COUNTDOWN: 10 noteworthy moments from Skybound’s Transformers #11

It feels like only yesterday that we were ploughing through the end of the action-packed first six-issue arc of Skybound’s Transformers series. Yet somehow, here we are on the penultimate chapter of the first year!

As ever, #11 continues the breakneck pace and high stakes from previous parts of the story, as our Autobot heroes are tested like never before! Here are ten noteworthy moments from the book.

WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for Transformers so far!

#10: Arcee vs Elita-1

This panel and the pages surrounding it caught a fair bit of traction online when they were unveiled as previews of #11 a while back, and it’s not hard to understand why. As two of the more well-known female characters in Transformers, it’s surprising to consider how little Arcee and Elita-1 have interacted in the last forty years of stories despite often being present together in the same media. Skybound mixes that up by giving them an established shared past on Cybertron. However, there’s clearly some tension to it all, as the defining image of this section will testify! Elita feels let down by the Autobots who departed Cybertron aboard the Ark in search of new solutions, having been left to defend their homeworld in the millions of years since. Meanwhile, Arcee has spent that time mourning Ultra Magnus, the mentor she believed to be dead, only to now discover he was being hideously tortured the whole time. It’s a revelation which is evidently not sitting well with her, as we will see.

#9: Magnus on the mend

Speaking of Magnus, here we see that he’s under the care of Wheeljack, who is rather swiftly repairing the damaged Autobot’s exterior as best he can. However, the engineer tells Optimus Prime that doing so will drain their current energy reserves, meaning he can fix either Magnus or at least several other Autobots who remain offline. Before the conversation can be finished, Magnus interjects to say that he wants to fight and needs to be part of the resistance against the Decepticons, a proclamation that clearly weighs on the Autobot leader. Prime is not one to take such decisions lightly, and even from the context of this scene, it’s evident that he has doubts about the best way forward – doubts which may be founded come the issue’s end.

#8: Decepticon dissent

Meanwhile, in the Decepticon camp, we get a brief interlude of Shockwave preparing for an imminent Autobot attack now that their plan to drain Earth of energy has begun, harshly ordering the Combaticons around in the process. We also see another attempt by Soundwave to appeal to his colleague regarding Ravage’s fate, only to be rebuffed yet again. Events are certainly coming to a head on the bad guy team, as plenty of personality clashes and resentment remain boiling under the surface of the operation, and with Shockwave seemingly making way more enemies than friends during every passing issue, one wonders exactly how long it’ll be before a fairly sizeable comeuppance is on the horizon. Remember what became of Starscream, after all.

#7: Optimus vs Elita (again!)

We’ve already mentioned Elita-1’s anger at Optimus and his crew for leaving Cybertron; no surprise, it boils over again as the Autobots prepare for their next steps in battle. Prime’s focus is on rescuing his captured soldiers, whereas Elita accuses him of abandoning the wider war effort back on their homeworld. The real tragedy here is that they both have their point of view, although naturally, as readers, we can’t help but want them to retrieve Jazz and Cliffjumper! Still, the tension with Elita isn’t going away, and it’ll be intriguing to see how this develops towards the end of the current story arc and beyond.

#6: Teleporting into action

In any case, an assault on the Decepticon base is decided on, although Prime has something a little more subtle than a frontal attack in mind. As Skywarp is still intertwined with the Autobot’s computer, Teletraan I, it’s been left to Wheeljack to try and win him over as best as possible. We saw the first hints of progress in that department back in #8, but now it appears the former flyboy has finally acquiesced, proving ‘able and willing’ to aid the Autobots by using his teleportation abilities to allow them to travel undetected. It’s a fascinating development in this story, which is sure to prove advantageous to the good guys, assuming they can keep what’s left of Skywarp’s mind on board with their plans. Thus, our heroes head off to save their captured comrades, reassuring Carly in the process.

#5: Beachcomber & Spike

Throughout #11, we also see various cuts to the ongoing partnership of Beachcomber and Spike. The Autobot tries to convince his human ally that the only solution to Shockwave’s heinous attack on Earth is to flee to another quiet part of the world, allowing them to abstain from more violence. As they prepare to head off, they’re confronted with the sight of a deer, which immediately prompts Spike to recall Optimus Prime’s reaction to accidentally killing one of the species back in #2. It’s enough to jolt him into a more decisive frame of mind, as he realises that even though they may not want to fight, running away won’t do any good either. I have to say, I adored this beat, as the deer scene from the second chapter continues to be one of, if not the most defining moment of the book so far, providing so much important contact for both us as readers and the characters contained within the story. A terrific callback.

#4: Interrupting Shockwave

Meanwhile, the Autobot’s raid on the Nemesis gets off to a good start. Given he’s currently embroiled in a plot to teleport Cybertron to Earth to raid the organic planet of its natural resources, you might expect Shockwave had quite a lot going on. Yet it seems he’s far too distracted by torturing Jazz and Cliffjumper to even notice Optimus’ troops sneak up behind him and put a gun to the back of his head. It’s a welcome relief for their captured comrades, as it seems things were about to get very nasty indeed, although sadly that respite is short-lived…

#3: Arcee’s anger

Yes, Arcee’s anger at Ultra Magnus’ fate takes over, and she breaks formation to shove Shockwave against a wall before threatening him with her rifle. Prime tells her to stand down for fear of giving in to her darker temperament and resorting to overly violent means. Unfortunately for them, the Decepticon uses this distraction to his advantage by attacking from behind and then grabbing Cliffjumper as a hostage. It’s a frustrating scene, considering the Autobots almost had the upper hand, and it is sure to have dire consequences, given what follows.

#2: Devastator!

As Shockwave makes a break for it with the Autobots in hot pursuit, they encounter the Constructicons. It’s not long before the order is given and the green team is quickly merging into the awesome sight of Devastator! The physics here are a little confusing, given how impossibly massive the resulting combined mode is versus the individual members, but hey, that’s not exactly anything new in Transformers! Besides, it’s a breathtaking panel, made all the better for how sparingly this book has used the Decepticon giant so far, leaving him to feel like a genuine thrill whenever he appears on the page! Still, despite the overwhelming odds, the Autobots don’t seem too phased, as Prime announces they have some unexpected backup…

#1: A broken bot

When we were talking about the last few Skybound issues in our most recent Triple Takeover chat on the topic, we wondered if Ultra Magnus’ return and ongoing repair were leading to an awesome heroic splash panel of him making a triumphant sudden stand in the midst of battle, and we were absolutely not disappointed with the result here! He looks fantastic, and this is everything fans of the powerful Autobot will have been hoping for since we discovered his identity last chapter. However, there’s a twist, as the mere sight of Shockwave in the following panel is enough to reduce the mighty Autobot warrior to a nervous wreck, leaving him to drop his weapon, transform to vehicle mode and flee the scene as quickly as possible! It’s a shocking moment, although one which does make sense considering the countless years Magnus spent being tortured at the hands of the Decepticon. It leaves us here with Shockwave gloating as the bad guys circle the Autobots for the kill… what a cliffhanger!

So that’s our list! Did you enjoy #11?

TTFN