Transformers: Unicron (discussion and speculation)

The modern comics universe has had such a different take on G1, one that's significantly represented by the Generations toys, so they share a forum. A modern take on a Real Cybertronian Hero. Currently starring Generations toys, IDW "The Transformers" comics, MTMTE, TF vs GI Joe, and Windblade. Oh wait, and now Skybound, wheee!
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Dominic
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Re: Transformers: Unicron (discussion and speculation)

Post by Dominic »

My guess is that Unicron is a "peace at any price" type of character, similar to the militant (almost death cult style) Buddhism that I see on social media. (Furman used this model for the Death Bringer in G1, and the Reavers in early IDW.)

IDW using yet another variant of Liege Maximo (and the rest of the 13) bothers me, considering the price of that Hasbro sourcebook a few years back (and the big deal it made of the 13), I assumed it would stick. (What is Maximo in IDW? First Decepticon? God of mic skills? What?)

Trusting Bludgeon is a stock bad-guy mistake.
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Re: Transformers: Unicron (discussion and speculation)

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Dominic wrote:My guess is that Unicron is a "peace at any price" type of character, similar to the militant (almost death cult style) Buddhism that I see on social media. (Furman used this model for the Death Bringer in G1, and the Reavers in early IDW.)
It's possible. But we really don't know anything about this version of Unicron and his motivations yet. Just a hint that he was created by a doomsday weapon that also created the Dire Wraiths. That doesn't really say "peace at any price" type of character to me... But we'll learn more next issue.
IDW using yet another variant of Liege Maximo (and the rest of the 13) bothers me, considering the price of that Hasbro sourcebook a few years back (and the big deal it made of the 13), I assumed it would stick. (What is Maximo in IDW? First Decepticon? God of mic skills? What?)
IDW I'd have to say has taken more from that sourcebook than anyone else has actually. The IDW version of Liege Maximo is still known as a manipulator and liar, having convinced Megatronus to start a civil war with the other Primes, resulting in the death of Solus Prime. He apparently also created the Maximals.
Trusting Bludgeon is a stock bad-guy mistake.
Trusting Bludgeon to follow orders as a subordinate doesn't make Starscream a bad-guy. And to be fair, Bludgeon actually did follow Starscream's orders. Although Bludgeon apparently knew the plan wouldn't work already.
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Re: Transformers: Unicron (discussion and speculation)

Post by Sparky Prime »

Transformers: Unicron #3

With Unicron's arrival, the Autobots mobilize every space ship and everyone who can fly to mount a defense against Unicron (who has been joined by the Decepticon fleet), Many panicked Cybertronians want to flee (Starscream included), but they have no means to evacuate everyone. Meanwhile, Elita-1 and the Torchbearers have formed plan of their own, using Optimus Prime's strategy of destroying him from within as they believe Prime failed to do the job because he hesitated. Meanwhile, Bumblebee explains what Omega Supreme told him about Unicron, which Arcee is able to corroborate. Turns out the doomsday weapon that created him was used to repel the Cybertronians, during Shockwave/Onyx Prime's push for establishing a universal empire. Optimus says it wasn't just a doomsday weapon that was used against them, Unicron is the ultimate retribution. The battle with the Decepticon fleet isn't going well. Elita-1 tells Victorion to ignore the casualties and proceed with the mission, but she changes the plan having seen too much death and attacks the Decepticons. Bludgeon is impressed with the combiner but tells her the time of Autobots and Decetpicons is over, as he unleashes Monstructor who rips off one of Victorion's arms...

Going to talk to Shockwave, he explains that in a way, Antilla was Cybertron's first colony. They were long gone before the doomsday weapon was unleashed of course and he felt it was fitting to give it to Alpha Trion (given conflict is key to storytelling). Eons later, he returned to the planet and uncovered the doomsday weapon, which he called the Talisman, and sent it to Earth. When it came to Cybertron, it poisoned the planet's energon and called to Unicron. He believes it will un-create Unicron and allow for them to rebuild Cybertron on Earth. Starscream believes they should do it in order to save themselves even if it'd still doom most of the population currently on Cybertron. Windblade is tired of hearing about the lacking morals of Cybertronians. She flies off with Arcee trying to stop her, but Windblade explains she's not running, she has a plan. Meanwhile, Unicron destroys Elita-1's Titan ship, Carcer, with an eye-laser blast.

Soundwave reveals he has the Enigma of Combination, to use as a last move of desperation. Starscream and Jetfire don't see how it'd matter though, even if every Cybertronian combined and they pushed mass displacement to its limits, they'd still be no match for Unicron. They start to consider running, but Soundwave says he cannot allow all the colonists and Decepticons on Cybertron to be left behind. Outside, the Decpeticons are informed of what's going on by Soundwave telepathically, which starts a riot. He believes this will give them a fighting chance to survive... or force them all to die together. Arcee returns saying she has good news, Windblade has a plan. Metroplex says that he needs a decision, with time growing short. Starscream decides that since Windblade believed in him once, he will do the same for her, saying they should stay. And with that, Unicron begins to rip into Cybertron with his hands...

--
So turns out Unicron technically is the first Cybertronian colony world. Although I'm still not clear on how exactly the planet became what Unicron is now, but then the Talismen is basically magic and science so... A lot of this issue boils down to 'do we stay and fight or do we save ourselves and flee'. It's nice to see Starscream's sense of self preservation is in full gear here, wanting to escape to save himself without any regard for the masses. Also nice to see he decides to stay given his faith in Windblade.
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Re: Transformers: Unicron (discussion and speculation)

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Flipped through issue 3 yesterday, and will probably read it over the weekend (assuming I am able to pick it up Friday).

I am glad (and a bit surprised) to see that Barber is using Starscream's face-turn from "Windblade". There are shades of Hickman's pre-"Secret Wars" run here, with the characters being forced to make impossible choices, with the best likely outcome being that they lose well rather than actually win. And, like Hickman's run, the characters that are losing well are being written by other writers (in the back-up
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Re: Transformers: Unicron (discussion and speculation)

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Dominic wrote:I am glad (and a bit surprised) to see that Barber is using Starscream's face-turn from "Windblade".
I dunno that I'd say it was from "Windblade". Their relationship in that series seemed to be more a necessary evil for both of them to cooperate with each other, with neither really trusting the other. Since then, they've actually grown to trust each other somewhat. Especially following their shared experience defeating Vigilem, when Windblade showed Starscream what he'd look like if he was forged instead of constructed cold. That seemed to be a big motivation for him confessing all of his crimes recently.
There are shades of Hickman's pre-"Secret Wars" run here, with the characters being forced to make impossible choices, with the best likely outcome being that they lose well rather than actually win. And, like Hickman's run, the characters that are losing well are being written by other writers (in the back-up
I think they'll get to the point where they have to choose how well they lose, but I don't think they're there yet, being only about half way through the series at this point. They still have options. Were as the back-ups are just one shots.
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Re: Transformers: Unicron (discussion and speculation)

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From what I have read, this issue is the start of the "impossible choice". The main characters have to decide who to save and/or how. Hickman's Avengers run took about a year to lead in to the impossible choice. (In that case, the team kept catching breaks that let them survive while keeping the choice out of their hands.) Barber is not going to have time to write the decision as excruciatingly as Hickman did. But, given the pre-determined ending of this series, there is little point in drawing it out. (And, most fans are probably not patient enough for that.)

Gonna try to read this in the next day or so. (Cutting back on my caffeine intake recently has been draining.)
That seemed to be a big motivation for him confessing all of his crimes recently.
The confession was in the last "Windblade" annual, if I am remembering correctly. (I have barely followed TF over the last 3 years, so I am a bit fuzzy on this.)

From what I read, I liked Starscream's redemption arc the best of the 3 (compared to Megatron and Soundwave).
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Re: Transformers: Unicron (discussion and speculation)

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Dominic wrote:From what I have read, this issue is the start of the "impossible choice". The main characters have to decide who to save and/or how. Hickman's Avengers run took about a year to lead in to the impossible choice. (In that case, the team kept catching breaks that let them survive while keeping the choice out of their hands.) Barber is not going to have time to write the decision as excruciatingly as Hickman did. But, given the pre-determined ending of this series, there is little point in drawing it out. (And, most fans are probably not patient enough for that.)
That's the thing though, this issue doesn't involve the main characters deciding who to save. The decision in this issue is whether they stay and defend Cybertron, or sacrifice it along with a number of its population. If you want to liken to to Hickman's run on Avengers, I'd say this is more like the point of the story were the Illuminati could blow up another universe's Earth in order to save their own, or not, rather than the impossible decision they have to make at the end, knowing everything will be destroyed and they can only save so many people.
The confession was in the last "Windblade" annual, if I am remembering correctly. (I have barely followed TF over the last 3 years, so I am a bit fuzzy on this.)

From what I read, I liked Starscream's redemption arc the best of the 3 (compared to Megatron and Soundwave).
There was no Windblade annual, Starscream confessing all his crimes was in the Till All Are One annual.
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Re: Transformers: Unicron (discussion and speculation)

Post by Dominic »

If you want to liken to to Hickman's run on Avengers, I'd say this is more like the point of the story were the Illuminati could blow up another universe's Earth in order to save their own, or not, rather than the impossible decision they have to make at the end, knowing everything will be destroyed and they can only save so many people.
I would put "blowing up another world" under the header of "impossible choice".
There was no Windblade annual, Starscream confessing all his crimes was in the Till All Are One annual.
My mistake. Lost track of the re-named series.



In any case, I finally read the issue. And.... This is playing out much better than I expected it to.

I actually like IDW's Unicron. This is the first time in ~15 years that I have actually liked Unicron. No multiversal jibberwankery. No lazy faux-epic. No Fun Publications.

If there has been once consistent theme to IDW's run with the Transformers, it is that Cybertronians are roundly (and rightly) hated by most other species. Unicron is a weapon of vengeance, deployed against a species that has more than earned it. Obviously, there is going to be collateral damage. But, the idea of deploying Unicron against the Transformers is not completely unjustified.
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Re: Transformers: Unicron (discussion and speculation)

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Dominic wrote:I would put "blowing up another world" under the header of "impossible choice".
The point being, they still had other options to explore at that point of the story. Blowing up another Earth to save their own as we'd find out wouldn't amount to anything but to buy them a little more time. That's not the same thing as the "impossible choice" of who to save in the end, knowing that there is nothing they can do to prevent the inevitable. The Maker had destroyed at least 67 other Earths in his efforts to save the Ultimate universe, but in the end, the Ultimate universe was still destroyed along with all of the other universes in the collapse of the multiverse.
In any case, I finally read the issue. And.... This is playing out much better than I expected it to.
I told you that you should be more patient when you were ready to write this off as just another "generic event comic" after just the first issue.
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Re: Transformers: Unicron (discussion and speculation)

Post by Dominic »

Speculation: The series will end with Unicron successfully killing all (or most) of the transformers, then shutting down. That will leave Earth damaged, but largely intact. The end.
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