Transformers: Infiltration #6

Credits

Writer - Simon Furman / Art - E.J. Su / Letters - Tom B. Long / Colors - John Rauch

Story

At the Decepticon command bunker in Oregon, Astrotrain and Thundercracker wait anxiously as Starscream energizes himself with the potent ore-13. And in Iowa, Ratchet takes the frightened humans back to the Ark, keeping them far way from the inevitable...

While Prowl leads the other Autobots to Oregon, Bumblebee spies from outside the bunker, his vigil interrupted as Megatron teleports into the area! Megatron is confronted by Astrotrain, Skywarp, Runamuck and Runabout, but when he orders them to stand down, they comply almost immediately.

Chiding their cowardice, Starscream rockets skyward and attacks Megatron himself! The duel is intense, as Starscream uses his enhanced strength and firepower to attack Megatron without pause, citing retribution for past humiliations and fears he had to endure. After one final blast that sends Megatron into a mountainside, Starscream begins to rest... only to be shocked as Megatron stands, still alive! Just then, Runabout spots Bumblebee nearby and opens fire, but the deterrence of the other Autobots leaves everyone to await the outcome.

As if an Optimus Prime pinup could compete with this.

Listing Starscream's various failures, Megatron grabs him and extols him to take his punishment "like a Decepticon" before blasting Starscream's torso away! Megatron orders the others to salvage the remains, bluntly dismissing the Autobots for "phase two". As the Decepticons enter their base, the Autobots gladly retreat as well.

Later, at Lake Michigan, the Autobots return to the submerged Ark via an entry disguised as a derelict dock, unaware that they've been spotted by agents of The Machination (first introduced in issue #3). In the Ark, while Sunstreaker questions the presence of Hunter, Verity, and Jimmy, Prowl concedes it's time to call Optimus Prime for help... just as the Autobot leader enters the room.

Notes and Comments

• The text of the inside front cover reads:
  

  INFILTRATION:

  Determined to deal with his rogue Infiltration unit, Decepticon Commander-in-Chief Megatron has arrived on Earth. Already, Skywarp and Blitzwing have felt, first hand, what it means to defy one of the most powerful Transformers in existence. Now, as Ratchet and Bumblebee report their findings to their fellow Autobots, Megatron heads for the Oregon Command Bunker and a final reckoning with Unit Commander Starscream...

  Phase One Concludes!

• This issue is the end of the Transformers: Infiltration series; the story continues in Transformers: Escalation.