ENERGON ARCHIVE (6)

Here’s the second half of the outline for ‘Armageddon part 2’ (from the unpublished Transformers: Energon #33):

The energon inferno on Cybertron rages out of control. Skyblast’s energon warheads manage to free Arcee and Signal Flare before Starscream can drain them, but the explosions only add to the conflagration. And Starscream… isn’t harmed at all. In fact, he’s getting stronger all the time. The Omnicons are forced to retreat, but Starscream pursues in jet mode, relentless.

Cut to: Megatron, in his cloaked satellite base. Shockblast reports that the assault team is ready. They just need the target. Megatron tells him it’s an ore processing facility in the Cayman Islands. Shockblast hesitantly ventures the opinion that they’d be better served by attacking key Autobot installations and entrenchments and not these ‘soft’ secondary targets. But Megatron just dismisses him. He has his orders. Mirage comments to Shockblast that he thinks Megatron has “lost his edge.” Shockblast firmly rebukes Mirage but we get the impression he silently shares Mirage’s opinion.

Megatron remembers his long ordeal — disassembled (in #22), disembodied, slave to Alpha Quintesson’s will, then finally re-animated in a new body, freed! And in this private, unguarded moment we see just how deeply shaken Megatron is by the whole experience.

Back on Cybertron, Strongarm comes up with a desperate strategy. Before, when they were helpless captives of Snow Cat (in #25), their minds ether-linked, forming a much greater whole. They have to try that here and now, let Starscream all the way in and fight him as a single/combined entity. Starscream starts to drain the Omnicons’ energon reserves, but suddenly feels them fighting back — draining him! Finally, Starscream loses the battle of wills and reverts to a solid form, his old (cowardly) personality immediately reasserting itself. Attacked by the powered-up Omnicons, Starscream turns tail and flees. But it’s a pyrrhic victory for the Omnicons. Over-Run… is dead.

Avalon reports that the last obstacle has been cleared away. They can begin in earnest. He uses his High Council access codes/clearance to re-route one of Ironhide’s deadly seismic shock warheads (issue #24) to a new location. And, finally, the Four Horsemen close in on Mars Base…

To be continued…