Released: October 31, 2012
Cybertron, several million years ago. A big built 'bot (Roller) is watching TV, listening to Proteus repeating his infamous promise to grant the Decepticons political status if ten thousand of them sign up within the next forty-eight hours, as well as criticisms of functionism. However, the news is interrupted by a report about a chase at Translucentia Heights.
Speaking of which, Chromedome chases an assailant from the crime scene, only to get fired upon for his troubles. However, the person he's chasing makes a fatal mistake, apparently not knowing about the nature of glass at Translucentia. For a start, it's very tough, and when you're going fast enough, pretty near invisible. The poor sod crashes into an ironic billboard, and so Chromedome returns to the crime scene, where Prowl shows his customary warmth and concern, telling Chromedome not to touch anything, before realising 'Dome "clearly" let the perp get away. Chromedome's explanation is enough to get Prowl to apologise. At that point the local warden, Red Alert, appears. Apparently their guest, one Senator Momus, was a friend of Sherma's, and he often met with manual labourers. Red Alert reveals that he was apparently murdered by Decepticons, having found a hidden symbol and a copy of their manifesto. Prowl isn't listening, extrapolating the crime scene, and he's come to a conclusion: Momus was attacked by more than one person. At this, a second 'bot makes his presence known by opening fire.
In the present day, Ultra Magnus returns to the Lost Light, and Perceptor's lab, where Cyclonus is presently being held on suspicion of decapitating Red Alert, who on the plus side can be saved. Magnus asks about Cyclonus, whose rights haven't been read, or even charged with anything. But he's practically a Decepticon, so he's the prime suspect. Drift's attempts at getting a confession don't work, forcing Magnus to intervene. Cyclonus does at least know why he's been brought in, and while he found Red Alert a terrible security officer, he did like him, unlike most of his shipmates. If he'd wanted Red dead, he'd be dead. Then First Aid calls in, having figured out who's responsible for Red's condition.
In the past, Prowl freezes up. He's never been in a fight. Fortunately, that's when Orion Pax arrives by dramatically leaping on the attacker's back. Tailgate is impressed.
Pax forces the attacker to the ground, but by the time Prowl and Chromedome get there, the attacker's spark collapses, and he dies. Pax explains he's visiting on behalf of a friend, and the three cops swap details. Turns out Momus and Sherma weren't murdered by Decepticons, they were murdered for being Decepticons. A concerned Prowl decides to send a report to his superior, but Pax just asserts it'll be "lost" on the Senate's behalf. His report sent, Ratchet examines the corpse, but Pax declares it a case of spark rejection, pretty common with unregulated body transferals, the sort found only at Relinquishment Clinics. A quick call to Roller reveals twenty-six clinics in Iacon alone, but before Pax can go check the nearest one, he gets a call, from Luna-2.
As Rewind explains, back in those days, after the hot spots had cooled, Luna-2 was dedicated to two things: Mines, and Garrus-1. And Whirl wasn't cracking rocks up there. The discussion briefly turns to Megatron, and how Whirl may have been responsible for the whole war with that "attempted murder" thing. Whirl angrily changes the subject back to why he'd called Pax in the first place.
Because Pax had made such a public showing of what Whirl had done, the Senate couldn't just murder him, so they'd bundled him off to the moon to be forgotten. Whirl used his one call to summon Pax, to tell him his senator friend is in danger, thanks to a tip-off from one of his old handlers. Apparently Proteus will "break his promise" and Sentinel will make his move. That and something about a bomb. Of course, Whirl's actions aren't out of civic mindedness, he just wants revenge for his hands. After Pax leaves, Whirl's introduced to his new cellmate, Impactor, who then beat him to the brink of death.
Pax travels back to the JAAT, Ratchet and Roller in tow, to put his friend in protective custody, despite the objections of a younger, less formidable Skids. Elsewhere, Chromedome and Prowl witness a Decepticon protest. It seems they don't trust Proteus, or his promise, which causes the two cops to wonder where everything will head. If the senate keeps trying to clamp down, how long before the Decepticons resort to violence? What if a war breaks out? And would Chromedome stay with Prowl? Rewind interrupts, demand Chromedome skip the pointless filler and get to the clinic.
At said clinic, Prowl learns that Flatfoot, his superior, has gone ahead and revealed the details of Prowl's preliminary report to the press. His ranting is interrupted by a slimy type called Trepan, who claims never to have seen the perps before. Chromedome figures he's lying, and with Trepan tied up the two go exploring. They find a hidden facility underneath the clinic, finding more and more unsettling things. A map with unpleasant directions, protestors being operated one, empties with their heads scooped open, and worst: scientists experimenting on brain modules. They'd found the legendary Institute. Prowl insists it can't be what it looks like, but Chromedome states otherwise. It's a whole type of science that's meant to be forbidden, playing with the mind, called Shadowplay. Prowl determines to press on, and they find information on their two perps, as well as a long list of names categorized by "threat level".
According to Chromedome, after they left with the list they got a call from Pax. At his station at Iacon, everyone meets up, and the Senator looks at the list. He recognizes the names as those of the Decepticons. Everyone debates what it could mean, until Pax realises the truth. The Decepticon Registration Act is a lie, to get the names of the Decepticons so they can round them up and sent them to the Institute, but it's not working. The 'Cons don't trust the Senate. So two Decepticon Senators are murdered, and two cops are sent to investigate. They'll naturally find the Decepticons are innocent victims, and the Senate supports them, meaning registration will skyrocket. But if they show their "true colours" with this bomb Whirl mentioned, then they can all be arrested. Of course, this still leaves the question of where this bomb is, exactly.
And naturally, that's when the news comes on with a report on Nominus Prime's funeral, where it's estimated a million people will gather at the Primal Basilica to mourn, and see the Matrix. That's when it all clicks. The Senate will use a bomb disguised as the Matrix, kill thousands and desecrate a religious site to frame the Decepticons. Pax vows to stop it, but if they can't trust the Senate, or Mechaforensics, who can they trust? Pax declares it's up to them, together, to stop the Senate, by stealing the Matrix!
To Be Continued!
Tropes:
- Always Wanted to Say That: Swerve says as much about "that's a whole other story", along with "Our laser-fire is only making it stronger!".
- Arc Number: Momus' hab suite is number 113.
- Beneath the Mask: Whirl's angry interruption when Ratchet mentions that whole "nearly killed Megatron" thing
- Big Damn Heroes: Orion Pax, jumping on a 'bot from a roof out of nowhere, without any hint he'd been there before.
- Call-Back:
- Ratchet nearly brings up how Whirl trying to beat Megatron to death in a cell is what prompted Megatron's turn to villainy.
- Orion Pax's speech to the Senate gets brought up. It's why Whirl's still alive, since he became too public a figure after what Pax did for the Senate to just have him "removed".
- Call-Forward:
- While talking with Orion Pax, Prowl dryly notes he hopes he never becomes as jaded and cynical as Pax.
- In Whirl's cell, someone's scratched in "Wreck 'n' Rule".
- While talking about whether the protests will get violent, Prowl states he'd just try to leave if it came to that. Back in The Death of Optimus Prime, he turned out to have done just that, only to get stuck on Cybertron instead.
- The Cameo:
- In the present day, Rad, Joyride and Gears can be seen in the Lost Light's shuttle bay.
- The protestor who died all the way back in issue 1 can be seen during Roller's channel-hopping. And he's still protesting.
- Impactor appears as Whirl's (very temporary) cellmate in the flashback.
- Catchphrase: Prowl and "we need a full autopsy".
- Chekhov's Gun: In The Institute basement, Prowl and Chromedome find several Empties have been dragged inside. It's not stated directly, but it's pretty clear it was an Institute worker who was playing Sonic and Boom to round up the homeless last issue.
- Combining Mecha: On an advert in the Relinquishment Clinic, a sign offers money for the bodies of duo-combiners.
- Continuity Nod: Whirl was imprisoned in Garrus-1, as opposed to Garrus-9.
- Cryptic Background Reference: Rewind mentions "hot spots", which used to be common on Luna-2, with no explanation of what they are.
- Death by Irony: Pointed out by Chromedome, when he describes his and Prowl's attacker flying into an ironic billboard, advertising Relinquishment Clinics, and specifically aerial alt-modes.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Prowl and Chromedome's discussing sounds... well, it sounds amazingly like something two lovers would say. Rewind's reaction really doesn't help.
- False Flag Operation: What Proteus' Promise turns out to be. He makes himself look benevolent and kind, and then the Decepticons get blamed for killing Nominus, allowing the Senate to crack down hard on all of them, using the list of names the Decepticon Registration Act gives them.
- Foreshadowing:
- The beginning of the issue has the Academy of Advanced Technology referred to as the J.A.A.T., but this doesn't happen anywhere else in the issue. We find out why this is next issue.
- While setting the final scene of the issue, Rewind mentions an "explosion". And then The Senator and Orion realise that Nominus has been turned into a bomb.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: A small insert panel shows the back of Past!Red Alert's neck when the UV lights go on, and wouldn't you know, there's a square set of puncture wounds there.
- Genre Shift: From crime thriller to political thriller.
- I Don't Like the Sound of That Place: The Institute contains such lovely sounding locales as "Phobia Control", "Destabilization Center" and "Modification Ward".
- Large and in Charge: Roller towers over most 'bots. It makes for pretty good intimidating.
- Meaningful Name: "Trepan" comes from trepanation, drilling holes in the skull. Fitting for a person who's job involves drilling holes in people's heads.
- Mind Rape: The purpose of The Institute.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Impactor's first meeting with Whirl was one of these, which nearly killed the guy. The reason isn't given, but Impactor was friends with Megatron back then.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Ultra Magnus, pointing out that Rodimus cannot just arrest Cyclonus on suspicion of murder without any proof.
- Sherlock Scan: Prowl's ability to analyse several hundred moving objects and their trajectory, something that his original bio stated, but has never seen much use.
- Shout-Out: Momus is the name of the Greek god of music... and the name of a Scottish musician. Given Robert's fondness for music, it's a safe bet his name is a reference to the latter.
