Beast Hunters issue 7

Beast Hunters issue 7 is the seventh installment in the Transformers Prime: Beast Hunters comic series.

Plot: Just as the Dinobots seem to be gaining control of their situation, a Predacon appears to throw things into chaos once more.

Synopsis
As Grimlock and Swoop marvel at the restored Cybertron, they reunite with Snarl and beginning a putting a plan together to find out who is responsible for reviving their homeworld. Chromia objects to the idea of the Dinobots leaving the civilians unprotected, but fortunately, before an argument can really get underway, Swoop picks up a distorted communication calling any and all surviving Autobots to gather at Kaon. Though skeptical, Grimlock understands what this could mean: that Optimus Prime may have returned, and that the Autobots may have won the war!

Beneath the planet, Sludge receives some troubling news from Firestar and Zoom—the reformatting of the planet has destroyed Last Spark, and they are the only two survivors. A tremor suddenly shakes the tunnel, and Sludge is quick to realize that it is not a natural phenomenon, but rather the work of a rampaging Predacon that soon comes crashing through the wall! Sludge engages the beast so that his two friends have time to escape, shifting to robot mode to make use of his weaponry when tooth and claw prove insufficient to fend off the monster. The Predacon brushes him off, however, and goes after Firestar and Zoom, seizing the younger 'bot in its jaws and carrying him away.

Back up on the surface, Chromia is trying to convince Grimlock that everyone should depart for Last Spark immediately, but Grimlock—with his leadership position now in question in light of the changed circumstances—insists that they must wait until all missing 'bots are accounted for. Slug takes this as a cue to announce his arrival, though he arrives without Blackout, who has not survived the journey. Just as he is updating his comrades on Sludge, a platoon of Forged soldiers crest the horizon and open fire on the Dinobots, their determination to eradicate the Autobots untempered by the planet's rebirth.

Down below, Sludge is attempting to find Firestar and Zoom when he comes upon the fatally wounded body of the young Autobot. The dying Zoom tells Sludge that he fought the creature off "like a Dinobot", and as the life leaves his body, Sludge tells him he's not "like" a Dinobot: as far as he's concerned, he is one. Hearing a thump behind him, Sludge whirls with his gun drawn, only to gape in surprise at the figure standing there...

Up top, the Dinobots are enjoying their first open-air battle in a long time when Firestar emerges, trying to warn them of the Predacon's approach. She is too late, however—the huge beast bursts from the ground a second later, and Grimlock orders Firestar to safety while the Dinobots encircle and engage it. The Predacon takes all their attacks and stays standing, prompting Swoop to suggest falling back, but Grimlock is having none of it. Luckily, the creature is sent fleeing when it is caught off-guard by a blast from Sludge, who arrives with good news: Bulkhead, Arcee, and Bumblebee are with him!

Transformers references

 * The unnamed Predacon that attacks the Dinobots this issue is based on the Skystalker/Skylynx mold with a black and rust color scheme. Funnily enough, the last generic Predacon the team faced, Backbite, back in Rage of the Dinobots, was also based on this mold.