Night of the Combaticons

Bruticus is unleashes on Earth by Starscream, while on Cybertron, something far deadlier awakens.

=Dreamwave G1 Ongoing #0=

Writer: Brad Mick Pencils: Don Figueroa Inks: Elaine To Colors: Espen Grundetjern & Rub Ruffolo Letters: Ben Lee

Starscream, Wheeljack, Sideswipe, Windcharger, Jazz, Bruticus, Brawn, Ratchet, Sunstreaker, Runabout, Runamuck, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Soundwave Rumble, Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, Bumper, Seaspray, Powerglide, Cosmos, Onslaught, Brawl, Blast Off, Swindle, Vortex, ????
 * Original release date: Febuary 4th, 2004
 * Preceded by: Generation 1, Issue Zero
 * Followed by: Black Sunshine
 * Characters (In order of appearance):

Synopsis
In Oregon, Starscream basks in victory, lamenting how Megatron is unavailable to witness Starscream's defeat of the Autobots. Jazz interrupts Starscream's celebration, but Bruticus squeezes Jazz into silence. Counting the bodies of his defeated foes, Starscream notices the absence of Ratchet and Brawn.

The two remaining Autobots, damaged after the fight, race back to the Ark. But due to a malfunction, the two have to dance around shots fired from the Ark's haywire defense systems. A quick drive-by from Brawn allows Ratchet to stumble inside, but leaves Brawn starring directly into one of the canons.

On Cybertron, Runabout and Runamuck have fun burning Mini-spies as they raid one of Shockwave's laboratories. Stumbling into a room full of containers full of inactive Transformer bodies, Runamuck's interest is drawn to one chamber glowing very brightly. While Runamuck peers inside the chamber, a hand suddenly reaches out and grabs his neck. Outside, Runabout suddenly feels fatigued, and falls in the presence of the same glowing hand. Praying to the Oracle for inspiration, the unleashed, radiant figure congeals a large orb of energy around himself and bursts out of the lab, into space.

Inside The Ark, Brawn wipes off the frothy white liquid that Ratchet sprayed in his face (coolant) to mask Brawn from the Ark's malfunctioning auto-guns. Joking with Ratchet about the close call, the two notice the defeated Decepticons who were earlier stashed in one of the Ark's prisons. Passing the captives, the two radio for assistance as Bruticus proceeds to tear into the Ark's defenses, tearing right into the cells where the Decepticons were being held.

Bumblebee receives Brawn's distress call while en route to Earth with a small crew in the Autobot ship The Orion. Brawn recaps how each faction on Earth had captured most of the other faction. When the signal is cut, Bumblebee orders hyperthrusters engaged.

The transmission was halted by a large piece of metal paneling wedged into the computer by Bruticus. Brawn throws the panel back into Bruticus's face as Ratchet activates the Ark's self-destruct sequence. The two are blown out of the Ark, astonished that Bruticus survived the destruction. Starscream blasts the two Autobots out of commission and berates the Combaticons for the destruction of the Ark.

Just outside of Earth, The Orion pulls itself out of orbit, to find themselves attacked by the radiant figure who escaped Shockwave's lab: The glorious Sunstorm.

Items of note

 * This issue was available with six covers.
 * "Heavy Metal War" double-page cover.
 * Regular cover with Bruticus grabbing Jazz.
 * Dealer incentive variant featuring Sunstorm. Retailers could purchase one version of this cover for every 25 regular covers ordered.
 * Transformerscon exclusive cover, featuring Dinobots raining from the sky.
 * Dynamic Forces exclusive cover limited to 2500 copies.
 * Silver Snail exclusive with art by Pat Lee limited to 1000 copies.


 * Very much happened between this issue and the last issue of the previous series. Portions of the gap are described eventually, most of the attack on the Autobots is recapped by Brawn, and the return of the Decepticons to Earth is expanded on in the next issue.
 * The attire Starscream sees his reflection in, and portions of his dialogue, are lifted from The Transformers: The Movie.
 * Language on Starscream's HUD reads, sideways (and mirrored) "the eye,""cliffjumper," and "red alert." but Shockwave, Red Alert, and Cliffjumper aren't on the same planet as Starscream at the time so this shouldn't be taken as a potential plot point or nothin.
 * Brawn has fuzzy dice.


 * Shockwave's laboratory contains a copy of Ultra Magnus's body - but the copy is in the colors of Diaclone Powered Convoy/Movie Preview Magnus. The other tanks contain Blaster (Twincast), Soundwave (Soundblaster ), a Perceptor body in Microman colors (this arrangement would later be labeled Magnificus) and Ricochet (who shares his mold with Jazz).


 * Bruticus's HUD reads "Megatron, I reserv (?) Vector Sigma."
 * The Autobot Supply Vessel Orion is identical to Galaxy Shuttle.
 * Brawn attaches a protective faceplate, which makes him closer resemble his original toy.


 * This issue contains advertisements for:
 * War and Peace trade paperback.
 * G.I. Joe Season 1, Part 1 DVD.
 * Viewtiful Joe.
 * The Dark Ages, Part 5
 * Transformers/G.I. Joe #6
 * Energon #20


 * Wavelengths features an article from the desk of Rob Ruffolo.