Devastation # 1
Written by Simon Furman
Penciled by EJ Su
Colors by Zac Atkinson

Summary:

In a darkened room in Ark-19, Nightbeat runs a series of tests and examinations on the palm computer stolen by Verity (all the way back at the beginning, in Infiltration # 0).  A scan reveals a tiny, sophisticated homing device hidden in its shell.  Nightbeat deduces that those who planted the device likely know Ark-19’s location, which probably aided in their earlier ambush of Sunstreaker (in Escalation # 1).  Playing a hunch, Nightbeat calls on Bumblebee to do a job for him.  A short time later, Nightbeat presents his evidence to Prime and Prowl.  He believes that the human who originally owned the pocket computer and discovered one of the Decepticons’ command bunkers was targeted by them for the digital images he took of the installation.  But Verity stole the computer from him and unwittingly put herself in the crosshairs.  After Ratchet rescued Verity and brought her and the others to Ark-19, along with the palm computer.  Thanks to the homing device inside the computer’s casing, the humans who abducted Sunstreaker were able to keep Ark-19 under some measure of surveillance.  Nightbeat had confirmed this by having Bumblebee scout around the perimeter of Lake Michigan, which Ark-19 is submerged in.  Bumblebee found all manner of surveillance equipment hidden on the shoreline, meaning the humans had been watching them for some time.  Prowl inquires as to who these humans are, but Nightbeat doesn’t have an answer for that yet.  Nightbeat brings up the business card that Verity found in Custom Wheels (in Escalation # 4) with the letter “M” on it.  He couldn’t find any match to any legitimate human organizations worldwide to it.  Meanwhile in Indiana, Wheeljack and the newly-reformatted Hot Rod are on a mission to recover the remains of Ironhide.  Ever since he was caught in the explosion of Custom Wheels (in Escalation # 6), Ironhide’s been MIA, but Ratchet has located him in a scrap yard nearby.  Ironhide is scheduled to be demolished with a number of other wrecked cars, and Wheeljack and Hot Rod have to reach him beforehand.  Unbeknownst to them as they head to the scrap yard, they are being followed by a Machination mobile command van.  Back at Ark-19, Optimus Prime asks Nightbeat for recommendations now that their base is likely compromised.  Nightbeat suggests moving Ark-19 and Prime agrees.  Prowl leaves to make the necessary arrangements as Prime asks Bumblebee if there’s anything they can do to retaliate against those spying on them.  Bumblebee reckons he can cook up a way to backtrack their signal and figure out their location.  Prime tells him to do it; it’s time to fight back.  Meanwhile at the Decepticon command bunker in Oregon, Megatron issues the newly-arrived Sixshot his orders; hunt down and annihilate the Autobots.  Sixshot is hesitant, as Earth isn’t quite in the proper “phase” for him to go all-out, but Megatron is adamant to the point of being overzealous.  Sixshot acknowledges his commander’s decision as the rest of the Earthbound Decepticons watch from a nearby doorway.  The idea of Sixshot operating on Earth doesn’t sit well with them, as they’ve carefully laid out the infiltration protocols over a long while on this planet.  Thundercracker thinks that Megatron has “lost it”, but Astrotrain asks if anyone is willing to actually voice their objections face-to-face with the Decepticon commander-in-chief.  Typically, no one responds, but Astrotrain thinks he knows a certain someone who they can turn to in this desperate situation.  Meanwhile in Brasnya, the Skywatch organization is surveying the area in which the Autobots battled the Decepticons (Escalation).  Skywatch lead agent Joshua Red orders something to be brought in to aid their investigation.  A quartet of helicopters fly in carrying a large metal crate between them, dropping it to the snowy ground.  Red prays that the “reconditioning” holds and the crate is opened.  From out of the crate steps Ravage, apparently under Skywatch’s control.  A Skywatch techie monitoring Ravage’s internal processes confirms that the Decepticon’s higher thought processes are locked down and it is responding to subliminal prompts.  Ravage sniffs the ground and detects something; Agent Red knows that others like Ravage have been in the area, and now they may have a trail.  Back at Ark-19, Jimmy and Verity pester Jazz about what is being done to locate Sunstreaker and Hunter.  Jazz is busy and promises to look into it, but basically brushes them off.  Annoyed, the two humans decide they need to find a fresh perspective on the problem.  Meanwhile Optimus Prime is talking to an impatient Sideswipe over a video transmission from Cybertron.  Sideswipe reminds Prime that he is being wasted guarding an empty base after Thunderwing’s body was stolen (Spotlight: Galvatron) when he could be helping out on Earth.  Prime simply orders Sideswipe to put Hound on.  Defeated, Sideswipe lets Hound talk to Prime, but is surprised when Optimus immediately orders Hound to prepare his squad for transit to Earth as reinforcements.  Elsewhere, in the lower levels of the Oregon Decepticon command bunker, Astrotrain and Blitzwing enter a hidden chamber.  Blitzwing is worried, as Megatron has forbade them from even speaking this Transformer’s name, let alone coming down to see him, but Astrotrain doesn’t see any other choice.  The two behold the fully-repaired, but still unconscious Starscream, suspended in a CR chamber.  Back at Lake Michigan, the Ark-19 is being prepped for launch.  Prowl runs the bridge crew through their paces and Nightbeat confirms their destination; the Gulf of Mexico.  Hardhead double-checks their stealth and weapon systems and give his confirmation, as Prime gives Prowl the go-ahead.  The Ark-19 lifts-off from under Lake Michigan’s waters and begins its journey to a new location.  Unbeknownst to the Autobots, they are being spied on from above by Ratbat, who apparently has also recently arrived on Earth.  Ratbat radios Megatron the location of the Ark-19 and Megatron tells him to maintain aerial surveillance.  Sixshot takes off from the Decepticon command bunker in flying pistol mode, headed for an intercept course.  As the Ark-19 passes over Knoxville, Tennessee, Prowl has all bridge stations check in.  Everything appear to be alright until Hardhead announces an enemy contact approaching fast.  Prowl calls for visual and sees Sixshot approaching in pistol mode, bearing down on them fast.  Nightbeat can’t shake Sixshot and Hardhead is unable to get a weapon lock on the maneuverable Decepticon.  Prowl calls out to brace for impact as Sixshot unleashes a powerful blast that tears through the Ark-19’s hull and into its engine block.  The Autobot craft promptly begins plummeting to a crash landing, right in the middle of a heavily-populated area!  TO BE CONTINUED!


Slagged!:

-Sixshot cripples the Ark-19 with a single, powerful blast from his flying pistol mode, sending it spiraling towards a crash landing in an area densely populated with humans.  Uh-oh.


Sightings:

-Nightbeat, Hot Rod, and Hardhead all have been given redesigned forms for their stay on Earth, courtesy of EJ Su.  Hot Rod’s new car mode bares no slight resemblance to Robots In Disguise Super Side Burn, of note.  We’ve yet to see Nightbeat and Hardhead’s new Earth alt-modes, though.  Perhaps next issue.

-Megatron and Sixshot mimic the exact same poses of Optimus Prime and Nightbeat on the previous page in their first scene.  Cute.

-Skywatch uses a somewhat brainwashed Ravage in their operations.  From what we has seen in previous stories, Skywatch also has possession of Laserbeak, Shockwave, and the Dynobots.

-Sideswipe and Hound make their main series debuts, and EJ renders their Guido Guidi-designed Cybertronian forms quite ably.

-Starscream appears in present day for the first time since Infiltration # 6, albeit unconsciously, and it appears he’s fully recovered from the hole-ing Megatron gave him back then.

-Ratbat makes his main series debut, and has been redesigned.  He now has his usual bat-like robot mode and appears to transform into a portable CD player for alt-mode.  Over in Megatron: Origin he has a normal, humanoid robot form, so sometime in-between then and now he must have been downgraded to this smaller form.  Hopefully that’s a tale we’ll see told one day.  Ratbat assumedly came to Earth with Sixshot, although we aren’t explicitly told this.


Hearings:

-In case you haven’t been paying attention, Nightbeat pretty much breaks down almost the whole plot of Infiltration for the readers in the first few pages.

-Sixshot mentions being a “phase six kind of bot”.  Aside from the ironic amusement derived from such a statement, we know from Stormbringer # 2 that phase six in the Decepticon war strategy means complete and utter Armageddon for whatever planet it’s initiated on.  The Wreckers are usually called in to combat phase six Decepticon operations.  Megatron calling Sixshot in at only phase two certainly speaks to the Decepticon commander’s state-of-mind.


Wreck and RULE!:

-And we’re BACK!  All the extra mini-series and Spotlights are alright, but there’s nothing like getting back into the “main” meat.  And what a strong start on all ends!  Furman easily addresses a number of plot points, brings up a few more, and leaves the reader wanting more at the end.  The cliffhanger was awesome, topping the first issue of Escalation’s cliffhanger easily.  And EJ’s art is as amazing and well-suited as it’s ever been.

-We get Nightbeat doing his detective thing (and laying out some exposition for the uninitiated), Prime being decisive, Megatron slowly going off the rails, Sixshot being his usual collected and cocky self, the Earthbound Decepticons once again going behind Megatron’s back (with possible good reason), and Jimmy and Verity being put “on hold” (for now, no doubt).  A lot of stuff happens, but Furman balances it quite well.

-EJ’s art continues to impress; his new designs for Hot Rod and Ratbat especially stand out.  And he draws Sixshot wonderfully as well, being one of the small handful of designs that are retained from the original depictions.  And the final scene is especially impressive, the reaction shots from the Autobots, particularly Prowl, are wonderfully expressive and really sell the moment.  And of course, the cliffhanger builds a sense of dread that things will never be the same again.


Wreck and ROT!:

-Couple of minor coloring errors; Ratchet’s head, Nightbeat’s shoulders when he’s recommending moving the Ark-19, but pretty minor in the grand scheme of things.


Final Judgment:

Excellent stuff, apart from maybe Furman juggling too many plot threads again.  But hopefully a few of them stand to get resolved this series.  And the slag is surely about to hit the fan after the ending of this issue.  The Skywatch plot thread is sort of meandering off somewhere in left field, but it should intersect pretty soon with the more important plot points.  As always, Furman weaves a strong opening act, but let’s see if he can close it up just as well.  Peace.


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