Take My Hand, Take My Whole Life too.
Autocracy Chapter 7: Choices. April 11th 2012.
I’ll make a long career out of killing Primes!
Prime/Megatron shippers are eating well with this seventh part, starting with the fact that, as Zeta prepares to kill the Autobots whilst gloating, Megatron flies in with the Decepticons to save his boyfriend.
I mean, rival.
This leads us to this issue’s patented odd moment as Megatron works out it’s actually easy to overload the Vamparc Ribbon, and throws a couple of nearby Cybertronians at Zeta, causing the weapon to become overcharged on souls and forcing the Prime into retreat.
Now, it seems unlikely a gun that feeds on a city could be so easily overloaded, at least not without being basically useless, and forgets the Omega Destructor and its, presumably bigger and able to take more, version of the ribbon is also stomping about.
I’ll make a long career out of killing Primes!
Prime/Megatron shippers are eating well with this seventh part, starting with the fact that, as Zeta prepares to kill the Autobots whilst gloating, Megatron flies in with the Decepticons to save his boyfriend.
I mean, rival.
This leads us to this issue’s patented odd moment as Megatron works out it’s actually easy to overload the Vamparc Ribbon, and throws a couple of nearby Cybertronians at Zeta, causing the weapon to become overcharged on souls and forcing the Prime into retreat.
Now, it seems unlikely a gun that feeds on a city could be so easily overloaded, at least not without being basically useless, and forgets the Omega Destructor and its, presumably bigger and able to take more, version of the ribbon is also stomping about.
So that's what he meant when he said he would free the proles.
It’s also not really clear who it is that Megatron throws at Zeta, there shouldn’t be any neutrals to hand here (and even then, the Man of the People Megatron is at this point would probably think twice about intentionally killing the people he’s trying to liberate) and we know all the Autobots present get out fine, but sacrificing his own troops would be insanely out of character for IDW Megatron.
Back at the visually inspired by Dreamwave’s War Within Decepticon base, we get a moment that is only odd in continuity in retrospect: Shockwave fixing Pax, with a rather strained conversation between them about the unlikeliness of this happening, before Megatron comes in and makes a point of noticing that Pax has had a Matrix shaped hole put in his chest.
Now, we know the Optimus Prime/Pax side-stories that are coming up in the main two books were a last second addition to both, after the intended Mike Costa Prime ongoing was canned by him burning his bridges so hard and Hasbro not wanting to go so long without any presence from the most popular character (perhaps tellingly, they don’t seem to have considered this comic as giving him a presence).
Back at the visually inspired by Dreamwave’s War Within Decepticon base, we get a moment that is only odd in continuity in retrospect: Shockwave fixing Pax, with a rather strained conversation between them about the unlikeliness of this happening, before Megatron comes in and makes a point of noticing that Pax has had a Matrix shaped hole put in his chest.
Now, we know the Optimus Prime/Pax side-stories that are coming up in the main two books were a last second addition to both, after the intended Mike Costa Prime ongoing was canned by him burning his bridges so hard and Hasbro not wanting to go so long without any presence from the most popular character (perhaps tellingly, they don’t seem to have considered this comic as giving him a presence).
Retrospective awkwardness.
So, for all so much was planned out, the reveals of Shadowplay probably hadn’t been hit on at the point this was written, at least making this an understandable little divergence from Roberts’ work. And if you squint and assume some classic British awkwardness and refusing to discuss the elephant in the room, it can just about line up.
Megatron then takes the opportunity to try and talk Pax into teaming up, which Pax is strangely reluctant to do considering Megatron has now been right about every single thing he’s said, and Zeta is so obviously a villain he might as well be wearing a “I am a villain” hat. But it’s the bluntness of “Do you even have a choice?” that finally shuts Pax up.
Which means, after a brief scene of squabbling between the troops, Pax admits to Hot Rod that, just like when the young Autobot destroyed the city, there is indeed no other option, and he shakes Megatron’s hand.
Megatron then takes the opportunity to try and talk Pax into teaming up, which Pax is strangely reluctant to do considering Megatron has now been right about every single thing he’s said, and Zeta is so obviously a villain he might as well be wearing a “I am a villain” hat. But it’s the bluntness of “Do you even have a choice?” that finally shuts Pax up.
Which means, after a brief scene of squabbling between the troops, Pax admits to Hot Rod that, just like when the young Autobot destroyed the city, there is indeed no other option, and he shakes Megatron’s hand.
Megatron could not be standing with his legs further apart if he tried.
I’ve no idea if this an intentional homage to the handshake between the Doctor and the Master in Logopolis or not (though it also being the cliffhanger makes it feel more likely), but I’ll roll with that as a fun nod.
There’s not much to this one, being just a transitionary issue setting up the alliance and the final push against Zeta. Which makes it very hard to function as a chapter in its own right, not really having one clear driving thrust like several of the previous parts.
But the cliffhanger itself is a well-done moment, and, whatever the logic of it, Megatron chucking guys at Zeta is hilarious.
Next week, is there a doctor in the house?
AUTOCRACY CHAPTER 6
2012
COMMENT
KO-FI
There’s not much to this one, being just a transitionary issue setting up the alliance and the final push against Zeta. Which makes it very hard to function as a chapter in its own right, not really having one clear driving thrust like several of the previous parts.
But the cliffhanger itself is a well-done moment, and, whatever the logic of it, Megatron chucking guys at Zeta is hilarious.
Next week, is there a doctor in the house?
AUTOCRACY CHAPTER 6
2012
COMMENT
KO-FI
