasted open and the Autobot team moves in, guns blazing.  Enraged by the presence of Autobots, Megatron tosses Bug Bite aside and orders them killed.  Swoop and Strong Arm get to the injured Mirage’s side as Magnus and Grimlock gun down Thrust and Dirge.  Soundwave notices that the Autobots are also targeting the computers in the room, and Megatron orders him to stop them as he deals with the cerebro-shell-controlled Decepticons.  Megatron blows Weirdwolf away as Bug Bite desperately crawls to grab the downed Dirge’s rifle.  Nearby, Dreadwind fights as he continues to lament about how no one likes him.  Just as Bug Bite reaches Dirge’s rifle, a giant foot slams down on his hand.  Bug Bite looks up to see Megatron looming menacingly over him.  The Decepticon high-commander comments that he didn’t forget about Bug Bite, and fires his fusion cannon, blowing Bug Bite’s head to pieces.  Ultra Magnus notices that Bug Bite has been killed, as Springer shoots more of the Decepticons’ computer consoles out.  With their primary target destroyed and Snarl and Elita-One getting Mirage away to safety, Magnus orders a retreat and tosses a handful of grenades off to cover them.  As the room is consumed by flames, Megatron grabs Bug Bite’s cerebro-shell control and crushes it, vowing that all Autobots will die by his hand one day.  Later on aboard the Graviton as it leaves Earth orbit, Optimus Prime bids Grimlock farewell through a view-screen as the Dinobot commander has decided to leave with Ultra Magnus and crew to hunt down Bludgeon’s Decepticons in space.  Grimlock promises to come back afterwards, as Prime comments that his team will keep a handle on Megatron’s Decepticons on Earth.  Ultra Magnus says that it was good to see Prime and Optimus tells Magnus that he is always welcome on Earth.  With that farewell, the Graviton enters a rupture in space and leaves the system.  THE END?

Extras:  Profiles for Springer and Bug Bite, as they appeared in this issue and a one-page text story that tells the origins of the “Classics” Mini-Cons.


Slagged!:

-Hot R- I mean, Rodimus has been gravely injured by something that happened previous to this story.  I guess you’ll have to read the Fan Club Magazine comic installments to find out what.

-Elita-One and Ravage have a little scuffle, with Ravage coming out blinded and off-line by the end of it.

-Once Bug Bite’s cerebro-shell control has been disrupted, it’s Decepticon versus Decepticon for a bit, until Magnus and co. storm the room.  Magnus and Grimlock shoot down Thrust and Dirge.

-Megatron blows a huge, satisfying hole in Weirdwolf, while Dreadwind tosses some Constructicons around.

-Megatron blows Bug Bite’s head to bits.  Whelp, there goes all that back-story.


Sightings:

-The crew of Graviton includes Ultra Magnus (only referred to as “Magnus”, Classics form), Huffer (redeco of Cybertron Armorhide, and one of the exclusive toys of the ’07 Botcon), Springer (redeco of Cybertron Defense Hot Shot, and one of the ’07 exclusive toys), Elita-One (taking the form of a pink redeco of Cybertron Thunderblast, no current toy version exists at the moment), Snarl (in Actionmaster form), Tyrannitron (Snarl’s Actionmaster dinosaur-esque partner), Strong Arm (Classics Mini-Con), and Swoop (Classics Mini-Con, unknown if it’s the same character as Gen 1 Swoop).

-Snarl being an Actionmaster means that he never purged the Nucleon from his body after being revived by the “miracle fuel” towards the end of the original US Marvel comics run.  Somewhere along the lines he picked up Tyrannitron; the transforming “partner” that comes with his Actionmaster toy.

-The Graviton itself is supposed to be one of the Decepticon shuttles that Grimlock and his Dinobots stole millions of years ago and hid away for an emergency.  In the last few issues of the Marvel comic, when Cybertron is supposedly “dying”, Grimlock retrieves these shuttles and uses them to evacuate the Autobots from Cybertron.  In Classics continuity, the Graviton is now in service to Ultra Magnus’ crew of Decepticon hunters.

-Bug Bite’s crew of cerebro-shell-controlled Decepticons includes Thundercracker, Thrust, Dirge, Dreadwind, and Weirdwolf.  All were included in a gift-set as the main exclusive toys of Botcon ’07.  Bug Bite is a redeco of Classics Bumblebee, Thundercracker is a redeco of Classics Starscream (What were the odds?), Dirge is a redeco of Classics Ramjet, Thrust is redeco/retool of Classics Ramjet, Dreadwind is a redeco/retool of Classics Jetfire, and Weirdwolf is a redeco of Cybertron Snarl.

-Optimus Prime’s Earthbound Autobot team includes Hot Rod (now called Rodimus for tradema- I mean, storyline reasons), Mirage, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper (he‘s missing, apparently), Jetfire, and Grimlock.  All are, of course, Classics toys.

-Mirage uses his electro-disruptor-induced “cloaked mode”, which was given an exclusive toy at Botcon ’07.  Basically, it’s Classics Mirage cast in translucent blue.

-Grimlock and Mirage can fly in robot mode.  Huh.

-Megatron’s Earthbound Decepticon forces include Starscream, Ramjet, Skywarp, Astrotrain, the Constructions (circa “Classics”, so Scrapper, Long Haul, Bonecrusher, Scavenger, and Hightower), Soundwave, Rumble for one panel (or Frenzy, whichever you prefer), and Ravage.  The Classics Constructicons were just redecos of the Energon Constructicon Maximus team members, and Soundwave appears because the reissue of his Gen 1 toy (which included Ravage and Laserbeak with it) came out under the “Classics” packaging style.  All of the others, obviously, are cast in their Classics forms.

-The Earthbound Decepticons’ base is actually the original Ark, which crashed on Earth AGAIN at the end of the original Marvel series.  It was carrying Megatron, Galvatron, Shockwave, Starscream, and Ratchet at the time.  Megatron and Starscream are obviously up and about in this comic. 

-Shockwave is kept as a dismembered head in Megatron’s quarters, no doubt to prevent any further treachery from the cyclopic (is that a word?) Decepticon.  Galvatron crawled out of the Ark’s wreckage and was defeated by Fortress Maximus in the second-to-last issue of the Marvel comic.  We can see Galvatron’s particle cannon mounted in Megatron’s quarters, suggesting that Megatron did away with Galvatron at some point between the end of the Marvel series and the Classics storyline.  And we can also see Ratchet’s damaged form resting inertly in Megatron’s quarters.  Towards the end of the Marvel run, Megatron and Ratchet were fused together into one being.  Once they were un-fused, they found they still shared a mental link, which allowed them to see what the other was doing and feel each other’s mental states.  This of course, was a huge liability to Megatron, who now likely keeps Ratchet off-lined permanently in his quarters.  It also was established that they shared a link at the molecular level, meaning that if one died, both would die.  Which is probably why Megatron hasn’t simply killed Ratchet and been done with it.  It is likely that they are joined through their sparks, which is why Megatron getting a new body wouldn’t have any effect on the molecular link with Ratchet.

-Ravage firing blasts from his mouth is an ability he displayed in the original Marvel comic, although it was bursts of flame there, not a laser.

-The Decepticons who get their cerebro-shell control scrambled include Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Soundwave, Astrotrain, and whatever Constructicons were in the room.  The ones who continue fighting for Bug Bite are Thrust, Dirge, Dreadwind, and Weirdwolf.  I assume Ramjet also remained under shell-control, but he wasn’t shown.  Forest Lee, writer of this issue, said that he wanted the original Seeker trio versus the “Coneheads”, which is why you can assume Ramjet was still under shell-control.

-Forest Lee intended for Dirge to be killed in this issue, because there is an ongoing ironic joke that Dirge gets killed in almost every continuity.  He’s shown lying on the ground with darkened optics after Grimlock shoots him in the chest, but that’s far from conclusive proof that he’s dead.


Hearings:

-Ultra Magnus implies that he has never been to Earth, which, among other things, confirms that the UK Marvel stories are NOT part of “Classics” continuity.

-Grimlock’s nickname for Magnus is “Little Prime”, assumedly a poke at Magnus having the same body form as Prime.

-Springer mentions that Snarl got information from the Nebulan Monzo.  Monzo was Weirdwolf’s Headmaster partner in the original Gen 1 material, and apparently was ditched when Weirdwolf was reformatted to his new body, which doesn’t use a Headmaster. 

-Speaking of Weirdwolf, his odd way of talking, issuing short poems and rhyming comes directly from his tech specs, which indicates he usually talks this way.  Bob Budiansky wrote him as talking like this as well, but Simon Furman decided to forego it (thank you) and just wrote him speaking normally.  Forest Lee decides to go with the Budiansky Weirdwolf, which makes him stand out more as a character through his dialogue, but also is annoying AS HELL.  No, I didn’t find Sky-Byte amusing either.

-Dreadwind mentions his fellow Powermaster flying buddy Darkwing, and his former Powermaster partner Hi-Test.  Apparently at some point between the end of the Marvel comic and this story, Hi-Test let Grimlock tear his arms off rather than being Dreadwind’s partner any longer (what a depressing guy, that Dreadwind, having pretty much driven the Nebulan to suicide).  Obviously, like Weirdwolf, he’s gotten a new body since then that doesn’t use the “Master” process anymore.

-Upon their return to base, Optimus and Bumblebee compare notes about recent events.  Events that some are not privy to because they are not members of the Official Transformers Fan Club (like me, for instance).  See, this Classics story arc started in the Club Magazines as short mini-comic installments, and this issue apparently takes place after the conclusion of the current story arc, according to sources.  So I can’t even begin to speculate how Devastator was disabled, why part of South America is sinking into the ocean, how Rodimus got injured, or why Cliffjumper disappeared.  Assumedly once the story arc is completed, IDW will compile the chapters into a trade, like they did with the Cybertron Balancing Act story arc.

-Optimus mentions a human named “Barnett” to Jetfire.  This is obviously Walter Barnett of the original Marvel comics, who founded the anti-Transformer (now hopefully solely anti-Decepticon) human response group code-named “RAAT”.  Apparently he’s still in the business of ineffectually shooting at hostile alien robots.

-Bug Bite’s team is split off from Bludgeon’s Decepticons, who apparently are still roaming the galaxy, looking for trouble after their defeat in US Marvel # 80 on planet Klo.

-Thundercracker is happy to see Skywarp.  Aw- they’re PALS.  Dirge is amazed that Skywarp is still working with Starscream, because in US Marvel # 50, a deranged, Underbase-empowered Starscream shot both Skywarp and Thundercracker out of the sky and left them off-line for a very long time.  Starscream chalks that incident up to a “minor misunderstanding”.  Heh.

-Dreadwind mentions he thinks he has “Scraplets” in the brain.  Scraplets are tiny Cybertronian parasites that eat metal and can be killed by a mystical substance called water.  Yes, water.  Read US Marvel # 29 and # 30 for more details.

-Bug Bite mentions he’s stolen the cerebro-shells from Bombshell, the Insecticon whose most notable gimmick is, you guessed it, using cerebro-shells to enslave the minds of his victims.

-Ravage mentions that Elita-One’s fighting style is Circuit-Su.  Aside from Elita-One, the Decepticon Pretender Bugly is a known practitioner of that particular Cybertronian martial art.

-Bug Bite cites Megatron as having “no known weakness”, a common note in the Decepticon commander’s various tech specs and profiles.  Bug Bite also makes reference to Megatron having bad luck and being unable to kill his “one, real enemy”.  It’s true; Megatron does NOT have the best track record in the original Marvel comic (the cartoon neither, really).  Bludgeon actually makes a similar comment to Megatron in Marvel Gen 2 # 5 (“…reputation tarnished by a host of humiliating defeats”), but Gen 2 isn’t in Classics continuity.  Still, interesting to note.

-Based on Bug Bite’s exposition to Megatron, coupled with his profile in the back of this book, it is clear that the writers are implying that ’Bite comes from the Gobots universe and is actually the Gobots character named Bug Bite.  Also, an E-Hobby recolor pack of six reissued Minibots had them redecoed as Gobots characters, including Bumblebee as Bug Bite.  Obviously the back-story of Bug Bite’s universe being destroyed by the Transformers universe is a poke at how the Transformers franchise crushed the Gobots franchise eventually in real life.

-Megatron mentions that he’s “had his fill of travelers from other dimensions”, likely referencing the alternate Galvatron that Unicron brought to this dimension towards the end of US Marvel.  Since Galvatron never identified himself to Megatron in their only meeting (in US Marvel, at least), it can only be assumed that Megatron and Galvatron had another confrontation between then and the Classics storyline, and Megatron emerged victorious (based on the fact that Galvatron’s cannon can be seen mounted in Megatron’s quarters).  Or perhaps Megatron located Galvatron’s inert body after Fortress Maximus defeated him in US Marvel # 79 and probed Galvatron’s memory banks.


Wreck and RULE!:

-Alex Milne’s art is quite good here, after a somewhat disappointing showing in Megatron: Origin # 1.  He makes even “Nerf” Megatron look quite menacing and his action is clear and easy to follow (unlike in Origin # 1).  My favorite sequence would have to be Megatron seeking Shockwave’s consul in his quarters.  The slight smirk that Megatron displays after locking Shockwave’s head away speaks volumes about the pleasure he’s deriving from keeping Shockwave in this state.

-The Marvel comic has always been my favorite Transformers continuity, and revisiting it is a nice and unexpected treat.  I am irked, however, that the writers decided to ignore the UK material and Generation 2, which I feel over-complicates the already over-complicated span of alternate continuities Transformers has accumulated over its long life.  Still, the references to Marvel comic continuity were nice to hear, albeit a little fanwanky.  Then again; it’s a convention comic.

-Forest Lee does good with characterization; Starscream, Thundercracker, Shockwave, Ravage, and Megatron all especially shine.  As a “new” character, Bug Bite gets the most out of the story.  Unfortunately, it’s all for naught at the end.


Wreck and ROT!:

-Here’s where I have to be hard; this whole story revolves around Bug Bite mostly, and his wanting revenge on the Transformers for apparently unintentionally destroying his (alternate) universe.  Now aside from the fact that that is A LOT of back-story to just drop on the reader at once, Bug Bite is readily killed by Megatron at the conclusion of the story (yes, getting your head blown to pieces usually constituted death in the original comics).  Therefore all that back-story exposition rendered only pages beforehand is instantly made meaningless by Bug Bite’s death.  I know, I know; the story had to more or less wrap up in one installment, but surely Bug Bite escaping to plot another day would have been fine too?  It just comes off as trying to make the story more “adult” by violently killing a character off.  I genuinely liked Bug Bite’s motivations and back-story, despite it coming out right fast and all at once.  If it was over the course of a long storyline, I wouldn’t have minded Bug Bite’s ambitions all coming to naught.  But as it is, I’m left with the feeling of “why should I care now?” about the character.

-Another thing I must mention is how Magnus’ crew comes off as a bunch of over-powered Mary (and Marty) Sue-like characters (despite some of them being established in this particular continuity) who do the job faster, better, and come out looking cooler than the main heroes and villains, and only because they are convention-exclusive toys and “need“ to be made cool.  This was a problem I had with the previous convention-exclusive “Wreckers” comics.  When you walk into a small room with fighting-mad Decepticons and Megatron, I don’t expect everyone to come out unscratched.  And seriously- invisible Mirage is spotted by Decepticons, but not bright-pink Elita-One?  The hell?  Color-change skin, my a-

-If the Autobots are going to rescue Mirage, wouldn’t setting off a large gunfight in the room Mirage is IN currently be, I dunno, counter-productive to ensuring his safety??

-The fact that some of us only get part of the story here and are left in the dark as to the happenings of the Club Magazine comic installments is kind of irksome, especially in the case of the Autobase scene with Prime’s crew.  This story isn’t much of a standalone, which irks me even more that they killed Bug Bite off to try and MAKE it a standalone.


Final Judgment:

Much like the last Timelines issue, I have to say that this is good for a collector’s item and has pretty decent art, but the story is somewhat lacking.  Unlike the last Timelines issue, this story doesn’t stand too well on its own, and if you aren’t familiar with Marvel continuity or don’t have access to the Club Magazine installments, you could be rightly confused on several points.  However, I will say that the exclusive toys (the Decepticons particularly) were utilized better than the toys were in last year’s Timelines issue, and the story, not being a prequel like the last issue, didn’t have any awkward finagling to do to get characters in the right places for something that comes afterwards.  All in all, a fun read and a nice collector’s item, but one looking for a more self-contained, focused story should look elsewhere.  Peace.

A “Thanks, Steeljaw!” Thunderwing review