Invasion Prologue

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"Invasion Prologue"
Publisher	Fun Publications
First published	February 29,2012
Writers	Pete Sinclair&Jesse Wittenrich
Pencils	Will Mangin
Inks	Jake Isenberg
Colors	Josh Burcham
Letters	Jesse Wittenrich
Managing editor	Pete Sinclair
Continuity	TransTech

The Transcendent Technomorphs register a largescale multiversal event, one that will change everything forever.

Contents 1Synopsis 2Featured characters 3Quotes 4Notes 4.1Continuity notes 4.2Transformers references 4.3Real-life references 4.4Errors 4.5Other trivia 5External links

Synopsis

InAxiom Nexus,home of the multiversal observers known as theTransTech,alarms begin to sound off.ProwlandMegatronwatch asRhinoxreceives multiple reports of anomalous phenomena across the mutliverse, including, much to Rhinox's shock, the supposedly destroyed univeral streamPrimax 1291.0 Zeta,which he had himself logged. Rhinox traces the energy back to one solar cycle ago fromPrimax 207.0 Epsilon,a universe with its fair share of problems. Bring the universe up on screen, the three watch as the local Overlord, known as "Gigatron",cuts down aRUNTmech. Uninterested in the humans, Gigatron orders his Decepticon forces forward to the AutobotIronworksbase.

There, Autobot guardsMainframeandRadare taken by surprise, as Gigatron blasts a hole through the base, knocking them back. Luckily, the AutobotPretenderMetalhawkappears overhead, engaging with his Decepticon rival, who reveals that he is there for theRarefied Energon.Back at Axiom Nexus, Rhinox explains that the rarefied energon Gigatron speaks of is unique to this universe, and that it is rumored to have a connection to theThirteen.Megatron has him speed forward, and after a bit, spots an inter-dimensional gateway. Megatron asks Rhinox if he can detect the origin, butOptimus Prime,having just arrived with 5 shadowed figures, reveals it for him:Primax -408.24 Epsilon,the negative polarity universe. With this event, Prime reveals that balance has been destroyed, and declares that the rules of the multiverse have changed, as the figures step forward to reveal themselves; the Primes of multiple universes!

Featured characters

(Characters initalic textappear only on computer screens.)
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Your willingnessto diewill entertain my troops......but as you are notmyquarry......they will need to seek their entertainment elsewhere. "

—Gigatron

"Well. You're not supposed to be here."

"I could say the same thing about you,Gigatron!Last I saw you was in Kitakyushu. Looking for amagicalsword. "

"Hn. These humansexaggeratethe power of their trinkets. But thisrarefied energonyou Autobots have brought here... I cansenseits strength. It is more powerful than anything I have ever felt before. ItwillbeMINE!"

—GigatronandMetalhawk

"They also seem to have a functioning Overlord. A little on the short side though."

—Megatronstates what we are all thinking.

Notes

• Characters mentioned but not seen include:Musashi(online version only) and theThirteen.

Continuity notes

• The world of theTransTechhasn't been seen much since the original "Transcendent" storyline and prose stories published in 2008. Megatron, Prime, and Prowl made various appearances throughout said stories, while "Withered Hope"was Rhinox's sole previous appearance.
• Primax 1291.0 Zeta, the world of Marvel UKTransformersstory "Another Time & Place"from theTransformers Annual 1992,was previously noted to have been destroyed by Primax 207.0 Epsilon (AKA the "Classicsverse" ) creation in "Withered Hope", due to their overlapping frequency. With its return, it hints at the fate of the "Classicsverse" in the main comic itself.
• The RUNTS (a group replacing the original anti-Transformer government agencyRAATfrom the originalThe Transformerscomics) and Rarefied Energon were both originally seen in 2007's Club storyline, "Crossing Over".TheCaretakernoted the Rarefied Energon would be moved from its original location in South America to keep it out of evil's hands; evidently, it's been entrusted with the Autobots since then.
• Gigatron's group of Decepticons includes Thrust, who was last seen underMegatron's command in "At Fight's End";Octopunch and Stranglehold, last seen in space in"Cheap Shots";Skullgrin and Horri-Bull, last seen withBludgeon's forces near the end ofThe Transformersrun; and Snarler and Carnivac, last seen attempting to assassinateSpike WitwickyinThe Transformersissue#51.Gigatron himself makes his debut appearance in "Classicsverse" continuity here.
• On the Autobot's end, Metalhawk, Mainframe, and Ironworks make their first appearances. Rad, meanwhile, previously showed up in a one-panel cameo inThe Transformersissue#76.Broadside and Outback also appear as tiny cameos on page 5.
• Aside from Ultra Magnus and Tracks, the thirdShattered GlassAutobot that briefly appears is Wheeljack, last seen exploring other dimensions forRodimusin "Generation 2: Redux".
• Sentinel Maximus was last seen in "Revelations Part 6",meeting with the main Autobot forces circa the end of theCybertroncartoon. It's not indicated here, but theRobots in DisguiseOptimus seen in this story is the same one who Sentinel worked with in the "Revelations" storyline.
• It had previously been established in pastTransTechstories that Prime's were barred from Axiom Nexus; evidently,TransTechOptimus considers the threat great enough to bypass this rule.

Transformers references

• The screens in the control room depict various scenes from other Transformers cartoons and comics, including:
  • AscreencapofWheeljack,Perceptor,andMinervafromVictoryepisode "The Tide Is Turned! The Ultimate Weapon, the Victory Unification".
  • AscreenshotofCybertronfrom the originalThe Transformerscartoon.
  • A teeny screenshot ofBulkheadfromAnimated.
  • Ascreenshotof the gathered Autobot forces fromThe Transformersepisode "Cosmic Rust".
  • AscreenshotofOptimus PrimalandLio Convoyfrom theBeast Wars IItheatrical special, "Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!"
  • Thetitle pageand apanelshowing the revivedMegatronbeing destroyed byOptimus PrimeandGrimlockfrom "Another Time & Place"(with pencils byStaz,inks byLesley Dalton,and colors byCaroline Steeden).
  • AscreenshotofBlackZarakfromSuper-God Masterforceepisode "God Ginrai - Showdown on the Surface of the Moon".
  • AscreenshotofHot ShotfromArmadaepisode "Carnival".
  • AscreenshotofOptimus PrimefromRobots in Disguiseepisode "Bullet Train to the Rescue".
  • AscreenshotofGreat ConvoyfromBeast Wars Neoepisode "End of the Maximals!?"
  • Thefinal pageofInfiltrationissue#6,depictingOptimus Prime(with pencils and inks byE. J. Suand colors byJohn Rauch).
  • Part of a panel from the final page of "Invasion",depicting Carnivac watching as the" Classicsverse "is destroyed (pencils byDan Khanna,inks by Jake Isenberg, colors byJosh Perez). This was not known at the time of this comics release, only becoming evident after "Invasion" was itself released.
• Gigatron and Metalhawk's rivalry obviously stems from them both being from theSuper-God Masterforceseries.
• The Autobot base is Ironworks' Construction station, simply called "Ironworks" here, a Micromaster base from the 1989 year ofThe Transformerstoyline. Rad and Mainframe, meanwhile, are bothAction Mastersfrom the 1990 range of figures.
• TransTechOptimus' group of Primes includes:
  • Generation 2Hero Optimus Prime.
  • Sentinel Maximus,OTFCC 2004exclusive (kind of).
  • Robots in DisguiseOptimus Prime in hisUniverse2003 yellow toy body.
  • Lio Convoy in hisUniverse2008 "Leo Prime" toy body.
  • CybertronOptimus Prime in hisJungle Planettoy body.

Real-life references

• In the online version, Metalhawk notes Gigatron was looking for "Musashi's sword"; this is in reference to the historical Japanese swordsman,Musashi Miyamoto.(However, see "other triva" below.)
• Ursa Magnus, a fan-character created by the Allspark forum member of the same name, can be seen on page 1, panel 2.

Errors

• Not an error per se, but Rhinox looks far more humanoid here than he was described as in "Withered Hope".
• Page 1, panel 3 originally had Rhinox say "multiple phenomenons," an incorrect form of plural for "phenomenon". This was corrected in a later revision.
• Rarified Energonwas spelled as "rarefied". This was also corrected in a later revision.

Other trivia

• Initially released exclusively online, this six-page comic later got a print release as bonus content in the Diamond Edition of "Invasion".The print version of the story alters some dialogue, eliminating the overtly Japanese elements of Metalhawk and Gigatron's encounter (the print version is quoted above; originally, Metalhawk added an" okimi "suffix to Gigatron's name, and the" magical sword "was"Musashi's sword "), and entirely changing the exchange about Rarified Energon, saying basically the same thing in an entirely different way.
• Octopunch was originally depicted in his toy colors, much like "Cheap Shots", before later being edited into his Marvel colors.
• Pete Sinclairsaid that three of Gigatron's Decepticons remained offpanel. These were revealed in "Invasion" to beSpinister,Weirdwolf,andDreadwind.

External links

• "Transformers: Invasion Prologue" preview comic page