TRANSFORMERS ENERGON #23

Cover Date: May 2004
Story: Simon Furman
Pencils: Joe Ng
Inks: Elaine To
Lettering: Ben Lee
Setting: Alterenergy Mobile Command, Earth, Western Australia. Unknown Area Fifty Miles South of Alterenergy Mobile Command, Earth, Western Australia. The Gregory Salt Sea, Western Australia, Earth.

Plot Summary: Scorponok and the Terrorcons attack Alterenergy’s Mobile Command Center, hoping to coerce Kicker into cooperating with him. Kicker, unwilling to let them kill any more humans, Kicker agrees to help the Terrorcons gather Energon.

Fifty miles away, Rad and Alexis run into Optimus and the Autobots, who are as shocked to see them as the Autobots are to see Rad and Alexis. After reintroducing themselves, they all agree to head out after Kicker.

At the Gregory Salt Sea, Scorponok and the Terrorcons prepare to siphon the Energon from the area when the Autobots arrive. Scorponok orders Tidal Wave, as the least mobile of the group, to remain behind and begin the operation as he and the others attack the Autobots. Caught between the Terrocons, Optimus and Powerlinx Jetfire leap out of the way as Scorponok fires at them, hitting Cruellock and Divebomb instead. Inferno then orders the Omnicons into the fray, and a large scale battle ensues.

Meanwhile, Tidal Wave continues to gather the Energon as he taunts Kicker about the hopelessness of the situation. As he rants, Hot Shot, Skyblast and Strongarm approach and knock him out. As Tidal Wave prepares to retaliate, Strongarm hands Kicker a battle suit. As he puts it on, Kicker tells the Autobots to pull out. They barely manage to do so before the Energon siphons, picking up tainted Energon, explode, with Tidal Wave caught in the middle.

Angered, Scorponok continues the battle with Prime. However, victory is cut short as Alpha Quintesson and the Horsemen of Unicron retrieve the defeated Terrorcons and bring them back to Unicron.

As the Autobots, Omnicons and humans regroup, Rad wonders if the Autobots will leave again. Prime assures him that they will stay…and that everyone will know of their presence.

Transformers/Humans Featured (in rough order of appearance): Scorponok, Creullock, Divebomb, Battle Ravage, Dr. Jones, Kicker, Rad, Alexis, Carlos, Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Inferno, Hot Shot, Tidal Wave, Insecticon, Jetfire, Signal Flare, Arcee, Strongarm, Skyblast, Alpha Quintesson, Airazor, Cheetor, Rhinox, Terrorsaur.

Review: After the last issue, I was worried that there might not be an adequate way for Furman to close out this story arc without making it suck so badly. I am, surprised to say, glad that my fears were unfounded. Somewhat. The issue does indeed have its problems. Like#22, the big thing about this issue was a battle scene that took up a great deal of the page space. Unlike that issue, the battle here comes off being a whole lot less forced upon, and that there is a reason for it to be occurring in the first place. The dialogue of the grown up Armada kids still comes off as being incredibly corny. (Rad’s “Baby Optimus Primes” comment being the most horrendous) And the ending is incredibly stilted. It does work, but I would have rather had the horsemen arrive on Earth, attack the Autobots and retrieve the Terrorcons instead of having them come through portals and take them away. Still, there is a sense of close in this issue, which helps a great deal considering that at least the next two issues are one shot stories. And of course, we know that there is a lot of good coming from the Energon series. (Tidal Wave reformatted into Mirage, the big Megatron vs. Scorponok fight) It’s just a real shame that we’re going to have to sit through some duds before we get to the good stuff.

Review by Bombshell