Transformers: Escalation #4

Credits

Writer - Simon Furman / Art - E.J. Su / Letters - Neil Uyetake / Colors - Zac Atkinson

Story

Awakening in a daze, Hunter O’Nion finds himself in a dark room, strapped to an operating table and surrounded by masked surgeons. Unable to move or speak, he barely reacts before he fades back into unconsciousness again while a voice orders him to be prepared for surgery...

That night, Jimmy and Verity comment on the unusually excessive security systems in place for Custom Wheels, an automobile accessories shop in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Their suspicions are further piqued when Ironhide believes there’s a Cybertronian holomatter reader inside, which would be activated if the Autobots project themselves inside to investigate. While Verity and Ironhide debate between immediate action or cautious planning, Ratchet notes he could disable the security systems in the loading area behind the building. Jiimmy and Verity insists on going in to investigate, and Ironhide reluctantly agrees.

In Brasnya, while Prowl’s team searches for the facsimile Georgi Koska, a cloaked Blitzwing watches Optimus Prime, waiting for him to enter firing range. But before Blitzwing can fire, he’s blasted from behind by Roller; Optimus dryly notes he had detected the Decepticon when they first arrived, and hopes his strike will bring Megatron out of hiding. When Georgi and Megatron move to intercept, Prowl’s team ambushes them, and Megatron orders the facsimile to self-destruct. Before Prowl and the others can capture Georgi, Skywarp and Astrotrain suddenly arrive and fend off the Autobots. Meanwhile, Hardhead and Hot Rod arrive beam down nearby from orbit, and Hot Rod immediately goes after the facsimile.

At Custom Wheels, Jimmy and Verity break into the loading area while the Autobots neutralize the conventional security systems. A search soon reveals a hidden door, which opens to reveal a tunnel -- shielded from Ironhide’s scanners -- and a set of stairs going underground...

In Brasnya, the Russian and Brasnyan armies have ceased fire as both sides observe the unusual vehicular combat occurring nearby. Still stymed by the Decepticons from capturing Georgi, Prowl makes a desperate charge to break through despite the lack of backup. Astrotrain intercepts and prepares to fire, but is suddenly blasted instead by Hardhead. But before Prowl can grab the facsimile, Hot Rod appears, skidding wildly on the snow, and the two Autobots crash. Dismissing questions from his lieutenant, the Brasnya captain tries unsuccessfully to get a secure line. As the orbiting Nightbeat tells Optimus Prime that all local terran communications have suddenly been jammed, Megatron appears before Prime and transforms to engage in battle!

Jimmy and Verity find an advanced body shop hidden beneath the store, then enter a small office overlooking the floor. While Jimmy searches the wastebasket, Verity checks a nearby desk, and soon finds a business card with only a stylized "M" logo on it. The doors suddenly slam close and the room fills with gas, knocking out the two as a desktop computer displays a ten-minute countdown...

Notes and Comments

• The text of the inside front cover reads:
  

  When an incendiary conflict flares on a disputed stretch of border between Russia and the breakaway state of Brasnya, Optimus Prime leads an Autobot assault team into the area in an effort to frustrarte Megatron's efforts to agitate the tense standoff and capture the artificial human (facsimile) Georgi Koska. And back in the USA, Ironhide, Ratchet, Verity Carlo and Jimmy Pink seek to shed light on the mysterious abduction of Sunstreaker and Hunter O'Nion...

  Phase two continues...

• Ft. Wayne, Indiana was the location for the first Transformers fan convention.
• Custom Wheels contains a few inside jokes for Transformers fans:
  
  • A display case holds a box of "Binaltech air filters," a reference to the 2003 Japanese Binaltech line of Transformers toys
  • A window sticker in front of the store reads "Date 070407," the opening day of the first live-action Transformers movie.
  • One of the items Verity finds on the desk is a book titled "Takara," which is the name of the Japanese company that co-produces the Transformers toy line with Hasbro.