COUNTDOWN: 10 noteworthy moments from Skybound’s Transformers #17

17 of Skybound’s Transformers series picks up plenty of ongoing threads from previous chapters and doesn’t let up the action for a single second! With plenty to look at, let’s dive right in and see what’s going on.

WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS ahead!

#10: Thundercracker & Skywarp reunited

One of the longest-running threads of the series has been Thundercracker’s uncertainty of the Decepticon cause and his mistaken belief that it was the Autobots who cannibalised his brother-in-arms Skywarp for spare parts to fix Teletraan I, which has been ongoing since he first came back online in #5! The real culprits, Starscream and Soundwave, were only too happy to perpetuate that idea as long as it suited them. However, with the former having broken ties to form his own rival bands of bad guys, he finally saw fit to fill in his blue brethren in the last chapter, and thus, it’s not long before we see Thundercracker returning to the Ark to attempt a rescue. However, it turns out that it’s not as simple as ripping Skywarp out of the supercomputer, as in his own words, “removal means death“. His friend vows to find another way to save him, and it will be intriguing to see just how this plays out and what further ramifications for the ongoing Decepticon civil war it will have. Equally, we’ve seen some evidence of Skywarp playing nice with the Autobots during his newfound situation, so it remains to be seen if he will be a changed robot should Thundercracker succeed! Stranger things have happened.

#9: Beachcomber’s flashback

We quickly move to catch up with Beachcomber, Arcee, Spike and Carly as they continue their search for the missing Ultra Magnus from last time. Arcee thanks Beachcomber for coming along on the journey but asks how he decided not to fight in the ongoing war with the Decepticons. The peaceful Autobot again recalls the events leading up to the Ark crash landing on Earth, saying it was when he could see the stars stretching across space through the damaged vessel’s hull that the meaningless nature of their conflict came into perspective and he resolutely decided to put down arms for good. It’s another intriguing insight about this character, especially in contrast with Arcee, who has previously struggled regarding her place in the war. Of course, none of this explains how Spike is walking so freely again (much less surfing!), given his rather dire medical prognosis back in #9. Still, perhaps this will be touched on further down the line!

#8: Magnus found… and lost

It’s not long before the crew stumble across Ultra Magnus after all. However, he mistakes them for would-be aggressors and begins firing on them immediately. Fortunately, Arcee rescues Spike and Carly from nearly drowning, and they manage to alert Magnus to their presence, causing him to stand down and apologise. At this point, we see the massive Autobot has built himself a makeshift fortress out of wood, complete with spears to ward off potential enemies. Clearly, the trauma he suffered at the hands of Shockwave for countless years is still causing him a great deal of stress and anxiety, as this broken figure is a far cry from the classic warrior we’re often presented with in Transformers media.

#7: Elita’s lament

Back on Cybertron, Cliffjumper continues working with the Autobot resistance to prepare to use the leftover sparks of his old clan to create a new comrade. This leads to a conversation between him and Elita-1 about the nature of the ongoing conflict and how Elita sees a spark of hope in her comrade that she has not felt for many years. It seems she is still angry at Optimus Prime for having left their homeworld, although Cliff is quick to defend his commander and even Bluestreak jumps to make the positive point that Prime was instrumental in turning the tide against the Decepticons in just a brief return. It seems the animosity is far from done with, however, and one suspects this plot point will return further down the line when Elita and Optimus next meet.

#6: Autobots assembled

The discussion is put on hold for now as the Autobot strike team assembles ready to undertake Cliffjumper’s plan. Of particular note here is the Protectobot Blades, who is recruited to perform an as-yet unspecified aerial mission, and again shows that writer Daniel Warren Johnson is having great fun picking and choosing different characters from the large cast available, all without too much worry as to traditional affiliations or subgroups. It’s a refreshing approach that recalls latter-day classic Marvel Transformers comics in many ways, meaning you never really know who will show up next!

#5: The mission

It’s not long before the mission is underway, and the Autobots strike on the Hall of Sparks, which is being guarded by the Decepticons Thrust and Ratbat. Both appearances are intriguing in different ways: Ratbat is notable for being a fully cognisant, speaking character akin to his classic Marvel depiction (as opposed to his brief appearance in the 1980s Transformers cartoon, where he was a non-verbal robot, similar to Soundwave’s other animalistic cassette brood); as for Thrust, he looks the spitting image of his animation portrayal, all the way down to his signature modified VTOL F-15 Eagle alternate form, which is a strange sight considering the Cybertron-set sequence he’s taking part in here. Still, far be it for me to quibble too much, considering the scene itself is fantastic, with action chops aplenty, all culminating in Elita’s impressive takedown of the two Cons in one fell swoop!

#4: The Well of Sparks

Having defeated the Decepticons, Cliffjumper and Elita make their way to the central chamber containing the Well of Sparks. It appears to be a gigantic curved machine with lots of spirally mumbo jumbo emanating from the top, and it instantly detects Cliff’s presence and begins pulsating before saying it needs sparks for a ‘creation event’. The Autobot loads the remains of his clan and prepares to push the activation button… but what will it create? It won’t be long before we find out!

#3: The destruction of Seattle

Meanwhile, we catch up with the ongoing Decepticon civil war mayhem as the fight between Bruticus and Devastator continues, spilling into central Seattle as they go! It’s quite the sight to watch these massive combiners trashing familiar landmarks such as the Space Needle (the view from Frasier Crane’s apartment won’t be the same any more!), However, just as notable is the trash talk thrown back and forth by their respective leaders, as it’s only thanks to a random panel change that Starscream is prevented from calling out Soundwave for being a very rude word indeed. Meanwhile, it’s clear that there will be human casualties aplenty in all the carnage, but fortunately, our Autobot heroes are on hand to help…

#2: Autobots to the rescue!

Speaking of which, we’re then treated to several pages of the good guys doing what they do best by leaping into action to save, in Optimus’ own words, “as many of the humans as (they) can!” These scenes are notable for several reasons. Firstly, we’re well past the point of the Cybertronians remaining anonymous or incognito on Earth, as surely the wholescale destruction of a major American city will be enough to alert global media to their presence. Secondly, it’s great to see the Autobots actively protecting human beings here, an element often skipped over or lost entirely in some modern Transformers stories. Prime’s crew know they can’t save everyone, but seeing them rushing into the fray in an effort to do what they can is rewarding nonetheless.

#1: Shredhead!

The issue ends with Cliffjumper’s plan coming to fruition, as the remnants of his old clan are merged to form a new single sentience. Thrown into the mix is Carly’s destroyed van, which we saw being transported to Cybertron back in #12. The result is a highly stylised and quite idiosyncratic robot who could only have been the brainchild of someone like Daniel Warren Johnson! Needless to say, it looks awesome and fulfils the promise laid down by the regular appearances of the van ever since the first issue of this series. As the new character emerges from the Well of Sparks, Cliff asks them who they now identify as, and the robot confirms their name: Shreadhead! It’s a new one on Transformers in so many ways, but it will be fascinating to see where the potential for this character takes us next!

So that’s our list! Did you enjoy #17?

TTFN