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White Light

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« The Transformers vol. 2 #56 »
« Titans Return »
TF56 regcvr.jpg
"An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that Alpha Trion's birth certificate is a fraud."
"White Light"
Publisher IDW Publishing
First published August 31, 2016
Cover date August 2016
Written by John Barber
Art by Livio Ramondelli
Letters by Tom B. Long
Editor Carlos Guzman
Continuity 2005 IDW continuity
Chronology Current era

Sentinel Prime's objective on Earth is revealed when he targets Garrison Blackrock and uncovers his true power.

Contents

Synopsis

Beneath the Indian Ocean, the Autobots and Decepticons complete mop-up operations following their battle with Galvatron's forces, rounding up the deceased despot's remaining followers. Blitzwing tries making a run for it, but is quickly taken down by a stun blast from the impatient Kup, who gruffly ignores Sky-Byte's calls for use of a gentler hand. Jetfire radios the newly established Autobot City in Monument Valley with an update, and is surprised when Alpha Trion answers the comm. Trion mentions a "problem" before being abruptly cut off...

At Autobot City, Alpha Trion is confronted by a tiny robot who introduces himself as "Infinitus." Trion does not recognize the little 'bot at first, but as Infinitus mocks him and proselytizes his intentions to purify the corrupted, modern Cybertron, the old sage soon realizes that his surprise visitor is Sentinel Prime, albeit in an unfamiliar form. Deploying blades from his forearms, Sentinel pounces on Trion, whose scream is heard by Optimus Prime and Soundwave nearby. The pair cannot come to Trion's aid, however, as they are already mobilizing to investigate another scream—one emitted by Aileron down by the spacebridge. Arriving on the scene, they are shocked to witness Sentinel Prime's headless body battling D.0.C., Buster, and Bob. While Prime checks on the wounded Aileron, Arcee arrives to join the fight; she pounces on Sentinel's body, whereupon it transforms to aircraft mode and blasts its way inside Autobot City, carrying Arcee along with it. Soundwave and Prime give chase, leaving Aileron and the animals in D.0.C.'s care, but just before they head inside the city, they spot Alpha Trion's spacecraft mode streaking off through the sky, with Infinitus in the cockpit.

En route to the Indian Ocean site, Spike Witwicky complains over his comm to Marissa Faireborn about being pulled out of Monument Valley. Faireborn curtly explains that it was not her call: it was the decision of the new, presidentially-appointed head of the Earth Defense Command, General Joe Colton. While Colton chews Witwicky out, Skywarp, concerned over his own fate, inquires about Colton's history; Marissa explains he was the former head of the now-defunct special mission force, G.I. Joe, and that she suspects he is in way over his head.

On the road out of Washington, a military convoy is taking Garrison Blackrock—watched by two of Colton's former G.I. Joe troops, Roadblock and Scarlett—to an undisclosed location. When the truck containing Blackrock suddenly collides with something, Roadblock and Scarlett lock and load and step out to investigate, but are not prepared for what they find: Alpha Trion's decapitated head, lying in the middle of the road. Trion's body also soon makes its presence known, now controlled by Sentinel, who has converted to his own head mode and attached himself to it. Sentinel wades through the Joes' harmless weaponsfire and snatches up Blackrock, telling him that he has need of his skills...

Back in the depths of Autobot City, Optimus and Soundwave locate Arcee, still locked in battle with Sentinel's body, in a chamber containing an unprecedentedly massive amount of Ore-13 crystals. The pair join the fight, at which point Sentinel himself returns, still attached to Trion's body, with Trion's head and Blackrock in his hands. Blackrock is thoroughly exasperated and confused by the whole affair, but soon finds enlightenment forcibly bestowed upon him when Sentinel "initiates" him. Metal tears through clothing and pseudo-flesh as Blackrock reflexively transforms back into his true robot form: Sovereign, a Titan Master like Sentinel. Using his innate awareness of the workings of Titans, like the one who makes up Autobot City, Blackrock/Sovereign opens a new spacebridge right there in the bowels of the city. Arcee is blinded by the light of the bridge, but as it fades, she finds she has been left alone in the chamber. Perturbed by her uncertainty over whether Optimus went willingly through the bridge with Sentinel or if he was captured, Arcee has no other choice but to contact Prowl, who tells her he is already confident he knows where Sentinel is headed...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Humans Others

Quotes

"Y'spend six million years on battlefields, plus another fourteen billion watchin' the Dead Universe get born 'n' die, y'find ya lost the patience of youth."

—Kup


"I genuinely thought being held prisoner in an alien space ship 26,000 feet underwater and finding out I'm not actually human was going to be the worst part of my month."

—Blackrock laments his situation


"Usually fights get easier after the guy loses his head..."

—Arcee


"Optimus... he killed Galvatron."
"In the heat of battle?"
"No."
"I see. I'm not surprised."
"Is it what you would have done?"
"Depends on the circumstances. I mean, I'd rather have somebody else—somebody like Optimus—do it. So I guess it worked out like I wanted... which is my specialty."

—Arcee and Prowl

Notes

Continuity notes

  • Kup refers to his time in the Dead Universe, into which he was sent during Infestation event, and from which he was not recovered until the Dark Cybertron crossover. He reveals here that he spent fourteen billion years trapped there. Yow.
  • G.I. Joe is there! As part of the set up for next month's Revolution event, G.I. Joe characters Joe Colton, Roadblock, and Scarlett make full and proper named appearances. The stitching-together of the IDW "Hasbro Universe" has been largely established via the Revolution Prelude story published in various places over the previous month (including as a back-up strip in this issue). As the only other property with a pre-existing series, the Joes' adventures as depicted in their various IDW titles between 2008 and 2015 have—with a bit of hand-waving—been identified as all taking place after the events of All Hail Megatron and before the Transformers' return to Earth circa issue #28; Marissa refers to the group's defunding following the "Cobra debacle", which took place in the time gap between the end of the most recent Joe series and now. The timeline included in Revolutionaries #1 would date Cobra's defeat and G.I. Joe's disbandment to 2014; logically, this would have occurred just before the return of Optimus's forces to Earth in Robots in Disguise #28.
  • Colton, Roadblock, and Scarlett have all also appeared in the first two issues of IDW's ROM series, called in to investigate the alien Space Knight's activities on Earth in an operation that presumably portends Colton's appointment as head of the EDC. In particular, ROM #2, published earlier in the same month as this issue, features the Joes being diverted from this mission to deal with the "situation [...] in Utah" (i.e. Monument Valley), leading into their appearance in this story.
  • Blackrock believes that the Joes are taking him to Governor's Island, which was the location of their headquarters in the IDW continuity during the series' third and fourth volumes.
  • Blackrock refers to the time the EDC held Alpha Trion prisoner, up until the Autobots sprung him in issue #32.
  • As revealed in More than Meets the Eye #56 (see "Other trivia", below), Prowl knows that Sentinel will be headed for Luna 1 in order to avail himself of its Titan graveyard, as he recalls an old wartime scheme of Sentinel's to use the giants for his own ends.

Transformers references

  • Sentinel Prime reveals that his true name is "Infinitus". In the Titans Return toyline, Infinitus is Sentinel Prime's Titan Master partner, a separate entity to Sentinel, in-keeping with the traditional depiction of -Master partners in Western media. This issue confirms that in the IDW continuity, the Titan Master process is more akin to the Japanese depiction of Headmaster technology, with the small Titan Master robot being the solitary, core intelligence, who connects to and controls a larger body.
  • No coincidence that Alpha Trion should lose his head at the same time as Blackrock's true identity is revealed; Alpha Trion is part of the Titans Return toyline (sporting the aircraft mode he is seen using in this issue), and "Sovereign" is his Titan Master partner.

Real-life references

Errors

  • Colton refers to his "Action Team", rather than his Adventure Team. This was corrected for the trade.

Other trivia

  • This issue was intended for release prior to More than Meets the Eye #56, the events of which take place after both this issue and next month's #57. However, delays resulted in More than Meets the Eye being released first, and as such, Blackrock's true identity was spoiled in the "story so far recap" that began the issue.
  • As noted above, this issue also contains the second part of the Revolution Prelude back-up strip, which appears in several of IDW's August titles.

Covers (3)

  • (thumbnail)

    I'm baaaaack!

  • (thumbnail)

    Wrong comic, Red!

  • (thumbnail)

    The 2 toys you always wanted as a kid.

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External links

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