Line #26 Awesome/TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise


1	!Robots in Disguise:
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3	* In The Death of Optimus Prime, all the neutrals are having a violent protest, wanting to exile the autobots who reclamed the planet. They begin beating up all the Autobot guards, so Prowl sics the Decepticons on them. Ravage mauls a guy, Needlenose and Blitzwing beat a few [=NAILs=] down, and Horri-bull strangles one.
4	* Arcee is one of the most deadly and powerful Transformers (Evidenced by her taking down the Combaticons in her first outing), and she displays it here, taking on all five Constructicons at once.
5	** Bonecrusher gets one to delivering an OffhandBackhand to her the minute she engages them.
6	* Issue Five has Prowl, Streetwise, and Sideswipe going to arrest the Decepticons for planning something (But also because one of them, Dirge witnessed Prowl's murder of Bombshell). When they order them to surrender, Needlenose and his flamethrower don't want to.
7	** Sideswipe still takes him down though, but not before he bought Swindle and Dirge enough time to escape.
8	* From issue 9:
9	-->"Us...am...were...Aerialbots. Now...Dinobots...you answer to...The Superion.
10	* The end of issue 12, with Prowl blowing Staxx to bits and preparing to attack as the Decepticons and Wheeljack look on in awestruck terror is both awesome and [[NightmareFuel horrifying]] at the same time. On one hand, Prowl's about kick ass which is sweet. On the other hand, Prowl's about to slaughter the Decepticons who are just revolting because of the Autobots treating them like shit and has obviously completely lost it.
11	* The splash page at the end of issue 13 is also pretty awesome. Megatron leads a group of Decepticons, including an unwilling Starscream into Prowl's Black Room to find a "warm reception"; specifically newly upgraded Decepticons Shockwave, Soundwave, Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Laserbeak, Astrotrain, Blitzwing, as well as the still-living Constructicons and Bombshell...and ''Prowl himself'', with his gun to Wheeljack's head. As Starscream can only stare in horror, Megatron proudly proclaims that Cybertron now belongs to him. Minds. Blown.
12	* Ironhide's IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight with "Prowlestator", particularly since it begins with Sludge throwing Ironhide up so he can punch him the behemoth in the face.
13	* Orion out-gambitting Jhiaxus and Bludgeon in issue 19.
14	* Soundwave and his minions taking on Blitzwing and Astrotrain in an EnemyCivilWar moment. Needlenose of all people surprisingly intervenes because they've fought enough.
15	** Later Soundwave chooses to stand up to Shockwave and fight against him, rather than join up with Shockwave's EvilPlan.
16	* When Soundwave is staring down Shockwave and Dreadwing, they point out that he stands alone. Soundwave counters that a Decepticon is never alone, and [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/5591face55eb8665539702ab72d016c2/tumblr_mvaoi4eE9R1rvl528o8_1280.jpg launches his 5 current minions]] all hidden away, onto the two.
17	* Galvatron, still pissed about the mind bomb, ''vaporizes'' General Witwicky on the spot, and blames his death on Prowl.
18	* The end of the Onyx Interface has Blackrock summon his army of Thrust/Ramjet drones in response to a raging battle between [[EvilVersusEvil Devastator and the Decepticons]]. [[RetiredBadass Thundercracker]] realises that if Galvatron sees them he'll attempt to annihilate the human race for committing the Cybertronian equivalent of grave robbing, contacts [[WellIntentionedExtremist Soundwave]] and appeals to his dream of peace, convincing him that Earth can be their home too and that they should save it [[HumansAreBastards in spite of the EDC's actions]]. Soundwave [[CurbStompBattle disables the entire drone army in about two seconds]].
19	* All of season 2 had been building to a conflict between Optimus Prime and Prowl, and, come issue #42 that's precisely what we got. And '''how'''. Prowl's smug refusal to accept responsibility for his actions drives Optimus into a rage, causing him to snap and punch the strategist to the floor. The ensuing fight [[{{Irony}} destroys the cell's table]] and spills out onto the roof outside, the two laying into each other for their perceived failings all the while. Prowl manages to stab Optimus with an aerial, but the Autobot leader recovers enough to leap through a flurry of stabbing motions and bury his forehead in Prowl's. It helps that the art during the sequence is beautiful, easily some of Livio Ramondelli's best.
20	* The 50th issue has one for Aileron, as her quick thinking allows her to destroy the satellites blasting them, then fly through the space bridge and grab Optimus' ship for a very timely rescue.
21	* In Issue #54 Optimus and his crew are on the ropes as they're faced with a full attack by the EDC's army of transforming mechs. Soundwave has surrendered after realising the extent of what he's done to humans in the past, and Optimus won't stoop to killing humans even in self-defence. Then [[TheObiWan Alpha Trion]] encourages Optimus to feel what's different about where they are. He does - and promptly [[SummonBiggerFish summons a hibernating Titan out of the ground]] [[BigDamnHeroes to save them.]] Faced with a two-mile tall Transformer that makes even [[CombiningMecha Devastator]] look tiny, [[MassOhCrap the humans promptly retreat. Very quickly.]]
22	** Even better - thanks to Starscream, Optimus has been tailed by a pair of Cybertronian reporters, who are broadcasting the whole thing live (in an attempt by 'Screamer to discredit Optimus). Seeing Optimus raise a Titan (a holy relic to most Cybertronians) out the ground restores Optimus' flagging popularity amongst Cybertron's population, gets the Council of Worlds to ratify his annexation of Earth and undermines Starscream in one fell swoop. The kicker? There's no indication Optimus is even aware of Starscream's plan. He completely broadsided Starscream ''without even trying to.''
23	* The final fight with Galvatron is this from start to finish:
24	** Cosmos and Arcee trail him and Arcee to Jupiter, exchanging fire ''at the speed of light.'' Cosmos survives a direct hit and, though forced to drop out, destroys Astrotrain's propulsion systems. That's right, the insecure little guy singlehandedly takes out a ''triple changer''.
25	** After Galvatron mercilessly throws the failing Astrotrain to Arcee, the pair engage in hand-to-hand combat. He gets a few of his shots to connect, but she snaps the head of his axe off and reminds him that, while he's sold everyone who served him down the river, she's an Autobot and ''never'' alone. Cue Optimus and Soundwave, freshly arrived in the Skyroller, descending from the clouds!
26	** Galvatron engages the three in direct combat, and unlike practically every other fight we've seen him in, it becomes clear that the group has him on the ropes. To his credit, Galvy wrenches Optimus' faceplate off and for a moment it looks like he's about to overpower the Autobot leader. But then Arcee swoops in and destroys his cannon, causing it to explode and ''blow most of the right side of his body off''.
27	** Finally forced into submission, Galvatron laughs off Soundwave's entreaties for peace and arrogantly claims that they need his help against Onyx and the other Primes. Optimus isn't having any of it and counters that Galvatron is and always will be an immoral, sociopathic conqueror, and that any good he could offer would just as swiftly be outweighed by the damage he would cause later on. Galvatron asks Optimus if he considers himself truly different, and, taking back his faceplate, Optimus answers in the affirmative. As a purely selfish being, he reasons, Galvatron could never look beyond his own barbaric worldview... while Optimus, despite believing wholeheartedly in justice and redemption, is more than willing to shelve his own standards in pursuit of the greater good. He raises his cannon and Galvatron, realizing what's about to happen, betrays his own pride and begs like a coward for his life, only for Optimus to discharge his weapon point-blank into Galvatron's exposed chest, finishing the job he'd started all those years ago on Gorlam Prime. Optimus then reaches out and plucks Galvatron's head off as his destroyed body falls to join Astrotrain in the depths of the gas giant.
28	** This fight's conclusion is also awesome for serving as a look at the way IDW's Optimus Prime now does business. Instead of winning the day simply by way of his own ruthlessness, Optimus makes allies out of his enemies (e.g. Soundwave) and strives for mercy and understanding. At the same time, he's smart enough to know that his opponents will not always be so noble or willing to change, and is quick to finish Galvatron like the hateful old fossil he is. And this resolve '''terrifies Galvatron'''.
29	** Hell, just the fact that Galvatron goes out the way he does is viciously satisfying. There's no glory to be had, no triumphant last stand. Just a quick beatdown and execution as he sells out even his own warrior's bravery and dies begging like a punk.
30	** Then there's the aftermath, in which Optimus just dumps Galvatron's severed head on the White House lawn in front of a gobsmacked President, and announces that the Titan (now transformed into city-mode) will be the Autobot embassy on Earth, and that any and all diplomatic relations will go through him.
31	* It's more subtle than the other moments on this page, but, really, Starscream gets a lot of awesomeness in this series if you stop and think about it.
32	** Let's start with the most obvious one: he actually manages to make himself leader of the reunited Cybertronians. Non-Aligned Indigenous Lifeforms and even members of both the Decepticons and the '''Autobots''' were willing to cast aside Megatron and Optimus Prime to follow Starscream instead. And, for all his faults, he actually is managing to hold the planet together after millions of years worth of civil war.
33	*** Building on that awesome; the key to his success? Realizing that most Cybertronians by this point were ''sick'' of both Megatron's fear-fueled tyranny ''and'' Optimus' emotionally manipulating "ForTheGreaterGood" theatrics and just wanted their own voice. So, he got democracy back for them. And then he used his natural charisma to manipulate them into electing him, despite his reputation as a traitor.
34	*** Bonus points for actually having the sanity to step back, look at the Great War, and think "millions of years of endless battle have cost us almost everything; if we're going to survive, we '''need''' to make peace". And then try to put it into practice.
35	** In issue #20, he actually has the ball-bearings to call out Megatron, ''to his face'', about how he was at least as bad a leader as the corrupt Primes he had originally tried to fight against. Though to be fair, Megatron ''IS'' in stasis-lock at the time.
36	** When the Necrotitan is unleashed and fires a blast at Iacon, you'd expect TheStarscream to flee, right? ''Wrong!'' Instead, he gives everything he has to ''outrun the energy blast'', and then [[TakingTheBullet hurls himself in front of it]] like a [[HumanShield Cybertronian shield]], trying to protect the denizens of Iacon whilst calling for them to flee. It doesn't work, but, damn, give him credit for trying!
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38	!Optimus Prime
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40	* Without exaggeration, the reveal that (huge spoilers) "Onyx Prime" is in fact ''Shockwave'', shunted twelve million years into the past, and that he's taken the opportunity to facilitate ''almost the entirety of established Cybertronian history'' may be one of the single greatest twists in any Transformers story. Ever. Just about ''every single detail'' we've been fed over the past six years is simultaneously HijackedByGanon in the awesomest way imaginable.
41	* From issue 21:
42	** Victorion and Devastator have been fighting, with Devastator completely [[NoSell No Selling]] Victorion's gravity powers. Then, in this issue, it turns out that's because one of Shockwave's Ores is messing with Vicy's powers. Then Arcee takes the Ore out, at which point Victorion completely ''obliterates'' Devastator.
43	** Before that, Arcee's been taken prisoner by the Liege Maximo. And then she busts out effortlessly and slices him up.
44	** Aileron gets her own awesome moment - having previously shown irritation at everyone's love of the HeroicSacrifice, she flies in and rescues Arcee from certain death.
45	** Pyra Magna gets a chance to kill Shockwave, and thinks that this is normally where Optimus and Bumblebee would be telling her to spare him. ''Nope''. After everything he's done, even Bumblebee thinks it's a better idea to kill the frakker. Not that she does, but still.

Context Awesome / TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise