Robots in Disguise: You know what's bad?

[q99]

In Transformers Robots in Disguise, things haven't been going well on cybertron.



The Decepticons have broken out into large-scale rioting, stirred up by the return of the badly-damaged Megatron. Bumblebee, Metalhawk, and Starscream have all tried to talks things down.

Fortunately, Prowl, Autobot Chief of Security, has finished his repairs along with a firepower upgrade, and come out to the field.

He doesn't just go out guns blazing, no, first he grabs Wheeljack, the best scientist the Autobots have got.




A black room, eh? Sounds like Prowl's got something planned. We don't actually get to see what's inside the Black Room immediately, though.


The comic cuts to Megatron, who, freed by the rioters, leads a not-at-all happy Starscream with him to... the Black Room!

When the pair open the door, we finally get to see what's inside:



Oh, that's... a room full of all the important Decepticons that Prowl captured or 'killed' over the last few months! And Prowl, the Autobot Chief of Security, with them. With Wheeljack. Held prisoner.

I think that's bad!


4 pages from Robots in Disguise #13

Comments

[the_phantom]

When I read this i was WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for some hours I NEED! the next comic i need to know why? what? and who?

I can't wait much longer thank god John told us no B/S next comic tells us WTF is going on!... i need to sit down for a bit now

[q99]

The 'good' news is only two weeks til next issue ^^

[the_phantom]

And btw the Art... OMG!

[kamino_neko]

Yeah, this was a 'holy shit' moment.

I mean, we've known Prowl was off his nut for a good long while, that he'd turned in this direction was...a surprise.

[q99]

Yea. He was getting more unethical but, like, "Extreme crack-down on Decepticons," unethical, not "Holy Primus, he's standing side-by-side with Shockwave!" unethical.

[sir_razorback]

Yeah, Prowl's nuts look like they've been done stripped right off.

[ladymoondancer]

Oh no. Play along, Wheeljack. Play along and then ruuuun awaaaaay!

[q99]

Wheeljack~!

[icon_uk]

There's no way that this WON'T end well, with hugs and puppies for all.

Just wait until Starscream hears that the new "United Cybertronian Faction" anthem is "Kumbaya"

[cypherfdp]

So, I know literally nothing about Transformers outside of the major characters and Soundwave, who are the two behind Megatron and the beetle-looking one below Shockwave?

[kamino_neko]

The two behind Megatron are the Triple Changers, Blitzwing (tank/jet, on the right) and Astrotrain (train/space shuttle, on the left), the beetle is the Insecticon Bombshell (turns into a weevil, has mind control shells).

[icon_uk]

Soundwave IS a major character (in any continuity which includes him!

[thandrak]

Laserbeak continues to be the Decepticon Matrix of Leadership.

Laserbeak and Soundwave are in their War for Cybertron modes, while Rumble and Frenzy are in their (all but unreleased) United modes.

How many steps ahead does Prowl think? Do you really think this is the endgame? Oh, no. No, no.

[icon_uk]

Yeah, Megatron's no slouch in the forward planning department either, and is perhaps better than Prowl (who likes things orderly) at improvisation.

[q99]

Indeed, they need to make Laserbeak's position official at some point!

[terrykun]

Can't believe I'm the first to suggest it here, but... cerebro-shells? I really want to believe this isn't Prowl acting of his own volition.

I like to think of him only about as far down the "law before reason" spectrum as Morgan from The Dresden Files.

[sir_razorback]

It could be, but when Cerebro-shells have been used as plot devices in the past, the controllee doesn't take to his role with such gleeful enthusiasm.

[sir_razorback]

Looking at the Constructicons, Scrapper isn't present. Spike functionally decapitated him a couple years back, and I don't think they would present the remaining 5 so visibly unless they had something in mind.

[terrykun]

They were able to use his corpse to complete the Devastator transformation during Chaos, if I recall.

*peer* Just over Shockwave's left shoulder (reader perspective right-hand side), is that a Constructishoulder, or just someone else's kneecap?

[q99]

I think they're there because, well, they were 5 of the 'killed' bots we saw before.

[qalchemist]

My take on this...

What if Prowl has been doing this to /inspire/ Autobot-Decepticon violence? He knows these are the nasty ones, the violent ones, and if he pissed them off and then got them all riled up...

...well, then there'll be a war. And then he's in a good position to stab them in the back to try and wipe them out.

[q99]

Some pretty risky gambit if that's his game.

[md84]

My guess is that Prowl is just looking for a strong leader. With Optimus gone and his other choices being Bumblebee (good heart but honestly isn't that imposing), Metalhawk (Prowl hates the N.A.I.L.S. even more than he does the Decepticons) and Starscream (no need to elaborate), he sided with Megatron. Megatron is pretty charismatic after all, it's his most dangerous weapon.

Also, am I the only one who feels sorry for Starscream. He really did try to do things in a semi-legitimate fashion, and he really seemed committed to restoring Cybertron peacefully. But the rioters' rejection and the reveal in this issue made it perfectly clear that Starscream will never be anything more than Starscream.

[q99]

Also with his position and what he did, he could definitely get a good trade for position, power, safety for some of his friends, etc..

-Also, am I the only one who feels sorry for Starscream. He really did try to do things in a semi-legitimate fashion, and he really seemed committed to restoring Cybertron peacefully. But the rioters' rejection and the reveal in this issue made it perfectly clear that Starscream will never be anything more than Starscream.-

Oh no, I'm totally on Starscream's side too!

[alexanderlucard]

I've seen this coming since issue 1 actually. Even since the Furman and Budinsky days of the comic (which is a different comic continuity completely), Prowl has been portrayed as not just an asshole, but borderline Decepticon. He pretty much was only an Autobot out of loyalty to Prime back then and had temper tantrums when Prime chose Grimlock to be his successor. There have been signs of this too in this contunity ever since Spike wss revealed to be...not very good. Prowl seemed to become unhinged towards everyone from that moment on and I've seen the writing on the wall for a heel turn.

I really hope this isn't a swerve, because in all continuity's Prowl has been a dick and this just seems to be where everyone who has ever written him has wanted to take him...but no one had the guts to pull the trigger.

[q99]

He is no doubt as ruthless as a decepticon. To what purpose is, I think, the real question.

[damar148]

Bets on this leading to Starscream backstabbing Megatron again...only now for the good of Cybertron?

[q99]

The worry is he may not have the opportunity. He's really on the outs with the Decepticons right now.