A Rage in Heaven!

The Autobot-Decepticon alliance makes its final stand against the Swarm.

Generation 2 #12
Originally published: October, 1994

Automatic: Simon Furman AutoCAD: Manny Galan Autolysis: Jim Amash Autograph: Starkings/Comicraft Autochrome: Sarra Mossoff Autoknowbetter: Rob Tokar Autopsy: Tom Defalco Artist on Chapters 2 and 4: Geoff Senior

Electro, Swoop, Razorclaw, Manta Ray, Leadfoot, Ramjet, Wheeljack, Skywarp or Thundercracker, Slingshot, Dirge, Nightbeat, Rook, Liege Maximo.
 * Major characters (in order of appearance): Optimus Prime, Megatron, Jhiaxus, various Imperials, the Swarm, Grimlock, Starscream, Powerdrive, Jazz, Ransak, Scrapper, Bonecrusher, Long Haul, Springer (G1), Kup, Slag, Frenzy, Volt, Motormaster, Perceptor, Soundwave, Hot Rod,

Synopsis
Book One: Judgement Prime recalls the racial history that has brought the Transformers to this moment: the Starscream-possessed Warworld, the Cybertronian warships, and the Swarm all face off above Earth. Aboard the Warworld, Starscream confesses that he's feeling an irrational urge to protect and do good, against all his native instincts. Prime explains that it's the Matrix's influence, and hints that he might be able to help.

Jhiaxus's troops are baffled by the Swarm, but he dismisses it as some last-ditch trick by the Autobots, and gives the order to attack. Starscream prepares to give up the Matrix to Prime; before doing so, he alerts Prime and Megatron to the Imperials' attack, which is likely to provoke the Swarm out of its momentary hesitation. The Swarm easily devours the Empire's finest warships, leaving tens of thousands of troopers dead. Starscream returns the Matrix to Prime, making him whole again, and leaving himself back in his original body.

Jhiaxus orders a full assault on the Swarm, and crushes the head of a trooper who suggests that they cannot fight it. As Optimus Prime approaches Twightlight on a sky-sled, Jhiaxus gives orders to "let him come!"

Book Two: Twighlight Megatron hasn't killed Starscream, but it's only because he needs help loading the Rheanimum gas onto a shuttle.

Prime makes his way through the chaos of Twighlight, where frantic troopers are scrambling to escape. The chaos gives him an easy path to the bridge -- but when he finds Jhiaxus, the enraged Cybertronian attacks him in a fury, blaming Prime for his world coming apart. Jhiaxus is seconds away from crushing Prime's head, when the Swarm bursts through the ship's shields. Jhiaxus challenges it; it responds, mimicking his body form, then consumes him. An explosion destroys Twightlight; Prime is blasted free, but the Swarm pursues him.

Megatron observes the ship's demise and reflects that he can no longer help Prime; and regardless, his responsibility is to the Transformers below, on the planet's surface. He's coated himself with the Rheanimum, and hopes that the gas will protect him. To make planetfall, he's going to have to test it -- the Swarm has surrounded Earth.

Book Three: Siege On Earth, a group of Autobots and Decepticons under Soundwave and Grimlock's command prepares to make a final stand, fortifying their position. The Swarm moves in on them, and they trigger their defenses. Manta Ray ignores Razorclaw's orders in favor of Grimlock's, prompting Razorclaw to brand him a traitor. Before he can carry out the death sentence, however, Leadfoot chops Razorclaw's head off -- Autobots have to stick together, after all. The Swarm breaks down the group's force shields, and they prepare for the final stand.

In space, Prime wakes to find that he's alive and aboard the Warworld, saved by Starscream. Starscream offers him a shot of Rheanimum as the Swarm approaches, but Prime refuses. In his brief contact with the Swarm, Prime realized that the mass is alive, but empty and searching -- and he may have the answer to what it wants.

Grimlock's troops try all manner of weapons, but nothing stops the Swarm. Casualties mount, but at last Megatron arrives -- both he and the Rheanimum canisters survived the Swarm's touch, but his shuttle did not. The Transformers quickly distribute the Rheanimum to protect themselves.

Starscream prepares to leave, but tosses a canister to Prime just in case he changes his mind; the Matrix's aftereffects still linger within him. Prime resists the temptation -- for his plan to work, he must die.

Book Four: Creation The Swarm devours Optimus Prime, consuming him molecule by molecule. But when it breaks through to the Matrix chamber, light and life burst forth. Prime takes all the goodness of Primus, and gives it to the Swarm. As the stunned Autobots and Decepticons watch, a light grows, changing the Swarm. And amid the light, they witness the miracle of creation... as Optimus Prime steps forth, reconstituted as a parting gift from the reborn Swarm. The survivors gather, and rally around their newfound unity.

But far away, in a region of space known as the Hub, Rook reports to the titanic entity known as the Liege Maximo. He notes that Megatron does indeed live; the Liege would feel the death of one of his decendants. He is unconcerned by the loss of Jhiaxus and his battalions; they are but a fraction of his empire, and the Autobot-Decepticon alliance is fragile. The day of reckoning will come!

Errors

 * Manny Galan's work was put next to Geoff Senior's.