Transformers: Twilight's Last Gleaming is a Transformers storyline set in an Alternate Universe based on the 2007 film.
In 2008, British publishers Titan Magazine had a problem. With no clues as to what the plot of the next movie might be, any comic they created would more than likely end up Outdated by Canon. To neatly sidestep this problem, writer Simon Furman created an ongoing storyline set in a timeline where the climactic events of the film played out very differently.
In a world where Sam's desperate gamble with the AllSpark failed, the Decepticons rule North America, while a small group of rebels (including Mikaela Banes) struggle to overthrow them and Autobot reinforcements gathering on the Moon. Can they find the missing Optimus Prime and return control of Earth to the humans? And even if they succeed, can they ensure that the victory won't be undone?
Tropes:
- Action Girl: Mikaela has become one in order to survive Decepticon rule.
- A Girl and Her X: Mikaela's relationship with Bumblebee has evolved into this.
- Alternate Universe: One where the Decepticons won the Battle of Mission City.
- And the Adventure Continues: The story ends with Mikaela and Bumblebee driving off into the sunset to see what else is out there.
- Apocalypse How: Oh, boy...
- At the start of the series, the United States has suffered Continental Societal Disruption at the Decepticons' hands...
- ...and Megatron is plotting to xenoform the planet into a metal world using the Allspark, likely spelling Planetary Scale Total Extinction for organic life if he succeeds.
- When Megatron's Evil Plan fails, the Allspark's corruption of the planet from the incomplete xenoforming process (which went all the way to the core) threatens to kill the world anyway, likely meaning a Class 4 at best or a Class X at worst.
- ...and on top of that, threat of another, even swifter apocalypse (likely a Class X) looms when Unicron is summoned and attempts to feed on the currently energon-rich Earth.
- Back from the Dead: Ratchet uses an AllSpark fragment to revive Jazz. In the final issue, Starscream also uses a fragment to resurrect Megatron, though not without pressure from the latter's ghost.
- The Bad Guy Wins: The story starts with Megatron having successfully claimed the AllSpark and claimed North America. At the story's end, the heroes win.
- Bittersweet Ending: The Autobots successfully teleport the Decepticons to Cybertron, then teleport Cybertron to the far reaches of the galaxy, but are stranded forever on Earth (an Earth which is still in a rough state from the Decepticons' occupation too).
- Came Back Wrong: Jazz returns seemingly normal but is soon discovered to have been corrupted, presumably by Megatron's corruption of the AllSpark, and abandons the Autobots soon after his return.
- Death by Adaptation: Sam was killed when his gambit with the AllSpark failed, while nothing is heard of the other human characters from the film except for Mikaela and Banachek.
- Evil Is Not a Toy: Ratchet uses a surviving Allspark fragment to resurrect Jazz, despite knowing the Allspark was likely corrupted from Megatron's usage before it was destroyed; something which Optimus chastises him for. It turns out Jazz has indeed come back corrupted.
- Faking the Dead: The Autobots do this in the final arc.
- For Want Of A Nail: The story was kicked off by the failure of Sam's gambit.
- Godzilla Threshold: With the Decepticons preparing to take their conquest of America global in the first arc, Russia and other eastern states have actually joined NATO. Russia also has been advocating for the nuclear annihilation of America to defeat the Decepticons.
- Hijacked by Ganon:
- The extradimensional entity that Stockade's faction are summoning to Cybertron turns out to be none other than Unicron.
- Though having seemingly perished at the end of the first arc, Megatron is revealed to linger in Starscream's mind and eventually coerces him to let him out so he can make his grand return as the Final Boss of the storyline.
- Hostile Terraforming: With control of the Allspark, Megatron's Evil Plan at the series' start is to use it to transform Earth into a metal world in his own image. Although he's killed and the Allspark destroyed before he can complete the plan, the humans and Autobots were too late to stop the Allspark's influence poisoning the Earth, threatening to destroy it anyway.
- Natural Disaster Cascade: Although the Allspark is largely destroyed before Megatron can use it to finish the Hostile Terraforming, it was too late to stop the Allspark's energy corrupting the Earth to its core. Part of the results is a variety of chaotic natural disasters (visible on monitors) whilst the Allspark's corruption and Earth's natural state war for equilibrium, threatening to kill the planet. Fortunately, the disaster is healed with the aid of Nucleon.
- Nuke 'em: Faced with Decepticon-controlled America, Russia vehemently advocates for a nuclear strike to defeat them.
- Say My Name: Megatron screams Prime's name to the sky just before he and the other Decepticons are teleported to the other end of the galaxy.
- Storyboarding the Apocalypse: A one-panel case during the original arc shows the Hostile Terraforming process overrunning the planet's natural biosphere, with wildlife fleeing as forests' plant matter is turned to metal.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Issue 14 shows that just because the Autobots were able to overthrow the Decepticons, it doesn't mean the story's over - NATO troops have to temporarily occupy the continent for security reasons, millions are living in shelters and reliant on food aid, the people are frightened and the new President is distrusting of the Autobots. This is the first story in the Transformers franchise to actually show the long-term consequences of rebuilding a world after Decepticon control was overthrown.
- Wham Shot: The splash page for the first comic in the series depicts a large building with the Decepticon logo in the middle of a human city.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Jazz's last appearance in the comic has him insist that he is still evil (despite having just saved Prime from a Decepticon), and vowing that We Will Meet Again. They never do.
- What If?: What if the Decepticons won the battle for the Allspark in the first movie?
