Aftershock (Energon comic)

Tidal Wave coerces Ironhide into reactivating a doomsday weapon that he'd built millions of years before

=Energon #24=

Script: Simon Furman Pencils: James Raiz Inks: Rob Armstrong Lettering: Ben Lee Colors: Jong-Im Lee, Josh Perez, Elliot Kravchik


 * Major characters (in order of appearance):Ironhide, Landmine, Rodimus, Jetfire, Tidal Wave, Cliffjumper
 * Originally published: June, 2004

Synopsis
Ironhide is overseeing the construction of a new base on Cybertron. Jetfire comes in to check on him, and while Ironhide starts in with a bunch of Perceptor-like technobabble, Jetfire heads out and tells him to try and finish on-schedule, as Optimus Prime is counting on him. When Ironhide and Cliffjumper head off to check on the smelting plant, Tidal Wave attacks and shoots Cliffjumper off the road. Ironhide asks why he can't leave him alone, but Tidal Wave remarks that even though the war ended, Ironhide is still his prisoner. Tidal Wave reminds him of the seismic-shock warheads that he had coerced Ironhide into building for the Decepticons millions of years ago, and says that Scorponok wants them reactivated. Ironhide initially declines, but Tidal Wave reminds him of something else: back them, whenever he said no, someone died. He levels his weapon at the fallen Cliffjumper, and Ironhide quickly agrees to do what he wants.

Back at the base, Jetfire has noticed that Ironhide is long overdue to return and goes looking for him. Meanwhile, Ironhide arrives at one of the warhead's bunkers. He mentions that the warheads were originally Megatron's no-win option: if it looked like he was going to lose, he would retreat to a safe distance and detonate the warheads, obliterating Cybertron. Tidal Wave tells him that Scorponok intends to do the same thing, but that the target will instead be Earth. As the Earth splits apart, all the energon will spill out for the taking. Ironhide opens the control panel and feigns opening the rocket to release the warhead, but instead arms it. Tidal Wave screams at him, and Ironhide coldly responds that he would rather destroy Cybertron than let the Decepticons destroy Earth. In a panic Tidal Wave flees through a space bridge portal, shortly before Jetfire arrives. Seeing the shockwaves that are ripping apart the sides of the bunker, he demands to know what's going on. Ironhide tells him that while it looks bad, the worst is over. Moments later, the shockwaves subside.

Later, Ironhide finishes explaining his history with Tidal Wave to Jetfire and Rodimus, saying that the Decepticons mostly left him alone to build the bunkers once the warheads were completed, and never knew that he had secretly installed a shock absorber that would cause the warhead to destroy itself when activated. Jetfire puts his hand on Ironhide's shoulder and tells him that he's finally starting to sound like an Autobot.

Errors

 * TBA

Items of note

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