COUNTDOWN: 10 noteworthy moments from Skybound’s Transformers #16

After the last chapter’s return to normality, #16 picks up with an all-out Decepticon war, and our Autobot heroes are caught in the middle! As ever, there’s plenty going on, so let’s dive in and see what it’s all about.

WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS ahead!

#10: Back on Cybertron

This issue begins on Cybertron as we continue Cliffjumper’s exploits upon meeting with Bluestreak and Elita-1. After hearing some of his backstory in previous chapters, including how Starscream murdered his entire clan, we now visit the scene of this awful event, which evidently still lies in ruins after being bombed. However, it’s not long before Cliff locates something important, as he has evidently saved some remnants of his former friends in a spark canister and hidden it from view. He states his intent to ‘make something new’, which promises to be quite intriguing as this story develops…

#9: Decepticons vs Decepticons

We head back to Earth shortly after the Combaticons have merged into Bruticus, as the Constructicons follow suit and form Devastator. What follows is some of the most awesome, no-holds-barred, rock-’em-sock-’em-robot action this comic has delivered in a while, and that’s saying something, as two teams of bad guys go toe-to-toe across multiple gorgeous pages! Of particular note is the epic splash page above, which conveys the incredible sight of the behemoths going at it while still keeping the smaller characters in view below. That’s to say nothing of the moment Astrotrain comes pelting into action in train mode to take out Soundwave, complete with a ginormous CHOO CHOO sound effect. Transformers is often at its best when it embraces the carnage but does so with a knowing smile and a bit of humour, and this issue captures that perfectly.

#8: Revelations

As the action continues, we sneak in a few important character beats as the long-running thread of Thundercracker searching for the truth about Skywarp’s grisly fate comes to a head. Starscream lets slip the revelation that it was he and Soundwave who ripped apart the Seeker at the most opportune moment, the repercussions of which will surely be felt for a while to come. Still, Thundercracker manages to get the upper hand by using his former friend’s remote control to steer him off a cliff; we’re not sure how he knew to do that, but the moment is fun nonetheless!

#7: Astrotrain’s love

We cut to more of Soundwave taking on Astrotrain as the giant brute also drops a revelation of his own: the reason he is so intent on going up against Megatron is because the Decepticon leader ‘ended his love’. This moment has already caused plenty of commentary online, with many fans speculating just who (or what?) the triple changer’s ‘love’ might be a reference to. Some are perhaps inevitably wondering if this is Blitzwing (ironically, despite six modes between them, I never imagined them turning into a ship), but really, there’s no strong indication here if that’s the case or if it’s someone else entirely. Time will tell, but it’s intriguing nonetheless!

#6: Thundercracker’s departure

It’s not long before Thundercracker’s new knowledge sees him depart from Soundwave’s brigade, and in dramatic fashion at a critical moment, too, as the current Decepticon commander could certainly have done with his assistance! Again, we’ve been building to such a turn of events for a while now, and it will be fascinating to see how it continues beyond this point. It seems unlikely the Seeker would throw his lot in with Starscream, so given his growing uncertainty about the Decepticon cause, might we see him eventually forming an alliance with the Autobots? Either way, consider us hooked.

#5: Prime visions

The action continues with Optimus Prime pleading for the Decepticons to stand down, lest the dam be destroyed and the humans nearby endangered. However, when Starscream protests, it causes a frustrated Prime to start experiencing more of the same horrific visions as before, with an exaggerated take on his Megatron arm reaching out to a small child. In his distracted state, Optimus fires on the dam himself, causing it to crack and a flood of water to come thundering through. Whatever is happening with the Autobot leader currently, it seems the problem is getting far worse, and one suspects it won’t be much longer until we learn more about the situation!

#4: Trailbreaker to the rescue

As the oncoming flood waters threaten the lives of several children nearby, we cut to a last-minute save and the unexpected arrival of Trailbreaker! Though we briefly saw an attempt to resurrect the Autobot in the last issue, this is the first confirmation we’ve had that the process was successful, and boy, does he know how to make an entrance! However, the jubilation is short-lived, as Devastator and Bruticus continue their battle, and Optimus is left despondent about the chaos that ensues.

#3: The well of sparks

We cut back to Cybertron again as Cliffjumper continues discussing his plan to create a new life out of the remnants of his friends. We see the poor state of the Autobot resistance HQ and how few troops have survived the Decepticon occupation of their homeworld as Elita-1 laments how they may be all that’s left. It’s certainly a dire situation, although the crew discusses the significance creating a new Autobot could bring to the war effort if they were able to take control of the Well of Sparks and complete the process. Cliffjumper also states that he wouldn’t want to simply return the new warrior to Optimus on Earth but would take them “to Carly”, which surely gives a bit of a clue as to his upcoming plans… whatever the case, this storyline promises to be an intriguing one, with a brand new Skybound-created charaacter teased in the solicit for next issue.

#2: The hunt for Magnus

Speaking of Carly, we then glimpse her ongoing mission to find Ultra Magnus alongside Spike, Arcee and Beachcomber as they pack up and roll off into the sunset to find the tortured Autobot warrior. It’s a simple moment but contains one of the most breathtaking panels of the whole book, with Jorge Corona’s art and Sarah Stern’s gorgeous colours working overtime and proving a real visual treat. Stunning.

#1: Megatron!

Finally, we go to what may be the best cliffhanger moment of this comic so far, as Laserbeak flies over an unknown desert location before locating a shadowy figure hiding inside a cave… Megatron! The Decepticon leader looks expectedly worse for wear but soon grabs his avian accomplice and hooks up his own optical sensors to see properly again before insisting his minion guide him back to his other warriors. It’s a chilling moment which says everything about the ruthless nature of the character, who here makes his first proper appearance in the present of this book after only appearing in flashbacks (or in other titles). One thing is for sure, with Megatron back in business, the story will never be the same again!

So that’s our list! Did you enjoy #16?

TTFN