Transformers: Beast Wars: The Gathering #3

Credits

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

Story

At the Maximal base guarding the Ark, Optimal Optimus watches the horizon with a vague feeling of unease. Cheetor and Rhinox, seeing nothing, dismiss it, unaware that Razorbeast's team has snuck by them, undetected because of their chronological displacement. Snarl asks why they can't use the Maximals' auxiliary systems to repair the Transwarp Signal Booster; Razorbeast explains that salvaging materials from the Ark is safer because it won't be noticed.

In a nearby swamp, one of Magmatron's Predacon teams is hunting for Maximals. They spot Icebird and start to attack, only to get quickly decimated when the other mutants ambush them! Icebird warns that the swamp is for mutants only, while Insecticon and Scourge beat a hasty retreat.

Elsewhere, Magmatron has found a stasis pod with a blank protoform inside. He explains to Iguanus and Drill Bit that they must complete their mission now to avoid raising the suspicions of the Tri-Predacus Council, but will leave his newly-raised Predacons behind to deal with Razorbeast's forces. He then injects Ravage's spark core (recovered from last issue) to reformat the blank protoform and lead the Predacons in his absence.

At the Ark, Razorbeast has adapted enough parts to jury-rig a brief, one-time transwarp transmission. Snarl returns, and tells them that he took the liberty of launching a sensor drone, which is now tracking Magmatron en route to the Predacons' base...

Approaching their crashed spaceship, Megatron sends Inferno and Rampage ahead, then lands to investigate an odd sighting. He is suddenly attacked by Magmatron, but easily fights off the Predacon general. But with his attention engaged, Megatron is taken from behind by Drill Bit and Iguanus. Magmatron's team quickly disappears into chronological displacement just before Inferno and Quickstrike arrive.

Meanwhile, Razorbeast realizes that if Magmatron returns to Cybertron first, he can block the transwarp message while his forces pick off the Maximals. Sending Bonecrusher and Snarl back to their base with the equipment, Razorbeast and Optimus Minor head off to intercept Magmatron, simultaneously retransmitting the signal to summon any other available Maximals. Unknown to them, Ravage is nearby, and dispatches a team to find -- but not to engage -- Razorbeast's forces.

At Magmatron's landing site, Drill Bit has set up a transwarp gantry to return them to present-day Cybertron, along with a self-destruct to prevent anyone else from using it after them. As Razorbeast watches from the treetops, he spots a chrono-phase controller and devises a plan, but needs a distraction before he can send Optimus Minor into action.

Drill Bit suddenly reports that their perimeter has been breached by a single Maximal intruder -- a large tyrannosaur named Grimlock!

Notes and Comments

• The text of the inside front cover reads:

The Beast Wars:

Having delayed Magmatron's plans to raise an army on prehistoric Earth, Maximal deep cover agent Razorbeast desperately tries to get a warning message back to Cybertron (via a Transwarp Signal Booster). In need of tools and spare parts, Razorbeast and his Maximal miltia head for the Ark, while Magmatron prepares his own counter-strategy...

The gathering continues...

• The Predacons attacking the Mutants in the swamp consisted of Transquito, Insecticon, Retrax, Powerpinch, and Scourge.
• Ravage's search team consisted of Fractyl, Buzz Saw, Injector, Jetstorm, and Sky Shadow.