TRANSFORMERS ARMADA #16
Cover Date: October 2003
Story: Simon Furman
Pencils: Don Figueroa
Inks: Elaine To
Lettering: Paul Villafuerte
Setting: Lincoln, South Dakota, Decepticon Command HQ - Cybertron, Silver Ridge - Decepticon Earth HQ, Alternate Universe Cybertron.

Plot Summary:
As the battered Autobots and Decepticons lay scattered, Megatron and Galvatron lock hands in battle, but even with the power of Leader-1, Megatron cannot harm his rival. Galvatron tells Megatron that he has killed many "Megatrons" before, and promises that this time will be no different. Inside the Autobot Base, Payload and Sky Blast continue to search for Optimus Prime, while feeling helpless to deal with the situation. At the Decepticon Headquarters on Cybertron, Jetfire's team arrives with little in the way of resistance. Despite the risk, they march forward, unaware that they are being watched… At the Decepticon base on Earth, the Mini-Cons watch as the time travelling Decepticons leave to confront the recently returned Thrust. Over-Run tells the others about them, saying that they appeared to wipe out everything on his Cybertron, with the end soon following. He says that it can be prevented here, but only if they can find Prime. On the Alternate Cybertron, Prime vainly tries to get information on how to defeat Unicron from Spinister, who has been reduced to spewing the same nonsensical jabbering over and over again. Back in Lincoln, as Galvatron prepares to blast his beaten opponent, the Air Defense Team arrives and forms the Star Saber, giving Megatron a badly needed edge. On Cybertron, Jetfire's team comes under attack by Bludgeon, who manages to inflict severe harm on all of them and kill one of their number before Jetfire figures out what's going on. He orders his remaining troops to transform to vehicle modes and activate their headlights, exposing his shell and allowing Jetfire to blast it to pieces, but when the smoke clears, all that remains is the battered remains of his Pretender shell. Meanwhile, with the Star Saber in hand, Megatron goes on the offensive against Galvatron, whose attempt to grab the Star Saber is met with a flash. And as the Land Military Team arrives and Payload asks them for good news, Wreckage can only reply that it "depends on what you mean by good" as we see Megatron plunging the Star Saber into Galvatron's chest.

Transformers/Humans Featured (in rough order of appearance):
Scavenger, Red Alert, Starscream, Megatron, Leader-1, Galvatron, Payload, Sky Blast, Jetfire, Overload, Side Swipe, Rhinox, Blurr, Dropshot, Bludgeon, Sparkplug, Over-Run, High Wire, Commetor, Scourge, Dirge, Thinderwing, Astroscope, Thrust, Mirage, Spinsiter, Optimus Prime, Jetstorm, Runway, Sonar, Bonecrusher, Knock Out, Wreckage.

Other Notes:
Overload and Rhinox make their first comic appearances in this issue, Overload having been previously introduced in the cartoon as little more than a piece of hardware, and as a regular Autobot in the fourth toy comic. The character of Dropshot is based on an actual Transformer toy that was never released. A Japanese kanji appears on Bludgeon's sword as we see him spy on the Autobots. As the Air Defense Team combine to form the Star Saber, they change their colors to that of the Air Assault Team. As Jetfire and the other Autobots go deeper into the Autobot base, we see the headless bodies of the Gobots Cop-Tor and Cy-Kill among the destroyed Decepticons. It appears that someone other than Don did the artwork for the final page, as it lacks Don's particular style.

Review: The issue contains one of the most violent and brutal battles since the Dinobot/Predacons fight in "Code Of Hero", and on par with the Megatron/Optimus fight in the Movie. That alone makes the issue worth picking up, but there is a highly entertaining story behind the battle, but the only problem coming once again from a lack of focus on Optimus and the alternate Cybertron. Even that doesn't bring the issue down, though. Highly recommended.

Review by Bombshell