TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #100

"THE WAR TO END ALL WARS, PART 5"
Writer: Simon Furman
Pencilers: Andrew Wildman, Geoff Senior, & Guido Guidi
Inks: Stephen Baskerville & Geoff Senior | Colorist: John-Paul Bove
Letterer: Chris Mowry | Editor: John Barber
Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Cover by Andrew Wildman

The Plot: Rodimus's forces return to Cybertron to find it changed, corrupted and haunted by shadow creatures who can kill with a touch. The Dinobots still live, and explain that this happened near instantaneously. Rodimus realizes that Primus, who he now believes to be the dark Matrix energy, is behind everything. He goes to confront Primus while sending the rest of his team to track down Galvatron.

Ultra Magnus and company find Galvatron has taken the space bridge to Nebulos. They pursue him there, where Magnus finally kills him. Fortress Maximus, also now on Nebulos, attempts to kill Magnus, but is stopped by the arrival of a second Autobot team, led by Prowl, which had traveled to Earth looking for Galvatron, joined by human forces.

Meanwhile, Rodimus reaches the Primus chamber and is transported to Zero Space, where he confronts the dark Matrix creature and fights Optimus Prime, summoned and possessed to attack him. Rodimus uses the sword of Primus to finish the creature off, sealing it into Zero Space forever. Optimus dies, and Rodimus and Spike return to the real world.

We return to the far future, where Rodimus reflects on the fact that after the corrupted Matrix energy was destroyed, all violence seemed to leave the Transformer race. They then traveled the stars, spreading peace wherever they went -- even Starscream and Shockwave. And the human and Nebulan races joined forces as well, rebuilding together.

Finally Rodimus dies, and in his place a plant-robot organism springs into existence.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #99

"THE WAR TO END ALL WARS, PART 4"
Writer: Simon Furman | Breakdowns: Guido Guidi | Finisher: Stephen Baskerville
Colorist: John-Paul Bove | Letterer: Chris Mowry | Editor: John Barber
Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Cover by Andrew Wildman

The Plot: In Zero Space, Primus appears to Spike in the form of his brother, Buster, informing him that he is "the Trinity" -- a perfect fusion of human, Cybertronian, and Nebulan.

Meanwhile, Jhiaxus attempts to convince Rodimus Prime to join him, but Rodimus refuses. The Wreckers travel through the Hub, demolishing it from within, while Starscream orders Shockwave to attack it from without. As Jhiaxus's men counterattack, Rodimus escapes and frees his fellow Autobots, and Starscream, now fully possessed by the Underbase, attacks Jhiaxus and destroys his physical body. Starscream reverts to normal and is rescued by Shockwave.

On Cybertron, the proto-Transformers seal themselves into protective cocoons while the Dinobots watch. On Earth, G.B. Blackrock attempts to repair Optimus Prime while Linda Chang readies an assault team to enter the space bridge and rescue Spike. But inside the main space bridge hub on Cybertron, Galvatron attacks and kills the technicians in charge.

Finally, the dark Matrix energy which once possessed the Deathbringer rises on Cybertron.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #98

"THE WAR TO END ALL WARS, PART 3"
Writer: Simon Furman | Breakdowns: Guido Guidi | Finisher: Stephen Baskerville
Colorist: John-Paul Bove | Letterer: Chris Mowry | Editor: John Barber
Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Cover by Andrew Wildman

The Plot: Under the command of Rodimus Prime, an Autobot fleet assaults Jhiaxus's hub. Using data gleaned from a drone, Nightbeat attempts to destroy the hub, but though his plan should work, it fails. Jhiaxus reveals he had planned for this, and initiates a counterattack. Rodimus Prime is forced to surrender.

On Earth, the space bridge is activated, but Fortress Maximus emerges, rather than the expected Nebulan delegation. Fort Max blasts Optimus Prime and grabs Spike, then re-enters the space bridge.

Meanwhile, the Ark arrives at the Hub undetected thanks to Starscream, who is not acting like himself. He notes that there are four, but one more is needed and he requires Shockwave's help to find that one. Starscream somehow disconnects Shockwave from the Ark's systems and returns him to his normal body. While on Cybertron, the Unicron cult brings Galvatron before Primus.

G1 Continuity: No continuity nods this issue, other than Kup invoking Springer's line, "I've got better things to do tonight than die!"

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #97

"THE WAR TO END ALL WARS, PART 2"
Writer: Simon Furman | Breakdowns: Guido Guidi | Finisher: Stephen Baskerville
Colorist: John-Paul Bove | Letterer: Chris Mowry | Editor: John Barber
Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Cover by Andrew Wildman

The Plot: The Dinobots are displeased that the proto-Transformers have been "reintegrated" into society by way of what is essentially a ghetto. Meanwhile, Rodimus Prime speaks with Jhiaxus, who reveals that he used the power of the Underbase to cyberform multiple worlds into a series of Cybertrons called the Hub. Rodimus declares Jhiaxus a madman, and a fight breaks out.

Elsewhere, Jhiaxus's men attempt to "purge" the proto-Transformers, but the Dinobots step in to defend them and are nearly killed. Ultra Magnus arrives with reinforcements, but Jhiaxus calls for his men and they depart Cybertron. Nightbeat informs Rodimus that Jhiaxus was on-planet long enough for the Autobots to scan him and his men. Armed with this intelligence, Rodimus prepares to strike against Jhiaxus.

Meanwhile, the space bridge between Earth and Nebulos is completed and about to be tested. And on Nebulos, Fortress Maximus is reunited with his head, but goes momentarily berserk upon reactivation. Aboard the Ark Starscream explains to Shockwave that, like him, Jhiaxus is one of "The Five".

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #96

"THE WAR TO END ALL WARS, PART 1"
Writer: Simon Furman | Penciler: Guido Guidi | Inker/Finisher: Stephen Baskerville
Colorist: John-Paul Bove | Letterer: Chris Mowry | Editor: John Barber
Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Cover by Andrew Wildman

The Plot: In the distant future, near the end of his life, Rodimus Prime reflects on the past. And in that past, the Autobots are cleaning up after Bludgeon's attack. Bludgeon himself is still alive, and Rodimus decides to spare him rather than give him the honorable death he expected.

On Earth and Nebulos, Optimus Prime and an Autobot team construct different ends of a space bridge to ferry the surviving human population off-planet. Prime takes a break to join a conference call with Cybertron, and appoints Rodimus the official leader of the Autobots. Rodimus then declares his intention to find and deal with the four loose ends Primus showed him: Jhiaxus, the Deathbringer Matrix energy, Galvatron, and Spike.

Ultra Magnus and some men find Galvatron, but he is taken underground by a cult of Uncron worshippers. Soon after, Jhiaxus arrives on Cybertron, declaring peaceful intentions. Starscream somehow senses his arrival just before it happens.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #95

"DESTINY, PART 5"
Writer: Simon Furman | Penciler: Guido Guidi | Inker: Stephen Baskerville
Colorist: John-Paul Bove | Letterer: Shawn Lee | Editor: John Barber
Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Cover by Andrew Wildman

The Plot: The battle on Cybertron rages. Bludgeon's men depart the Warworld to join the Blitz Engines on the surface, leaving Bludgeon alone aboard ship. The Wreckers infiltrate the Warworld to get to Thunderwing's shell, but Bludgeon takes them out. He is about to kill Kup when Rodimus Prime appears and hurls him from the ship.

Meanwhile, Grimlock comes around and leads the Dinobots and proto-Transformers to the surface, where they help turn the tide against Bludgeon's forces. At the same time, Starscream and Shockwave attack the Warworld with the Ark, taking it out. Elsewhere, Omega Supreme defeats the Decepticon Monstructor, while Blaster beats Soundwave.

Cybertron is saved, but Rodimus Prime worries about new threats looming.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #0

"LESS THAN ZERO"
Writer: Simon Furman
Art: Casey Coller, Geoff Senior, Jeff Anderson, José Delbo, Nick Roche
Inker: Stephen Baskerville (p. 7 - 16) | Colorist: John-Paul Bove
Letterer: Chris Mowry | Editor: John Barber
Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Cover by Andrew Wildman

The Plot: Sent into "Zero Space" by Primus, Hot Rod witnesses key events in the Transformers' history, across more than one timeline. First he sees a group of Autobots on Earth, led by Optimus Prime in his PowerMaster form, battling a Creation Matrix-spawned creature called the Deathbringer. Next he is sent millions of years into Cybertron's past, where he witnesses Jhiaxus steal the secrets of the Underbase and erase all records and memories of his own existence from Cybertronian history. Then on Earth once more, Hot Rod views the beginning of Megatron's campaign against the human race.

Finally, in a parallel timeline, Hot Rod sees himself, as Rodimus Prime, battling Galvatron on the Planet of Junk, amid the corpses of his fellow Autobots. Rodimus is destroyed and the Matrix flung from his body. Hot Rod touches it and then materializes on Cybertron as Rodimus Prime, just in time to challenge Bludgeon.

G1 Continuity: Lots of it here! The Deathbringer was part of a throwaway flashback in one of Furman's Marvel issues. The actual story behind the flashback was published in the U.K. comics. But since those events do not exist in this timeline, Furman has repurposed the scene here.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #94

"DESTINY, PART 4"
Writer: Simon Furman | Penciler: Guido Guidi | Inker: Stephen Baskerville
Colorist: John-Paul Bove | Letterer: Shawn Lee | Editor: John Barber
Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Cover by Andrew Wildman

The Plot: Against the backdrop of an invasion of Cybertron by Bludgeon's Blitz Engines, Ultra Magnus battles Galvatron. It appears both are destroyed by a blast from the Warworld, but Magnus emerges alive with a disabled Galvatron in his arms.

Meanwhile, Hot Rod is thrown into another realm by Primus, speaking via Grimlock's body. Following Hot Rod's disappearance, Grimlock collapses.

Elsewhere, Prowl releases Omega Supreme to defend Cybertron, while Blaster confronts Soundwave.

G1 Continuity: Two great epithets are tossed out this issue: Prowl says, "By the seven smelting pools of Straxus!" and Ultra Magnus exclaims, "Great God Ginrai!" Straxus was a character from Bob Budiansky's TRANSFORMERS run, and the smelting pools were where he melted down his enemies. God Ginrai is the Japanese name for the character we Americans know as PowerMaster Optimus Prime.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #93

"DESTINY, PART 3"
Writer: Simon Furman | Introducing Penciler: Guido Guidi | Inker: Stephen Baskerville
Colorist: John-Paul Bove | Letterer: Chris Mowry | Editor: John Barber
Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

Cover by Andrew Wildman

The Plot: Bludgeon meditates en route to Cybertron, revealing that he knows he will die in the impending battle, but he's comfortable with his fate. Meanwhile, Kup and the Wreckers invade the headquarters of Soundwave's Neo-Decepticons to find it deserted and booby-trapped.

Aboard the Ark, Starscream and Shockwave stage a mutiny and jettison Galvatron into space. He attempts to re-board the craft, but it escapes after "brushing" the early warning system the Autobots have set up in place of the intercomm.

Beneath Cybertron's surface, Hot Rod and the Dinobots find Primus's chamber and are confronted by Grimlock, speaking with Primus's voice.

Meanwhile, Bludgeon's Warworld arrives to attack Cybertron, while Galvatron reaches the planet as well and assaults Ultra Magnus.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #92

"DESTINY, PART 2"
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: On Earth, Optimus Prime proposes to the human alliance that they move their people to Nebulos, currently recovering from Scorponok's rule, so that both species might heal together.

On Cybertron, Blaster senses something amiss in the intercomm that links all Transformers on the planet. Soundwave, back on Cybertron in advance of Bludgeon's attack, detects Blaster's presence and sends a force to kill him in the holding chamber where he and other Autobots are still recovering from Nucleon poisoning. The Autobots defeat these Decepticons and reveal the intercomm's compromise to Prowl, who shuts it down. Unfortunately this takes Cybertron's sensors offline as well, leaving it vulnerable to the approaching Bludgeon... and Galvatron.

Meanwhile, beneath Cybertron's surface, Hot Rod and the Dinobots continue their search for the proto-Transformers.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #91

"DESTINY, PART 1"
Writer: Simon Furman | Penciler: Andrew Wildman | Inker: Stephen Baskerville
Colorist: John-Paul Bove | Coloring Assist: James Stayte | Letterer: Chris Mowry
Editor: John Barber | Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

The Plot: Bludgeon demonstrates his Blitz Engines, planetary invasion devices powered by the Matrix energy from Thunderwing's Pretender shell, to Soundwave. Following a successful takeover of the planet Cresta Superior, Bludgeon sets course of Cybertron.

Meanwhile, on Cybertron, Hot Rod learns that the fallout from Scorponok's coup has left several Autobots mentally unstable. Amid civil unrest, Hot Rod publicly declares his plan to go beneath the planet's surface and reunite the proto-Transformers with their descendants, an announcement which nearly gets him assassinated.

Nonetheless, Hot Rod proceeds with his plan, aided by the Dinobots. But first he orders Ultra Magnus to restore order on Cybertron and prepare the planet for reunification. Magnus also speaks with Optimus Prime on Earth, who reports that the Ark has fallen into Galvatron's hands.

Someplace else, a Cybertronian warlord receives word of Bludgeon's destruction of Cresta Superior and realizes his path is about to cross with that of the chaotic Decepticons.

AND NOW BACK TO TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE

A year ago tomorrow, I posted my review of TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE issue 80.5. So it seems fitting that today, I announce the second half of my RG1 series. For those who don't recall, TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE, published by IDW, picks up from issue #80 of the original American TRANSFORMERS series, and is scripted by classic Transformers writer Simon Furman with the goal of tying up all loose ends and concluding with issue #100. I reviewed the first two trades, comprising ten regular issues and a "point five" special, last year. Now we'll cover the next two volumes, also containing ten regular issues plus a "#0" special.

Previously, twenty years after the events which ended the Marvel series, the Autobots returned to Earth to find it a barren wasteland, conquered by Decepticon leader Megatron. Optimus Prime dueled Megatron one last time and the villain was killed thanks to the intervention of Autobot security officer Kup. But at that same instant, the diabolical Galvatron, Megatron's alternate future self, returned to life.

The Autobots left Earth with the exception of Optimus Prime, who stayed behind against the wishes of the planet's dwindling population, in order to destroy all remaining sources of Cybertronian technology and help rebuild. But Prime's mission was for naught as Galvatron joined forces with Starscream and Shockwave, repaired the long-crashed Autobot spacecraft Ark, and departed the planet as Prime watched.

THE UNBOXING - MAY 2014

This month's box is small in content but large in quality, thanks to the long, long, long awaited UNCANNY X-MEN OMNIBUS volume 2. Volume 1 was one of Marvel's very first Omnibus collections and was released eight years ago, in 2006. Let's put that in perspective. The time between the releases of volumes 1 and 2 is longer than the amount of time the X-Men were in reprints in the seventies. It's longer than the amount of years' worth of issues contained in both books together, even taking into account that UNCANNY X-MEN was bi-monthly for much of the first volume! It's a long time!

But it's here at last, and mostly worth the wait. Since I probably won't be writing about this run of issues individually for quite some time, if ever, due to the huge number of sites and blogs that have already done so, I've decided that for now I'll compose a single, stand-alone post about the book itself for next weekend. For now, though, I'm just pleased to have this titanic tome nestled snugly beside volume 1 in my overcrowded bookcase.

The only other arrival this month is TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE volume 4, which concludes IDW's commitment to finishing out the original Marvel TRANSFORMERS series. As I noted when volume 3 arrived, I will read both 3 and 4 together and then blog about them in a series of posts as I did with the first two volumes last year. Currently, my plan is to get these posts started exactly one year after I began the previous round, which would start us off in September -- so watch for that a few months from now.

And that's it! I'm back from the honeymoon, rested, refreshed, and ready to continue blabbing about comic books.

THE UNBOXING - JANUARY 2014

Time for a new feature. The second week of every month, I receive a box of pre-ordered trades and/or hardcovers from my preferred online retailer, Discount Comic Book Service. I've decided, for no particularly good reason, that the first free Sunday following the arrival of said box (meaning a Sunday when I don't have another post already scheduled), I will post the contents here. It'll give an idea of what collections you might expect to see covered at some point in the future.

This month, my goodies include:

• DEADPOOL BY JOE KELLY OMNIBUS
  
• DEADPOOL CLASSIC, vol. 7 (the first part of Gail Simone's run)
  
• THANOS: INFINITY ABYSS
  
• TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE, vol. 3

Of the above, I expect REGENERATION ONE is the book I'll get to first for coverage here. But I'm waiting until volume 4 comes out as well, then I'll cover both together, as I did a few months back with volumes 1 and 2.

The Deadpool books are items I want to get to one day, but for the foreseeable future, they're just shelf-candy/skimming material. I have very good memories of reading Kelly's DEADPOOL when I was in college, and the Simone run, with spectacular art and color from UDON Studios, was a whole lot of fun. But I won't get to that book until volume 8 is released to complete Simone's time on the series.

And INFINITY ABYSS is Jim Starlin's last really good work at Marvel, so I expect I'll cover it here eventually as well, but not until after I've gotten to Starlin's CAPTAIN MARVEL, WARLOCK, SILVER SURFER, INFINITY GAUNTLET, INFINITY CRUSADE, and INFINITY WAR. So don't hold your breath for it.

Final note: There are plenty of books on my bookcase already that I haven't gotten to, so even though I'll be posting everything new here going forward, there will still certainly be some surprises coming up. Plus there will be certain things I'll pick up elsewhere, from Amazon, etc., which will not make "The Unboxing". Unless it's something I'm really excited about, then perhaps I'll do a supplemental post.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #90

"NATURAL SELECTION, PART 5"
Writer: Simon Furman | Penciler: Andrew Wildman | Inker: Stephen Baskerville
Colorist: John-Paul Bove | Coloring Assist: James Stayte | Letterer: Chris Mowry
Editor: John Barber | Editor-in-Chief: Chris Ryall

The Plot: The Autobots retake their headquarters, but not before missiles are launched at Ultra Magnus's ship. Grimlock and the Dinobots confront Scorponok, whose plan is thwarted thanks to the revelation that Perceptor has been in on Grimlock's plan all along, only playing at being a Decepticon. In their climactic battle, Grimlock and Scorponok plummet to their apparent deaths.

Beneath Cybertron's surface, Hot Rod takes the Sword and Covenant of Primus, sparing the lives of the proto-Transformer creatures, and departs their tunnels, vowing to return.

On Earth, Shockwave restores Starscream's cognitive functions, and together they plot to take control of the Ark from Galvatron. The ship takes off just as Optimus Prime arrives. Spotting Galvatron standing on the Ark's bridge, Optimus wonders if Megatron has somehow cheated death once again.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #89

"NATURAL SELECTION, PART 4"
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: The Dinobots, hunted by Scorponok's forces and realizing they can't win, resolve to kill Grimlock for his betrayal. They lure Grimlock to the "nursery", where all the Nucleon-infected Autobots are kept. But Scorponok's forces also converge on the area. Grimlock convinces the Dinobots he is still on their side by taking out the Decepticons. The last remaining non-Deceptified Autobots arrive, and Grimlock reveals he has a plan to stop Scorponok.

Beneath the planet, Hot Rod touches the Covenant of Primus and receives a vision, in which he learns the monsters chasing him were prototype Transformers judged a failure by Primus. Primus eliminated them to start over, but some survived. Hot Rod believes his job is to finish them off with Primus's sword.

On Earth, Optimus Prime drives through British Columbia toward the Ark's crash site, where he plans to destroy the starship to prevent it from unleashing any further horrors on the planet.

Meanwhile, Ultra Magnus and the Autobot attack team approach Cybertron. Under orders from Scorponok, they are given an "all-clear" signal, with the intention to shoot them down when they reach Cybertron.

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.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #87

"NATURAL SELECTION, PART 2"

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 brings the Autobot Headmasters, Highbrow, Hardhead, and Brainstorm, back online as Decepticons. Grimlock, now in his new body, then transports the Headmasters to Cybertron. The Autobots take Grimlock into custody upon his arrival, and when he is visited in his cell by Perceptor, he uses Scorponok's new C.N.A. re-encoder to turn the Autobot scientist into a Decepticon. Meanwhile, the Headmasters infiltrate Autobot capital city Iacon, clearing the way for Scorponok.

All of this is unnoticed by Hot Rod, who, after a brief meeting with Grimlock, heads beneath the surface of Cybertron, where a group of Autobots have located the tunnels which should lead them to the chamber housing Primus, the Transformers' god. However, the tunnels are populated by a group of robot-devouring monsters.

On Earth, Optimus Prime chooses to remain behind despite the humans' orders, and help them rebuild. He sends Ultra Magnus and the rest of his troops back to Cybertron. Meanwhile, Galvatron follows Starscream into the Ark, and Starscream leads him to Shockwave, somehow wired into the Ark's on board systems.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #86

The second TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE trade paperback collects issues 86 - 90. I have recently learned that the series is planned for a finite run of twenty issues, to wrap up the entire saga in #100, which will just fill two more trades after this one. Personally, as of right now I'd love to see it continue past #100 if sales warrant, but I guess we'll see what happens...

"NATURAL SELECTION, PART 1"

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: On Nebulos, Grimlock is held prisoner by Scorponok, who explains that his original head came online upon the death of his Headmaster self during the Unicron battle. Scorponok has isolated a gene in all Transformers, which determines whether they are "born" as Autobots or Decepticons, and he believes he can return to Cybertron and alter the gene to create a planet of Decepticons. Bribed with a new, fully functional body, plus the possibility of curing those Autobots negatively affected by Nucleon, Grimlock reluctantly agrees to help Scorponok in his plan.

On Cybertron, Soundwave makes it to Thunderwing's resting place in the Hall of Silence. Hot Rod orders the Hall destroyed per protocol in the event of an intruder, which plays into Soundeave's plot somehow.

And on Earth, Spike and Blackrock inform Optimus Prime that the remaining humans have voted the Autobots off the planet. Meanwhile, the Autobots have gathered all Megatron's now-deceased zombies in one place to disintegrate them. However, Starscream yet lives, and escapes prior to the disintegration, to sneak aboard the Ark. His entry is noticed by Galvatron.

TRANSFORMERS: REGENERATION ONE #85

"LOOSE ENDS, PART 5"
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: Optimus Prime leads his Autobots into final battle with Megatron and his zombie forces. Megatron reveals to Prime that he he has programmed the Ark to launch every nuclear missile on Earth  in the event that either Prime or Megatron should lose their duel.

On Cybertron, Soundwave continues to explore the Hall of Silence, while Hot Rod struggles to figure out what to do about the situation.

The Wreckers, Spike, and the human resistance attack the Ark, and Spike makes it inside. Kup manages to kill Ratchet after being inoculated against the Scraplet infection, frying Megatron's brain just as he is about to kill Optimus Prime. The tables turned, Prime kills Megatron instead. At that precise instant, Galvatron awakens elsewhere on Earth. The missiles are not launched after all, due to Spike frying the Ark's systems before Megatron's failsafe can kick in.

Lastly, on Nebulos, Scorponok invites Grimlock to join him, with the incentive of a new, fully-transformable body.