Transformers: Evolutions: Hearts of Steel #1

Credits

Writer - Chuck Dixon / Art - Guido Guidi / Letters - Robbie Robbins / Colors - Jay Fotos

Story

On prehistoric Earth, Autobot and Decepticon wage war with fierce primal forms, even as the rapidly-encroaching ice age blankets the planet. Eventually, however, conditions become so severe that the factions are forced into underground caverns, where they enter low-power hibernation in hopes of sleeping through the hostile weather. Secure, the Autobots enter a sleep that lasts for epochs...

...Almost by chance, a rhyhmic, distant hammering awakens Bumblebee from his slumber. Investigating on his own, Bumblebee discovers that the planet has changed considerably since the Autobots' sleep -- and the source of the hammering is a team of men and machines. A railroad team is busy laying down new rails near the Autobots' hideout, led by the muscular steel-driving man, John Henry.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco Bay, noted author Mark Twain has commissioned a steamer to a marker buoy, where he promises a surprising sight for his companion, Jules Verne. As the men watch, the water nearby bubbles, and a steam-powered submarine rises to the surface! A hatch opens, and the craft's inventor and pilot, Tobias Muldoon, emerges to introduce his masterpiece -- only to have it suddenly capsize beneath him! While Tobias is rescued by the mocking crew, the S. S. Vecuna sinks to the bottom of the bay, striking a submerged alien pod...

While Twain and Verne help Tobias recover from his loss, John Henry and his team rest from their day's labors in the evening. One of the workers suggests someone should invent a machine to lay rail, but John squelches the notion, preferring to use his natural strength to do the job. Nearby, Bumblebee, Prowl, and Ratchet spy on the humans; Prowl recommends a return to hibernation, citing the humans' technology level as insufficient. Bumblebee dissents, arguing that the Autobots should help humanity advance, then slips towards the railroad to study the humans further. When he hears the voices of approaching humans, Bumblebee quickly transforms into a small steam locomotive, leaving John and his team wondering where the driverless engine came from.

Back in San Francisco, Tobias reluctantly relates the loss of the submarine to his investor, Stanford Merriweather, who immediately cuts off all further funds. To add insult to injury, the penniless Tobias is set to washing dishes in the kitchen to pay for the dinner. Later that evening, as a dejected Tobias shambles down the pier, a mechanical voice nearby rebukes his resignation. When Tobias confirms that he's an engineer, his interrogator is revealed to be a steel-plated warship -- that transforms into the living machine called Shockwave!