ENERGON — REVISITED

Back in 2004 I was deep into a series called Transformers: Energon (based on the toyline and, to a lesser extent, the TV show of the time). Issue #30 had just come out and #31 was at the printers. Then Dreamwave (the company publishing Transformers comics at the time) went bust — I’ll spare you the gory details, but a lot of creators, myself included, and other involved parties were owed a whole lot of money and never saw a penny — and Energon came to an abrupt full stop. Which was a shame, because artist Alex Milne and I were really hitting our joint stride on the book, and were about launch into the epic 5-part conclusion. It was all plotted. Some of it was scripted. Some of it was even drawn! Anyway, over at the IDW forums at the moment, there’s been a call from fans to know where we going and what was going to happen in Energon, and I’ve decided to have a go, here on my blog, at wrapping things up. I’ve decided to do that by publishing chunks of the outline for #31 & 32–36 in kind of serialized chunks, from time to time. All of which won’t mean much if you came in after (or didn’t bother) with the Dreamwave era of Transformers comics publishing. So, as a first step, I’m going to detail a kind of dramatis personae for Energon, as of issue #30, then kick into the first chunk of (unseen) outline at next posting. Here we go…

Unicron: planet-sized and planet-devouring bringer of chaos and destruction. Currently inactive.
Optimus Prime: leader of the heroic Autobots (naturally), and currently stranded inside Unicron, after being forced unwillingly into assisting in the re-animation of…
Megatron: deposed (and for 10 years officially dead) leader of the Decepticons. Currently in a new souped-up body and having just removed — permanently — current Terrorcon leader Scorponok.
Alpha Quintesson: mysterious alien creature and chief engineer of Unicron’s impending reactivation. Though appearing to serve Unicron loyally he has his own revenge-fuelled agenda, and was revealed to have a secret ally/conspirator in…
Avalon: a member of the current Autobot High Council on Cybertron, who possesses a mysterious technological artefact known as the Initiator. The full scope of his nefarious intentions remains cloaked in mystery.
Over-Run: time-lost Mini-con currently hard-wired into Cybertron (via the Mini-con Matrix) and delving deep into the planet’s forgotten past.
Starscream: former lieutenant of Megatron, thought destroyed, now existing in a strange non-corporeal (energon) form.
Kicker: meta-human teenager, capable of storing, channelling and releasing energon through his biological systems.
Mirage, Demolishor & Slugslinger: agents of Alpha Quintesson.
The Four Horsemen of Unicron: Death, Famine, Pestilence & War, four former Autobots transformed into incredibly powerful agents of Unicron.
Rad, Alexis & Carlos: human allies of the Autobots. Both Rad & Carlos work, in different capacities, for AlterEnergy, a company tapping the potential of energon as an alternative energy source.

Okay, as much as possible, that brings you right up to speed. Check back here for the first chunk of #31’s outline soon!