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Transformers Regeneration One #92: Destiny, Part 2
12 June 2013
Written by: Simon Furman
Pencils by: Andrew Wildman
Inks by: Stephen Baskerville
Colours by: John-Paul Bove
Letters by: Chris Mowry
Edited by: John Barber

Synopsis: Wyoming: Optimus Prime is attacked by Circuit Smasher while trying to negotiate a solution to renew earth with the human. Circuit Smasher brutally assaults Optimus, nearly killing the Autobot leader, though he is stopped by the other humans, led by Spike’s wife Linda Chang. Circuit Smasher stands down, and Optimus is taken into custody. Optimus is brought before all the surviving humans, and makes a case of uniting the humans with the Nebulans to help each other rebuild – the Nebulans giving them technology, while the humans helping them to recover from the mental trauma inflicted on them by Scorponok. Circuit Smasher shoots Optimus down because he thinks it’s a ploy to make them reliant on the Transformers’ Space Bridge, but everyone else is far more receptive, taking it into consideration.

Cybertron: Huffer, Inferno, Silverbolt and Blaster, despite being rebuilt into new bodies are placed in the facility known as the Garage to confirm that their bodies are truly free of Nucleon’s effects. Blaster, having access to the communications chatter of the Autobots, begs for them to be allowed to help, with the feeling that there is something more going on than the effects of the Gene Key. Prowl shuts the suggestion down by recounting how unstable their individual side effects were, though Blaster is adamant to try and find out the truth.

Cybertron’s bowels: Hot Rod and the Dinobots, following a mental map given to Hot Rod by the Covenant, search for the bottom of the Sonic Canyons. When Hot Rod is asked about the Demons, he says he’s sure that the Demons will find them eventually, and unseen by the group, they are indeed being trailed by the Demons.

In the streets, Kup and the Wreckers confront a group blockading a street in protest of the Wreckers. Roadbuster tries to say something and is shot down by Kup, who has the opinion that they need to stamp out little fires like this before they get bigger. Roadbuster tells Kup that he might be worsening the problem, and the two argue about how Kup is being compared to Springer all the time. As the Wreckers argue, the protesters get into a fight with those trying to pass. Spinister, hovering above, communicates to Soundwave to update the interim Decepticon leader about the chaos they’ve sowed. Soundwave reveals that he’s using a subsonic irritant to increase the aggression of everyone, which will be blamed on the lingering effects of the Gene Key, while the Decepticons use the riots as cover to destroy key structures in Cybertron. Soundwave suddenly cuts Spinister off, realizing that Blaster has hacked into his commline, and dispatches the Mayhem Attack Squad.

In the Garage, Blaster, realizing he has been discovered, tells the others that they need to leave. As he explains the situation to his surprised comrades (who feel ill-equipped), Blaster says they have no choice to make a last stand as the Mayhems have already breached the facility. Snarler, Carnivac and Roadblock burst into the Garage, finding Huffer alone. An unimpressed Snarler charges him, but Huffer takes Snarler out with a single punch. Carnivac attempts to attack Huffer, but is taken out from an energy siphon wielded by Silverbolt and Inferno. Blaster uses his abilities to disorient Roadblock, allowing the other three to take him out. Carnivac’s inner robot leap out of his shell, managing to damage Silverbolt, but is taken out by Blaster. Later on, the Mayhems are arrested and Prowl tells Blaster that he had taken down the intracomm ‘for maintenance’ to prevent Soundwave’s machinations. However, all the long-range communications have been successfully taken out by the Decepticons, so they’ll have no way of knowing if an attack is coming until it’s too late…

Deep in space, the Ark and the Warworld continue to head towards Cybertron, their respective occupants hungry for battle…

Featured Characters: Optimus Prime, Circuit Smasher, Linda Chang, Huffer, Inferno, Silverbolt, Blaster, Trailbreaker, Prowl, Sky Lynx, Kup, Fang, Whirl, Sandstorm, Roadbuster, Rack’n’Ruin, Spinister, Soundwave, Needlenose, Crankcase, Ruckus, Windsweeper, Snarler, Roadblock, Carnivac, Gordon Kent, G.B. Blackrock, Sludge, Swoop, Slag, Snarl, Hot Rod, Demons, Red Alert, First Aid, Galvatron, Bludgeon

Review:
”Maybe the one enflaming things – is you. By giving them exactly what they want.”
Actually a pretty solid, fun issue. The main portion of this issue is just the fight between Team Blaster and the Mayhem Attack Squad, and I do like how Blaster is given screentime which is intertwined nicely with Soundwave’s plot to destabilize Cybertron and make way for Bludgeon’s Warworld. I do like how everyone is riled up by what they think is the Gene Key’s effect, giving Soundwave’s little push of a subsonic irritant enough of a grip to cause violence everywhere. It’s also good to see Blaster take charge and be more like his Marvel self – he isn’t quite Wolverine again yet, but still a lot more entertaining to read than the more cartoon-based lifeless plank he ended up being in the late Marvel issues. Huffer is easily the star of the show, punching Snarler to the ground in one blow (and later beating up Roadblock) which certainly is a memorable scene. I don’t think Huffer has ever done anything really. I do like the totally random change of focus from main players like Hot Rod and Soundwave and Bludgeon to Blaster and nobodies like Huffer and Carnivac. It’s a harmless action issue with a bit of moving the plot forwards and I like it. Prowl’s also a nice little perfunctory prick who gets in Blaster’s way with the best of intentions, and the poor guy’s been sidelined throughout the entire series and it’s nice to see him do something.

We also get to see Kup and Roadbuster argue, and I do like the little character moment for pragmatic ol’ Kup, who’s just so frustrated with everything he just wants to punch these random protesters down. Granted, the idea of them blockading a street when the cars can just transform and walk past is kind of moronic, but Kup’s argument over constantly being compared with the now-dead Springer is a good, short one.

We get a little bit of Hot Rod’s little search for Grimlock, though not too much to feel repetitive. Galvatron and Bludgeon, though… they’ve been travelling through space, like, for half a year now, and having them do that giant one-page full body shot with half Bludgeon and half Galvatron? No impact at all.

I suppose my biggest problem is Optimus Prime’s conversation with Spike and the humans, which dragged on for a bit too long than it should. Acting true to his spiritual predecessor Circuit Breaker, Spike just acts like a jerk and tries to murder the shit out of Optimus Prime before stopped by newly-introduced character Linda Chang. We spend the good portion of a page just seeing her get Spike to stand down and rattle off the rules and regulations of ‘Little America’, and somehow Optimus still tries to talk to Spike, who apparently forgets his extreme bigotry to answer ‘wife’ sheepishly. It’s a weak joke that falls really flat. The proposition Optimus is saying, and Spike’s immediate rebuttal is better written, though, so the entire scene isn’t as pointless as it initially seems. The one in the beginning, though? Completely needless. We could have just reduced everything into two panels of Spike threatening Optimus next to the human settlement before Blackrock shuts him down. Spike is needlessly a two-dimensional ass, and I don't like him.

There is distinctive character focus on several minor characters, some great scenes, and of course Optimus and Spike, and some foundation is laid out for the Warworld plot. It’s an issue I actually rather enjoyed. Also to note that this is Andrew Wildman’s last outing for a Transformers comic, and the art here is pretty decent… aside from the obligatory bad faces here and there, of course. I have come to associate faceless heads with Wildman. I would like to say I’m sorry to see him go, but Wildman’s half-hearted art has been a constant disappointment throughout the Regeneration One series, so I’m definitely rather excited for Guido Guidi to take up art duties.

Other than that note, while not much important happens, it’s an unexpectedly fun issue and a well-needed break from the banality of the Scorponok arc… though sadly it probably won’t last much longer.

(3.5 out of 5)

Notes:
Silverbolt’s side-effect is apparently a Nucleon-boosted hypersonic burn, basically allowing him to go really, really fast uncontrolled in alternate mode. (Also, apparently Sky Lynx’s talons can stretch really, really far.) Huffer’s, as demonstrated this issue, can cause molecular meltdown with his very touch, and Blaster has hypersensitive audios. Blaster is shown to use this ability to mess with Roadblock internal gyroscope… which seems redundant because his old electro-scrambler can do so as well. It’s all redundant, though, since the four (alongside Slag) have received new bodies, though Blaster still apparently retain his abilities.

The Mayhem Attack Squad here is made up of Carnivac, Snarler and Roadblock (who showed up a couple issues back). While both Carnivac and Snarler have shown up in the US series, they are only established as members of the Mayhem Attack Squad in the UK continuity. Carnivac now extends any ‘R’ on any word he says that ends with the leter-rrr.

Blaster refers to his days as part of the resistance on Cybertron, which is first shown way back in Transformers #17. He seems to have regained his Wolverine-esque personality from the Marvel comics which he kinda lost in favour for a more cartoon-inspired personality near the rear end of the Marvel series.

‘Fang’ is the name of a minor comic-original Decepticon from the iconic Target: 2006 arc. The Fang here, beyond sharing the same green colour, seems to share no similarities with the original Marvel UK Fang, lacking his distinctive spikes and having a totally different head.

Presumably Soundwave has departed the Warworld and arrived on Cybertron earlier than Bludgeon on his personal shuttle since the events of last issue.

At the end, Bludgeon quotes ‘Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!’ from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

Goofs:
Sky Lynx’s head is all sorts of messed up.

As Huffer punches Snarler, his hind hooves are blue like his fur instead of yellow. His tusks are almost consistently miscoloured as blue other than in one panel where he’s threatening Huffer.

How would Bludgeon know Shakespeare? Granted, he is the type to read up on literature but he’s never been on Earth.