Transformers (2023) issue 6

« Transformers#6 »
When you were standing in the wake of devastation When you were waiting on the edge of the unknown...
Publisher	Image Comics Skybound Entertainment
First published	March 13,2024
Cover date	March 2024
Written by	Daniel Warren Johnson
Art by	Daniel Warren Johnson
Colors by	Mike Spicer
Letters by	Rus Wooton
Editors	Sean Mackiewicz
Continuity	Energon Universe

The Autobots face total devastation! And the loss of one of their bravest soldiers...

Contents 1Synopsis 2Featured characters 3Quotes 4Notes 4.1Continuity notes 4.2Transformers references 4.3Real-world references 4.4Errors 4.5Other trivia 4.6Covers 4.7Advertisements 4.8Reprints 5External links 6References

Synopsis

TheAutobotsandSparky Witwickyattempt to take cover inside theArkasDevastatorattacks. Having fallen behind,Cliffjumperattempts to assist, butCarlyadvises him instead to look for an alternate way into the Ark so that they can find more firepower.Starscreamcackles in delight at the destruction wrought by theDecepticoncombiner,only to be summarily kicked in the face byOptimus Prime.Devastator grabs Prime and tosses him around, severely injuring the Autobot leader.Arceedrags him into the Ark whileJazzlays down suppressive fire. Devastator then grabsRatchetand attempts to drag him out, forcing the Autobots to close the Ark’s bay doors and cutting off Ratchet’s leg in the process. Devastator tries to punch through the door, butSoundwaveorders him to stop as to not damage their sanctuary, instead suggesting getting into the Ark by digging through the mountain; Devastator complies. Cliffjumper and Carly scale the side of the mountain and reach the access port on the back of the ship, however they are soon confronted by Starscream.

The other Autobots get Optimus onto a table, but Ratchet tells them that his wounds are too severe for him to fix. As he starts to succumb to his injuries, Optimus apologizes to his friends for leading them on false hope. He takes theMatrix of Leadershipfrom his chest and attempts to give it to one of them, but is so weakened he drops it on the floor. Sparky approaches it, contemplating that every-time something bad has happened to the people he cares about, he’s always wondered if he could have somehow taken their place. He places his hand inside the Matrix and asks Optimus to tellSpike Witwickyhow proud he is of him before entering the Matrix completely, renewing its energy and repairing Prime in the process. Revitalized, Prime says Sparky will not be forgotten and promises to protect Spike and the whole world. At that moment, Devastator breaks through the ceiling of the ship, but a resolute Prime simply grabs him by the finger and rips it off! He then grabs hision blasterand uses it in tandem withMegatron’s fusion cannon to unleash hell on the giant gestalt.

Meanwhile, Starscream has Cliffjumper pinned down and gloats about how he massacred the Autobot's clan. As the two grapple, Carly aims one of the Transformers' guns at Starscream and fires. Cliffjumper then takes the gun and aims it directly at Starscream's head. He tells the Seeker that he's always wondered what this moment would feel like, ready to pull the trigger... but he can't do it. Carly angrily reminds Cliff of everything Starscream has done, but Cliff is simply too tired of all the fighting and death. However, his hesitation gives Starscream the chance to recover and he grabs Carly and begins to squeeze. Outside, Optimus leads Devastator to the edge of a cliff, goading him to follow him. As Devastator attempts to rush Optimus, Prime maneuvers under the giant and pushes him over the edge, where he falls right on top of Starscream and frees Carly from the Decepticon's grip. With their leader damaged, the Decepticons decide to retreat, theConstructiconshauling Starscream away. Optimus attempts to make peace with Soundwave so that the two sides can work together to savetheir home,but Soundwave rejects the parlay and flies off with Thundercracker.

Back at theFarminghamHospital, Spike wakes up. The Doctor tells him not to speak, so on a nearby piece of paper Spike writes just one thing: "Where's my dad?"

Featured characters

Characters initalic textappear only in flashbacks.
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"My men. Jimmy. Spike. Whenever something bad happened to them... I'd always think..."If only I could have taken their place. If only it was me instead of them."Maybe now is my chance. I know you're going to care for this world like I care for my boys. "
"Sparky..."
"Watch over them for me? And when Spike wakes... Tell my son I'm proud of him."
"You will not be forgotten, Sparky. And I promise, I will protect your son. I will protect the whole Earth."

—Sparkygives his life to energize the Matrix asOptimus Primeswears to protect humanity.

"Make no mistake, Soundwave... I desirepeace.But I am no fool. "

—Optimus Primegives Soundwave a warning.

Notes

Continuity notes

• Ratchet is missing most of his left leg when we first see him, reflecting the injury inflicted upon him by Scavenger at the end oflast issue.He loses the other leg to Devastator later in the issue... which cruelly, ironically recalls his buddyWheeljack,who was working as only his top half back at the dam.
• Thundercracker continues to believe that the Autobots are to blame for what Starscream and Soundwave did toSkywarpat the end ofissue #4.
• The opening Carly and Cliffjumper (and later Starscream) climb into is the exact same hexagonal opening to Teletraan One's room that's been shown in nearly every issue up to this point, beginningallthe way back withJetfireflying in through it inissue #1.
• Cybertronians were shown to not have the concept of “father” inissue #2.To be fair to Starscream, evenweweren't aware the guy named "Davey"he crushed was Carly's dad until the end of that same issue!
• Starscream was established to have wiped out Cliffjumper’s clan inissue #4.
• As he's dying, Optimus recallsJetfire's dying words fromissue #1.
• Though it is shaped near-identically, the Cybertronian pistol Carly fires at Starscream isn't actually the one Cliffjumper was using – we can see Carly running towards it at the very start of the fight.
• Optimus finds a new way to use the fusion cannon in his vehicle mode other than the oversized smokestack seen in the previous issue: it mounts backwards on his truck roof to serve as a powerful rocket booster he uses to race ahead of Devastator as he lures him to the cliff's edge.

Transformers references

• Optimus' near death is an homage to his death inThe Transformers: The Movie,with panels even recreating specific shots from the scene.
• As Optimus unleashes his firepower on Devastator and leaps to kick the combiner in the face, the sound effects of those two panels spell out "AW YEAH" and “YOU KNOW THE SONG,” cueing the reader to hear "The Touch"byStan Bush,the song fromThe Transformers: The Movieused whenever Optimus does something insanely awesome. According to Daniel Warren Johnson, initially he planned on using the actual lyrics to the song, but Hasbro vetoed it because they would have had to get permission from Stan Bush first.^[1]
• This isn’tthe first timeOptimus has asked Soundwave to put their conflict behind him.

Real-world references

• Starscream raises "the horns"with both hands as he watches Devastator stomp across the battlefield.
• Jazz's musical references continue, as he says that Optimus "might be coming up on that final encore..."
• Continuing the pro-wrestling moves from previous issues, Optimus performs amissile dropkickon Devastator's face. The missile dropkick is a favorite move of Kazuchika Okada, who DWJ previously stated to be one of his favorite pro wrestlers.^[2][3]
• Optimus' license plate, as seen when he drives away from Devastator, reads "MF." As amusing as it might be to consider the possibility of a hard swear sneaking its way into aTransformerscomic, this is almost certainly short for "Murder Falcon",continuing the gag of DWJ using license plates to reference his previous work with Skybound.
• This issue ends with a dedication thankingPeter Cullenfor the inspiration for the story from Daniel Warren Johnson.

Errors

• In the fourth panel on page one, Jazz is miscolored as Cliffjumper.
• In the fifth panel on page one, Jazz and Sparky have seemingly teleported to the opposite side of Optimus.
• In the second panel on page sixteen, Devastator has all of his fingers. Optimus had torn one off by that point.
  • Two panels later, the error is seemingly fixed, and Devastator is drawn missing a finger…but it’s the wrong one. Optimus tore off the right ring finger, not the middle.
• * On page twenty, panel five, Scrapper’s helmet is colored green, when it should be black.

Other trivia

• In the physical release, the moment where Optimus tosses Devastator onto Starscream is a vertical double-page spread, requiring the reader to turn the comic in a way that mimics the motion of Optimus’ action, as well as acting as a callback to a similar moment from issue #1 when Optimus and Ratchet transformed for the first time.

Covers

This article needs to grow up a little bit. This comic series, compliation/TPB, feature or continuity article is astuband is missing information. You can helpTransformers Wikibyexpanding it. Note:For single issues or individual stories, use {{issuestub}} What's needed:5/8 covers documented

• Cover A:Sparky stands over a defeated Optimus Prime, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
• Cover B:Optimus lies before Devastator, byAndré Lima AraújoandChris O’Halloran.
• Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):Connecting cover byOrlando Arocena.
• Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):Devastator winds up a massive punch, byEric Canete.
• Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):The Autobots standing their ground inside theArkas seen from Devastator's perspective, byJoe QuinonesandStacey Lee.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Advertisements

• ExtremitySignature Edition byDaniel Warren JohnsonandMike Spiceron Kickstarter
• Explore the Energon Universe inCobra Commander#3,Duke#4,andVoid Rivals#8.
• Daniel Warren Johnson original art and commissions atFelix Comic Art

Reprints

• Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise(May 8,2024)ISBN 1534398171/ISBN 978-1534398177
  • Collects issues #1–6.
  • Trade paperback format.

• Transformers Volume 1: Robots in DisguiseDirect Market Exclusive(May 8,2024)
  • Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

• 

  Volume 1: Robots in Disguise– cover art byDaniel Warren JohnsonandMike Spicer

• 

  Volume 1: Robots in DisguiseDirect Market Exclusive– cover art byJonboy Meyers

External links

References