Transformers: Beast Wars: The Gathering #2

Credits

Writer - Simon Furman / Art - Don Figuroa / Letters - Tom B. Long / Colors - Josh Burcham

Story

Addressing his newly-decanted Predacon forces, Magmatron rallies them to the cause. Although Razorbeast managed to prevent many of the protoforms from turning into Predacons, Magmatron sees it as a minor setback in his scheme of conquering Cybertron. After sending the other Predacons to stop their Maximal counterparts, Magmatron calls Drill Bit and Spittor to his side -- he realizes that Razorbeast needs a transwarp signal booster in order to contact Cybertron, and there's only one place on prehistoric Earth where it can be found...

Elsewhere, Razorbeast is leading his Maximals -- B'Boom, Wolfang, Bonecrusher, Ramulus, Snarl, and Optimus Minor -- on a search for the wreckage of Tripredacus Agent Ravage's spaceship. Razorbeast tells how he was tricked by Magmatron into developing the global transmitter array, unaware until the last moment that it would be used to awaken the protoforms into Predacons. He also wonders why more Maximals haven't joined them, unaware that Magmatron's forces are keeping them on the run.

As Magmatron, Spittor, and Drill Bit begin their own search nearby, B'Boom raises his suspicions of Razorbeast and his tale. Admitting that he has no way to convince them of his Maximal origins, Razorbeast asks them to trust that he's telling the truth. B'Boom reluctantly agrees, and the Maximals split up in their search.

Climbing a mesa, Ramulus is ambushed by Spittor and sent tumbling. As the confused Maximals react to this, B'Boom is the next to fall, and the Predacons press their attack! Meanwhile, Optimus Minor has found the wreckage of Ravage's ship, but is surprised by Drill Bit, who's already recovered the transwarp amplifier...

The Predacons have the advantage in the battle, as Magmatron single-handedly overwhelms the other Maximals. He gets Razorbeast trapped into a corner, but Razorbeast surprises him by starting an avalanche! As the Predacon leader is buried under a mountain of rock, Razorbeast and the Maximals bear a hasty retreat. Meanwhile, Optimus Minor is saved by Wolfang's stealthy appearance.

That evening, the Maximals discover their victory is bittersweet; the amplifier is broken, requiring tools and parts before it's repaired. Undaunted, Razorbeast notes that they can find what they need at the crash site of the Autobot's Ark. And at the Predacon camp, Magmatron has extracted Ravage's spark core from his shattered remains -- and plans to put it to use...

Notes and Comments

• The text of the inside front cover reads:

The Beast Wars:

Maximal deep cover agent Razorbeast -- having successfully infiltrated an elite, time-travelling Predacon unit -- has managed to frustrate the full implementation of Magmatron's plan to raise an extended army on prehistoric Earth, the precursor to a main strike on Cybertron. Now, having roused both Predacons and Maximals from protective stasis, the Beast Wars begin anew...

The gathering continues...