The Transformers Archive Skip to main content / Also skip section headers

[The Transformers Archive - an international fan site]
Please feel free to log in or register.

 
  • transformers forum
  • transformers fandom
  • transformers toys
  • transformers comics
  • transformers cartoon
  • transformers live-action movies

THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

Marvel Comics
(1984-1994)
Japanese
Manga
Other Books
and Titles
Titan Books
(2001-2010)
Club/Con
(2001-2016)
Dreamwave
(2002-2004)
Devil's Due
(2003-2007)
IDW Publishing
(2005-now)

CURRENT TRANSFORMERS COMICS FROM IDW PUBLISHING

The Transformers: Devastation

| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | Hail And Farewell | #6 | TPB | PREVIEWS |

Devastation #1, issue #17 in the main series

Released 3rd October 2007.

Written by Simon Furman.

Art by E.J. Su.

Colours by Zac Atkinson.

Letters by Chris Moway.

Edits by Dan Taylor.

$3.99 cover price, choice of covers.

Synopsis: Three weeks after the events in Escalation: Nightbeat examines the data storage device stolen by Verity (way back in Infiltration #0) and finds a sophisticated homing device hidden within it. Theorising that whoever built it traced them back to the Ark, thus comprising their position, Nightbeat has Bumblebee search the surrounding area of Lake Michigan, who discovered numerous high tech surveillance equipment left abandoned. With their only clue being the M card found clutched in Verity's hand after her close call in Fort Wayne (see Escalation #6), Nightbeat was unable to give Prime any firm answers, except that they should move their location as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Bumblebee starts to create a program that might be able to follow the tracer signal back to its source.

In better news, after weeks of searching, Ratchet has finally located Ironhide, whose body is in an automotive scrapyard scheduled to be crushed in the pneumatic presses. Hot Rod and Wheeljack race to reach him in time, unawares that they themselves are being followed.

At the Decepticon command bunker, a non-plussed Sixshot is ordered by Megatron to begin the decimation of the planet. The other Decepticons, realising that their leader has begun to loose it big time, conclude that only one of them has the nerve to tell him so. Against their better instincts, they go down to the CR chamber where Starscream is being held in.

After ordering Hound’s team on Cybertron to come to Earth at the behest of Sideswipe, Prime orders the launch of Ark-19. But unknowns to him, not only has Ratbat observed the lift off, but back in Brasnya Skywatch has put the mentally controlled Ravage on the Transformer’s scent.

En route to their new base under the Gulf of Mexico, the Autobots are attacked by Sixshot. Badly damaged, Ark-19 plummets down towards the town of Knoxville Tennessee...

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Nightbeat, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Runamuck [Flashback, and in the flesh], Runabout [Flashback and in the flesh], Skywarp [Flashback and in the flesh], Verity [Flashback etc], Ratchet, Hot Rod, Wheeljack, Megatron, Sixshot, Thundercracker, Blitzwing, Astrtrain, Sixshot, Agent Red, Ravage, Jimmy, Sideswipe, Hound, Ratbat, Jazz, Hardhead.

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by inflatable dalek

Devastation #2, issue #18 in the main series

Released 24th October 2007.

Written by Simon Furman.

Art by: E.J. Su.

Colours by Zac Atkinson.

Letters by Neil Uyetake.

Edits by Dan Taylor.

$3.99 cover price, choice of covers.

This issue also includes Mosaics: Rain

Synopsis: Before leaving Ark 19, Hot Rod is contacted by his old friend Dealer, who asks for his help in getting assigned to Earth. A few hours latter, while on en route to the junk yard to retrieve Ironhide’s body before being pulverized in the pneumatic press, he and Wheeljack are suddenly attacked by five cars of exactly the same design as Sunstreaker, complete with weaponry.

Above Knoxville, the Autobots struggle desperately to regain some control of their ship as it plummets towards the city. With their radar jamming equipment now broken, a local airforce base scrambles planes to intercept them. Luckily though, they are just able to pull up and avoid destroying the town, but can go no further than the nearest ocean. After ushering the humans, with Ratchet to watch them, into an escape pod, Prime orders Prowl to engage the auto destruct sequence so as to leave no trace and has the remaining Autobots go to the cargo bay to await impact.

Upon seeing the explosion, Sixshot is convinced all on board Ark 19 have perished, but Megatron orders him to track down the escape pod to finish the job. As Megatron seems more and more unhinged, Astrotrain is almost relieved to be told that Starsceam is awake.

Wheeljack and Hot Rod manage to take out two of the cars pursuing them, but are shocked at the abilities they show. Transforming to robot mode, they are even more surprised when not only do the Sunstrekers follow suit, but one’s head detaches and reveals itself to be a "Headmaster"- a human in a exo-suit.

Back at Machination headquarters, a similarly attired Hunter has finished his conditioning and is now declared a blank slate under Machination control. Hunter however, had in fact fooled his captors, and as they left the room he also sneaks out looking for answers as to what has been done to him. He is shocked to discover the real Sunstreaker's disembodied head, begging for death...

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Dealer [Flashback], Hot Rod, Wheeljack, Mr. Drake, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Prowl, Optimus Prime, Nightbeat, Jazz, Sixshot, Megatron, Jimmy, Verity, Astrotrain, Blitzwing, Mr. Dante, Hunter, Sunstreaker's Head.

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by inflatable dalek

Devastation #3, issue #19 in the main series

Released 29th November 2007.

Written by Simon Furman.

Art by Nick Roche.

Colours by Zac Atkinson.

Letters by Neil Uyetake.

Edits by Andrew Steven Harris.

$3.99 cover price, choice of covers.

This issue also includes Mosaics: Reason

Synopsis: At the Pentagon, military officials are confused by the events in the Knoxville area and the lack of firm facts. However, one of them is a mole reporting to the facsimile of Senator Holt, who decides that the story can be turned to his master's advantage with a little spin.

Meanwhile, the escape pod deployed from the plummeting Ark 19 with Ratchet and the humans onboard landed in Alabama, and upon disembarking the medic destroyed the pod to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. As they flee, Ratchet hopes they'll be deemed too insignificant for Sixshot to follow, but is dismayed to see the Decepticon come gunning down at them.

Back in Indiana, after revealing himself to Hot Rod and Wheeljack (see previous issue), the "Headmaster" divulged that he and his colleagues have all of Sunstreaker's knowledge on the Autobots. An unimpressed Hot Rod points out that Sunstreaker was a bit slack when it came to reading memos and was probably unaware of Wheeljack's new Gyro-Inhibitor shells. He turns out to be correct as the weapon reduces the Sunstreaker clones in range to an out of control state allowing the Autobots to escape in order to reach Ironhide in time.

At Machination headquarters, Sunstreaker fills Hunter in on the details of what has happened to them, also explaining that the plan is to build a army based on his body. As he is directly linked into all the Headmaster's minds, he again asks Hunter to kill him. Instead an outraged Hunter demands to be told how to become a Headmaster himself.

As Ratchet flees across country along Ark 19's flight path, Sixshot destroys two USAF fighter jets. Taking advantage of the brief distraction, Ratchet goes into the Florida town of Pensacola and attempts to hide amongst the ambulances responding to the damage caused by bits of Ark 19 falling onto the town.

However, Sixshot simply destroys every ambulance in sight, forcing Ratchet to run once more, with the entire scene caught on camera by a TV crew. Arriving at the coast and with no where else to run, Ratchet forces Jimmy and Verity out before making his last stand by the sea. But as Sixshot is about to make the killing blow he is blasted off by Optimus Prime and the other Ark 19 crew members who emerge from the sea.

In Earth orbit a space ship arrives with the Reapers on board, ready to destroy the planet, whilst in the Dark Universe, Nemesis Prime tells Galvatron to go to Earth.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Senator Holt [Facsimile], Ratchet, Jimmy, Verity, Sixshot, Hot Rod, Wheeljack, Sunstreaker Clones [Lots of them], Ironhide, Hunter, Sunstreaker, Lindy Simmons, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Hardhead, Jazz, Nightbeat, The Reapers, Galvatron, Nemesis [Nova] Prime.

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by inflatable dalek

Devastation #4, issue #20 in the main series

Released January 16th 2008.

Written by Simon Furman.

Art by Robby Musso.

Colours by Zac Atkinson and Liam Shalloo.

Letters by Amauri Osorio.

Edits by Andrew Stephen Harris.

$3.99 cover price, choice of covers.

This issue also includes Mosaics: Ghost in the Machine

Synopsis: Washington: At Skywatch headquarters Agent Red learns of the fighting in Florida and orders Laserbeak and Ravage be recalled as the Transformers coming into the open has made their mission pointless. But another signal of alien origin has overridden their control device, and is taking them to a old fashioned tape player sitting on a teenager's bedroom shelf.

Florida: The Autobots are barely able to hold their own against Sixshot, with Bumblebee taking a bad hit as Nightbeat attempts to sort out an orbital bounce to rescue them all. The watching Jimmy and Verity spot TV helicopters and realise the War is now out in the open.

Indiana: Hot Rod and Wheeljack arrive at the junk yard, but after their 8 O'clock deadline, and without the GPS feed from Ark 19 they have to search through the thousands of cars one at a time. To add to their woes when the Yard owner calls the police the Headmasters intercept the call and pursue.

At the Machination base, Hunter steps into the Machine that finishes the Headmaster process, and is engulfed in extreme pain.

With a huge conflict threatening to spread the US Air force is ordered to bomb the fighting robots. Jimmy and Verity try to tell the Police blocking the road about the Autobots' good intentions, but when they are disbelieved they steal a boat to go around the cordon in order to get to their friends and warn them of the coming air strike.

Optimus orders everyone else to leave whilst he fights Sixshot to the last. Reluctantly obeying, the Autobots orbital bounce up to Ark 32, but Jimmy and Verity are killed due to their bodies not being able to withstand the process.

At the Decepticon base in Oregon the Reapers suddenly attack, forcing Megatron to recall Sixshot for defence. As the Decepticon returns to his leader Optimus is able to call for a beam out, just as missiles destroy the area. Whilst the Reaper attack intensifies Starscream emerges fully healed, promising that, despite Sixshot's strength, he will be the only one still standing when he's finished with Megatron and those still loyal to him.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Joshua Red, Ravage, Laserbeak, Soundwave, Sixshot, Bumblebee, Hardhead, Prowl, Optimus Prime, Jazz, Nightbeat, Jimmy [Killed by Orbital Bounce], Verity [Killed by Orbital Bounce], Hot Rod, Wheeljack, Sunstreaker [Head], Hunter, Skywarp, Megatron, The Reapers, Blitzwing, Astrotrain, Starscream.

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by inflatable dalek

Devastation #5, issue #21 in the main series

Released February 6th 2008.

Written by Simon Furman.

Colours by Zac Atkinson.

Colours assist by Josh Burcham and Kris Carter.

Covers by Nick Roche and E.J. Su.

Letters by Robbie Robbins.

Edits by Andrew Stephen Harris and Chris Ryall.

This issue also includes Mosaics: The Curse

Synopsis: Then: As Sixshot fights on Cybertron a watching Starscream worries that the six changer will one day turn on Megatron. The Decepticon leader assures his bodyguard he has a means of dealing with Sixshot should that happen...

Now: The Reapers have launched a full scale attack on Decepticon Headquarters, as Sixshot arrives and begins to fight back Starscream is finally ready to make his move.

On Ark-32 Ratchet is able to revive Verity and Jimmy, whilst Optimus receives a report from Jetfire. In Indiana the Headmasters knock Wheeljack out of the fight, leaving Hot Rod to face them alone, and at Machination Headquarters Jimmy completes the Headmaster process and, armed with new strength, goes to choose his new robot body.

At Oregon the Reapers once again try to persuade Sixshot to join them, and this time he is persuaded due to Starscream attacking him at the moment of choice. But the Seeker is able to shut him down with a simple transmitted code. As the other Decepticons are amazed by Starscream fighting the Reapers single handily a disgruntled Megatron orders the battle be joined.

On Ark 32 Prime has learnt that some recent inmates at the Garrus-9 Prison have escaped, claims their recapture to be more important than the current situation on Earth and, as they are nearest, he orders the Ark to leave to deal with it.

And as the situation in Oregon becomes apparent to the rest of the US, a desperate Joshua Red orders Skywatch to activate the most 'ready' of their recent captures. It's Grimlock.

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Megatron, Starscream, Sixshot (Deactivated by Starscream), Blitzwing, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Runabout, Runamuck, Starscream, Astrotrain, Ratchet, Jazz, Jimmy, Verity, Hardhead, Prowl, Nightbeat, Optimus Prime, Jetfire, Wheeljack, Hot Rod, Sunstreaker, Hunter, Joshua Red, Grimlock. Plus lots of Reapers and Machination Headmasters.

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

Mosaic: Hail And Farewell [Official Continuity]

Released February 15th 2008.

Note: text contains spoilers for plot past the end of Devastation #6.

http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/mosaic-a-go-go/

"The question will be asked, inevitably, if ‘Hail and Farewell’ (click on the thumbnail below) is ‘canon’ in terms of the in-progress Infiltration/Escalation/Devastation series. And the answer is emphatically ‘YES.”"


Update:
http://idwpublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4270&start=60

Devastation #6, issue #22 in the main series

Released February 6th 2008.

Written by Simon Furman.

Art by E.J. Su.

Colours by Josh Burcham.

Covers by Nick Roche and E.J. Su.

Letters by Chris Mowry.

Edits by Andrew Stephen Harris.

This issue also includes Mosaics: Feeling Yellow

Synopsis: At Machination H.Q. in Tampa, Hunter tries desperately to merge with the Sunstreaker robot -- but scientists messing with the original head interfere with his mental link and prevent him knowing exactly what to do. Meanwhile Mr. Dante has also finished the Headmaster process and starts to merge with the body of the Big Giant Head... none other than Scorponok himself! Hunter is awestruck as the restored Decepticon smashes into the room to destroy him.

In Oregon, Megatron and Starscream put aside their differences in order to spearhead the fight against the Reapers, but the Decepticons soon seem outmatched and Runabout and Runamuck are killed. Watching from the sidelines the newly-arrived Galvatron realises that the only way to prevent Earth being purged is if he intervenes.

In Indiana, Hot Rod makes short work of most of the remaining Headmasters, but is surprised to see Hardhead take out the last one. Upon being told of Prime's order to leave Earth Hot Rod refuses to return to Ark-32, as he now feels the hunt for Sunstreaker is a very personal one. Hardhead agrees to take Ironhide and Wheeljack and pretend to have just missed Hot Rod.

On Ark-32 Optimus orders Hound to bring his incoming group of Autobots to Garrus-9 instead, whilst Nightbeat studies the autopsy of Leadfoot. he is staggered to find that Leadfoot was killed by a weapon that destroyed every cyber-cell in his body almost instantly. The detective is concerned that even though he knows he has never seen anything like this before he can't shake the feeling he has...

Oregon: Galvatron decides to help Deathbringer live up to his name by infecting him with "Unlife". Swiftly moving amongst his own troops the merest touch infects and destroys them.

Tampa: Hunter finally works out how to merge with the body and, despite still being sluggish, he and Sunstreaker become a fully joined entity, body and mind. Quickly they escape from the building -- and Scorponok's wrath -- by blasting through a wall.

Back in Oregon the Decepticons quickly take advantage of the fact their foes now seem to be fighting each other to deliver a final push that gives them victory. Whilst they notice the arrival of several human jets that signal their cover has finally been fully blown on Earth they fail to see Galvatron by Sixshot's body.

As Skywatch prepare Grimlock to fight for them, the Autobots leave Earth orbit. Back in the Dead Universe, Galvatron reports to Nemesis Prime and Jhiaxus. The latter is convinced Galvatron has a hidden agenda, but as the 'endgame' is about to begin all will soon be revealed...

Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Mr. Dante, Scorponok, Hunter, Sunstreaker, Megatron, Runabout [Killed by Reapers], Runamuck [Killed by Reapers], Astrotrain, Starscream, Thundercracker, Blitzwing, Hot Rod, Galvatron, Hardhead, Optimus Prime, Nightbeat, Huntstreaker [In reference to the combined form only], Sixshot [body], Grimlock, Agent Red, Nemesis Prime, Jhiaxus. Plus lots of Reapers and Headmasters, all killed.

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Inflatable Dalek

Devastation TPB

Amazon estimate May 2008.

$19.99 list price.

Reprints issues #1-6 of Devastation.

Publisher solicitation: In the aftermath of Escalation's thundering showdown in Brasnya, factions on Earth stir into bold and demonstrative action. With both the Machination and Skywatch poised to strike, each possessing Cybertronian tech and inside knowledge of the alien enemy they face, the Autobots have no choice but to relocate. But the arrival on Earth of the Decepticon's living super-weapon, Sixshot, tells of more Devastation to come! What role do Soundwave, Scorpinok, and the Reapers play in the coming confrontation?

Browse at Amazon.com | Browse at Amazon.co.uk

 

| Megatron: Origin | IDW Comics Guide | Spotlights V3 |

 
With thanks for long-term support to sponsors: