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Publication Date: 15th August 2012 |
Synopsis: Autobots and Decepticons battle at the perimeter around Autobot City, and Grimlock notes that the Decepticons never seem to run out of reserves. Grimlock leads the Lightning Strike Coalition into the battle, tearing the Decepticons apart. In Iacon, Grimlock’s offensive causes Optimus Prime to order them to fall back to stop wasting energon, an order which Grimlock grudgingly follows. Optimus and Grimlock come to heads, and Grimlock retorts that Optimus’ strategy consists of sitting and waiting for the Decepticons to win, storming off in anger. Optimus and Jazz discuss the Ark. Perceptor gives Grimlock an encrypted transmission from Swoop, who had been sent to recon the Decepticons earlier, but is cut off before he can elaborate. Grimlock, furious, leads his team to rescue Swoop.
Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Grimlock, Slug, Sludge, Snarl, Optimus Prime, Perceptor, Jazz, Swoop
Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack
Publication Date: 29th August 2012 |
Synopsis: Grimlock monologues to himself about how the Lightning Strike Coalition had obtained the intel that had led to Swoop’s mission to the Sea of Rust, searching for a Decepticon base with supposedly unlimited energon, and worries about Swoop.
Prior to the events of last issue, Swoop arrives at the Sea of Rust and finds a seemingly-abandoned tower patrolled by Decepticons. Sneaking inside, Swoop overhears Starscream arguing with Shockwave. Starscream wants Shockwave to continue supplying energon to the Decepticon armies, whereas Shockwave is far more interested in ‘cosmic secrets’, one of which are tied to the Insecticons which Shockwave has discovered and subjugated under his control. As the two continue to bicker, Swoop attempts to exit the base only to be surrounded by Insecticons. While being overwhelmed and outnumbered by the Insecticons, Swoop manages to get a partial message out to Iacon.
Grimlock and the rest of his team arrive at the Sea of Rust, still unaware of Swoop’s fate other than if he fell, he would have fallen a warrior. Grimlock tells himself that he is going to save the world.
Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Swoop, Seekers, Shockwave, Starscream, Insecticons (Kickback, Sharpshot and Hardshell may be among them), Sludge, Grimlock, Slag, Snarl
Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack
Publication Date: 12th September 2012 |
Synopsis: Grimlock and the Lightning Strike Coalition discuss strategy. After joking by suggesting a stealth mission, the team charge straight in with their trademark excessive force. After getting inside, they are ambushed by Insecticons, but manage to push on until they find Swoop bound into a machine. As they rescue their teammate, Grimlock feels uneasy and decides to call a retreat to report to Optimus Prime. However, before they can do so, Shockwave and the Insecticon trio appear and tell him that the arrival of Grimlock’s team is part of Shockwave’s plan, that no backup will follow them. Shockwave sends in even more Insecticons, and the Coalition are overwhelmed, Grimlock reflecting that occasionally playing it cautious like Optimus is a good idea.
Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Slug, Grimlock, Snarl, Sludge, Insecticons, Swoop, Sharpshot, Shockwave, Hardshell, Kickback
Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack
Publication Date: 26th September 2012 |
Synopsis: As the Insecticons overwhelm him, Grimlock realizes that he needs to find out what Shockwave plans to do and get the information out to the Autobots at all costs, and breaks loose from his attackers. The rest of his team has no such luck. Grimlock attacks Shockwave, seemingly overwhelming the Decepticon before Shockwave fights back, striking back effectively at Grimlock’s weak points, blinding and crippling the Autobot. Shockwave gloats to Grimlock, telling him that he allowed Swoop to make the transmission, and that the siege led by Megatron and Starscream on Autobot City will be even more efficient without Grimlock’s presence. Shockwave notes that he’s fascinated by Grimlock’s tendency to never give up, but Grimlock’s struggle is in vain as Shockwave hooks them all up to machinery, claiming that he will fashion them as the Decepticons’ ultimate weapons.
Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Insecticons (Sharpshot, Hardshell and Kickback may be among them), Grimlock, Slug, Shockwave, Sludge, Starscream (hologram), Megatron (hologram)
Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack
Publication Date: 10th October 2012 |
Synopsis: Grimlock awakens, his memory fragmented. He has no idea who he is, only knowing that he needs to save his friends. He and his team are all strung up in Shockwave’s laboratory. Shockwave shows up and taunts him while using the machinery to separate the Autobot into his component pieces. Shockwave explains his motives – the members of the Lightning Strike Coalition are better specimens, whose minds would not be able to withstand his experiments. He also shows off his new Space Bridge, which allows him to observe the universe, one of which is Earth during the dinosaur age. Shockwave plans to use the unlimited supply of energon there to fuel the Space Bridge and allow the Decepticons to conquer the universe, but first he’ll modify Grimlock’s team into weapons like the Insecticons. Grimlock’s mind, still shattered, attempts to resist but ends up only uttering Shockwave’s name.
Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Insecticons, Swoop, Snarl, Slug, Grimlock, Shockwave, Starscream (hologram), Megatron (hologram)
Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack
Publication Date: 24th October 2012 |
Synopsis: Grimlock’s muddled mind struggles to hold together in face of Shockwave’s torture and constant taunting, and gets flashes of memories jumbled up, one of which is a vision of him attacking Shockwave in the form of a Tyrannosaurus rex. Grimlock’s mind is overwhelmed by impulses to destroy, and tries to transform, but Shockwave has placed an inhibitor and continues to taunt Grimlock. Grimlock manages to mutter ‘me serve no one’, while Shockwave activates a machine to erase Grimlock’s mind, and Shockwave begins to speak straight in Grimlock’s mind, that he is nothing but Shockwave’s servant now. Grimlock’s memory is jumbled, and suddenly sees Starscream, and finds Slug and Swoop in new dinosaur forms, before finding himself in Shockwave’s tower and causing him to roar and transform into his new beast mode, roaring that no one controls him.
Characters Featured [in rough order of appearance]: Shockwave, Grimlock, Optimus Prime (flashback), Starscream, Slug, Swoop
Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack