Transformers: Windblade #1

[skemono]

The most important thing for me when constructing Windblade was to make her a fully three-dimensional (read: flawed) character, so if I had to pick one word to describe her I would say that Windblade is trying. She's an optimistic, hard-working Transformers character who is genuinely interested in helping others, but she's also been dropped in the aftermath of a millennia (for real) long war that she was not really part of, so while she's a very competent character, she's way behind the curve when it comes to knowing who's who and what's what on Cybertron. This actually makes Transfomers: Windblade a really good starting point for new readers because almost everything on Cybertron is as new to her as it is to someone just entering the brand.

--Mairghread Scott

In the wake of the Dark Cybertron arc, the badly-damaged Titan Metroplex has turned into a city on Cybertron, in which most of the Transformers are living. Windblade came from another planet of Transformers to serve as Cityspeaker for him.



Starscream walks in and demands to speak to Windblade. Rattrap, who accompanied him, waits outside with Windblade's bodyguard, Chromia.





Disturbed by Starscream's threats, Windblade tries to learn more about him.





Later, she's preparing to go inside Metroplex to fix an issue, when there's an explosion.

Comments

[lieut_kettch]

So if Cybertronians were genderless for billions of years, why would they even HAVE gendered pronouns? Heck, many languages here on Earth have only neutral pronouns.

[skemono]

They may not. I read Rattrap's question as expressing confusion over what "she" even means.

[icon_uk]

Yeah, that was my thinking too.

[alexanderlucard]

They are indeed genderless. Which is what makes Arcee's origin as a female transformer so unique/interesting/Squicky, depending on your viewpoint.

I'm curious to see if or how they will explain these two having a female gender.

As well, I'm glad that the pronoun is the only allusion to it. I can't tell you how worried I was that it was going to be a Smurfette like situation where a previously genderless races goes ga-ga and starts fighting amongst themselves because one has feminine physical characteristics. Doubly so after the author's rant on Transformer gender a while back. I love that everyone is just treating them like "one of the guys" so to speak.

[thezmage]

Wow, Starscream is so slimy there I feel like I need a shower after reading that.

[burkeonthesly]

Seconded.

[icon_uk]

Which means they're writing him right! :)

[burkeonthesly]

Alright, I'm... obviously not up on my lore here, but am I seeing Beast Wars Rattrap and Waspinator, Beast Machines Tankorr, Animated Swindle, and... I can't even place Sky-Bite. Could someone explain, please? Is time travel involved?

[thezmage]

Other than the fact that Skybite was the best part of transformers armada, I am as confused as you are
Edit: I meant Robots in Disguise

[kamino_neko]

There is no time travel involved. Or multiversal.

The IDW G1 Universe is separate from all the other universes. All these characters are native to this universe.

Rattrap was an Autobot, not a Maximal. Waspinator was a Decepticon, not a Predacon. Sky-Byte was a Decepticon, not a Robots in Disguise Predacon (separate from either the G1 or BW Preds). The two Tankors coexisted. (Tall Tankor is AKA Octane, but Octane is not trademarkable, so they changed his name.) Swindle only looks Animated because of the artist's style - his head design is taken directly from his G1 toy and cartoon design, and his body design seems to be based on his most recent toy.

Starscream's body is based on one his Unicron Trilogy namesake wore. (In Energon, I think.)

Blurr (who was introduced in the 1986 movie)'s body is original to this universe. He got a toy based on it (but with a different alt-mode, and thus slightly different kibble) in 2010.

Fizzle is a Sparkabot, a gimmick-based subgroup from the tail end of G1. The body design is almost totally original to this universe (although that light on his chest is where one of the screws was on his toy) and the head design seriously tweaked.

Slug is the Dinobot formerly known as Slag. (Name changed in the real world because it's a rude word in UK English. Name changed in universe because Arcee talked him into it...probably because it's also been used as a rude word in Cybertronian.)

Chromia was one of the first female Transformers introduced way back in season 1 of the G1 cartoon. Windblade is a new character.

[q99]

Like kamino_neko says, bots of all sorts are just around in IDW. Beast forms are uncommon, but Sky-bite and Rattrap aren't any more unusual than Ravage or Ratbat of Soundwave's cassettes.

Well, Sky-bite's a bit weird for being a flying shark of some kind, but still, it's just a moderately uncommon form ^^

[skjam]

It's not that no one tried to kill Starscream--he's just really good at surviving.

[q99]

And he's been valuable enough to keep repairing.

That seems to be a very major factor in a long life span among the Transformers- most TF wounds aren't immediately fatal, even ones with very heavy damage, so if you get the best medical care and can count on people retrieving your body fast, you've got relatively good odds. Not all the time, there's no guarantees, but it helps a lot.

[icon_uk]

And in some iterations is actually pretty close to immortal.

[kamino_neko]

That's the basis of a quick joke from issue 2.

Chromia: How many bots in here you think would want to kill Starscream?
Blurr: Honestly, 'haven't tried to kill him' would be a shorter list.

(Keep in mind that about half his regulars are ex-Decepticons.)

[shadowpsykie]

okay. so from what i understand.... this is a universe where all the iterations of transformers co exist.... and so far only two women... so even though we have rattrap, there was no Airazor or Blackarachnia?

or Arcee for that matter?

[icon_uk]

No Airazor or Blackarachnia as yet, but Arcee exists and is a semi-regular character.

However, she started out as an ordinary "male/genderless" Transformer who became a test subject of mad scientist Jhiaxus and ended up a female against his will. As a result, she's not exactly stable.

[kamino_neko]

There are 4 named female characters in the IDW-G1(ish)-Universe, Arcee (who was first, and is a psychopath, thanks to the process that made her female, thank you, Simon Furman v_v), Chromia, Windblade and Nautica (another new character, now on the Lost Light). Someone who looked like Elita One got an unnamed cameo in Megatron Origin, but that's been pretty much ignored.

No Blackarachnia, no Strika, no Slipstream, no Ripclaw, etc.

Now that Simon Furman's not shaping the IDW-verse and cisgender femmebots have been introduced as a possibility, I'm hoping that more will be trickling in, since I really love girlbots. >_>

[skemono]

The IDW comics exist in their own continuity. So while they'll take Transformers from any of the existing series, that doesn't mean that every character exists in this continuity (yet).

Previously, there was an Arcee comic which said that Arcee was the only female Transformer, because a mad scientist forcibly made her so.

Yeah, it was... problematic, I hear.

So the comics were in a bit of a continuity bind vis-a-vis female characters.

[q99]

I'll note that BW/BM machine types are quite uncommon, Rattrap and Waspinator are both relatively recent additions.

[zechs80]

It feels weird seeing Starscream act around like that in his Armada form. Then again it feels weird just seeing Tankor there too.

[beoweasel]

I miss honorable warrior Starscream from Armada, he had the most awesome death too.

[silverzeo]

Looks like they're using almost every style in TF history... save for G1... and the movies...

[silverxenomorph]

I like the mis-mash of styles. I keeps things fresh and interesting. It's throwing fans of many series a bone and stops everybody looking boring (That and I'm a sucker for that TFA style).

[silverzeo]

HEY! I just realize... in Beast Machines (Fat) Tankor was really Rhinox... so does this mean that Rhinox is full Depecticon or is just a drone Vechicon that got "upgraded" in the ranks?