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Shadowplay (Conclusion): An Intimate Beheading

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« The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #11 »
MTMTE11 cvrA.jpg
"Shadowplay (Conclusion):
An Intimate Beheading"
Publisher IDW Publishing
First published November 21, 2012
Cover date November 2012
Story by James Roberts
Pencils by Alex Milne
Inks by Juan Castro, Alex Milne and John Wycough
Colors by Josh Burcham
Letters by Shawn Lee
Editor John Barber
Continuity 2005 IDW continuity
Chronology Current era (2012)

Rewind's tale reaches its climax, as Orion Pax leads a daring heist for the Matrix.

Contents

Synopsis

IDWMtMtE11-Outliers.jpg

On Cybertron, before the war... Orion Pax and his team prepare for their attempt to steal the explosive replica of the Matrix of Leadership hidden within the body of Nominus Prime in the Primal Basilica. Incredulous, Prowl refuses to get involved, but promises not to blow the whistle on Pax if he keeps Prowl's partner Chromedome out of the action. As Prowl departs, Chromedome and Roller return from the Academy of Advanced Technology with three of its students selected by Pax's senator friend to help in the heist, all "outliers" possessed of special powers: the technology-disrupting Glitch, the magnetic Windcharger and the super-learner Skids.

Aboard the Lost Light, Rewind's story takes a short break so Ratchet can check on the progress of the still-unresponsive Rung. Swerve pilfers some especially hard "Nightmare Fuel" liquor from Trailbreaker and begins dishing it out, jokingly getting Rung's name wrong and being warned by Ratchet that he particularly hates that. Everyone settles down as Chromedome gets back to his part of the story, describing his visit to the workshop of Iacon Mechaforensics ballistics expert and Primal Vanguard fanboy Ironfist, from whom he obtained a replica Matrix they could swap the bomb out for. Ratchet interrupts for a moment to recount an exchange between him, Roller and Pax that followed, as Roller attempted to warn Pax of various questionable activities his senator friend was involved in, including the recruitment and modification of other Autobots in addition to Pax himself, but Pax would not hear it.

In the Lost Light medibay, Rodimus balks at First Aid's diagnosis of Red Alert's comatose state as the result of attempted suicide. Ultra Magnus attempts to restrain him as he grows angrier, accidentally gouging large dents in his arms that shock him into relaxing. Magnus proposes putting Red Alert in cold storage until their circumstances are more conducive to his mental well-being, and with Drift's agreement, Rodimus sadly does so.

Shadowplay3 pax saves shockwave.jpg

The story of the heist continues, with Ratchet describing how each of the outliers used their special powers to help penetrate the Primal Basilica while Chromedome and Roller remained behind to guard the senator. Their approach hidden from the Sky Spy network thanks to Roller's hacking skills, Windcharger magnetically levitated the team over the heads of the Triorian Guard of Triple Changers standing watch at the Basilica, while Glitch deactivated the security systems so that Skids could (indignantly) lower Pax into position with his grappling hook. Discovering that the Matrix-bomb was locked in place, Pax switched places with Ratchet, whose incredible hands picked the locks with ease. Things almost went south when Glitch patted Skids on his back, jamming his winch and causing Ratchet to drop the bomb, but Windcharger saved the day by magnetically preventing its fall. The theft successfully completed, the team departed, but, having not been contacted by Roller at the appointed time, Pax sped on ahead to investigate; Chromedome takes over the story to describe Pax's return, just in time to find that Senate thugs Kroma, Macabre and the Heavies had attacked their safehouse.

Shadowplay3-SenatorWho.jpg

Pax took out one of the Heavies, but when Kroma held his gun against Roller's head and proposed an exchange, the senator agreed to go with him. The remaining Heavy, Anvil, remained behind to finish off Pax, but Pax used the Matrix-bomb to destroy his attacker, then unearthed Chromedome from the rubble to lead him to the Institute, figuring Kroma had taken the senator there. Alas, they discovered it was deserted—because despite its name, it was not unique. The senator had potentially been taken to any one of hundreds of hidden facilities, lost to them.

Such is the end of the story: not a happy one, but an ending nonetheless. Tailgate has a few remaining questions, which Rewind answers: Proteus did not keep his promise, and much to Tailgate's surprise, Orion Pax became Optimus Prime. Sadly, Rung remains non-responsive, but when alarms suddenly begin blaring throughout the ship, and everyone heads for battle stations, Skids decides to try one last thing: he leans close to Rung, and deliberately mispronounces his name several times. Quietly, the psychiatrist awakens and corrects him.

On Cybertron, before the war... Orion Pax is approached by another of the senator's recruits, Zeta. And elsewhere, in one of the many Institutes, two staffers talk about the newest victim of Shadowplay: a senator who is also being subjected to the head-and-hand replacement ritual known as empurata. A senator...

...named Shockwave.

Featured characters

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

Autobots Others

Quotes

"Sorry, Swerve, I need the secret password."
"Sigh. 'Whirl is a million billion times tougher than Cyclonus.'"
"You may enter."
"Jeez, Whirl, even I think that password's immature, and I glued Tailgate to his recharge slab the other day..."

—Whirl and Swerve


"I should have said this earlier, but—as a trainee theoretician who can master virtually any skill, I'm kind of insulted that you brought me along for my grappling hook."

—Skids


"Okay, they've wired it in like a tamper-proof fuel pump. A 440—the mother of all fuel pumps. If I put a finger wrong, it'll explode."
"In that case don't do anything. Not even you can disable a 440 by hand."
"Pax, I think you're amazing, but that is the most ham-fisted attempt at reverse psychology I've ever heard."

—Ratchet and Orion Pax


"The Matrix is just hovering there!"
"You can thank Windcharger and his magic arms for that."
"You're lucky I got tired of waiting."
"His magic arms and his low boredom threshold."

—Ratchet, Orion Pax, and Windcharger


"Ooh! Ooh! What about Orion Pax? What happened to him?"
"Orion Pax...?"
"He was great! I really liked him. 'I trust him, Roller. End of conversation.' I'm gonna start saying stuff like that."
"Tailgate—Orion Pax became Optimus Prime. They're the same person. I thought you knew that."
"What?! (holds up picture of Prime) You mean this is Orion Pax? Well, I'm floored. I did not see that coming."

—Tailgate and Rewind

Notes

Continuity notes

  • Notice how Chromedome is never referred to by name on the first page; from part 1, we know he had a different name before he was "Chromedome", and here, he's only referred to as Prowl's "partner" (in turn indirectly furthering the obvious "romantic" implication between the two characters). This is because it's an impartial flashback, not part of Rewind's story (since it's a conversation between two characters not on the Lost Light); he is called "Chromedome" elsewhere during the story since Rewind asked him to minimize confusion by doing so back in part 1.
  • Having said something similar to Prowl four million years in the past in issue #9, Chromedome remarks that he is unable to make the derisive "Pfft" noise Swerve utters. Logically, that'd be because he doesn't have any lips!
  • This is the third true story that Rewind organised. His first group was Blaster, Sunstreaker, Siren, Gears, and Perceptor; his second was Xaaron, Dipstick, Atomizer, Slapdash, and Sprocket. The implications are that the members of each group were at least peripherally involved in their own major incident, once upon a time, much like the current storytelling team. (Roberts has since admitted that there's no rhyme or reason behind the character choices except to make us go "what the heck did they all do together?!".[1])
  • When last seen, Atomizer carried a crossbow, which Ultra Magnus said he was going to confiscate. As Atomizer is now carrying a regular bow and quiver instead, we can assume Magnus followed through.
  • In his younger days, Skids had a miniature Matrix "tattooed" on his cheek, just as Springarm did in "Chaos Theory". Pax remarks on the similarity. This apparent religiosity is a marked contrast to the nihilism the modern Skids expresses.
  • The Primal Vanguard is the detachment to which Tailgate claimed to belong and which has been mentioned a few times in More than Meets the Eye. The user of the bomb disposal kit Ironfist is so excited about is not named, leading fans to conclude that it was Tailgate himself, but later revelations would prove this to be a splendid piece of misdirection by Roberts.
  • Ironfist's looking a little different than he will when we chronologically see him next in Last Stand of the Wreckers. Based on the helmet we can see in the background of his lab, he obviously modified his own noggin to look like a Primal Vanguard helmet.
  • Ironfist shows Chromedome the image of a robot named Crosscut, trapped in the Forever Glass of Moldavite VI. This could be potentially the fourth Crosscut to exist—there's the Japanese-original Autobot, the Marvel Decepticon, an unnamed member of the Decepticon Justice Division that the Decepticon Crosscut is often mistaken for (according to his profile in the Last Stand of the Wreckers hardcover), and now this guy. It is, of course, extremely possible that this Crosscut could be one of the others; being that this is Roberts, who doesn't toss this stuff around casually, it's almost a certainty.
  • We see that Ironfist has always had a fondness for writing about his heroes; his Wreckers: Declassified datalogs had a predecessor in his monographs about the Primal Vanguard. We couldn't possibly imagine what it's like to write endlessly about our hobbies in minute detail, no sir.
  • Pax's senator friend is noted to be on speaking terms with the Omega Guardians, the enigmatic protectors of the Magnificence who have only previously appeared in Spotlight: Hot Rod.
  • This is the second story to mention the substance propex. In issue #8, Grimlock's body was preserved in a "weak propex solution".
  • The Heavies, previously seen in Whirl's flashback in issue #6, reappear, as does Whirl's cellmate from last issue—one of the senate thugs who menaced Orion Pax in "Chaos Theory Part 2", whose name is revealed to be Kroma. One of the Heavies is named "Anvil"; we'd hazard a guess the other's "Hammer".
Kroma macabre heavies shadowplay conclusion.jpg
  • When Kroma, Macabre, and the Heavies arrive to kidnap the senator, Kroma quips that they are acting on the "best tip-off ever". This would be explained 26 issues later in "Stet", where we learn that the Heavies encountered a time travelling Whirl, Rewind, and Chromedome a year earlier (from their perspective) during the events of "Chaos Theory Part 2". Whirl was all set to kill the Heavies for their part in his oppression and eventual empurata by the Functionists, leading Chromedome to explain in front of them that they couldn't die because they had to return in a year's time to abduct Shockwave.
  • Following a crack made early in the issue by Skids about the Academy of Advanced Technology never being referred to by its full name, we find out at the end of the story that it's the Jhiaxian Academy, after Jhiaxus. This indicates that it's the "J.A.A.T." mentioned last issue, and is a big clue to the true identity of the senator, as we've known since Spotlight: Doubledealer that Shockwave was a student of Jhiaxus's, obviously having studied under him at the academy before he left Cybertron.
  • "Empurata", first mentioned in issue #6 and a few times since, is at last revealed to be a process by which criminals have their heads and hands removed and replaced. Whirl's reference to its persuasive power in issue #6, coupled with his lament about the loss of his hands last issue, now make a horrifying amount of sense. Glitch would also appear to have suffered through the process.
  • Lobe was first mentioned as a Mechaforensic cybersurgeon in part one, asking for Sherma's brain module as part of an experiment. Now we know he's one of the Institute's top brainwashers and that Sherma was killed by the Senate for being a closet dissident... They really are everywhere!

Transformers references

  • The power booster rod was an Autobot tool famous for being stolen by the human criminal the Mechanic in issue #26 of the original Marvel comic. Chromedome can be seen idly using it for its intended purpose of easily lifting heavy items.
  • The Primal Basilica is decorated with statues of the Guiding Hand and the Aligned continuity family design of Prima.
  • In addition to Blitzwing himself, one of the Triorian Guard is another guy sharing Blitzwing's body, coloured like his Diaclone toy. We'll assume that it's (an) Overcharge.
  • Kroma and the Heavies are accompanied by Decepticon assassin Macabre, made famous by his one-shot appearance in the Marvel UK epic, Target: 2006. We've already seen, through Last Stand of the Wreckers, that he'll go on to lead Squadron X in IDW continuity.
  • Among Ironfist's memorabilia is a spare drill belonging to Borebit, an Autobot from issue #18 of the original Marvel comic.
  • Orion Pax's police station explodes at the time "Arc 1-13".

Real-life references

Nightmare fuel shadowplay.jpg
  • Shockwave has an academy for unusual, superpowered students who the wider world hates and fears: an X-Men nod. And if that's not blatant enough for you, Pax's next line is, "Is he the one with the claws?"
  • "Nightmare Fuel" is a term coined by Mystery Science Theater 3000 and popularized by the website TV Tropes to describe horrifying scenes in fiction. Swerve has nabbed it from Trailbreaker's personal stash; a reference to Trailbreaker's fondness for strong "alcohol" that we saw back in issue #6, itself a reworking of the fuel-inefficient traits described in his original bio. The Pretender Skullgrin is pictured on the bottle's label.
  • Tailgate has to make a "who's who" page to keep track of everyone in the story, just like the "Meet the Crew" features in the back of every issue of More than Meets the Eye.

Trivia

  • "Shadowplay" runs through three related genres in each of its three parts: this one is the heist story.[2]
  • The heist this issue is about was alluded to in a conversation between Skids and Chromedome back in issue #8.
  • Obviously, Shockwave isn't one of the main characters in More than Meets the Eye and was more prominent in Robots in Disguise. As James Roberts says though, both titles are telling the same wider story of the Transformers universe and he believes it makes the twist more effective if Shockwave's origin is in the 'wrong' place.[3]
  • Trailbreaker is among the outliers, unnamed but rather obviously identifiable from his description as a truck who generates forcefields. When talking about Trailbreaker on the following page, Swerve calls him "Trailcutter", an alternate name developed by Hasbro after the loss of the trademark to the original, and noted in the More than Meets the Eye annual to be an alternate name the character uses in-universe. The origin of this second name would later be revealed in the character's self-titled Spotlight issue.
  • At the request of James Roberts, colorist Josh Burcham purposely gave the Senator the hues of Ultra Magnus (both in this issue and the previous) to serve as a red (and blue and white, hyuk hyuk) herring.[4]

Crew Manifest

  • The still-living Red Alert is "boxed" and put into cold storage.
  • 5 deaths, 5 new arrivals (plus 20 or so Faders), and 1 boxed since the launch.

Soundtrack

For the entire three-part "Shadowplay" story:

For this issue:

Foreign localization

Japanese

  • Title: "Shadowplay (Saishūkai): Aru Uchi Kubi" (シャドウプレイ (最終回): ある打ち首, "Shadowplay (Conclusion): A Certain Beheading")

Swedish

  • Title: "Skuggspel (Sista delen): En föraktfull halshuggning" ("Shadowplay (Final Part): A Disdainful Beheading")

Covers (3)

  • (thumbnail)

    Skids and Ratchet are in the original art, but are hidden under the logo.

  • (thumbnail)

    And yes, it fucntions as a mirror, too!

  • (thumbnail)

    Red lost his head.

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Reprints

  • Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 55: Shadowplay (January 9, 2019)
    • Collects More than Meets the Eye issues #7–13 and Annual 2012.
    • Bonus material includes the second of a new three-part interview with Roberts, early pages of scripts, design sketches from Alex Milne, a cover gallery and a forward by Simon Furman.
    • Hardcover format.

References

  1. ↑ "The Underbase Podcast Deconstructs Shadowplay", 1:04:20
  2. ↑ "The Underbase Podcast Deconstructs Shadowplay", 07:43 - 08:00
  3. ↑ Moonbase2's second interview with James Roberts - 01:39:20 to 59:30
  4. ↑ Forum post by Alex Milne
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