Grimlock and the Sorcerer

« Transformers: King Grimlock #4 »
"Grimlock and the Sorcerer"
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	November 24, 2021
Cover date	November 2021
Written by	Steve Orlando
Art by	Agustin Padilla
Colors	Jeremy Colwell and Heather Breckel
Letters by	Jake M. Wood
Editor	David Mariotte, Tom Waltz and Riley Farmer

It's Menonian magic versus Cybertronian might as Grimlock leads his army to depose the Golden One.

Synopsis

In his towering citadel, the Golden One prepares Arko for battle: although she's a powerful warrior and a promising pupil, the Golden One has ulterior motives for bringing her into the fold. Arko might be a faithful follower of the Golden One and Soltron, but as a former worshipper of the Anti-Sun, she must atone for her past sins through sacrifice. As he says this, the evil wizard gestures to a glass crucible, which roils with the living essence of Soltron's lifeblood...

Outisde the Red Wizard's castle, Grimlock, his new Anglorian militia, and the surviving inhabitants of Valerift take stock of their unexpected victory. From the dead Quintesson, the Dinobot warrior extracts a small sample of the planet's natural lifeblood; although he recognizes it as a kind of energon, this substance is nothing like the miracle fuel that powers Cybertron: this planet's energon is somehow alive, and even attempts to devour the Cybertronian as a living, amorphous mass of fluid before he evaporates it with his flame-breath. Something's wrong with this planet's energon, Grimlock concludes; somehow, its very essence is poisonous. As the warriors make camp for the night, Grimlock explains his new plan to village elders Nerea and Arnak: if the magic of Menonia is derived from energon, this means that the Golden One has a weakness. Nerea points out that, while the people of Valerift used up their own magic supplies to bring Grimlock to this world, the citizens of Angloria have stockpiled enough fuel to cast a spell of their own. Grimlock's pleased to hear this: his plan hinges on something that he can't do.

With the sun low in the sky, Grimlock approaches the Golden One's citadel alone, sword in hand. The Golden One and his two minions watch him approach; confident that he cannot be bested so long as Soltron smiles upon him, the wizard thanks Arko for having predicted his arrival; Arko sneers that the Dinobot warrior's newfound attachment to the people of Menonia—his compassion, a quality alien to the ruthless warrior—has dulled his formidable edge. When Grimlock arrives at the castle gates, the Golden One's other servant Clatta is there to meet him, backed by a formidable army of the most fearsome monsters ever to stalk the land. Grimlock has no interest in diplomacy, however; he's only here to depose the Golden One and free Menonia. Not even news that Arko has turned her back on him and joined the Golden One shakes Grimlock's will, nor does the onslaught of orcs, ogres, cyclops, and gargoyles. The creatures have numbers on their side, but Cybertronian steel holds against magical flesh and blood, despite Arko's assurances that the newly-compassionate Dinobot will fall. Indeed, despite the loss of his energo-sword, Grimlock ably holds his own... and buys enough time for his allies to cast a mighty magic spell that triggers a solar eclipse, dampening the Golden One's own magic. The Golden One is taken aback by this trickery, but isn't out of the fight yet—in a burst of golden light, the wizard casts his last and most powerful spell, transforming him into a mighty golden dragon!

Within seconds, the monster lunges on Grimlock, seizes the Dinobot in his talons, and drags him high up into the sky... but Grimlock retaliates by transforming into his own dinosaur form and biting back! The Golden One loses control of his transformation, spirals out of the sky, and crashes into his own castle before reverting to his true form; although he fires a sorcerous blast at Grimlock, the magic spell merely bounces off his metal armor as Grimlock grabs the wizard by the throat. Grimlock snarls that the planet's tainted energon is what finally clued him in to the truth of Menonia—the energon itself is connected to Soltron, and imbibing on the lifeblood of his god has turned the once-benevolent ruler into an avatar of his cruel and capricious god. Grimlock wants the Golden One on his side, to face the true threat... but the wizard sputters that no one can face Soltron and live. When Grimlock throws the Golden One to the ground, two voices began struggling for control of their shared body: while a dark voice whispers that it has ruled Menonia since before the Transformers arrived, the terrified Golden One babbles that he was a mere puppet of Soltron, who compelled him to do terrible things in service of his realm. The struggle is brief; crackling with arcane power, Soltron seizes control of his mortal vessel and rises in to the air, taunting Grimlock all the while for throwing away his warrior spirit to help his pathetic subjects, who could never fight him themselves. A defiant Grimlock roars that he'll fight to his last breath to dethrone this tyrant, and the real Golden One has just enough presence of mind to agree: he once vowed that he'd die to protect his citizens, and now has come the time to live up to that promise.

The magical explosion forcibly separates Soltron from his mortal vessel and returns him to his true form, while the Golden One thanks Grimlock for finally freeing him from servitude before he passes away. From her position in the Golden One's tallest keep, Arko watches the sight play out... but is bewildered and infuriated at the sight of the Golden One thanking Grimlock. So caught up in she in her own self-righteous anger that she doesn't realize what's actually unfolded... and when Soltron begins to speak to her, promising her all the power she's ever craved if it means banishing her private fears. If becoming the avatar of Soltron will finally quiet her fear, then she accepts the offer... and so, as Grimlock watches in horror, Arko is clad in magical armor as Soltron's newest avatar rises!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Energon hungry... everything here... hungry. Want eat me Grimlock. But me Grimlock say... NOT TODAY."

—Grimlock

"Grimlock is burdened by compassion and the cries of my former people. He is desperate to show that hasn't softened him, so he insists on fighting alone."

—Arko

"You-you don't understand... his power helped me save my people... but it-it's gone so wrong, all these years, whispering in my ear, burning in my blood... I am tired of suffering, Lord Grimlock. I am so tired."

—The Golden One

"I will not allow it! Your will has been paste for centuries!"
"I don't need centuries of will, Soltron...
-KRAKA-THOOM- "just... one... last... moment."

—Soltron vs. the Golden One

"To think, I almost feared your arrival... now, look at you. Straw in a hurricane, crumbling at the seams, for these simpering people. I am a force of nature! You truly think you can cleanse me from this world? This body?"
"Me not do the cleansing. Maybe you smash me Grimlock... but me fight with Menonia until nothing but circuits and servos... for you Soltron to choke on."

—Soltron and Grimlock

Notes

Continuity notes

• In issue #1 and #2, Arko spoke of something called the "anti-sun", a divine entity that certain rogue factions in Menonia worshipped. What exactly this is was not clear, but based on the Golden One's reaction to the eclipse it might be an archaic name for the planet's moon.

Real-world references

• As with prior issues, the title references a Conan the Barbarian novel.
• As he besieges the Golden One's castle, Grimlock vows to "do what he [does] best" in reference to Wolverine's infamous motto.
• Among the many monsters guarding the Golden One's castle are what appear to be a pair of orcs from World of Warcraft.
• Grimlock tells the Golden One he should have bitten his head, evocative of Thanos's infamous line from Avengers: Infinity War.

Errors

• Clatta's name is misspelled "Claata" on two separate counts.
• On page nineteen, Grimlock’s Autobot insignia is black instead of red.

Other trivia

• Backmatter for this issue includes another Dungeons & Dragons-style profile sheet for the Golden One, a Lawful Evil "Sorcerer God-King" with 1986 experience points in reference to the date of his debut in "Madman's Paradise".
• Originally solicited for an early November release, this issue was pushed back to the end of the month. Confusingly, the comic saw release in stores first, followed by the digital release one week afterwards.

Covers (3)

• Cover A: Grimlock, vs. the Golden One, by Dave Wilkins
• Cover B: Grimlock in dino mode, by Ilas Kyriazis
• Retailer incentive cover: Grimlock victorious, by James Stokoe

Advertisements

• Chained to the Grave
• Snake-Eyes: Deadgame
• Pop Insider Holiday Gift Guide
• Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah

External links