WOW. That was good. Better than I could've hoped. Both the plot and characters are 100x more interesting than what we got in Shadowplay.

That Functionalist controlled future is way worse than anyone would've imagined. The Functionalists are way worse than anyone would've imagined. Alt mode based genocide, detonation chips, "improved" Empurata, forced spies. Wow.

I have to agree that Megatron was Brainstorm's real target. While Orion would be a surprise, it's a disappointing one. We already know of all the good he's done. Having a story telling us how important he is would be unnecessary and out of place with Megatron being a main character, but not Optimus.

I liked the scenes between Chromedome and Rewind. Megatron having a minor breakdown was funny, as was Rodimus' saying the DJD lived in Megatron Mountain. However, I missed some small things like the Rodimus Star and Dominus holding Rewind.

I cannot wait for the next issue.

 

At first I thought it was to keep his face secret, but we've seen Dominus before. He looks like Minimus.

 

D'oh! We have as well. Fist shake retracted!

 

Yeah Dominus looks like Minimus, but with a beard.  

 

Semi-Spoiler Commentary:

Spoiler

I was wrong about it being a shuttle full of Data Slugs in a compactor, but I was right about what happens...

...Primus, I hate being right.

but I think everybody's wrong with Brainstorm's plan... I just hope it's not that bad as everybody makes it seem.

 

I'm re-reading it and that scene with the female transformer dressing up as the useless one rung (ironically one of the most useful transformers in this continuity) got me thinking that I'm guessing she will part of the militant mono-former movement that was briefly mentioned in mtmte ages ago. Given that they self mutlate to fit a political stance I'm seeing similarities between them and the Amazons from The Last Man comics. Come to think of it wouldn't parts of the female transformers not fit very well with the functionists philosophy for example those boobs do not feed the young so are not functional, kill them all etc.

 

It's the little things in this comic that I love. The billboard outside Dominus' apartment switches from "You are our eyes." to "We are your eyes." on the last panel. Brilliant!

Also, Minimus' reaction panel, bloody gorgeous work by Milne.

 

This issue was awesome,great issue that starts an interesting storylime,
I was real sad how trailcutter is actually dead,Poor guy!
I didng realized i liked him,However i am somehow proud of megatron that he realizes his loss of trailcutter,

Now whatever brainstorm is upto is A HEADACHE!!!
Seriously time travel can really frag things up..

 

So before I read this let me get this straight.

Brainstorm is going back in time to kill Megatron, and what we are seeing is the alternate present where he suceeded and the Funtionalists still reigned?

 

Fantastic issue. It's good to see MTMTE really hitting its stride once more, and I definitely expect it to continue throughout this story arc. All of the Lost Light scenes were fantastic, particularly the Megatron and Rodimus conversations. And damn, this alternate present... it's some pretty scary shit.

I'm not even ready for what terrors this story arc will bring.

All we know is that Brainstorm went back in time to do something, resulting in the Functionist-ruled Cybertron. The crew of the Lost Light thinks that his goal was to kill Orion Pax given Brainstorm's apparent status as a Decepticon, but the leading fan opinion is that he's actually there to kill Megatron, which would line up more with the consequences in the alternate present.

 

Okay.



So... Is Brainstorm really a functionalist spy whos "job" was to wait and see how things played out, then go back and create a new future if it didn't go liked they wanted? GOOD LORD, that means the universe could have been altered THOUSANDS of times, Orion could literally be just one in a million, Rung obviously is Jesus here though. I wonder why Brainstorm would do this though,
My first thought is Shadowplay but Brainstorm doesn't seem like that guy.

Man, This is really what we've been promised from the start.

 

I've gotta feeling that Brainstorm isn't going to get out of this alive. Anyone else?

 

No, I just think Brainstorm basically just has the entire fate of everything in his hands. That worries me.

IDW has a rich and lusterious history(with some.... Errors.)
But whatever happens we have to remember that we still the The Transformers(RID) that is still staying the same, and with Combiner Wars approaching and the lead-up issues spilling out how Superion is built, it seems that the timeline will stay in place. So the Lost Lighters will indeed save us somehow and prevent this future from happening, Pulling a "Days of Futures Past" is a cheap cop out too, Roberts won't allow that.

 

I mean, I've gotta feeling that before Brainstorm can do what he needs to do, who ever goes after him will put a bullet through his spark.

 

Brainstorm to me seems to be turning into another Shockwave, some Bot with a grand scheme to remake the Universe for Cybertronians in his perceived image.

But yea wouldn't surprise me if the alternate present wasn't what he planed to have happen.

 

I don't think anyone is trying to suggest that brainstorm is some kind of spy or is that nasty as to want this kind of society especially as the intellectual class where recalled but rather his actions had unforeseen consequences. Megatron is viewed in cybertronian culture as a mass murderer and his war claimed the lives of millions (billions if you include non-cybertronians) and the early actions of the senate or functionists was so long ago that it might have been forgotten or compared to the genocide of the war have seemed like a preferable less violent option.

 

Reading this and the TFWiki synop, and Crazy Theory Time!

This is what leads to Defensor's 'Birth' as the six Protectobots need to merge to survive: Rook is a news anchor they save who becomes part of him.

 

My guess is that all this hyping Brainstorm up to be the Big Bad is actually going to turn out to be a big ol' red herring, and Brainstorm is actually doing everything for good.

 

Having taken the time to reflect on what was shown in this installment, I take issue with the way something looks like it's being written. The Functionalists are as bad, if not worse than the Decepticons.

Before this issue, I thought the idea was that the Functionalists weren't very good and the 'Cons were a necessary evil that made things better. Now we're being shown there would have been just as much bloodshed on Cybertron without the 'Cons, which really dilutes them as villains.

This really shows off my issue with how Megatron has been handled under Roberts. I like that he's justified the 'Cons existence and I even like that Megatron has realized the error of his way, but he's starting to write Megatron as if he's a good person. Megatron seems too nice now. What happened to the sadistic killer who led an army in a horrible war for four million years? And now we're being shown his tyranny is no worse than that of those he overthrew.

Even if what we're seeing isn't what would happen if Megatron never came to power, even if Brainstorm did kill Orion Pax, we're still being shown what things would be like if the people Megatron got rid of stayed in charge, no matter what that reason for them remaining in this alternate timeline is.

That's not to say I hate what Roberts is doing. It's interesting, but I think he's going too far with how not-bad he's making Megatron look.

 

So I've been thinking about the GrandFather Theory and how the new "Universe" is starting to take hold and meld into ours.

What if Our Brainstorm isn't from our universe?

Just another theory, but it's got me thinking, and as big as Brainstorm's plan(s) seem to be...