THE TRANSFORMERS: COMICS, BOOKS AND MANGA

CLUB AND CONVENTION TRANSFORMERS COMICS

OTFCC Magazine: Balancing Act

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

Vector Prime: In The Beginning

Story: Forest Lee & Dan Khanna Script: Forest Lee Art: Dan Khanna Edits: Marc Patten

Synopsis: Vector Prime, the guardian of space-time, reflects that he is one of the Thirteen, the original Transformers created by the lord of light Primus. Vector Prime is tasked with protecting the balance in Primus' eternal war against Unicron. Unicron's actions have often caused ripples across the surface of time. Vector Prime has always observed the greatest victories and the darkest hours of Primus' children, intervening only when his hand was forced to help return time to its orderly state such as when the time-jumping second Megatron murdered Optimus Prime in the past. At one particular point in time Primus was awakened, and his scream likewise awakens Unicron. Unicron's very existence wreaks havoc in the space-time fabric, vreating anomalies and plain destruction. Vector Prime has, for a long time, followed Unicron's wake to prevent and repair what he damage he could but not always succeeding. In the present day (in the Armada-Energon-Cybertron universe), Vector Prime is alerted by Vector Sigma of Unicron's collapse and the creation of the Grand Black Hole. Vector Prime and his companion Safeguard creates a teleport portal to return to help protect Cybertron.

Transformers Featured: Vector Prime, The Thirteen, Unicron, Big Red, Cyclonus, Optimus Prime, Scourge, Galvatron, Shockwave, Megatron II, Octopunch, Bumblebee, Grimlock, Jazz, Primus, Safeguard
Notable Others: Hammer the Protohuman, Buster Witwicky. (For all FunPub material, which specific version of a Transformer that appear will be detailed in the 'Notes' section')

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Balancing Act, Part 1

Story By: Forest Lee & Dan Khanna Script By: Forest Lee Art By: Dan Khanna Inks By: Terry Pallot & Chuck Gibson Colours By: Blond Letters By: Junemoon Studio Edits By: Marc Patten

Synopsis: Some time later. The Unicron Singularity hovers over Cybertron. From a nearby portal, the herald of Unicron Ramjet appears, freed from his extradimensional prison. With Ramjet are Nemesis Prime, an evil clone of Optimus Prime and a quartet of Mini-Cons. Even though Unicron is dead, Ramjet senses that the tide of battle can be turned. In Iacon, the capital city is deserted save for a couple of Decepticon opportunists Jackhammer and Crush Groove. Ramjet tries to recruit the two as warrior slaves, but they refuse. Jackhammer is destroyed by Ramjet’s decay powers and Nemesis kills Crush Groove. Ramjet decides to take matters into his own hands. In the chamber of Alpha Trion, Vector Prime discusses with the old Autobot about the state of Primus and Vector Sigma. Apparently Primus has withdrawn to devote all his energy to counteract the Unicron Singularity. Vector Prime gives a progress report on the search for the Cyber Planet Keys.

Alpha Trion reveals that the space-time distortions have allowed him to summon Sentinel Maximus, which had come from another timeline. Introductions between the three are made, but the Unicron heralds arrive and shoot down Sentinel Maximus. Vector Prime and Ramjet (as well as their Mini-Cons) swordfight with each other, while Nemesis Prime smashes Alpha Trion onto Vector Sigma. Nemesis and Sentinel have a face-off with their weapons, but Ramjet uses his powers to further tear apart Alpha Trion and Vector Sigma, before ordering a retreat. Vector Prime has no idea what to do with Alpha Trion destroyed.

Transformers Featured: Gunbarrel, Ramjet, Terradive, Thunderwing, Thunderclash, Nemesis Prime, Jackhammer (killed), Crush Groove (killed), Safeguard, Vector Prime, Alpha Trion (blown up), Sentinel Maximus

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Balancing Act, Part 2

Story By: Forest Lee & Dan Khanna Script By: Forest Lee Art By: Dan Khanna Inks By: Terry Pallot & Chuck Gibson Colours By: Espen Grundetjern Letters By: Junemoon Studio

Synopsis: Vector Prime places Alpha Trion into a repair chamber, noting that repairs will take a long time. Vector Prime then tells Sentinel Maximus that Nemesis Prime was cloned by Unicron from an Optimus Prime of a dimension he consumed and was broken by Unicron, and Ramjet’s time between dimensions had warped him. Vector Prime tells Sentinel Maximus that the search for the Planet Keys is sapping his power, which is why Alpha Trion had summoned Sentinel. Vector Prime tells Sentinel that while they can keep Unicron in the Singularity, his power may cause more anomalies. Elsewhere, the dead body of the former Terrorcon leader Scorponok comes to life as a hungry zombie.

At the Iacon spaceport, a ship touches down and a strange Autobot, Skyfall, walks out and finds the planet deserted. A swarm of Scrapmetal accosts Skyfall, but the Scrapmetal are blown away by a hungry Dark Scorponok, who wants to feed. Meanwhile, Ramjet and Nemesis Prime, with the help of a few reprogrammed Scrapmetals, have attacked an Autobot outpost to locate information. Ramjet explains his plan to Nemesis Prime. Even though Unicron is dead, he is now in a position to destroy Primus. When imprisoned in a physical body Unicron cannot destroy more than one reality at a time. However, Cybertron is the stable axis of the multiverse, and spans all realities. If they are able to kill Primus in this universe with the Dead Matrix and is fed to the Singularity, then the Singularity will be able to replicate itself in every dimension, creating a multiverse of nothingness.

Transformers Featured: Alpha Trion, Vector Prime, Sentinel Maximus, alternate-universe Optimus Prime (flashback), Dark Scorponok, Skyfall, Scrapmetal (some killed), Nemesis Prime, Ramjet

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Balancing Act, Part 3

Story By: Forest Lee & Dan Khanna Script By: Forest Lee Art By: Dan Khanna Inks By: Terry Pallot & Chuck Gibson Colours By: Espen Grundetjern Letters By: Junemoon Studio

Synopsis: The zombie Dark Scorponok tries to consume Skyfall’s Energon, but Skyfall uses his powers to create a force field. Scorponok is unable to break through and opens fire randomly, burying Skyfall in rubble. Two of Ramjet’s Mini-Cons find Dark Scorponok and tell him a place where he can feed. Two mega cycles later, Sentinel Maximus and Vector Prime arrive at the Kalis primary Energon reserves control. The two enter to try and switch on the automated defenses. Thunderclash lead Dark Scorponok and tell him that he can find fuel there.

Safeguard stands watch and confronts Dark Scorponok, who attacks him. Safeguard calls for backup, and Sentinel Maximus appear and join the battle. As Sentinel Maximus and Safeguard battle Dark Scorponok, Ramjet tells the story of zombies to his Mini-Cons and Scrapmetal, who sit around him in a circle, telling them how zombies will cause anything they feed on to become the same. Nearby, Skyfall blasts his way out of the rubble, much to the surprise and alarm of Ramjet. Guns are pointed around, and Ramjet orders his troops to stand down. Ramjet apparently mistook Skyfall for someone else, and after taking a while to access his memories, calls Skyfall by his name.

Transformers Featured: Dark Scorponok, Skyfall, Thunderclash, Thunderwing, Sentinel Maximus, Vector Prime, Safeguard, Nemesis Prime, Ramjet, Scrapmetal, Terradive, Gunbarrel

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Balancing Act, Part 4

Story By: Forest Lee & Dan Khanna Script By: Forest Lee Art By: Dan Khanna Inks By: Terry Pallot & Chuck Gibson Colours By: Espen Grundetjern Letters By: Junemoon Studio

Synopsis: Ramjet tells Skyfall that they knew each other in the past, millions of stellar cycles ago. Skyfall demands that Ramjet tell him everything he knew, but Ramjet would only do so if Skyfall helps him. At Kalis, Sentinel Maximus and Safeguard continue to battle Dark Scorponok. Sentinel asks Vector Prime in the building to activate the autoguns, but Vector Prime is unable to do so because of lack of Energon. In the scuffle Dark Scorponok stings Sentinel Maximus with his venom, paralyzing the Autobot. He swats Safeguard away and is about to consume Sentinel Maximus when the auto defense systems come online and open fire on Scorponok, destroying him.

Vector Prime rushes out of the main building, and notes that he has seen spark afflictions like this before. As Sentinel Maximus recovers from the venom, Vector Prime reveals that it was not he who turned on the autoguns, revealing that they have an unseen ally. However, they receive a muffled distress call from Downshift, who is guarding the spark core tunnels of Cybertron. Vector Prime realises that he has been mistaken in deducing Ramjet’s target, and creates a portal. In the tunnel, Downshift is impales to the wall, although Ramjet leaves the Autobot alive to suffer. Nemesis Prime tells Ramjet that leaving Skyfall unharmed behind is not wise, but the Autobots appear in front of them, ready for battle.

Transformers Featured: Skyfall, Ramjet, Scrapmetal, Nemesis Prime, Thunderwing, Gunbarrel, Terradive, Safeguard, Sentinel Maximus, Dark Scorponok (killed), Vector Prime, Downshift

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

Balancing Act, Part 5

Story By: Forest Lee & Dan Khanna Script By: Forest Lee Art By: Dan Khanna & Makoto Ono Inks By: Terry Pallot, Chuck Gibson & Makoto Ono Colours By: Espen Grundetjern, Krista Ward & Makoto Ono Letters By: Junemoon Studio

Synopsis: In the tunnels, Vector Prime clashes against Ramjet. Vector Prime, knowing that Sentinel Maximus stands no chance against Ramjet, orders the other Autobot to go after Nemesis Prime. Nemesis Prime is as determined as he is, and flies down the tunnel. Skyfall, meanwhile, arrives to find Downshift impaled to the wall, appalled that Ramjet did it. He helps Downshift down. Ramjet and Vector Prime clash with each other both in swords and words. Ramjet flies onto the surface (knocking aside poor Quickslinger), telling Vector Prime that Primus must die, unless they are willing to sacrifice this reality.

Sentinel Maximus pulls all the stops as he pursues Nemesis Prime, but Nemesis Prime is powerful and manages to slow Sentinel down. As Ramjet and Vector Prime clash, Ramjet tries to sway Vector Prime. Ramjet reminds Vector Prime that half a dozen planets have been destroyed because of Primus, and order without chaos cannot hold. Ramjet plans to kill Primus and speed the process of destruction, but Vector Prime can restore the balance by reviving Unicron. Vector Prime still refuses. All the while Skyfall follows the two. At the heart of Cybertron, Nemesis Prime manages to destroy the door and trap Sentinel Maximus outside. Nemesis Prime then pulls out the Dead Matrix, and opens it.

Transformers Featured: Nemesis Prime, Sentinel Maximus, Vector Prime, Safeguard, Ramjet, Terradive, Thunderclash, Thunderwing, Gunbarrel, Skyfall, Downshift, Quickslinger, Primus’ Spark

Reviews & Commentary: Reviewed by Blackjack

 

| Fun Publications | Revelations |