Transformers (2019 comic book)

Following the bankruptcy and closure of Dreamwave Productions in January 2005, IDW Publishing acquired the Transformers comic book license in May and hired veteran writer Simon Furman to craft a rebooted continuity based on the Generation 1 toyline.[3]

IDW's first Transformers title, set in its own continuity, was The Transformers: Infiltration, which was previewed with a #0 in October and formally launched with #1 in January 2006.[3]

After having acquired the comic book licence of various other Hasbro properties throughout the years—such as G.I. Joe, Action Man, Rom, M.A.S.K., and Micronauts—IDW announced the Hasbro Reconstruction campaign in January 2016; a launch meant to converge these franchises in the same continuity, starting with the crossover events Revolution and First Strike.[4]

In April 2018, it was announced that this shared continuity, the Hasbro Comic Book Universe (HCBU), would end with Transformers: Unicron in November.

Transformers was first announced by IDW Publishing on December 18, 2018.[5][6] The title is written by Brian Ruckley, and was initially illustrated by Angel Hernandez and Cachét Whitman (replacing Ron Joseph),[6] and started publishing issues twice-monthly in March 13, 2019.[1][7] Ruckley described the writing opportunity as a "privilege", and stated that the title would be a great opportunity for new readers to familiarize themselves with the universe and characters of the Transformers franchise, which he describes as of the "biggest [and] best that science fiction has to offer".[8]

In February 2022, IDW announced to pass the Transformers comic book license by the end of the year.[2]

The series will conclude on June 2022 with a one-shot issue titled Transformers: Fate of Cybertron.

• Transformers: Galaxies (2019–2020)[9]
• Transformers: Escape (2020–2021)[10][11]
• Wreckers: Tread & Circuits (2021–2022)[12]
• Transformers: War's End (2022)[13]

A long time ago, when Cybertron was a commerce hub across the galaxy, there was an age of peace. Orion Pax, Senator of the Autobots, tries to have a talk with Megatron, Senator of the Ascenticons, about the tensions between factions around the planet, to no avail. A newly forged Cybertronian named Rubble is joined by his mentors Bumblebee and Windblade to meet another Cybertronian named Brainstorm, but they found him dead outside his house.[14]

As Prowl and Chromia continue to investigate Brainstorm's death, Bumblebee convinces Wheeljack to get Rubble a job in the Tether as an engineer. In the city of Tarn, Megatron and the Ascenticons are giving a speech when they are ambushed by snipers.[15]

Tensions increase in Cybertron as Windblade takes Rubble to the Senate to be interrogated by Chromia and Geomotus before they planted a tracking device. Orion searches for Codexa to get a bit of advice.[16]

Windblade and Chromia attempt to interrogate Cyclonus, as they suspect him to be a potential witness in Brainstorm's murder. After watching a ceremony, Bumblebee prevents a fight between two Cybertronians, only for Prowl to show up.[17]

Bumblebee secretly reunites with Soundwave, head of Security Operations. When Rubble tries to return home, he follows a Voin Scavenger he previously recognised. He cannot communicate with Bumblebee because Soundwave blocked their communication. Therefore, Rubble communicates with Prowl about the Voin he found, and is ambushed by Quake, leaving his fate unknown.[18]

By the time Orion visited Codexa for counsel,[16] she remembers how Orion and Megatron met in the past, but also warns Orion that an unexpected betrayal will lead to Cybertron's fall.[19]

Following the news of Rubble's murder being confirmed, a grief-driven Bumblebee renounces his job and decides to join the Ascenticon Guard, where he is received by Elita-1. Quake's absence makes Bumblebee to suspect. Ratchet grieves Rubble's death too and is determined to bring his killer to justice. Upon returning to Iacon's Memorial Crater, Cyclonus is confronted by Flamewar in a fight.[20]

During the fight, Shadow Striker intervenes to help Flamewar, causing Cyclonus to get badly injured and escape. Searching for advice, Megatron consults Termagax, the original leader of the Ascenticons, but she is still not interested in returning, causing Megatron to push his own agenda. Elita-1 teaches Bumblebee about his newfound position. After Cyclonus told Chromia about his encounter, she decides to find Flamewar and Shadow Striker on her own terms, even without Orion's permission.[21]

Chromia, Sideswipe, and Windblade approach the Iacon Memorial Crater, searching for potential members of the Rise, an even more extremist faction. Prowl interrogates Headlock about the Voin that Rubble found prior his murder. Being aware of their presence, Sixshot enlists Flamewar and Shadow Striker to destroy the building. Bumblebee gets surprised when Barricade left Security Operations for the Ascenticons. After a brief fight, Sixshot's team escapes before blowing out the building, leaving Windblade badly injured.[22]

During a meeting with the Senate, Orion insists Megatron to dissolve the Ascenticons before the Rise's threat worsens. Bumblebee and Elita-1 are forced to fight back against protesters of a riot. Megatron warns Shockwave, leader of the Rise, about how their actions affected the Ascenticons' public image. Prowl asks Soundwave to interrogate Barricade, but his permission is denied. In the middle of these events, Sentinel Prime appears to intervene.[23]

Sentinel questions Orion about the Ascenticons' actions while Chromia checks a list of possible suspects in the murders. Megatron is furious about Barricade passing information directly to Shockwave, regarding the location of the Voin witness when Rubble was murdered. Orion asks Bumblebee not to return to the Ascenticons' headquarters, following what happened to Windblade, but Bumblebee refuses, insisting he needs to honor Rubble's memory. Megatron and Shockwave organize a false attack during a meeting between the Ascenticon Guard and Security Operations, where the Risers retrieve Barricade. Megatron takes advantage to deliver a new speech, blaming the Autobots for the current disasters and announcing the Ascenticons' new campaign.[24]

Nautica is the head of the Xeno-Relations division, being obsessed with knowing other organic species; but she never returned to Cybertron, even after several factions still threaten peace. Then Starscream, the head of Intelligence, warns her about possible disturbs from Thraal's embassy on the planet Na'conda. Together with her bodyguard Road Rage, Nautica infiltrates the embassy and deduces several Thraal extremists' plan to exterminate the last refugees of A'ovan. Nautica and Road Rage are then attacked by one of those terrorists with a suicide bomb to blow up the Cybertronian ship. With Lightbright's help, Nautica and Road Rage managed to send the bomb away before exploding, as well as saving the A'ovan refugees. While departing from the embassy on their way back to Cybertron, Sentinel asks Nautica to keep this news in the dark.[25]

During the Ascenticons' new campaign, Bumblebee has an altercation with Skytread. He later sneaks inside Soundwave's encrypted files, attempting to confirm his suspicions related to Brainstorm and Rubble's deaths, discovering that Soundwave deleted the files related to Sixshot and Quake. While Ratchet and Chromia continue to check on the list of suspects for the murders, Sentinel Prime is under pressure for an election demanded by the Cybertronians, while dealing with Risers who searching for an Energon facility located in an Immersant Titan. When Sideswipe and Springer arrive, Ruckus' Risers attack them. Back on Iacon, Ratchet suspects of Frenzy, a former Riser who used to be a miner and Intelligence operative.[26]

Chromia's team attempts to interrogate Ruckus' Risers, but it turns into a shooting, until Soundwave's Ascenticons arrive. Nautica tells Ratchet that the murdered Voin had previously traded information, and its death will bring consequences. When Soundwave offers himself to negotiate with Ruckus, Bumblebee secretly follows him. Refraktor is revealed to be a mole sent by Starscream to spy on both the Ascenticons and the Rise. Under Megatron's orders, Soundwave causes an explosion around the Titan to extract Ruckus' team.[27]

In the past, Megatron was a simple miner who found fame as a gladiator before the War of the Threefold Spark. Afterward, the Nominus Edict was established, which caused many workplaces to close down and many liberties to be strictly forbidden. Some time later, Megatron would find his place after joining Termagax and the Ascenticons, but when she left society after failing to accomplish her mission, Megatron believed only he could impose a better future for Cybertron. Back in the present, Sentinel wants to capture and interrogate Soundwave while Megatron forcibly announces Shockwave the official dissolution of the Rise.[28]

Megatron receives the warning from Heretech, leader of the Reversionists, about Soundwave's incoming arrest, while Starscream warns Megatron about Bumblebee being Orion's double agent. Nautica receives a Voin Asserter as "compensatory justice" in response for the murdered Voin. Elita-1 warns Megatron about Soundwave's actions in the Mountains. Slipstream's team infiltrates within a Titan net subsidiary hub, killing the guards in the process. By using a specially-engineered data-bomb developed by Shockwave's inner scientists, the Cityspeaker Skystalker awakens the Titan Vigilem.[29]

After finishing their work, Slipstream's team abandon the Titan net subsidiary hub. Cyclonus considers his options to deal with the Rise after the events in the Memorial Crater. In the Winged Moon, Wheeljack finds out about a Riser installing an Energon siphon and transmitter. Iacon's Titan net subsidiary hub detects all Titans being deactivated except for Vigilem, who approaches the Winged Moon. Aboard the Titan Lodestar, Lightbright fights against Vigilem while Wheeljack and the other workers evacuate the Winged Moon, but Vigilem succeeds on destroying the Tether.[30]

Gauge is a newly forged Cybertronian who has been trying to find a profession available to her, under the care of both Arcee and Greenlight. When Gauge is trying the job of architectural design, Greenlight suggests to leave Cybetron through a Reversionist starship, but Arcee refuses. However, as the Tether falls down, they all began to evacuate. At the same time, Gauge is shot by looters who are invading Energon reserves. After Arcee retaliates against two of them, she changes her mind about leaving the planet. Upon arriving at the Exodus, Security guards are blocking the entrance, but Arcee fights them in order for Greenlight and Gauge to get inside. When the Exodus is leaving, Arcee manages to get inside too.[31][note 1]

Following the Tether's fall that caused several casualties, Megatron gets shocked and disappointed about how his plan did not go as he planned. Soundwave receives protection from The Rise and demotes Elita from her rank, placing Skytread in her place. Bumblebee deals with several memories, but then confronts Catgut and Treadshot, Risers who were sent to kill him. However, Bumblebee is saved by Chromia. Meanwhile, Sentinel is obsessed with exposing the lies from both the Ascenticons and the Rise, demoting Orion from his duty. Windblade recruits Novastar and other security veterans to form a counter-strike team. Shockwave gets bad news from Sixshot about several Risers joining the Ascenticon Guard, alongside even more horrible news about Mindwipe looking for one of Shockwave's researches.[32]

Since the Tether's fall, Sentinel Prime has publicly denounced both the Ascenticons and the Rise's members, now branding them as "Decepticons". Security Operations interrogates Singe, who was arrested for stealing Energon during the Tether's collapse, and the latter reveals they should search on Swindle's bar, where most of the criminals gather. Inside Swindle's, Bumper locates Mindwipe, another Riser suspect, but Mindwipe hypnotizes him to attack Prowl. After Mindwipe escapes, Sideswipe captures Swindle, who cut a deal with the Risers. At Rise headquarters, Sixshot unlocks a secure room and prepares Frenzy and Quake to scuttle their current base.[33]

While investigating some unusual seismic activity out in the Cybertronian hinterlands, Geomutus' crew of geologists plans to extract the Titan Leviathan, who refuses to transform from her alternate mode, until a Riser team that carries Frenzy and Quake are attacking them. Luckily for them, they are protected by members of Novastar's new counter-terrorism team, but Geomutus convinces Leviathan to help. Back on Iacon, Bumblebee quits the Ascenticon Guard after seeing the faction lost their way on their cause, and agrees to testify against them. Optimus fears the worst about Megatron searching for an endgame.[34]

Levitahan manages to incapacitate Quake, which leads him to be transferred into custody. But during the transferring, an angry mob intervenes, which leads Quake to escape, only to fight the Voin Asserter, who cuts his left hand. After killing the Voin, Quake is killed by Bumblebee, as revenge for Rubble's death.[35]

When Megatron arrives at the Senate to confront Sentinel Prime, he accepts his future as Decepticon, as he and his followers pretend to archive what the Ascenticons and the Rise could not. At that moment, the Decepticons have launched an attack on the Senate, declaring the crisis is over and Cybertron is free from the Senate's tyranny. Meanwhile, Starscream visits Bumblebee in his cell.[36]

Back in Winged Moon, the crew comprising Wheeljack, Huffer, Lancer, Cosmos and Gears attempts to find a way to prevent the Moon being gone to the Sun. After passing through the Croaton Cloud, several Decepticon infiltration troopers led by Strika invade the Moon. In the meantime, Wheeljack reflects on how Termagax founded the Ascenticons as a peaceful movement, and how she later resigned after failing to convince the Senate not to use violence, naming Megatron as the faction's new Senator.[37][note 2]

After Megatron and the Decepticons took over the Senate as their first step to control Cybertron, several Cybertronians regroup into a new Autobot resistance and attempting to free Sentinel Prime and Orion Pax, who are being held as prisoners. Despite the Autobots having a few missteps, their mission is successful, but when Sentinel is killed by the Rainmakers, the Matrix of Leadership chooses Orion Pax as its next wielder, and he renames himself into Optimus Prime.[38]

Assuming his new rank, Optimus Prime asks council from Pyra Magna, one of the Four Great Generals during the War Against the Threefold Spark. Megatron insists Starscream to shared information with him, but Termagax then appears, feeling deluded for how the Ascenticons’ cause was misused. When Megatron seemingly murders Termagax, it turned out he destroyed a mindless spectrosynth drone, while the real Termagax relocates somewhere else.[39]

When Team Strika attempts to steal the remaining energon from the Winged Moon, the surviving workers receive help from a rescue team. The workers manage to cause a black hole that drives Strika and the others. The workers return to Cybertron, except for Cosmos, who stays on the Winged Moon to send a message to Blast Off as part of an "invitation".[40]

Cyclonus is hunting Sixshot to settle their score, but the latter reveals the Autobots joined forces with Pyra Magna, a former nemesis of his. Megatron uses Andromeda to make up an interview, framing Elita-1 for alleged treason. Starscream gains information from Refraktor about what the Decepticons plan to do next. With Trickdiamond's help, Swindle and Bumblebee escape and leave to a hidden bunker concealed under his casino, filled with illicit multiworld simulation couches, where they find Deathsaurus trapped inside one of them, following his encounter with Cliffjumper on the planet Probat.[note 3][41]

Ironhide reunites Javelin and a group of soldiers to guard Optimus, while dealing with the Senate's takeover. As the Autobots' new leader, Optimus is brought to the Pyramid, where Perceptor tells him the secret about the Titansparks being used in the Age of Expansion, but after the Threefold Spark's war, the Nominus Edict was established and sixteen Titansparks were hidden inside the Pyramid. When the Decepticons attack the place, it gets damaged to the point of the being consumed by plasma, which leads the Autobots to evacuate. When the Pyramid explodes, most of the Titans die in the process.[42]

Optimus attempts to convince Megatron about the future consequences of his actions, with no avail, but it turns out to be a plan of Pyra Magna so the Autobots can escape from Iacon. When the comms are interrupted by Strika, Pyra is confronted by Cyclonus, who seeks revenge for the deaths of many prisoners inside a spaceship during the Threefold Spark's war. However, he chooses not to kill her, as the Torchbearers arrive to reunite with Pyra. While the Autobots abandon Iacon, Megatron concludes he must kill Optimus in order to archive his victory over Cybertron.[43]

Cyclonus deals with his discovery about Provoke being barely alive after being buried within Cybertron for two megacycles. Optimus welcomes Ultra Magnus during the recent events.[note 4] Shockwave keeps Sunstorm inside a pod after being transported from the Winged Moon. While Strongarm and her team are on guard, Perceptor tests a nucleon-fueled teleportation hybrid-rig on Jumpstream, but its side effects transport her to a parallel universe where Exarchon and the Threefold Spark reign Cybertron.[44]

In the parallel universe, Jumpstream tries to survive while Exarchon sells her to some Thraal Mercenaries, but she is saved by Bumblebee and other survivors. When some of Exarchon's loyalists attack them, Jumpstream uses some parts from several Transformers to activate the rig and return to her dimension, but ends up being in a comatose state. When Pyra Magna demands Perceptor for an explanation, Lancer explains that she was saturated with chronon particles, which means she was not transported to a parallel universe, but to an alternate timeline in the future. Onslaught switches turns with Vortex into guarding Sunstorm. Flatline succeeds in repairing Provoke to Cyclonus' happiness. Skywarp succeeds on returning to Cybertron from the unspace.[45]

Back on his bar, Swindle secretly keep Bumblebee hidden while trying to locate Barricade to complete his revenge for Rubble's murder. Trickdiamond remembers how her mentor was killed by the Combiner Devastator.[note 5] Swindle reveals that Elita-1 is being moved into the Senate's prison. With the help of Charger and Fire Beast, Bumblebee causes a breakout to rescue Eilta. In the process, Bumblebee meets Barricade, but he decides not to kill him after Optimus reminded him to become the best version of himself. Instead, he lets Charger and Fire Beast to burn his right arm. In the end, Swindle reveals where the Enigma of Combination might be, so Bumblebee asks him to contact Optimus. Meanwhile, Skywarp walks around Cybertron to learn what has changed, and decides to meet Megatron himself.[46]

Back on the Sea of Rust, Termagax reunites with Geomotus and Landmine while her House is being reached by the Decepticons, who search for the Enigma of Combination. Skywarp attempts to gain Megatron's trust. Shockwave sends the Insecticlones (cloned armies of the Insecticons) while trying to recruit the Constructicons. When Jumpstream awakens from her coma, she warns them about the future when Exarchon wins. While the Insecticlones invade the House, Termagax reveals Geomotus and Landmine why she kept the Enigma hidden, until they are saved by the Autobots.[47]

While the Autobots defend the House, Termagax relunctaly accepts the help of Pyra Magna while discuss with Optimus about the Enigma. The Decepticons send the Seekers to attack the House, while several Autobots counterattack to defend it. After her argument with Optimus about the Enigma, Termagax sends all of her spectrosynth drones on the battlefield.[48]

Skywarp takes advantage to teleport inside the House and take the Enigma, but after fighting Jumpstream, he is seemingly destroyed by Sky Lynx. The Enigma is dropped on the floor, where Sixshot shoots Skytread in order to grab the Enigma, but the latter falls into the Sea of Rust, where he is devoured by rust worms. The Decepticons withdraw while the Autobots discuss how to retrieve the Enigma. Meanwhile, Provoke is revealed to be a corpse possessed by Exarchon's spark, as he/she also possesses Flatline and Ruckus.[49]

Optimus and Ultra Magnus visit Codexa's chamber once again to ask for her advice, when she reveals that Exarchon was somehow corrupted by an unknown agent, which led him to found the "Threefold Spark" and start his war over Cybertron. When Optimus and Magnus are about to exit from the chamber, they are ambushed by Decepticons, who are sent to capture Optimus, but Ironhide helps him escape, while Magnus is captured and taken to Iacon. Still dealing with his trauma, Cyclonus visits Exarchon/Ruckus in the Decepticon headquarters in search for an advice.[50]

Megatron secretly kept a Titanspark, as he intends to rebuild the Forge that was destroyed.[43] Ultra Magnus tries to reason with the Decepticons about Exarchon's return, but no one believes him. Arcee decides to join the Autobots after confronting Heretech and the Revisionists.[note 6] Cyclonus begins to have suspicions about Exarchon/Provoke's attitude and behavior, similarly to what happened to Exarchon/Ruckus. Smokescreen makes a deal with Swindle in exchange for help to rescue Magnus and the other prisoners inside the Senate, which upsets Trickdiamond, who conspires with Starscream in order to take Swindle's inheritance. After rescuing Magnus, Smokescreen's team reunites in Swindle's, until they are approached by a battalion of Decepticons led by Sixshot.[51]

Smokescreen and his team are under attack from Sixshot's battallion while searching for Swindle. During the battle, Swindle's bar is mostly destroyed, but the Autobots manage to escape with Bumblebee back on their side. Cyclonus confirms his suspicions after confronting Exarchon/Provoke before he kills him/her, freeing Provoke's body from Exarchon's possession. Back on Swindle's, Exarchon/Ruckus confronts Shockwave, who is fixing Skywarp after being almost killed by Sky Link.[49] Exarchon/Flatline then possesses Deathsaurus' body and escapes, planning to resume his past war.[52][note 7]

Glyph is a data analyst who always wanted to join Xeno-Relations, and gets her chance when Nautica offered her a place to study the native civilization on the remote world of SDS-359. For security purposes, Glyph is joined by her friend Tap-Out, a former gladiator with a decreasing career. After arriving at SDS-359, Tap-Out deals with the natives who want to see fights instead of being diplomats. After defeating a reptilian creature, he receives respect from the natives but causes Glyph to become an outcast. During a brief talk, they confess their feelings to one another as she convinces him to speak with the natives and learn their language, and when a misunderstanding causes a fight with an even giant guardian, Glyph saves Tap-Out by defeating it. After finishing her report, Glyph returns with Tap-Out to Cybertron.[53]

Cosmos has become the new Chief of Space Security, but his job of defending the Winged Moon leads him most to isolation. After receiving a transmission from Blast Off, they talk to each other but have never met personally. Over the cycles, they become romantically involved to the point of finally meeting face-to-face.[53]

Following the Tetherfall on Cybertron,[30] Lightbright and Lodestar search for Vigilem, while getting help from the Technobots. They all entered the trade and logistics outpost located in Hexagon, where Thunderwing is repairing Vigilem. When the Technobots arrive within the outpost for negotiations, they discover Thunderwing, Bludgeon and Airachnid have been doing experiments to recreate the Artifacts of the Primes, starting with the Combination Core, a copy of the Enigma of Combination. The Technobots forcibly free Vigilem so Lightbright and Lodestar can confront him, but they are attacked by Airachnid. During their fight, the Technobots make contact with the Combination Core, combing them into "Computron". Vigilem is destroyed, Thunderwing and the others retreat while Lightbright and Lodestar reunite with the Technobots after being ejected from Hexagon. However, their celebration is abruptly ended when they are informed about the Pyramid being destroyed and all Titans killed,[43] making Lodestar the last Titan standing.[54]

While trying to prove his loyalty to the Decepticons, Starscream visits an abandoned cave where he encounters a Voin ape possessed by the spark of his former mentor, Cryak, who wanted to go immersant, but the ape interfered, causing her current state. After making contact with her, Cryak plans on using Starscream's body to escape, but the latter prevents it from happening. Back in his own body, Starscream leaves Cryak trapped within the ape's body.[55]

The remaining Autobots fight to protect Crystal City from massive Decepticon armies led by Strika, while most of the survivors move to the refuges on Darkmount.[note 8] Optimus and Bumblebee put aside their differences before joining the fight. When the Decepticons are surrounded, the Titan Lodestar returns from space to aid the Autobots after fighting Vigilem.[54][56]

Lodestar is badly wounded but Computron takes down several Decepticons, causing most of Strika's army to flee. Optimus proposes a truce with Megatron in the wake of the current threats surrounding Cybertron, including Exarchon. While Lightbright and Lodestar travel to Darkmount to assist the refugees, Termagax has an idea to go through the original Insecticons' base in order to finish with both the Insecticlone swarms and rust worms.[57]

In Darkmount, Termagax reunites a team to infiltrate the Insecticlones’ hidden nest, which is found by Smokescreen. While the Autobots and Decepticons deal with the rust worms, Optimus gets in comma after the Matrix’s Mediator contacts him about his role during the coming fall of Cybertron.[58]