Transformers: Stormbringer #2

Credits

Writer - Simon Furman / Art - Don Figueroa / Letters - Robbie Robbins / Colors - Josh Burcham

Story

Over the planet Nebulos, a dark shadow blots out the sun...

On post-apocalyptic Cybertron, it's imperative to use sunblock 6,000,000,000.

Beneath the surface of Cybertron, Jetfire talks to the battered Bludgeon, warning against his plans to resurrect and control Thunderwing's head body. Bludgeon is unrelenting; his plan is to use the destructive power in Thunderwing's body to raze other planets as a sacrifice that will appease and revitalize the spirit of Cybertron. Jetfire blames Thunderwing's experiments as the source of his madness, but Bludgeon remains undeterred, and vows to finish Thunderwing's grafting work by using the Technobots for raw material.

In the Autobot Orbital Command Hub. Searchlight reports the receipt of the Calabi-Yau's distress signal (from last issue) to Optimus Prime, who immediately calls for the Wreckers. In turn, Springer and the Wreckers are summoned from the planet Varas Centralus, redeployed from their efforts to stop the Decepticon takeover there.

Jetfire continues his warnings to Bludgeon, but to no effect. Bludgeon uplinks his base instincts into Thunderwing's empty mind, then orders Bomb-Burst and Iguanus to awaken him. Jetfire suddenly breaks free, but is quickly taken down by Skullgrin and Finback. Tired of his resistance and skepticism, Bludgeon orders Jetfire to be processed with the other Technobots.

As the Autobot Battlecruiser Xantium heads for Cybertron to rendezvous with Optimus Prime, he briefs Springer on the situation. Springer glibly dismisses the suicidal nature of their mission, but notes that conventional weapons won't stop Thunderwing, and suggests destroying Cybertron as a last resort. Prime reluctantly agrees to consider it, and has a flashback when he rejected a similar suggestion from Megatron. This memory is interrupted by Dogfight, who confesses to Prime about his excitement for the mission, but Prime glumly rejects that idea.

It's good to see Tankorr get some work after the end of Beast Machines.

On the surface of Cybertron, Afterburner and Nosecone leave the landing site of the Calabi-Yau escape pod, seeking shelter from the corrosive storm around them. Nosecond sees a jet roar off high overhead, then helps them evade a pair of Centurion drones on patrol. After the drones pass, they resume looking for shelter, only to collapse and get spotted by the drones...

The denizens of Nebulos go about their lives, unaware that a Decepticon Infiltration Unit is lurking in their midst. Inside, Darkwing and Ruckus detect the arrival of a large vehicle via foldspace, and wonder what it is. As the Nebulans watch in awed fright, the jet unfolds to reveal the arrival of Thunderwing!

Notes and Comments

• The text of the inside front cover reads:
  

  Returning to Cybertron on a routine science/monitoring mission, Jetfire and the Technobots (Strafe, Afterburner, Nosecond, Scattershot and Lightspeed) discover that planet is not quite as abandoned as they thought. The echoes of a thunderous conflict against an unstoppable foe have again grown loud, and the storm is raging again, full force!