TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #88

"NATURAL SELECTION, PART 3"
Writer: Simon Furman | Penciler: Andrew Wildman | Inker: Stephen Baskerville
Colorist: John-Paul Bove | Letterer: Chris Mowry | Editor: John Barber
Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

The Plot: Scorponok seizes control of Soundwave's Decepticons, however Soundwave himself has fled Cybertron following his infiltration of the Hall of Silence, and is now aboard Bludgeon's Warworld. When Bludgeon reveals that he has created an army of mindless war machines awaiting a spark of life from the Creation Matrix, Soundwave agrees to provide Thunderwing's remains, the last remaining source of Matrix energy.

On Cybertron, Scorponok's warriors continue to turn the Autobots into Decepticons, while Perceptor oversees the construction of a device which will send a planetwide signal to change all remaining Autobots at once. Scorponok orders Grimlock to execute an Autobot prisoner, Punch, to prove his loyalty, but Grimlock attempts to kill Scorponok instead -- at which point Scorponok reveals that he has some form of control over Grimlock's new body by causing it pain.

Beneath Cybertron, Hot Rod runs from the monsters shown last issue, and eventually finds his way into a hidden chamber containing a sword and shield. Elsewhere, some of the remaining non-Deceptified Autobots search out a safe haven from their newly-destructive fellows.

And on Earth, Galvatron orders zombie Starscream and Ark-melded Shockwave to prepare the Ark for takeoff.

G1 Continuity: The monsters beneath Cybertron's surface refer to Hot Rod as "creator". This could possibly be a nod to the fact that in the G1 comics, Primus bore a striking resemblance to Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime.

Body Count: Scorponok kills Misfire when he takes control of Soundwave's Decepticons (which I find lame because Misfire was my favorite Targetmaster when I was a kid). Hot Rod indicates that half the excavation team for last issue are dead, though the fate of the other half is unknown.

My Thoughts: It's just a hunch, but Hot Rod finding the sword and shield seem like a precursor to a transformation into Rodimus Prime. At this point I'm betting the series ends with Optimus dead and Rodimus assuming command. But maybe that's too obvious? I guess we'll find out eventually.

Variant "retro" cover by Guido Guidi

This version of Scorponok is far more bloodthirsty than the G1 character, but that would seem to be because this is the pure, unadulterated Scorponok. Lord Zarak's calm pragmatism does not seem to have a place in this version's head (no pun intended). I was sorry to see Misfire go, as noted above, and would be equally upset if Punch winds up executed after all, as he was another favorite toy from my childhood.

Speaking of Punch, Scorponok notes that he is immune to the CNA resequencer, obviously due to the fact that he is the Autobot "double spy", capable of transforming into a Decepticon at will. This seems like a good plot point to use in the story's resolution, but I don't really see it being explored, which is too bad. Punch is an intriguing character who I believe never had any appearance in the G1 comics.

Galvatron notes that Shockwave did indeed provide strategic aid to Megatron in his conquest of Earth, so I guess my original theory was mostly correct. I really need to stop second-guessing myself! However, I wonder if Shockwave's repairs to the Ark were his own doing, or Megatron's orders. Megatron seemed quite content to sit on Earth and wait for Prime to return, and even seemed to believe he was stuck there. Hopefully next issue -- which has a big picture of Shockwave on the cover -- will explain.

And lastly, speaking of the Ark -- I love that it's the little ship that just wouldn't die. It was totaled three times in G1, and repaired and made spaceworthy again every time. Hope it survives to the end of the series.

Final Opinion: A solid issue, with plenty of plots and sub-plots to go around. Even when I don't enjoy the story, I appreciate this sort of writing. The fact that I am enjoying it makes it even better.

Available as part of TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE, vol. 2 from Amazon.com.