Defiance issue 3

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I see a little silhouetto of a man, scaramouche, scaramouche will you do the fandango?
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	March 11, 2009
Cover date	March 2009
Written by	Chris Mowry
Pencils by	Don Figueroa
Colors by	Josh Perez
Letters by	Chris Mowry
Edits by	Denton J. Tipton & Andy Schmidt
Continuity	Movie continuity

Megatron forges a new path for Cybertron, as fate calls upon Optimus.

Synopsis

In the Capital City of Trypticon, Optimus and Megatron's two security officers, Prowl and Jazz, break into Megatron's quarters. Optimus believes that something happened to Megatron, and that he wanted to look for a clue. When they enter, they notice the mysterious triangle-shaped relic. Optimus is fascinated by it, but is confused, as the artifact wasn't in its newly-pristine condition when Optimus' excavation team found it, to which Optimus believed that Megatron did the restoration himself. But before Optimus can think further, Prowl tells Optimus that Megatron is returning, and so they leave.

Later, Megatron walks in victorious, and is awaiting his next command from his master, the "artifact". The voice tells him to await his return. Megatron asks how he can help, to which the voice tells him to expand his army, and that Cybertron will be his for the taking, while the voice tells him that everything else will be his.

At the Burthov Launch Site, the excavation team test out a booster separation system, which is successful. Ratchet tells Optimus that the team were analyzing the fragments that they found, while Optimus tells him about the artifact's mysterious restoration. The conversation is interrupted by Arcee, who discovered a match with a symbol found on one of the fragments. When Optimus asks which one, Arcee points to his head, which has the same symbol carved on it. Ratchet says that this proves that the Dynasty of Primes does exist, and that Optimus is somehow connected. Optimus wonders: is he a Prime?

Meanwhile, the "artifact" tells Megatron about Optimus being in his quarters during his battle against the aliens. Megatron is furious, believing that Optimus and his group want the same power that the "artifact" promised him. The "artifact" tells Megatron that he'll still get the power, but he must deal with his new enemies, to which Megatron knows how... by death! Megatron orders Prowl to look for Optimus, then gives another set of orders to Starscream.

At the excavation site, Optimus, Ratchet and Arcee are discussing their discoveries. Ratchet believes that "Optimus Prime" has a good ring to it, but Optimus isn't convinced yet, believing that it could mean "records clerk" or something. Arcee couldn't find the construction drones, and asks Optimus about the site. Optimus replies that if it's related to the Prime dynasty, then it could shed light into the history of the AllSpark, but the biggest piece of the puzzle is with Megatron, who doesn't seem to be in a sharing mood. Optimus wonders why it was the only intact one found, and Ratchet expresses his theory that the others were deliberately destroyed. The discussion is halted when Prowl's security team arrives, with orders from Megatron to detain Optimus and the others for treason. Optimus angrily questions this to Prowl, but Bumblebee tells him that they're only following orders. Optimus thinks it's absurd, but comes along nevertheless. Frenzy spies on the group and Megatron gives Starscream his orders; terminate everyone except Optimus.

Optimus realizes that something isn't right; Wreckage told him that there was construction to the main road and that the route was cleared for them. Prowl agrees with Optimus' request to stop. Prowl orders Jazz and Camshaft to check the road, and he and Optimus talk about the sneak-in at Megatron's quarters. The group then gets attacked by Starscream's group. Optimus deduces that the area is unstable due to damaged energy lines, and that it would be a perfect ambush spot. Optimus orders everyone to stay sharp and for Ratchet to help out the injured.

Smokescreen lays out a disruptor cloud to buy some time for everyone to head to Burthov. Optimus ambushes and threatens Starscream, to which he replies that Megatron is the chosen one. Optimus refutes this by saying that he, too, is chosen, and to tell Megatron that he will not control them before punching Starscream unconscious. Optimus lays out some explosive charges, and transforms, after which the explosives go off, bringing the city down on Starscream's group. While driving away, Optimus ponders about how Cybertron will be on the brink of something different, and questions if everything that has happened was either their own doing, or if it was just destiny...

Later, in Trypticon, Megatron tells his fellow warriors that the long-reigning peace has been too long, what with attacks from beyond Cybertron and betrayals. Megatron requests that the brave Cybertronians forge a new path; one based on vengeance, redemption, and defiance. The new faction will crush their enemies both on Cybertron and the stars. Megatron urges the group to join his group; for those that side with him will be known as... the Decepticons! Almost everyone sides with Lord Megatron, while others silently question this...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Optimus, this is proof that the Dynasty of Primes is real! And as hard as it may be to accept you're somehow connected..."
"Connected? You mean I might be... a Prime?"

—Ratchet and Optimus

Notes

Continuity notes

• Character designs are altered from the previous two issues:
  • Starscream's head now resembles his movie head instead of his protoform toy head sculpt.
  • Ratchet's head is also more accurate to the films now, rather than the previous head which was pressumably taken from early movie concept art.
  • Optimus has a lot more red in his robot form which is also sleeker looking, not showing his back kibble from the protoform toy. Optimus's vehicle mode is also considerably different, since he previously transformed into a rather uninspired blob of a "hover vehicle" that resembled a "Protoform Entry Mode" from his Deluxe class Preview toy.
  • Megatron now has the back kibble of his original leader class toy instead of the back design found on his CGI model.
  • A lot of the robots, especially the Autobots, now have a kind of grilled mouth that doesn't appear to move while they speak.
  • Most of the ground vehicle characters are given identifiable Cybertronian vehicle modes.

Transformers references

• When Ratchet opines that "Optimus Prime" had a nice ring to it and Optimus replies that it could just mean "records clerk", this is in reference to Generation 1 Optimus Prime's previous life as the data archivist Optronix in The War Within.
• During Megatron's propaganda rally, there are several Cybertronians who appear to be based upon Generation 1 Dinobots Grimlock, Slag, Swoop and Sludge.

Ooooh, shadow-puppets!

Other trivia

• This marks Don Figueroa's second return to Transformers, as well as debuting his new Cybertronian name signature.
• When Josh Nizzi's Cover A for this issue was previewed on ComicNewsi.com on December 23 2008, the image depicted a blacked-out Megatron in his Revenge of the Fallen body, fitting in with almost all of Nizzi's other IDW covers which used Revenge designs. However, later previews and the final published cover depicts Megatron's original body from the first movie.
• However, when Megatron decrees 'Death!' to the "traitors", Megatron is shown with the sword thing from his Revenge of the Fallen body. Even Optimus is shown wielding two swords, like his Revenge of the Fallen leader class toy.

Covers (2)

• Cover A: Megatron rallying a crowd of Cybertronians; art & colors by Josh Nizzi.
• Cover B: Bohemian Rhapsody-esque Optimus, Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Ironhide; art by Don Figueroa & colors by Josh Perez.

• 

  2001: A Decepticon Odyssey

• 

  Unicron has a Fallen put aside for me, for me, for meeeee!

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