The Transformers: Spotlight
| The Transformers: Spotlight | |
|---|---|
Transformers | |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Hasbro |
The Transformers: Spotlight is a comic book series of one-shot issues, published by IDW Publishing.
The series consists of single-issue stories based on IDW's
Wheelie, with four more issues comprising The Transformers: Revelation
. Although the Shockwave and Nightbeat issues were numbered #1 and #2 respectively, individual numbering for the series was abandoned with the Hot Rod issue as the series expanded beyond five issues. In addition to being stand-alone, most of these issues tie into the main series, and offer additional context.
Issues
| No. | Title | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Spotlight: Dynobots have followed him, seeking revenge for a past slight. To protect themselves from the planet's high levels of Energon radiation, the Dynobots adopt the forms of fossilized organic creatures and attack Shockwave. Unable to comprehend the logicality of their spiteful assault, the emotionless Shockwave shuts down his higher functions and brutally defeats them using rage-stimulating programming. Before Shockwave can leave, however, the Dynobots' ship causes a nearby volcano to erupt, entombing all six Cybertronians in a pit of lava. Suspicious of Shockwave's extended absence, Decepticon leader Megatron assigns Bludgeon to decode his laboratory notes while in 2006, a team of archaeologists in Eureka, Nevada uncovers Shockwave's hand . | ||
| 02 | Spotlight: Micromasters and forcibly converted into a sleeper agent for mysterious beings from the "Dead Universe" to assist in their "Expansion" plans. Released with no memory of the incident, Nightbeat is summoned to Earth by Autobot leader Optimus Prime . | ||
| 03 | Spotlight: Hot Rod | November 15, 2006 | — |
| Writer: Simon Furman Artist: Nick Roche As Hot Rod infiltrates the Decepticon penal colonies on the planet Styx, he reflects on his first mission as an Autobot field commander and its subsequent failure. Hot Rod's team was assigned to steal a mysterious artifact known as the Magnificence from the powerful Omega Guardians, but the mission was compromised when their stealth measures failed and the Guardians destroyed the other Autobots. Under secret orders to retrieve the Magnificence at all costs, Hot Rod was forced to leave Dealer, the last surviving Autobot, behind in a Decepticon ambush. Now, Hot Rod sows chaos within the prison to rescue Dealer, and the two Autobots successfully escape. However, Dealer is really a secret Decepticon double agent and the reason for the earlier mission's failure; he reports to his Decepticon handler Banzaitron, who jokingly refers to him as "Doubledealer." | |||
| 04 | Spotlight: Terrorcons , who admire him and are the only Decepticons he considers friends, have gone missing on the planet Mumu-Obscura. Sixshot arrives on the devastated planet and encounters the Reapers, a group of crazed rogue super-warriors dedicated to the destruction of all life. The Deathbringer, the leader of the Reapers, offers Sixshot a place among their ranks on the condition that he kills the captured Terrorcons. After some deliberation, Sixshot declines, and the Reapers allow the Decepticons to leave with the promise that they will find Sixshot again. | ||
| 05 | Spotlight: Swindle but allows him to go free in exchange for galactic criminal mastermind Scorponok's location. Magnus infiltrates Scorponok's operations on the planet Nebulos and discovers strange experiments being performed on the native Nebulans, some of whom have been biomechanically re-engineered to transform like Cybertronians. After defeating a squadron of headless Cybertronian drones, Magnus confronts Scorponok and shoots him in the face, forcing the injured Decepticon to retreat. Sometime later, Magnus apprehends Swindle again, who once more tries to barter his freedom with new information on Scorponok. | ||
| 06 | Spotlight: Laserbeak are excavated and imprisoned by a mysterious government organization, while Soundwave himself is brought to a local pawn shop and purchased by a teenager. | ||
| 07 | Spotlight: Trailbreaker , whose personal forcefields protect him from the radiation, to try and rescue Kup instead. The sight of Trailbreaker shocks Kup long enough for the Autobots to retrieve him, but the experience has left his mind, body, and spark extremely weakened, leaving Springer to wonder whether the rescue was worth it. | ||
| 08 | Spotlight: Hound's unit, the bored Sideswipe chafes at the menial job of guarding Thunderwing's inert body, but Galvatron arrives and attacks the Autobots. Although Sideswipe and his comrades fight valiantly, Galvatron easily overpowers them but decides to spare them as a small rebellion against his master. When the Autobots awaken, they find that Galvatron has escaped with Thunderwing's body. | ||
| 09 | Spotlight: Optimus Prime | August 29, 2007 | — |
| Writer: Simon Furman Artist: Omega Supreme. Omega informs Optimus that the dark presence belonged to Nova Prime, one of Cybertron's past rules who believed their race was superior to all others. Nova and his followers departed the planet long ago aboard the exploration vessel Ark-1, which both Autobots suspect was really a warship meant for colonization. Their conversation is interrupted when Monstructor, the original Cybertronian combiner whom Omega previously imprisoned, attacks them. On the injured Omega's advice, Optimus splits Monstructor into his component pieces and summons Jetfire to transport them away, musing on the power of the gestalt technology and the corrupted lineage of the Cybertronian Primes. | |||
| 10 | Spotlight: Constructicons and Harrison, a poorly-made human facsimile working at the Pentagon , Ramjet plans to devastate the United States using hijacked nuclear missiles, acquire a feasible Energon substitute, develop a device capable of tracking every Cybertronian throughout the galaxy, enslave humanity and the other Decepticons, and eventually conquer the universe through a complex space bridge network. However, before Ramjet can actually enact any of these plans, Megatron kills him and scatters his parts around the world. | ||
| 11 | Spotlight: Bombshell 's mind control. Beachcomber overrides the mental control with Blaster's encouragement but severely damages his mind in the process; Perceptor doubts he will fully recover, and Blaster swears vengeance on Soundwave. | ||
| 12 | Spotlight: Jhiaxus forcibly and painfully transitioned her gender before leaving her to die with no aftercare support. Although Maximus disagrees with Arcee's thirst for revenge, he and Jetfire ultimately accept her proposal. | ||
| 13 | Spotlight: Mirage | March 5, 2008 | — |
| Writer: George Strayton Artist: Guido Guidi In an alternate universe, Mirage is a Decepticon spy working to bring the Autobot resistance down from the inside. As the battered Autobots attempt to refuel using a strange substance called Zodiac with cross-dimensional properties, Mirage initiates a battle between the two factions and is forced to kill many of his Autobot friends. During the fight, he is knocked into the Zodiac energy chamber and experiences a vision of another universe where he truly is an Autobot; in the regular universe, meanwhile, Mirage awakens from a strange dream where he was a Decepticon spy. | |||
| 14 | Spotlight: Headmaster upgrade gives him a clear advantage, and Grimlock is nearly killed before he teleports himself to his ship, buried in ice somewhere on Earth. Skywatch begins reactivating four more "Thunder Lizards" while Scorponok's human allies, the Machination, plan to seize control of them and destroy Grimlock. | ||
| 15 | Spotlight: strange tentacled creatures . | ||
| 16 | Spotlight: Nemesis Prime , prepare their "Expansion." | ||
| 17 | Spotlight: Hardhead – Revelation Part Two | July 18, 2008 | — |
| Writer: Simon Furman Artist: Nick Roche Nightbeat returns to Gorlam Prime with Hardhead and instructs his friend to kill him should anything go wrong. They discover that the planet's population has fully evolved into a mechanical race and Hardhead is attacked by a horde of Micromasters, though Nightbeat is completely ignored. On Corata-Vaz, the Wreckers unsuccessfully battle Thunderwing as Omega Supreme identifies Cyclonus as one of the Ark-1’s crew, last seen near the Benzuli Expanse. In the Dead Universe, Jhiaxus reports to Nemesis Prime that two more devices and their guardians have been activated, who then orders him to eliminate Nightbeat and Hardhead. Arcee tracks the Monstructor Six to the remains of a battlefield and finds an injured Banzaitron, who informs her that someone stole the combiner from the Decepticons and offers his help in locating them. Jhiaxus remotely takes control of Nightbeat and attacks Hardhead, whose extreme durability allows him to survive and kill Nightbeat. Hardhead enters the Dead Universe portal in Gorlam Prime's underground as Optimus sends an Autobot team of Cloudburst, Landmine , Groundbreaker, and Waverider to investigate the Benzuli Expanse. Optimus then receives a call from Dealer, who suggests using the Magnificence to end the conflict. | |||
| 18 | Spotlight: Doubledealer – Revelation Part Three | August 20, 2008 | — |
| Writer: Simon Furman Artists: Dan Khanna, Frank Milkovish, and Grindcore of the Dead Universe arrive on Earth to harvest Energon in China's Jiangxi Province . Galvatron and Cyclonus target Cloudburst's ship as Nemesis Prime arrives on Garrus-9 and attacks his successor Optimus Prime. As Hot Rod and Dealer arrive at the Magnificence's hiding place, Jetfire and the Technobots prepare "Pretender" shells for Cloudburst's crew based on Thunderwing's research while Nemesis overpowers Optimus with the power of the Dead Universe's Darkness. Hot Rod uses the Magnificence's all-knowing powers to discern Dealer's treachery and kills him, then provides Ultra Magnus with information about Nemesis Prime's plans and technologies. As the Wreckers continue to battle Thunderwing, Jhiaxus prepares his backup guardian, Bludgeon. | |||
| 19 | Spotlight: Sideswipe – Revelation Part Four | October 8, 2008 | — |
| Writer: Simon Furman Artist: E. J. Su As Hound's unit engages Straxus and Grindcore, Sideswipe resolves to save his arrogant brother Sunstreaker in order to prove himself. The Technobots save Cloudburst's crew from Cyclonus and outfit them in the stabilized Pretender shells while Jetfire deactivates Thunderwing, giving the Wreckers access to the Nega-Core he was guarding. They are quickly attacked by Bludgeon as the Darkness attempts to possess Optimus, while Sideswipe engages Straxus and Grindcore alone to give the other Autobots time to retrieve the Nega-Cores and save Arcee from Monstructor. Distracted by the removal of the Nega-Cores and the Autobots breaching the Benzuli Expanse, Jhiaxus fails to notice Arcee arriving on Gorlam Prime using a space bridge. Galvatron betrays Nemesis and kills him, requesting that Optimus give him the Darkness, but the Autobot leader throws the ancient Cybertronian into a solar pool as the transfer occurs. The Autobot Pretenders successfully collapse the Dead Universe portals with the Nega-Cores, killing Straxus and Grindcore; Hardhead distracts the fleeing Jhiaxus long enough for Arcee to catch up, and the scientist's undead immortality means she is free to kill him over and over again. Although the Expansion has been foiled, Jetfire worries about the future of Gorlam Prime, whose inhabitants have completed their biological transformation into fully robotic beings and now refer to their world as "Cybertron." | |||
| 20 | Spotlight: Orion Pax , who requests that Blurr use his super-speed to break through the Decepticon lines and save Cybertronian leader Zeta Prime from an assassination squad. Although Blurr is at first angered to see Cybertron's "Golden Age" crumbling to pieces, he agrees to help the Autobots and is pleased to know he is doing what matters. | ||
| 21 | Spotlight: Razorclaw is forced to retreat when Autobot backup arrives. By the end of Tracks's story, he has gathered a large Autobot audience and successfully bolstered morale. Prowl and Jazz send the Autobots out on patrol, and Jazz thanks Tracks for the inspiring story before leaving himself. | ||
| 22 | Spotlight: Drift | April 8, 2009 | — |
| Writer: Shane McCarthy Artist: Casey Coller Two aliens allow a mysterious cloaked figure access to a docked Decepticon space cruiser over their shared hatred of Cybertornians, despite the fact that the cloaked figure is also Cybertronian. The mystery Cybertronian infiltrates the cruiser, but his cover is immediately blown when the Wreckers independently attack and storm the ship. As the ship's commander Turmoil orders his Decepticons to destroy the intruders, the Wreckers encounter the factionless Cybertronian; as both parties are there to rescue a group of Autobot prisoners, Kup allows the mystery Cybertronian to accompany them. The prisoners are rescued, but Turmoil shoots Perceptor and separates Kup and the mystery Cybertronian, whom he identifies as his former second-in-command Deadlock, from the other Wreckers. Kup is initially distrustful of the former Decepticon, but Deadlock – who has since readopted his original name Drift – explains that he was found by a neutral sect of peaceful Cybertronian monks and granted a second chance at life. Drift and Kup rig the ship to explode but are attacked by Turmoil; after buying Kup enough time to retreat, Drift incapacitates Turmoil and escapes with Perceptor as the ship explodes. In the aftermath, Drift attempts to leave but instead accepts an impressed Kup's invitation to join his unit. | |||
| 23 | Spotlight: Cliffjumper | June 17, 2009 | — |
| Writer: Shane McCarthy Artist: Robby Musso Cliffjumper crashlands on a remote planet and encounters two young aliens named Kita and Coll, orphans who maintain their family's farm with help from a nearby village. Kita and Coll determine Cliffjumper is friendly and offer him enough synthetic Energon to refuel, and the little red Autobot in turn helps the siblings revitalize their farm. One day, though, a Decepticon unit lands on the planet and threatens Coll; although Cliffjumper manages to kill three of the Decepticons, Kita is fatally injured during the skirmish. Cliffjumper stays with Kita until she dies and destroys the remaining Decepticons in a fit of rage. After burying Kita's body and ensuring Coll is taken in by the village, Cliffjumper steals the Decepticon ship to rejoin the Autobot forces. | |||
| 24 | Spotlight: Throttlebots , the station's lone survivors, flee to the planet below and discover an abandoned Cybertronian city. Before they can escape, Sixshot finds them and pursues them through the city, informing them that Megatron freed him from Jhiaxus's control following the Expansion in exchange for the undead scientist's technology. The Decepticon super-warrior injures three of the six Throttlebots, but the city suddenly grows a gigantic arm and smashes Sixshot into the ground. The Throttlebots are amazed to see Sixshot stand up intact, but the city fully transforms into the ancient Titan Metroplex and stomps Sixshot into oblivion. Metroplex sadly informs the Throttlebots he cannot help them, as he must remain focused on his own mission, but directs them to a shuttle with medical supplies before departing the planet. The Throttlebots wonder what information Metroplex is protecting as they too leave, unaware that the crushed Sixshot is, in fact, still alive. | ||
| 25 | Ride-Along – Spotlight: Prowl | April 21, 2010 | — |
| Writer: Mike Costa Artist: E. J. Su In the aftermath of Thrust . After considering the mathematical morality that a human's life is just as important as a Cybertronian's, despite the vast population difference, Prowl breaks cover to save a young girl from a collapsing building and is trapped under the rubble. Although his human driver is surprised at his self-sacrificial decision, he agrees with Prowl's conclusion and gives him enough time to escape before reporting the incident. | |||
| - | Omega's Conundrum – Spotlight: Orion Pax | December 12, 2012 | — |
| Writer: James Roberts Artist: Steve Kurth At Autobot Headquarters on Cybertron, Thundercracker escorts the Autobots to the meeting point, where Bludgeon betrays them and kidnaps Alpha Trion, intending to find his old partner Metroplex and take control of the ancient Titan's space bridge. Orion starts a firefight to allow Nightbeat, Alpha Trion, and Rack'n'Ruin to escape, but Bludgeon captures him and ties him to a shuttle directed at the nearest city. Orion breaks his bonds using Rack'n'Ruin's instantaneous transformation technique, then safely crashes the shuttle outside the city limits. | |||
| - | The Hunting Party – Spotlight: Thundercracker | January 16, 2013 | — |
| Writer: John Barber Artists: Chee and Ronda Pattinson Megatron assigns a unit of Decepticons to search the galaxy for the missing Metroplex, including Bludgeon, Thundercracker, Waspinator . Tired of his teammates and commander, Thundercracker finally discovers evidence of Metroplex's location and guides the Decepticons to an alien planetoid fuelled by a river of pseudo-Energon. Bludgeon attacks the planetoid's inhabitants in hopes of drawing Metroplex out; appalled by the senseless destruction of non-combatants, Thundercracker leaves to explore the planetoid's interior, unaware that the Autobots Bumblebee, Jetfire, and Nightbeat have engaged Bludgeon's unit above. Thundercracker discovers Metroplex hibernating within the pseudo-Energon reservoir and is attacked by Bumblebee, but both Cybertronians are convinced to stand down by a local alien's bravery. Thundercracker allows Metroplex to escape and lies to Bludgeon, who sends him back to the Decepticon front lines for his supposed failure. | |||
| - | Spotlight: Megatron | February 6, 2013 | — |
| Writer: Nick Roche Artist: Nick Roche Soundwave leads the revived Megatron through the remnants of the Decepticon forces, who fumes at the depraved and pathetic state of his once-mighty army. Megatron manages to extricate himself from Soundwave's lurking presence and Shockwave's suspect experiments long enough to confront Starscream, whose three-year tenure as Decepticon leader has all but destroyed their faction, but instead finds the normally hot-tempered and volatile Seeker a timid and depressed shell of himself. Although Starscream begs for death, Megatron manages to rouse his anger long enough for a fight to break out, and the Decepticon leader beats Starscream to within an inch of his life for his many spectacular failures. With Starscream accepting his place as second-in-command, and Soundwave and Shockwave resuming their respective roles as his trustworthy and untrustworthy lieutenants, Megatron revitalizes the remaining Decepticons with a fiery speech. | |||
| - | The Question – Spotlight: Bumblebee | March 6, 2013 | — |
| Writer: John Barber Artist: David Daza Bumblebee commands a small group of Autobots operating out of Omega Supreme searching for missing Decepticons on Earth, but his leadership is questioned at every turn by Prowl, who takes Stunticons to destroy Bumblebee while the other Decepticons pass through the space bridge, but Bumblebee destroys the terminal and incapacitates them. The next morning, Bumblebee hauls his prisoners back to Omega Supreme and orders the Autobots to depart for Cybertron, impressing Prowl. | |||
| - | The Reluctant Specialist – Spotlight: Trailcutter | April 3, 2013 | — |
| Writer: James Roberts Artist: Matt Frank Hoist : the ship-wide stasis was caused by one of Brainstorm's malfunctioning inventions, and Trailcutter was protected by his forcefield generator activating in his sleep, which burnt out shortly before he awoke. He proudly shows off the award Rodimus gave him for his actions, but Hoist spoils his good mood by revealing the massive crests Rodimus bestowed upon the rest of the crew for "exceptional endurance in the face of adversity." | |||
| - | The Waiting Game – Spotlight: Hoist | May 1, 2013 | — |
| Writer: James Roberts Artist: Agustin Padilla Hoist, Swerve, Perceptor, Sunstreaker, and his pet Overlord ), near-death experiences, Bob's origins, and insulting Sunstreaker, but Hoist soon realizes that Swerve is hiding a potentially fatal injury with his chatter; he and Sunstreaker resolve to confront Tarn and search for medical supplies. Tarn quickly incapacitates Sunstreaker, but Hoist is instead met by Megatron, Shockwave, Sixshot, and Overlord, who merge into one gigantic monstrosity. The invincible monster vanishes as quickly as it appeared, and Perceptor finally realizes what is happening: the Galactic Council installed a phobia shield on the planet to deter Cybertronians, bringing the worst fears of its target to life. After losing contact with the now-unconscious Swerve, the shield targets Bob, and the Autobots barely manage to escape the shuttle before it is destroyed by an illusory Metroplex's foot. Hoist reluctantly knocks Perceptor, Bob, and Sunstreaker unconscious to prevent more deadly phobias from spawning and settles in to wait for help as his worst fear comes true – the fear of being stranded alone. | |||
Continuity
Shockwave was a
Megatron.[3]
Jhiaxus. Grimlock follows up on both Grimlock being recovered by Skywatch and the Machination plotline in Devastation, as well as acting as a sequel of sorts to Shockwave.
The issues focusing on
Hardhead, Doubledealer and Sideswipe were four interrelated issues which comprise The Transformers: Revelation, which was a direct continuation story from The Transformers: Devastation.[7]
Drift and Metroplex are prelude stories to All Hail Megatron.
References
- ^ a b Simon Furman (w), Don Figueroa (p). The Transformers: Stormbringer, no. 4 (October 2006). IDW Publishing.
- ^ Simon Furman (w), E. J. Su (p). The Transformers: Escalation, no. 5 (March 2007). IDW Publishing.
- ^ a b c Simon Furman (w), E. J. Su (p). The Transformers: Escalation, no. 6 (April 2007). IDW Publishing.
- ^ Arune Singh (2007-03-18). "WWLA: SIMON FURMAN TALKS "TRANSFORMERS SPOTLIGHT: GALVATRON"". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 2007-03-22. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
- ^ Stuart Moore (w), Tyler Kirkham (p). New Avengers/Transformers, no. 2 (August 2007). Marvel Comics/IDW Publishing.
- ^ Simon Furman (w), E. J. Su (p). The Transformers: Devastation, no. 5 (February 2008). IDW Publishing.
- ^ Simon Furman (2008-03-13). "Revelations!". Simon Furman. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
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