Transformers (2023) issue 10

« Transformers #10 »
"Let's go on an awesome adventure!"
Publisher	Image Comics Skybound Entertainment
First published	July 10, 2024
Cover date	July 2024
Written by	Daniel Warren Johnson
Art by	Jorge Corona
Colors by	Mike Spicer
Letters by	Rus Wooton
Editor	Ben Abernathy
Continuity	Energon Universe

Two Transformers discover the beauty of Earth's nature. Their reactions are very different.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Featured characters 3 Quotes 4 Notes 4.1 Continuity notes 4.2 Transformers references 4.3 Real-world references 4.4 Errors 4.5 Other trivia 4.6 Covers 4.7 Advertisements 4.8 Reprints 5 External links 6 References

Synopsis

Millions of years ago, the Decepticons attack the Ark as it reaches Earth orbit. During the battle, Beachcomber is thrown out of the ship by Skywarp and lands on the moon. As he looks up, he sees the Earth; overwhelmed with its beauty, he spends the next million years staring at it until July 20, 1969, when the Apollo 11 moon mission arrives. Hitching a ride on their return flight, he makes his way to Earth, finding the planet’s surface just as wondrous as he imagined. While exploring, he finds the Ark and its off-line passengers. Though he begins to activate Teletraan-1's repair function, he hesitates. Fearing the devastation that could come if the Transformers' war began again on Earth, he abandons them, allowing them the peace of sleeping forever.

Beachcomber tells his tale to Spike Witwicky, having rescued him from Astrotrain, who Beachcomber has chained up to prevent him from attacking. However, he still offers the Triple Changer some of the energon he took from the Ark's reserves as a peace offering. Astrotrain reveals to Beachcomber that Shockwave has come to Earth with the intent of harvesting its resources. Though Beachcomber knows the destruction Shockwave will bring, he also vowed never to hurt anyone or anything again and wants no part in the war.

On the Nemesis, where the Constructicons have finished repairing the portal to Cybertron, Shockwave finds Soundwave trying to repair Ravage. Shockwave balks at his sentimentality, suggesting he instead recycle his pet, but is then distracted by the sight of humpback whales in the ocean, marvelling at the creatures. At that moment, Scrapper informs him that "the feeder" is ready. Upon its activation, it sucks the ocean - whales and all - into its maw, as Shockwave looks on and cheers maniacally.

Back at the dam, Wheeljack puts the finishing touches on his Energon turbine when Optimus Prime returns with Elita One and Ultra Magnus in tow. Arcee is shocked to see her old mentor, believing him dead. Wheeljack reassures Magnus that Ratchet will fix him right up, leading Optimus to reveal that Ratchet didn't survive the battle. Wheeljack excuses himself to grieve. Optimus regrets also leaving Cliffjumper and Jazz behind, with Elita telling him that Shockwave will likely do to them what he did to Magnus. She then chastises him for leaving Cybertron and letting it fall to the Decepticons; Shockwave stripped their home for everything it had, and now he’ll do the same to Prime’s new paradise.

In the depths of the Nemesis, Jazz and Cliff are in chains as Shockwave arrives, eager to begin "experimenting" on them. Thundercracker, who finds Shockwave's actions dishonorable, is led outside by Soundwave to discuss their next steps, and though they may not like it, they need Shockwave. Thundercracker then argues they should mount an assault on the Ark to rescue Skywarp, but Soundwave shoots it down. Shockwave then gathers the Decepticons. He announces that time is of the essence if they want to save their world and, using the Energon converted by the feeder, reactivates the space bridge, though now on a much larger scale in order to bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit. Beachcomber and Spike look on in horror as the Transformers' home fills the sky.

Featured characters

Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"I promised myself I would never hurt anyone or anything again. That mindset doesn't exactly help in a war. And I want no part of it."

—Beachcomber

"I had to make a choice. What I did was for the good of Cybertron."
"There's not much good left there, Prime. No energon. Decepticon rule. Our people starving and enslaved. And here you are, in your new paradise. Shockwave has seen this place now. He won't leave it untouched. He's going to take what is here to fuel our home and the Decepticon army."

—Optimus Prime is rebuffed by Elita One

Notes

Continuity notes

• So that’s how Beachcomber got to Earth. The opening scene of the Decepticons attacking the Ark was previously depicted in the Energon Universe Special, where we learned what became of Megatron in the same battle.
  • While previous issues had the characters reference that the war had been going for "two centuries", Beachcomber's flashback confirms the Ark crashing as happening "millions of years ago." This is consistent with Void Rivals' presenting Jetfire as being in stasis for millennia, as well as with the Energon Universe's continued use of the Generation 1 cartoon as its main inspiration.
• Ravage was wounded by Optimus back in issue #1.
• Brawl was cut in half by the space bridge last issue. His operational status is unclear, though Onslaught's dialogue suggests that he's still alive. This is confirmed in future issues.

Transformers references

• Beachcomber's love of Earth and staunch opposition to the war are long-time character traits of his, best highlighted in the Generation 1 cartoon episode "The Golden Lagoon".
• Shockwave refers to Soundwave's cassettes as "Recordicons"— a relatively obscure name for the Decepticon Mini-Cassettes that has seen more use in recent years.
• This issue features the Decepticons using a space bridge to teleport Cybertron into Earth orbit, a plot that first appeared in the Generation 1 cartoon episode "The Ultimate Doom" and would later be used again in Transformers: Dark of the Moon (which, funnily enough, also featured a Moon landing sequence.)

Real-world references

• In a "director's commentary" for issue #9, Daniel Warren Johnson compared his writing of Astrotrain to the character of Donny "the Bear Jew" Donowitz from Inglourious Basterds, something that becomes much more pronounced in his speech with this issue.

Errors

• The Lunar Excursion Modules used during the Apollo missions had to account for the weight of whatever they brought back to Earth, to the extent of leaving behind handheld cameras to meet the narrow weight margins.^[1] How did they not notice Beachcomber hitching a ride all the way to Earth?
• Additionally, when launching back into lunar orbit, the LEM separates the aluminum ascent stage and leaves behind the gold foil-covered descent stage when leaving the moon. It is drawn on page 4 launching with both modules still together.
• On the two-page spread of Shockwave bringing Cybertron to Earth, the moon is in the foreground with a US flag planted. The flag should've been bleached white from exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays after being on the moon for over 50 years.^[2]

Other trivia

Covers

This article needs to grow up a little bit. This comic series, compliation/TPB, feature or continuity article is a stub and is missing information. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. Note: For single issues or individual stories, use {{issuestub}} What's needed: 5/15 covers documented

• Cover A: Carly and Arcee gaze at the stars, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
• Cover B: Beachcomber and Spike, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
• Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive): Connecting cover featuring Bruticus, by Karen S. Darboe.
• Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive): Shockwave disposes of Ravage, by Jonathan Wayshak and David Baron.
• Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive): The 'waves look over Cybertron, by David Baldeón and Rex Lokus.

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• Explore the Energon Universe in Scarlett #2, Destro #2, and Void Rivals #11.
• Codename: G.I. Joe continues in Scarlett!
• The Cobra threat continues in Destro!
• Experience the Energon Universe in the trade paperbacks for Duke, Void Rivals, Transformers, and Cobra Commander
• Invincible: The Hero-Building Game
• Skybound Insiders

Reprints

• Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion (November 27, 2024) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270
  • Collects issues #7–12.
  • Trade paperback format.

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  Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer

External links

References