The Transformers: Requiem for the Wreckers is the last chapter in the Wreckers Saga, released on May 2018, capping the story of the Wreckers following the events of The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers. Original artist and co-writer Nick Roche returns once again, joined by Geoff Senior and Brendan Cahill in art duties, with Josh Burcham and Josh Perez in coloring duties.
In the two years that have passed since Wreckers' final mission, Springer and Verity Carlo have been keeping a low profile, living together in a barn off the grid. Via a Cybertronian communications array left to them by Prowl, they listen in on radio chatter to keep up to date on goings-on out in the world, from the rise of firebrand anti-Cybertronian politician Megan Guiglione, to the shocking news of Kup's recent death. Already struggling to process what Verity has told him about his true origins as a creation of Tarantulas's, Springer is hit hard by the passing of a 'bot who was like a father to him, and decides to seek out the only remaining link to his past, Impactor—last seen joining up with the Cybertronian terrorist organization Mayhem—for a heart-to-heart talk. Before they hit the road to meet Impactor, Verity, concerned by phantom traces of outgoing communications she has found on the array, runs a diagnostic on the machine. While she waits for a handset to synch with it so she can monitor the results remotely while they are away, Springer tells her the story of how he first met Impactor...
Tropes:
- Art Shift: The flashbacks are drawn by Geoff Senior, long time Transformers artist in the Marvel days.
- Attacking Through Yourself: In a Call-Back to Last Stand, Springer, at Impactor's urging, shoots through Impactor while buried under some rubble in order to get a jump on Overlord. Killing Impactor in the process.
- Big Damn Heroes: Carnivac, taking Springer's words to heart and wanting to atone for the death of the rest of Mayhem and betraying Springer and Impactor's trust, shows up just in time to stop Overlord from attacking Springer and Verity with a sonic howl, letting Springer end him once and for all.
- The Cameo: Springer's final message is a page full of these to characters who were either Wreckers themselves in either IDW or previous continuity (Whirl, Broadside, Sandstorm, Ultra Magnus) or have played some role in the Wreckers saga (Arcee, Prowl). The final shot of his recruits likewise has cameos for IDW versions of Transformers from other series, specifically Bulkhead, Strongarm, Breacher from the Bayverse toyline, and Sixknight.
- Continuity Nod: Kup's death in Transformers vs. Visionaries is brought up. With Springer feeling remorseful he never got a chance to talk with Kup about his past.
- End-of-Series Awareness:
- The story ends with Springer leaving a recorded message to all surviving Wreckers informing them that they must let go of the past and work towards a brighter future, of course with his own "Wrecker" spin on it.Springer: Wreck our past. Rule your future. And... be better.
- Having been introduced at the start of IDW's Transformers continuity as a runaway, Verity's journey comes to an end with her reconnecting with her mother.
- The story ends with Springer leaving a recorded message to all surviving Wreckers informing them that they must let go of the past and work towards a brighter future, of course with his own "Wrecker" spin on it.
- Half the Man He Used to Be: Overlord, by having his split alt-form sent to opposite sides of time, one to the early days of the universe and the other to the end of the universe.
- Like a Son to Me: It's obvious that Kup always saw Springer as basically his son.
- Mythology Gag:
- Verity's middle name is revealed to be Simone. An obvious reference to her creator, Simon Furman.
- Megan Guiglione is a reference to Mega and Giga, the husband and wife pilots of the Overlord Transtector from Transformers: Super-God Masterforce
- Parental Substitute: While Tarantulas might have been his creator, Springer saw Kup as his father figure, although he would not realize this until much later.
- Portal Combat: With Overlord "Mode-locked" into his Tank and Jet alt-modes, Springer uses Tarantulas' Time Portal to fling the two parts of Overlord into the far future and distant past.
- Retraux Flashback: The flashback sequences showing Kup and Springer's surrogate father/son relationship are drawn to resemble the art style of the old Marvel comic (specifically the UK version). The art is even done by Marvel UK artist, Geoff Senior.
- Series Continuity Error: One of the potential recruits for the Wreckers that Springer was training was initially meant to be Quickswitch, a nod to Nick Roche's original plan to include him in Sins of the Wreckers. Roche however had been unaware that Quickswitch had been killed off in Transformers vs. Visionaries, which is set before here due to Kup's death, which also occured there, being a Late-Arrival Spoiler. This quickly prompted Roche and Josh Burcham to retcon it into being Sixknight thanks to the two sharing a mold.
- Set Right What Once Went Wrong: Springer opts to use Tarantulas' Time Portal to travel back to before the start of the Great War to try and prevent it, in order to create a world where a group like the Wreckers wouldn't be needed.
- Villain Team-Up: Overlord and Tarantulas.
