Precious People Always Tell Me, That’s a Step too Far.

The Transformers Issue 22: Chaos Theory Part 1*. July 20th, 2011.
I don’t agree with everything you’ve written, but at least you’re articulating your concerns. At least you’re doing something. Keep it up.
*The title isn’t used on either issue of this two parter, but is its “official” name.
It is not hyperbole to say that, even more than Last Stand of the Wreckers, this is the point the “real” IDW, the version of the company’s Transformers output that people remember, that would come to define it and be, as I’ve said before, the store front for it, begins.
I once described this as the backdoor pilot for More Than Meets the Eye, and, as someone who thinks very much in TV terms over comic ones, that was an ideas writer James Roberts enthusiastically agreed with. Maybe my only take he ever actually agreed with.
Before diving in, it’s worth noting that this is the first fruits of months of behind-the-scenes work. Something we know from the published James Roberts notebooks, showing all the brainstorming that was going on in the lead-up to the big relaunch at the end of the year (John Barber was presumably doing the same, though as of the time of writing, he has not shared his process to the same extent). That means that this is an issue doing a lot of seed sowing, some for things that won’t payoff till the very end of the original continuity.
Roberts also made the scripts for this issue available for sale not too long afterwards, though I’ll be talking more about that next week.
I don’t agree with everything you’ve written, but at least you’re articulating your concerns. At least you’re doing something. Keep it up.
*The title isn’t used on either issue of this two parter, but is its “official” name.
It is not hyperbole to say that, even more than Last Stand of the Wreckers, this is the point the “real” IDW, the version of the company’s Transformers output that people remember, that would come to define it and be, as I’ve said before, the store front for it, begins.
I once described this as the backdoor pilot for More Than Meets the Eye, and, as someone who thinks very much in TV terms over comic ones, that was an ideas writer James Roberts enthusiastically agreed with. Maybe my only take he ever actually agreed with.
Before diving in, it’s worth noting that this is the first fruits of months of behind-the-scenes work. Something we know from the published James Roberts notebooks, showing all the brainstorming that was going on in the lead-up to the big relaunch at the end of the year (John Barber was presumably doing the same, though as of the time of writing, he has not shared his process to the same extent). That means that this is an issue doing a lot of seed sowing, some for things that won’t payoff till the very end of the original continuity.
Roberts also made the scripts for this issue available for sale not too long afterwards, though I’ll be talking more about that next week.

It’s also worth pointing out that, at the time, I was so out the loop, but keen to give something from the Wreckers creative team a chance, that not only did I buy the two issues personally from James Roberts at that year’s Auto Assembly, but I also then cheerfully went over to Nick Roche to get them signed, having to have him point out that, no, he didn’t draw them. So, the very first time I read it, I was completely lacking in context for the wider story.
It’s actually a bit strange that this story wound up existing at all in the ongoing, though “Filler” issues by other writers were very common in the Marvel days, this is effectively the only time it happened at IDW, even with the need to find a home for the idea somewhere, there’s no circumstances under which, say, an issue of More Than Meets the Eye, would not have a James Roberts credit on it, even with Barber cowriting on the crossover issues. No wonder Mike Costa wound up a bit salty about the whole thing.
The story itself had gone through various iterations over the development, with the closest to release being a two-part Spotlight before being folded into the ongoing, but the most important thing to remember going into these two issues is this: The starting point was Hasbro specifically requesting a story bringing the film definition of “Autobot” (“Autonomous robots”) into the IDW canon and explaining it. Which is probably the funniest part of the whole thing, and worth bearing in mind when we finally hit that moment next week.
Of course, readers at the time would have been largely going in cold, but I think the opening scene would have immediately let you know something had changed behind the scenes, as we’re on Cybertron “Before the war”, in Macadam’s New Oil House as Impactor and Megatron have a drink, with Impactor being worried Megatron might be handing him “More poetry”.
It’s actually a bit strange that this story wound up existing at all in the ongoing, though “Filler” issues by other writers were very common in the Marvel days, this is effectively the only time it happened at IDW, even with the need to find a home for the idea somewhere, there’s no circumstances under which, say, an issue of More Than Meets the Eye, would not have a James Roberts credit on it, even with Barber cowriting on the crossover issues. No wonder Mike Costa wound up a bit salty about the whole thing.
The story itself had gone through various iterations over the development, with the closest to release being a two-part Spotlight before being folded into the ongoing, but the most important thing to remember going into these two issues is this: The starting point was Hasbro specifically requesting a story bringing the film definition of “Autobot” (“Autonomous robots”) into the IDW canon and explaining it. Which is probably the funniest part of the whole thing, and worth bearing in mind when we finally hit that moment next week.
Of course, readers at the time would have been largely going in cold, but I think the opening scene would have immediately let you know something had changed behind the scenes, as we’re on Cybertron “Before the war”, in Macadam’s New Oil House as Impactor and Megatron have a drink, with Impactor being worried Megatron might be handing him “More poetry”.

Yes, this is firmly “Actual Megatron Origin”, trying to eek something more out of what that series had done, only instead of a grunting thug, Megatron is now an articulate thoughtful writer miner.
The writing that Megatron has actually been working on is a political piece, Das Cyberkapitol, calling for peaceful revolution through “Non-violent direct action” to cure the diseased world they live on.
Can you taste the irony?
Impactor thinks some gratuitous violence is probably the best solution to the inequalities of the senate, and it’s probably a shame there would never be a present-day scene between these two characters reflecting on this conversation.
At the bar, we get a sign of the extensive planning going on behind the scenes, as the mentioned in Last Stand of the Wreckers psychiatrist Rung get to appear, having accidentally spilt the drink of two, much larger, cadets. Cadets who get his name wrong, and who sarcastically ask if he’s really one of the Knights of Cybertron, or the last of the progenitors or Alpha Trion’s spark brother?
We’ll find out which of those three he is in five years’ time.
The writing that Megatron has actually been working on is a political piece, Das Cyberkapitol, calling for peaceful revolution through “Non-violent direct action” to cure the diseased world they live on.
Can you taste the irony?
Impactor thinks some gratuitous violence is probably the best solution to the inequalities of the senate, and it’s probably a shame there would never be a present-day scene between these two characters reflecting on this conversation.
At the bar, we get a sign of the extensive planning going on behind the scenes, as the mentioned in Last Stand of the Wreckers psychiatrist Rung get to appear, having accidentally spilt the drink of two, much larger, cadets. Cadets who get his name wrong, and who sarcastically ask if he’s really one of the Knights of Cybertron, or the last of the progenitors or Alpha Trion’s spark brother?
We’ll find out which of those three he is in five years’ time.

This is a good time to mention artist Alex Milne (and in terms of how this ties into future stories, colourist Joana Lafuente as well), because as a sign of how things will go in the Roberts/Milne working relationship, the script for this issue makes it clear that Rung is going to be an important character in the new ongoing and therefore notes on his design with be sent separately.
Which, considering how detailed and exact a James Roberts comic script already is, more exact notes coming must be the sort of thing to make an artist’s heart sink.
Though Rung is oddly small here (especially compared to how some artists would later draw him, big buff James Raiz’ Rung is terrifying) and, as auto_thots pointed out on Twitter, using a design that will be revised (probably by Nick Roche as he was going to be lead artist on More Than Meets the Eye and did most of the designs for it) before his next appearance.
We’re still on page one here folks. I’ve gone through an entire Costa issue by this point normally.
Megatron and Impactor try to continue their conversation about the oppressive leading classes, but the cadets fling Rung onto their table, with Impactor deciding to go into the fray because in these situations, he always “Thinks with my fist”, revealing that in those days, instead of a harpoon, he had a drill hand.
The extent to which this feels different to anything we’ve had into this book up till now, political conversation, humour, and with an underlying simmering tension to it. No wonder this scene gets revisited later.
Which, considering how detailed and exact a James Roberts comic script already is, more exact notes coming must be the sort of thing to make an artist’s heart sink.
Though Rung is oddly small here (especially compared to how some artists would later draw him, big buff James Raiz’ Rung is terrifying) and, as auto_thots pointed out on Twitter, using a design that will be revised (probably by Nick Roche as he was going to be lead artist on More Than Meets the Eye and did most of the designs for it) before his next appearance.
We’re still on page one here folks. I’ve gone through an entire Costa issue by this point normally.
Megatron and Impactor try to continue their conversation about the oppressive leading classes, but the cadets fling Rung onto their table, with Impactor deciding to go into the fray because in these situations, he always “Thinks with my fist”, revealing that in those days, instead of a harpoon, he had a drill hand.
The extent to which this feels different to anything we’ve had into this book up till now, political conversation, humour, and with an underlying simmering tension to it. No wonder this scene gets revisited later.

The only thing that now seems off, and boy are we going to have a lot of opportunities to discuss this in the years to come, is the idea that, originally, Megatron “Had a point”. Something that feels far more off in 2023 than it might have in 2011, now those of us in the West have seen the increasing encroach of real fascism on our doorsteps. Donald Trump didn’t start with good intentions, Boris Johnson didn’t originally have a valid take, what’s happening in Florida right now is not the result of someone who had legitimate concerns going too far.
Turns out, not every villain is the hero of their own story or has layers. The Megatrons of real life didn’t start off on the wrong path from writing annoying poetry. But, as said, we’ll be able to dive a lot more into that as we go along, but it is going to make rereading what is basically a very naïve take (which, many of us brought into) all the more curious.
Page 2 there. Best pick up the pace a little…
Back in the present day, picking up from the immediate end of last issue, as Omega Supreme flies through space and Perceptor and Ratchet discuss Megatron. Where we get our first real sign that, in retrospect, Roberts hasn’t either quite found the voice of some of the characters he’ll be taking on yet or doesn’t want to rock the Costa boat too much.
People often pick up on Ratchet being obsessed with the idea Megatron might have black hole powers (a sending up of his toy-spec power that will eventually get a great pay-off) as not typical of the no-nonsense has no stock with anything not completely rational way he starts of in More Than Meets the Eye. But far odder is his little rant about how the law won’t let him do anything too nasty to Megatron, “It’s ridiculous, soon they’ll be telling us we can’t refer to him in the third person, “In case it undermines his self-respect””.
Yes, Ratchet hates those wokeirati who don’t like the abuse of prisoners of war and use pronouns. You’d probably not write him that way today.
Turns out, not every villain is the hero of their own story or has layers. The Megatrons of real life didn’t start off on the wrong path from writing annoying poetry. But, as said, we’ll be able to dive a lot more into that as we go along, but it is going to make rereading what is basically a very naïve take (which, many of us brought into) all the more curious.
Page 2 there. Best pick up the pace a little…
Back in the present day, picking up from the immediate end of last issue, as Omega Supreme flies through space and Perceptor and Ratchet discuss Megatron. Where we get our first real sign that, in retrospect, Roberts hasn’t either quite found the voice of some of the characters he’ll be taking on yet or doesn’t want to rock the Costa boat too much.
People often pick up on Ratchet being obsessed with the idea Megatron might have black hole powers (a sending up of his toy-spec power that will eventually get a great pay-off) as not typical of the no-nonsense has no stock with anything not completely rational way he starts of in More Than Meets the Eye. But far odder is his little rant about how the law won’t let him do anything too nasty to Megatron, “It’s ridiculous, soon they’ll be telling us we can’t refer to him in the third person, “In case it undermines his self-respect””.
Yes, Ratchet hates those wokeirati who don’t like the abuse of prisoners of war and use pronouns. You’d probably not write him that way today.

Turns out there’s a viewing gallery in the Omega Supreme brig (perhaps the Autobots really are into abuse of prisoners), where we get a quick scene of Optimus discussing with Ironhide and Xaaron how all the troops have been coming in to look at Megatron like he’s a Matrix bearer lying in state, before Xaaron cheerfully goes off to offer Wheeljack an office at Kimia (a throwaway moment, but it establishes that base from Wreckers for the ongoing before it plays a role in Chaos), and Ironhide points out that Prime needs to talk properly to Megatron, with Prime musing that Megatron has not only always been his responsibility, but also his greatest failure…
The most amusing thing in retrospect here is the effort Roberts has put into bringing Xaaron into the IDWverse, ready for a role in More Than Meets the Eye, before proceeding to barely use him. I think he gets most of his IDW dialogue on this page.
Though it’s also a little cheeky of Roberts to have Prime talk about how Megatron’s big speech when he surrendered was just him going through the motions. Which is certainly how it read, but I don’t think it’s how Costa intended it, so no wonder Mike would throw some shade at this story (“Only bad writing uses flashbacks”) in his Underbase interview.
It’s not immediately obvious what the link is between Prime’s statement and our next transition to the past, but what follows is the first half of one of the single most important scenes in all of IDW.
Megatron is in a cell (with “Peace through tyranny” graffiti), being processed by a cop called Springarm who can’t even get his name right, calling him Megaton, before being corrected and assuming the “Tron” is as in “Electronic”.
The most amusing thing in retrospect here is the effort Roberts has put into bringing Xaaron into the IDWverse, ready for a role in More Than Meets the Eye, before proceeding to barely use him. I think he gets most of his IDW dialogue on this page.
Though it’s also a little cheeky of Roberts to have Prime talk about how Megatron’s big speech when he surrendered was just him going through the motions. Which is certainly how it read, but I don’t think it’s how Costa intended it, so no wonder Mike would throw some shade at this story (“Only bad writing uses flashbacks”) in his Underbase interview.
It’s not immediately obvious what the link is between Prime’s statement and our next transition to the past, but what follows is the first half of one of the single most important scenes in all of IDW.
Megatron is in a cell (with “Peace through tyranny” graffiti), being processed by a cop called Springarm who can’t even get his name right, calling him Megaton, before being corrected and assuming the “Tron” is as in “Electronic”.

Megatron is absolutely aghast at both having been arrested, Impactor being in hospital and the two cadets being in an even worse state. Springarm (whom the next issue will make clear is meant to be one of the “Good” cops) is a little slow on getting Megatron his call and his lawyer, but, luckily, here’s Whirl, who I’m sure will have both.
I believe the kids call the panel where Whirl asks Springarm to leave “Images before unfortunate events”.
But the second half will have to wait, as we reach the centrepiece of the issue, back in the present. Indeed, because the past set scenes are so foundational and followed up on to the rest of IDW, I’d forgotten they’re only the tiniest part of the issue.
Instead, the real focus is an extraordinary 8-page sequence that is just Optimus and Megatron (after Prime has given them some privacy by shutting the viewing gallery windows, much to the annoyance of the watching Autobots), talking. It’s very much inspired by a similar scene between Prime and Galvatron in Roberts’ fan novel Eugenesis but shows the growth of his skills and confidence in the decade since that book.
These two old warriors have been in each other’s lives for so long, they obsess over each other far more than anyone on their own side. It’s a relationship that’s gone beyond hate, beyond any idea of emotion. And they are both very tired.
Prime is trying to get to the core of why Megatron surrendered so they can decide what to do with him, but Megatron isn’t playing, so it becomes a tactical back and forth, covering their entire history.
I believe the kids call the panel where Whirl asks Springarm to leave “Images before unfortunate events”.
But the second half will have to wait, as we reach the centrepiece of the issue, back in the present. Indeed, because the past set scenes are so foundational and followed up on to the rest of IDW, I’d forgotten they’re only the tiniest part of the issue.
Instead, the real focus is an extraordinary 8-page sequence that is just Optimus and Megatron (after Prime has given them some privacy by shutting the viewing gallery windows, much to the annoyance of the watching Autobots), talking. It’s very much inspired by a similar scene between Prime and Galvatron in Roberts’ fan novel Eugenesis but shows the growth of his skills and confidence in the decade since that book.
These two old warriors have been in each other’s lives for so long, they obsess over each other far more than anyone on their own side. It’s a relationship that’s gone beyond hate, beyond any idea of emotion. And they are both very tired.
Prime is trying to get to the core of why Megatron surrendered so they can decide what to do with him, but Megatron isn’t playing, so it becomes a tactical back and forth, covering their entire history.

Which lets Milne show off as well, starting with a full page spread of Megatron hung from the ceiling in front of Prime in a way that has no heterosexual explanation, through a glorious sequence of pages showing various battle and defeats each have inflicted on each other as they both show off their scars (including a very funny idea of Megatron being stuck in gun mode for two years) that even they find ridiculous. Plus, there’s a very funny panel showing an imagined happy cheerful Megatron after he’s won and can start the real work of rebuilding Cybertron.
It's a scene full of rich world building and character work of the sort we’ve not had since… well, since the last time Roberts worked on the series. I’ve poked a fair bit of fun at the Roberts notebooks on Twitter (mainly using them to torment my good friend Umar), but the work that’s been going on behind the curtain to get to this point has immediately been started to pay off. And expect a lot more about the Notebooks going forward.
Amidst all the reminiscing (including Megatron pointing out he learnt how to hate in a cell like this at the hands of an Autobot), Megatron recalls the first time he and Prime met, at Sherma Bridge (an obvious corruption of the cartoon’s Sherman Dam), a battle where all their troops just stopped to watch. Though Prime points out they actually met once before, at Rydion, a place without which, neither of them would be here today.
Which becomes more significant before the end of the issue, though it’s odd that an issue with so much setup for the forthcoming big relaunch, will have a completely different “Second” meeting between Prime and Megatron in the third, digital exclusive, book. But more on that when we get there…
It's a scene full of rich world building and character work of the sort we’ve not had since… well, since the last time Roberts worked on the series. I’ve poked a fair bit of fun at the Roberts notebooks on Twitter (mainly using them to torment my good friend Umar), but the work that’s been going on behind the curtain to get to this point has immediately been started to pay off. And expect a lot more about the Notebooks going forward.
Amidst all the reminiscing (including Megatron pointing out he learnt how to hate in a cell like this at the hands of an Autobot), Megatron recalls the first time he and Prime met, at Sherma Bridge (an obvious corruption of the cartoon’s Sherman Dam), a battle where all their troops just stopped to watch. Though Prime points out they actually met once before, at Rydion, a place without which, neither of them would be here today.
Which becomes more significant before the end of the issue, though it’s odd that an issue with so much setup for the forthcoming big relaunch, will have a completely different “Second” meeting between Prime and Megatron in the third, digital exclusive, book. But more on that when we get there…

The key thing though, is as much as it borders on the Good Omens idea of the two guys doing the same job on opposite sides having far more in common with each other than anyone on their own teams, it’s a frustrating conversation for Prime, who doesn’t get anything from it, beyond feeling that Megatron is very much in control still.
Omega turns out not to just have a BDSM dungeon, but also a conference room, where everyone (including a projected Prowl and Bumblebee) debates what to do with their prisoner, and who can even judge him. With the Galactic Council watching (much more on them later), an impartial trial is the best idea, with Magnus suggesting that Chief Judge Tyrest, though currently out of contact, would be respected enough by council to be accepted as, well, a judge on the case (much more on him later).
The real question is verdict though: If found guilty, the options are life imprisonment, or execution. With Prowl being absolutely salivating at the idea of an execution, whilst Bumblebee doesn’t think it’s a very Autobot thing to do.
Prime simply shuts them all up and says Megatron is his problem and his decision.
So, for all their differences in style, one thing that unites Roberts and Costa is their utter contempt for the idea of Bumblebee as leader.
Rodimus, and Roberts definitely hasn’t found the voice he’ll use for him yet, is the most outspoken against this, as, even if Prime shut the blinds, everyone could still hear his conversation with Megatron, and it sounded very pally. Causing Prime to order everyone out, to think alone.
Omega turns out not to just have a BDSM dungeon, but also a conference room, where everyone (including a projected Prowl and Bumblebee) debates what to do with their prisoner, and who can even judge him. With the Galactic Council watching (much more on them later), an impartial trial is the best idea, with Magnus suggesting that Chief Judge Tyrest, though currently out of contact, would be respected enough by council to be accepted as, well, a judge on the case (much more on him later).
The real question is verdict though: If found guilty, the options are life imprisonment, or execution. With Prowl being absolutely salivating at the idea of an execution, whilst Bumblebee doesn’t think it’s a very Autobot thing to do.
Prime simply shuts them all up and says Megatron is his problem and his decision.
So, for all their differences in style, one thing that unites Roberts and Costa is their utter contempt for the idea of Bumblebee as leader.
Rodimus, and Roberts definitely hasn’t found the voice he’ll use for him yet, is the most outspoken against this, as, even if Prime shut the blinds, everyone could still hear his conversation with Megatron, and it sounded very pally. Causing Prime to order everyone out, to think alone.

Back in the past, we have the moment that is the real origin of Megatron. As Whirl, claiming the cadets were friends of his (there will turn out to be more to this), punches and kicks Megatron, revelling in his humiliation and saying he’ll just claim Megatron slipped his bonds and attacked him and that no one will care. An insignificant dead miner.
Which is when Springarm comes back in and, horrified, has to say the captain has ordered the release of the prisoner.
There’s a lot of power here, only let down by the beating itself not quite being horrific enough to sell this as a life changing moment. Both Roberts and Milne together will go a lot more off the leash on their own book, here Megatron can be released “Moments” later, without the police station captain even spotting anything odd about him.
And the police station captain? Why, it’s Optimus Prime! Or rather, as next issue will confirm, Orion Pax. Who has taken the time to read Megatron’s data pad and decided someone so committed to non-violent protest probably didn’t put anyone in hospital. So, he looked back into the fight, found Megatron wasn’t involved and is now setting him free.
And hey, he might not agree with everything Megatron thinks, but keep up the good work, dude.
Probably a more embarrassing mistake in the long term than making the “Megaton” mistake again.
Which is when Springarm comes back in and, horrified, has to say the captain has ordered the release of the prisoner.
There’s a lot of power here, only let down by the beating itself not quite being horrific enough to sell this as a life changing moment. Both Roberts and Milne together will go a lot more off the leash on their own book, here Megatron can be released “Moments” later, without the police station captain even spotting anything odd about him.
And the police station captain? Why, it’s Optimus Prime! Or rather, as next issue will confirm, Orion Pax. Who has taken the time to read Megatron’s data pad and decided someone so committed to non-violent protest probably didn’t put anyone in hospital. So, he looked back into the fight, found Megatron wasn’t involved and is now setting him free.
And hey, he might not agree with everything Megatron thinks, but keep up the good work, dude.
Probably a more embarrassing mistake in the long term than making the “Megaton” mistake again.

In the present, Prime and Megatron have what Prime is assuming to be their final chat and, in a scene very reminiscent of Number Six responding to every statement about why they want him in charge from the Judge with “Why?” in the final episode of The Prisoner, every attempt by Prime to find out why Megatron surrendered just gets a “Rephrase the question”.
Which ultimately boils the question down to: Do you regret anything?
To which the answer is: Understand this: So long as you stand in my way—so long as anybody stands in my way—I will respond by killing. Murder on an industrial scale. Because, in the final analysis, I would happily wade across a river of corpses chest-deep in rust and grease and engine oil just to crush the spark of the last Autobot standing. And I would do so not simply as a means to an end. No, I’d do it, Prime, because it would give me pleasure.
Well, that’s pretty definitive there, and means that, however he started, Megatron is clearly beyond any redemption now and I’m sure there will not have to be any back-peddling down the line due to some editorial clever idea.
Prime certainly takes it at face value, being angry enough to talk about how the galaxy would cheer if he just shot Megatron now, only for Megatron to gleefully say he won’t, because Prime is nothing without Megatron, and aren’t all those deaths worth his legacy?
Which ultimately boils the question down to: Do you regret anything?
To which the answer is: Understand this: So long as you stand in my way—so long as anybody stands in my way—I will respond by killing. Murder on an industrial scale. Because, in the final analysis, I would happily wade across a river of corpses chest-deep in rust and grease and engine oil just to crush the spark of the last Autobot standing. And I would do so not simply as a means to an end. No, I’d do it, Prime, because it would give me pleasure.
Well, that’s pretty definitive there, and means that, however he started, Megatron is clearly beyond any redemption now and I’m sure there will not have to be any back-peddling down the line due to some editorial clever idea.
Prime certainly takes it at face value, being angry enough to talk about how the galaxy would cheer if he just shot Megatron now, only for Megatron to gleefully say he won’t, because Prime is nothing without Megatron, and aren’t all those deaths worth his legacy?

Which is the moment Prime snaps and uses the Marvel comics standby of the VVH to put so much voltage though Megatron, it turns out Omega Supreme had to step in and cut it out before it became fatal. All with Rodimus watching.
And Megatron still has one final twist of the knife, pointing out it wasn’t Rydion they met, but Rodion. And he never properly thanked Prime for that…
Though it’s probably best not to think about why Prime would get the name of where he lived and worked wrong, nor how different Rydion and Rodion are pronounced.
All of which, leaves Prime with the feeling he’s just given Megatron everything he really wants.
In the past, we see the immediate difference the night’s events have had on Megatron, as he points out it’s “Megatron” as in “Neutron”, not “Electron”, he’s now a bomb that’s been primed (so to speak) and it’s only so long till he goes off.
Best shown by him taking one last look at his data pad, full of his non-violent ideas, and throwing it through a window behind him, smashing it in a way that leaves a familiar looking pattern, before he walks off with a wry smile on his face.
It’s lucky that happened, else the Decepticon logo would have been based around graffiti of a cock and balls round the corner.
And Megatron still has one final twist of the knife, pointing out it wasn’t Rydion they met, but Rodion. And he never properly thanked Prime for that…
Though it’s probably best not to think about why Prime would get the name of where he lived and worked wrong, nor how different Rydion and Rodion are pronounced.
All of which, leaves Prime with the feeling he’s just given Megatron everything he really wants.
In the past, we see the immediate difference the night’s events have had on Megatron, as he points out it’s “Megatron” as in “Neutron”, not “Electron”, he’s now a bomb that’s been primed (so to speak) and it’s only so long till he goes off.
Best shown by him taking one last look at his data pad, full of his non-violent ideas, and throwing it through a window behind him, smashing it in a way that leaves a familiar looking pattern, before he walks off with a wry smile on his face.
It’s lucky that happened, else the Decepticon logo would have been based around graffiti of a cock and balls round the corner.

Most people reading this issue now, don’t do so in its original context. It’ll be more likely looked at before diving into a full More Than Meets the Eye reread. Therefore, because it still has a few rough edges from a new writer finding his feet, it’s easy to forget how extraordinary and transformative it is after 21 banal at best issues from Costa. We may still have to get through a little more of the ongoing, but nothing is really going to be the same after this. When I read this at the time, it convinced me the relaunch would actually be worth going in for, something that eventually led to all this nonsense you’ve been reading.
I’ll let you decide if this issue being responsible for this website is a plus or a negative.
Having written so much, I’m going to only just briefly acknowledge the issue closes with another editorial from Andy Schmidt, this time saying goodbye as he leaves the company, that is, again, very strange and included right at the end of this piece for you to bear in mind over the next few weeks.
Speaking of which, next week we get the second, and arguably more controversial part as one of the least enduring IDW ideas gets introduced as Pax discovers how life is not always a fair cop.
THE TRANSFORMERS ISSUE 21
2011
COMMENT
KO-FI
I’ll let you decide if this issue being responsible for this website is a plus or a negative.
Having written so much, I’m going to only just briefly acknowledge the issue closes with another editorial from Andy Schmidt, this time saying goodbye as he leaves the company, that is, again, very strange and included right at the end of this piece for you to bear in mind over the next few weeks.
Speaking of which, next week we get the second, and arguably more controversial part as one of the least enduring IDW ideas gets introduced as Pax discovers how life is not always a fair cop.
THE TRANSFORMERS ISSUE 21
2011
COMMENT
KO-FI