COUNTDOWN: 10 questions left for Skybound’s Transformers

Can you believe Skybound’s Transformers series is approaching two years old?

It seems like only yesterday that the first action-packed issue debuted, but with #24 soon on the horizon, we’re set to reach another significant milestone for the book. You see, it will also mark the end of Daniel Warren Johnson’s tenure as writer (something he first revealed on the Triple Takeover podcast, by the way!), as the new team of Robert Kirkman and artist Dan Mora take up the mantle come #25.

With only two chapters left before then, it means there are still lots of story beats to be resolved in one form or another. Whilst we don’t expect everything to be wrapped up neatly with a bow on it come the end of Johnson’s run, there are some key plot points that we’re fully expecting to be acknowledged over the following two issues as he finishes up his plans. So here they are today!

#10: Who will replace Slingshot?

The Aerialbots made their debut in #20 before first appearing as Superion during a heroic moment just an issue later. Thus, it was a huge surprise (though entirely on brand for this book!) to see the plane-themed Big Man taken down hard by Megatron, with a single shot enough to rip off his arm and slaughter Slingshot in the process! We’ve only briefly checked in with the team and their grief in the chapter since, but online chatter has already turned to speculation on who could become a new Aerialbot and thus a replacement left arm for Superion. Many have been keen to point out that the 2015 Combiner Wars toy of the character didn’t feature Slingshot at all, instead opting for a helicopter named Alpha Bravo, but with no sign of such a character in the book yet, it’s anyone’s guess how this will play out. It could even be that Superion remains handicapped for the foreseeable future, at least beyond the end of DWJ’s run.

#9: What is happening with the Matrix?

There have been funky Matrix goings on since way back in #7, following Sparkplug’s sacrifice to re-energise it in the chapter prior. Optimus Prime has experienced all kinds of disturbing visions, and whilst we know at least some of that is linked to the infection caused by him possessing Megatron’s arm, there’s clearly more at play here besides. That came to a head in #22 when Spike prepared to follow in his dad’s footsteps and enter the Matrix himself before Prime lurched to stop him, thrusting them both into a strange trance in the process. Quite what is going on here and how it all ties together is up for grabs at this point, but we’d expect it to be a significant part of whatever the last two chapters in DWJ’s run have in store for us!

#8: Where is the Hall of the Primes?

Likewise, Prime’s vision (or is it more than that?) of the so-called Hall of the Primes is presumably going to play into the ongoing story in a big way, potentially expanding the mythos of the Skybound Transformers universe in the process. Optimus had mentioned in #20 that he was unable to communicate with past Primes via the Matrix, but could Spike’s involvement have somehow unlocked that ability? Thus far, we’ve only been treated to a brief glimpse of what might lie in store. Still, those are clearly fairly faithful renditions of Prima Prime, Alchemist Prime, Solus Prime and Quintus Prime, and Optimus himself having yellow eyes in this scene is even more intriguing. What does it all mean, and how might it shape the canon of the book? No doubt there’ll be at least some answers in #23.

#7: Who is the voice from above?

#19 was a flashback story, filling in some of Megatron’s backstory before the war on Cybertron as we see him pitted through endless trials by the Quintessons. Eventually, he is granted the gift of a new gun mode and the ability to mind control those who wield him, with the plan to position him as an opposing force to the Prime on his homeworld. However, all of this is being done at the behest of an unseen antagonist, whose only presence in the story is through very brief snippets of speech. As it stands, we still have zero clue who this is meant to be, nor why they would want Megatron to rise up and conquer Cybertron, and with only two issues to go of DWJ’s run, one has to wonder if there’s time for such a sizeable revelation left! Given that the Quintessons have been known to be agents of Unicron in past continuities, there’s been some speculation online that the Chaos Bringer could be the looming voice from above. Personally, I’m wondering if it might be one of the 13 Primes, potentially Megatronus (aka “The Fallen”) or even the Liege Maximo (in a moment to rival his tease at the very tail end of the Marvel Generation 2 comic, perhaps!), as that would play into whatever is happening with the Hall of the Primes seen above from #22. Still, there’s no way to know at this point.

#6: Will we see the ancients again?

OK, this one might be a bit leftfield, but it surely cannot be complete happenstance that DWJ has peppered in nods to Omega Supreme twice throughout his run, right? The first was back in #13 during a flashback to Cybertron’s past at the beginnings of the war, as Starscream, Jetfire, and Genvo were all thrilled to watch the titan’s passing. More recently, in #20, we discovered that the ‘beacon of the Ancient’ is located on the chunk of Cybertron which was severed and fell to Earth in #12, as Megatron mentions how the massive guardians abandoned their planet on the eve of the war. It’s not much to go on, but with this beacon now confirmed to be located on Earth, could it be the gigantic warrior might put in a surprise appearance somehow?

#5: How will Shreadhead fare on Earth?

Shreadhead was first introduced at the very end of #17, formed out of the remnants of Cliffjumper’s deceased clan of Autobots. However, despite proving to be pretty handy in a scrap over the five chapters since, they haven’t really been given a chance to do all that much, which makes their rather sudden journey to Earth in #22 all the more intriguing. Cliffjumper surely intends for them to be Carly’s protector, but how will this unfamiliar presence gel with the Earthbound Autobots, and can they prove to be a significant asset in the fight against Megatron? We don’t have much to go on currently, but it would be strange for DWJ to create a whole new character, transport them to the heart of the action and then not do anything with them, so we’d expect they’ll have a sizeable role to play yet.

#4: Where is the Ark?

Believe it or not, it was back in #17 when Thundercracker snuck on board the Ark to rescue his lobotomised buddy Skywarp. Somehow, he’s been chilling out in there for five subsequent issues now, until finally, in #22, we saw him take action by using his comrade’s teleportation ability to move the entire spaceship at arguably the worst possible moment for the Autobots! Where did they go? Will the good guys regain possession of their base? And just what is Thundercracker up to? We currently have no idea, but we doubt that will remain the case for too long.

#3: What is happening with Jetfire?

Jetfire hasn’t had the happiest time of it in Skybound’s storyline. He was the first character to be killed, meeting an untimely end at the hands of a would-be friend in the opening issue. We later saw him partially resurrected as a non-transforming husk in #8 (one of the series’ most solemn moments), before then being shot down and seemingly abandoned just one chapter later! It’s taken until #20 for him to be rescued again, perhaps because the Autobots needed to resurrect Silverbolt first to complete the task. His current status is unknown, given he was presumably aboard the Ark being repaired before it disappeared, so we will have to wait and see if happier times are ahead for him. He might even make a handy new limb for Superion. Stranger things have been known!

#2: Will Megatron retain his special abilities?

It’s already clear that Megatron will be one of the key players in whatever storyline remains during DWJ’s tenure, but the big question is what the status quo might be come the end of #24. Assuming Megatron survives, one cannot help but wonder if he could be severely nerfed somehow. Currently, he can mind control anyone who wields his gun mode and also has technology allowing him to heal both himself and others, which makes for a fairly unrealistic power set for a continued presence in the book. If the Autobots have a hope of evening the odds, it makes sense for Megatron to either be taken off the board come the end of this arc, or to be brought down to size somehow through the loss of some of his power.

#1: Who will make it out alive?

Really, though, the big question on all our minds is who will be left standing come the end of the current storyline? Many have speculated that Optimus could be a prime candidate for meeting his end, but to us, it seems unlikely given we’ve seen it almost happen as recently as the current issue. In truth, the #25 preview does provide at least some reassurance as to which characters might survive, but beyond that, any of the current cast could be offed in all manner of unspeakable ways as DWJ attempts to up the stakes one last time!

So that’s our list! Are there any other outstanding questions?

TTFN