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Guión: | Simon Furman |
| Arte: | Derek Yaniger | |
| Letra: | Richard Starkings con Gaushell | |
| Color: | Sarra Mossoff | |
| 37 páginas |
Resumen:
On board a spaceship in the distant K-Tor star cluster, a mechanoid named Rook reports to Lord Jhiaxus about a recent attack on Outpost B-67. The outpost was destroyed by a band of bloodthirsty robots, who gleefully slaughtered their opponents without mercy. In the end, the planet's populace was saved by these beings, who called themselves "Autobots." Jhiaxus roars in anger at this news; the Autobots are an outdated anachronism, a minor nuisance to his massive Decepticon empire, and he vows to eliminate them once and for all.
Later, on a remote and desolate planet, Optimus Prime, Hot Rod, and Kup are waiting for a rendezvous with Grimlock. Optimus daydreams; he has been haunted lately by apocolyptic visions of an ancient evil, but he wonders if it is a real premonition, or just his own anxiety about the end of the Autobot-Decepticon war (from issue #80 of the original comic series). Though the Autobots are ambushed by a band of mechanoids, they quickly destroy them and meet up with Grimlock.
Grimlock leads them to an abandoned Decepticon city, and explains that the planet used to be a thriving world. Unfortunately, it was colonized by the Decepticons a year ago, who tried -- unsuccessfully -- to terraform it into a replica of Cybertron. Optimus is shocked at this news, and is stunned to learn that at least seventeen other worlds have also been conquered. Before he can figure out how Bludgeon and the Decepticons could have done so much work with their limited resources, the city is destroyed from high orbit by Jhiaxus' flagship.
Meanwhile, on Earth, the antiterrorist team called G.I. Joe has learned that the terrorist group Cobra has allied themselves with the resurrected Decepticon leader, Megatron. Using an amplifier unit, they send a message into space telling the Autobots about Megatron's return.
On board the flagship, the captured Optimus and Grimlock are introduced to Lord Jhiaxus. He explains that he is the leader of a group of Decepticons who left Cybertron eons ago, soon after the crash of the Ark. While the Autobots and Decepticons were waging war on Cybertron, Jhiaxus' group has been building a Decepticon empire for over four million years. Jhiaxus urges the Autobots to join them, as the next-generation Transformers are already united under the Decepticon banner. Optimus rejects Jhiaxus' notions; Jhiaxus dismisses him as a relic, but allows Optimus to decide if the Autobots will join the Cybertronian Empire or be destroyed.
Later in the brig, Optimus broods over the insignificance of the Autobot-Decepticon war. Grimlock sneers at his misery; he reminds Optimus that the Autobots have always fought for the life of others, and argues that the discovery of Jhiaxus' empire merely means more Decepticons who must be taught to value life in all forms. They break out of their cell and free the other Autobots, then fight to the hangar and escape in their shuttle. Though Jhiaxus lets them escape, he has them secretly followed.
On the escaping Autobot shuttle, Optimus worries about the scope of Jhiaxus' empire, and his persistent apocolyptic visions -- as if something even more dangerous than the Decepticons awaits them...
La cubierta estaba impresa con una lamina reflectante, y se abria para mostrar una escena de batalla de dos páginas.
El cómic era más largo que uno normal (unas 22 páginas) pero no tanto como un número doble.
Según el mensaje introductorio de Simon Furman en la columna de cartas, Marie Severin y Yancey Labat realizaron un entintado adicional aunque en los créditos solo apareza Derek Yaniguer como artista.
El nombre de Lord Jhiaxus es una especide de chiste de Simon Furman. Cuando él fue contratado para escribir los cómics de Transformers: Generation 2, se le garantizó que la serie duraría al menos doce números, y que después la serie sólo continuaría si las ventas fueran lo suficiente buenas. Como una corazonada del presunto corto espacio de vida del cómic, Furman nombró al nuevo líder Decepticon como Jhiaxus, una toma fonética de "Gee, axe us (Arre, nos suprimen)".
La alianza de Megatron con Cobra se formó en el número 139 de G.I. Joe. La transmisión de los Joes a los Autobots ocurre en el número 140 de G.I. Joe.
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