Transformers: Beast Wars (2021 comic book)

After Beast Machines finished airing in 2000, there was no official revisiting of the Transformers continuity established by the Beast Wars animated series until after publisher Dreamwave Productions acquired the rights to the Transformers comic franchise from Hasbro. Although the Transformers convention Botcon created several storylines external to the Beast Wars continuity (such as The Wreckers and a continuation of Beast Machines entitled Transformers: Universe) as various comic book miniseries, the canonicity of such stories is disputable. Dreamwave first touched on the Beast Wars series with a prequel in 2003's Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye. In 2004, the publisher's Transformers Summer Special featured Ain't No Rat, which was the first officially approved comic story to carry on directly from the events seen in the final Beast Wars cartoon. Dreamwave held a contest to select which Transformers continuity (Beast Wars or Robots in Disguise) would be the next to get its own book, and Beast Wars was the victor, with writers James McDonough and Adam Patyk and artist Don Figueroa as the initially planned creative team for the new series. However, despite several pieces of artwork being released (and according to those involved with the project some impressive pieces remaining unreleased), Dreamwave's bankruptcy caused the end of the series before it began. The story Dreamwave tried to produce will most likely remain lost, and it wasn't until 2006, when IDW began publishing Beast Wars: The Gathering, that the Beast Wars continuity was again officially revisited. With the second series, The Ascending, climaxing with Megatron's return to Cybertron, it seems that further Beast Wars stories seem unlikely. However, writer Simon Furman has not ruled out a return, noting that stories could have taken place during Megatron's takeover, before Optimus Primal and the Maximals returned.

In May 2020, IDW's then President Chris Ryall, and editor-in-chief John Barber, announced a new Beast Wars comic book in development.[4]

In October 2020, IDW officially announced a new comic book series titled Transformers: Beast Wars, which will be written by Erik Burnham and drawn by Josh Burcham.[5]

Burnham says that “Beast Wars was a wonderful and weird pivot from the Transformers setup to which I was first introduced. Big personalities, unexpected twists, and actual stakes all popped up regularly on the show, and those are tools that I enjoy using to build new stories. Best of all, the enthusiasm from everyone involved in this project has been so high that I'm feeling constantly inspired!”[6]

Burcham says that "I'm so thrilled to be a part of this team. I was a ‘90s kid and even though I knew about Generation 1, Beast Wars was really my G1. It's still my favorite iteration, and I consider it such a privilege to be able to bring the characters to life in this brand new series. Let the Beast Wars rage on!"[6]

IDW editor David Mariotte says that “Beast Wars is a beloved part of the Transformers legacy. That’s why we couldn’t pass up launching a new series in tandem with the 25th anniversary! Erik and Josh are going to take everything that’s beloved about Beast Wars — the characterization, the drama, the jokes — and start fresh with a series that will feel at home for fans of 25 years and first-timers alike.”[6]

The series debuted on February 3, 2021, and will conclude on an unspecified date around June 22, 2022, following the announcement of IDW passing the Transformers comic book license by the end of the year.[3]

On Cybertron during the distant future, Predacon leader Galavar, calling himself the new Megatron, rebels against the Tripredacus Council with the intention of stealing a golden disk from the Maximal Science Ministry. Aboard the Darksyde, a transwarp vessel they stole from the Great Shipyard of Vos, the Predacons plan to travel through time to unlock the disk's secrets. In response, Optimus Primal, on orders from former Autobot General Ironhide, unites a team of Maximals, and aboard the Axalon, they chase the Predacons through a transwarp portal, which leads both factions to crash on an unknown planet filled with lots of energon. The ridiculously large amount of energon causes both the Maximals and Predacons to short out in robot mode, so their ships' computers rebuild them into techno-organics who can transform into different animal forms.[7]

On the alien planet, Rhinox, unaware that three alien beings known as the Vok are watching both the Maximals and Predacons in secret, is perturbed by the strange geography of the planet's environment. Meanwhile, Optimus lets Nyx explore the skies with her new bat mode while he and Cheetor cover for her regarding repairs to the Axalon. Meanwhile, Megatron is trying to decode the Golden Disk for secrets, Tarantulas and Skold are dealing with Unspace signatures on the Darksyde, Dinobot is feeling like he's the only one who respects the chain of command, and after seeing a light from the Vok's visit but not knowing what it means, Terrosaur goes out for some air. After the Predacon Pterodactyl sees Nyx flying near a floating mountain, the two engage in an aerial battle that Terrorsaur wins by using the powers of his new robot mode while free-falling. He strikes Nyx down by hitting part of her left wing and carries the large fruit bat straight to Megatron's chamber for interrogation and the chance to lure the other Maximals out of hiding.[8]

As Nyx is submitted to torture by Megatron and Tarantulas, Dinobot begins doubting their cruel methods and leaves. The Maximals debate whether Nyx is lost or in trouble; Cheetor wants to go look for her but Optimus rules waiting until daytime for better chances. Nyx defies Megatron by telling him that, like his namesake, history will not remember him, causing him to increase her torture. Dinobot finally steps in to stop it, earning Megatron's rage, but Tarantulas calms him by pointing out Nyx's silence confirms she has allies to protect. Megatron gives Nyx to Tarantulas for his experiments and warns Dinobot against further disobedience. Nyx is thrown outside and kept from transforming by a device of Tarantulas' so the Energon levels will kill her while the Predacons fire on her. Having had enough, Dinobot destroys the device, allowing Nyx to transform and flee while he takes on the vengeful Predacons. Defeating all of them while declaring his honor, he traps them in their ship by locking it down and flees while an impressed Megatron vows retribution.[9]

Dinobot saves Nyx from a native beast resembling a saber-toothed tiger, offering himself to bring her back to the Axalon. Tarantulas takes back control over the Darksyde, freeing the Predacons. Megatron orders the ship to a self-destruction countdown over the Predacons until Dinobot and Nyx are found. The Maximals manage to locate Nyx's signal, but after encountering Dinobot, the latter requests to become a Maximal, as he considers them honorable.[10]

While Dinobot is interrogated, he reveals to Nyx his reasons for joining the Predacons. At the same time, they arrive to attack the Axalon, but the Maximals decide to fight back. When Megatron is about to kill Optimus, Nyx decides to free Dinobot in order to help them.[11]

During the fight, Tarantulas discovers the Maximals were carrying protoform pods before Rattrap fixes the Axalon's defense systems. When Dinobot cannot enter, the Predacons surround him to the point of almost killing him. Optimus orders the Axalon to use plasma cannons on the Predacons to save Dinobot. Several days later, Dinobot recovers from his injuries and accepts Optimus' offer to stay with the Maximals.[12]

Dinobot still recovers from his injuries while becoming an official Maximal member. Megatron tries to decrypt the message from his future self inside the Golden Disk. After her stasis pod descends on the planet, Blackarachnia awakes and begins her search for the Axalon's signal, which leads her to have a confrontation with Cheetor, to the point of incapacitating him.[13]

The Maximals found Cheetor while Blackarachnia tries to hack the Axalon's computer system, sending signals to several protoform pods to transform them into Predacons. When Rhinox intervenes, she placed three bomb traps in order to escape. Back on the Darksyde, Tarantulas reveals that he transformed Blackarachnia into a Predacon.[14]

While the Predacons plan their next move, Skold walks on her own and finds a stasis pod containing Maximal adventurer Razorbeast. While walking, Skold reveals Razorbeast about her past prior to being recruited by Megatron, (she wanted to be an artist and was bullied before joining Megatron), but they are chased by a pack of Ironwolves, as part of an experiment made by the Vok. Skold manages to kill an Ironwolf, while incapaciting the others, but Razorbeast is badly injured in the process and forced into stasis lock. Skold then takes Razorbeast to the Axalon, so the Maximals can take care of him. She then retreats after rejecting Dinobot's offer to join them.[15]

While Optimus plans a strategy to attack the Darksyde, Dinobot reveals how the Golden Disk was retrieved by a group of scientists and taken to Cybertron. The files within the Disk were decoded, but one of the scientists informed Galavar/Megatron about it, leading the Maximals and Predacons to their current time and location. Meanwhile, Terrorsaur has a conflict with Megatron about who should lead the Predacons, until the Maximals, aboard a new ship, attack the Darksyde.[16]

During the fight between Maximals and Prdacons, Nyx and Rattrap go inside the Darksyde. When Razorbeast tries to reason with Skold, Terrorsaur sends the former to the floating mountains, where the volatile energon crystals explode over him. In revenge, Skold murders Terrorsaur.[17]

Nyx destroys the ship’s transwarp drive, while Rattrap makes a copy of the Golden Disk. When they reunite with Optimus, Megatron seals on a force field, but Optimus deceives him on letting them go, in exchange for not destroying the Disk. Megatron reluctantly agrees, but he now wants Optimus dead before archiving his other goals of decrypting the Disk and conquer Cybertron. After the battle, Tarantulas uses Terrorsaur's body for some experiment of his.[18]

After falling unconscious due to an energon crystal that exploded near him, Cheetor gets trapped in an illusory version of Cybertron, where Pakak, a member of the Vok, makes an experiment on him to gain information about the Tiwaz Maneuver. When Cheetor refuses to tell him anything, Pakak challenges him into a race, being disguised as the legendary Autobot speedster Blurr. Cheetor wins the race, but Pakak reveals it was all a trick to get access to the information about the remaining protoforms so the Vok can do experiments on them and fight the Maximals and Predacons with their own people. Cheetor is sent back to reality, where Optimus and Rhinox ask him about the Vok, but Palak erases his memories before he could answer them.[19]

Scorponok and Waspinator find a cystal of red energon that causes highly aggressive behaviour in the organic beasts. While trying to plant a series of early-warning sensors in the jungles beyond the Axalon, Optimus and Dinobot are attacked by Tarantulas and Blackarachnia. They place a bomb on Dinobot that emits the same radiation from the crystal. As consequence, Optimus is affected and becomes erratic in front of the Maximals to the point of attacking them. Dinobot tricks Optimus on focusing his anger on Megatron, causing him to leave the Axalon. On their way to find each other, both Optimus and Megatron are captured by Polar Claw and Saberback, two spies sent by the Vok.[20]

• "Skold's No Good, Very Bad Day" — In the Darksyde, Skold falls into a prank by the other Predacons and gets locked inside a cell where she meets a prisoner named Powerhug, but Skold deduces he is a lifeless body that she destroys to gain the hidden key that unlocks the cell.[21]
• "Rhinox's Amaze-Ing Adventure" — While searching for a missing pod, Rhinox falls into a Predacon trap and ends into a hidden labyrinth, where he finds Waspinator. After surviving all the traps, Waspinator leaves Rhinox trapped.[21]
• "The Morphlings" — While most of the Maximals stay in a wood fire at night, Cheetor tells his pals a horror story about a group of Servicons getting infected by altered bacteria called Morphlings.[21]