- Remember me as I was.
Issue: 10
Released: November 2012
Cybertron, several million years ago. An incredulous Prowl yells at Orion Pax about his plan to steal the Matrix, which is actually a bomb, from Nominus Prime's corpse. He's thinks Pax is mad, and his partner is under Pax's sway. For his part, Prowl refuses to acknowledge what he saw in the Institute. As he leaves, Prowl promises Pax he won't tell anyone about the heist if Pax does one thing for him: Leave his partner out of it.
Inside, Chromedome returns with Roller, and the assistants for the heist: the Senator's students from the J.A.A.T; A empurata victim called Glitch, who can kill machinery with a touch, Windcharger, who has magnetic generators in his arms, and Skids, who is a super-learner. The Senator keeps them at the Academy to protect them from the Senate, who hate these Outliers for their abilities not matching their alt-modes.
Back in the present day, Swerve returns to his bar with some booze, "procured" from Trailbre-... Trailcutter's secret stash, something Rewind chides him for. In retort, Swerve nearly lets slip that the gang is not actually the first attempt Rewind's made at reviving Rung. Or even the second. And it's still not done anything for their psychiatrist. Rewind remarks that it's ironic, because Rung would be the best help at reviving himself. The 'bots a historical constant, always showing up in the background but never actually playing a part himself. Ratchet cuts in, suggesting that in absence of any sign of progress, they wrap the session up. Chromedome fills them in on what happened after Prowl's departure.
Watching Orion talk to a young, religiously-minded Skids, Chromedome is inspired, and goes to visit a 'bot in the ballistics department by the name of Ironfist. The young, eager 'bot regales his fellow cop with all his Primal Vanguard memorabilia. Chromedome offers to help with a little matter of Ironfists in exchange for something. Back in the day, Primal Vanguard leader Delta Magnus once held the Matrix, see, and because of that, Ironfist has himself a perfect replica of it in his collection.
Ratchet interrupts, saying there's a part of the story he wants to tell, the last time he, Roller and Pax were in the same room... Roller tries talking about the Senator. He's done some digging, and found the politician is suspicious. He's made numerous attempts to re-start the Constructed Cold program, is on speaking basis with the Omega Guardians, and has repeatedly been censured for emotional outbursts. And more than that, he's had several other 'bots refitted so they could carry the Matrix, just like Pax. Pax gets defensive, and responds that he's with the Senator because the mech opened his eyes to how Cybertron is, and he owes him. He trusts him. End of story.
In the Lost Light's medbay, Rodimus examines Red Alert, having heard First Aid's diagnosis: Attempted suicide. "Soft termination", it's called. He simply tore off his own head. Rodimus refuses to believe this, not understanding why a member of his crew would do this. Drift points out the obvious fact that Red Alert was very unwell. Rodimus admits this, and mentions that when he comes around, it might be best to give him some time off, take the weight off his shoulders. Ultra Magnus suggests whether bringing him back at all is a viable idea. Not let him die, but put him in storage until as such a time as the Lost Light can properly deal with his many issues. After asking Drift's opinion on the subject, Rodimus reluctantly agrees to put their security chief in stasis.
Back in the past, Pax and Ratchet go over the Primal Basilica's security measures. Spy satellites, sensor-jamming particles designed to take down anything flying, numerous detection systems and an armed and unbelievably trigger-happy army of triple-changers stand between them and the matrix bomb in Nominus' chest. But Pax has a plan. Roller will hack into the satellites, while Windcharger uses his magnetic powers to get them in. Glitch will use his powers to shut down the detection beams, and Skids... will use his built-in grappling hook to get them to Nominus. Once Orion is there, though, he finds there's a problem...
Back at the station, Chromedome is grumbling about how he and Roller are playing bodyguard to the Senator. The Senator thinks Pax is being over-protective. After all, he's too high-profile for the Senate to do anything. And then he sees the news report saying the J.A.A.T. is ablaze. There's a knocking at the door. They've got guests. It's the Heavies.
Back at the Basilica, Pax informs Ratchet that Nominus' corpse has the matrix bomb, but it's stuck in there with locks that would take him hours to pick. Hours they don't have. So he lets Ratchet handle it. As Ratchet fills Pax in on the tamper-proofing mechanism the Senate left in the Prime's corpse, he's managed to get the matrix out. Skids starts hauling him back up, but then Glitch accidentally touches his shoulder, killing the winch mechanism, and jolting Ratchet into dropping the bomb... which then starts hovering in mid-air. Windcharger got bored waiting for them.
As the team make their getaway, Pax is worried. Roller hasn't called in. Windcharger explains he can't really go any faster, so Pax just jumps overboard. Back at the station, the Heavies' handler Kroma gloats at the Senator about what Sentinel's about to do to him over those Outliers of his. He's barely through gloating when Pax arrives, ramming his way through Hammer. Unfortunately, this dramatic entrance gives Kroma a chance to take Roller hostage. The Senator surrenders, his last words to Pax being "remember me as I was". Kroma assures Pax he'll see his friend again... or not, given Anvil's pretty pissed about Hammer's death, and starts wailing on Orion. Orion uses the matrix bomb to blow the Heavy to bits, reducing Rodion's police station to rubble.
Tailgate asks if that's it. Chromedome says that it wasn't. He and Pax dug themselves out and hurried to where they knew the Senator would be - the Institute. He asks Tailgate why he thinks the place has such a name. It's so people would think there was only one. There were dozens, hundreds, squirrelled all over the place. They didn't find the Senator in time. They lost.
Rewind fills Tailgate in on Proteus' promise: He didn't keep it, but later Zeta Prime made the Decepticon Registration Act mandatory, and that... didn't make things better. Tailgate asks after Pax's fate, surprised to learn he was (gasp) Optimus Prime all along. Then the ship's alarm goes off, and everyone scrambles to battle stations.
Skids remains behind to talk to Ring. Or was it Rang? Wrong? Rung awakens to set him straight.
- It's Rung. Forever.
Several million years ago, as Pax goes through the rubble of the Jhiaxian Academy of Advanced Technology, a stranger approaches him. A tall, friendly looking sort who knew the Senator, and was advised to find Pax if something happened to him. His name is Zeta.
At an Institute, some guards switch over, the incomer asking if anything happened. His co-worker mentions they brought someone in recently, kicking and screaming. In fact, they're still going at him, with both empurata and shadowplay. The neurosurgeons are trying for a total personality inversion. By the time they're done, he won't be able to feel a single emotion. The second guard recognises him, a politician...
... named Shockwave.
Tropes
- A Father to His Men: Rodimus wants to be one, and takes it hard when it turns out Red Alert was actually trying to commit suicide. Of course, his execution leaves a lot to be desired.
- All for Nothing: Historically, the Senate's plan doesn't work, but later on Zeta Prime will make the Decepticon Registration Act compulsory anyway. Thus making his mentor's sacrifice totally pointless.
- Berserk Button: "Berserk" is over-selling it, but Rung really dislikes people getting his name wrong.
- Brick Joke: Having had his crossbow confiscated by Ultra Magnus back in the annual, Atomizer can be seen experimenting with a new bow during the second storytelling session.
- Call-Back: Once again, Chromedome expresses a desire to go "pfft"
- Catchphrase: Ironfist uses Delta Magnus' "glorious". He uses it a lot.
- Evil Is Petty: The Senator is subject to Empurata, just to take away his Forged hands.
- Fanboy: We see Ironfist before he was a Wreckers fanboy... and he was instead a Primal Vanguard fanboy. And especially for their leader, Delta Magnus.
- Genre Shift: Like the rest of the Shadowplay trilogy, this issue shifts to a different genre. This time it's a heist movie.
- Gone Horribly Right: The Institute subjects the Senator to Shadowplay, taking away his ability to feel anything. All that's left is cold-hearted logic, and one day one of the most dangerous Decepticons who ever lived.
- Malicious Misnaming: Skids utilises this to bring Rung out of his coma. It works.It's Rung. Forever.
- Mythology Gag: Ironfist has in his possession a Power Booster Rod, a tool from The Transformers (Marvel).
- No Indoor Voice: Siren's only appearance in this issue is one line in one panel, and it's a bellowed "BRILLIANT".
- Non-Indicative Name: The Pyrobots don't start fires, they put them out.
- Noodle Incident: Rewind's previous storytelling attempts involve one that had Perceptor, Blaster, Sunstreaker, Gears and Siren involved, and another that had Atomizer, Joyride, Xaaron, Dipstick and Sprocket. Sadly no details on these likely bizarre events is given.
- Off with His Head!: The Senator's original head was removed by The Institute.
- Ramming Always Works: Orion rams his way through Hammer.
- The Reveal:
- There was more than one Institute. Much more.
- Orion's Senator friend was Shockwave.
- Saying Too Much: Rewind lets slip that the story is his third attempt to revive Rung.
- Shout-Out:
- The Senator is a mix of Bruce Wayne and Professor X.
- To this very wiki. Swerve snatches a bottle of Nightmare Fuel from Trailbreaker's stash. Fittingly, the last panel of this issue contains a damn good example.
- Wham Episode: Possibly the whamiest of the entire series so far.
- Wham Line: "What's his name?" "Senator Shockwave"
- Wham Shot: The last panel shows The Institute bots putting the final touches on Shockwave's new body.
- You No Take Candle: Anvil speaks like this.
