Passive Aggression

There's combat on the surface, and meetings in the underground.

=Dreamwave Volume 2 #4= Writer: Brad Mick Pencils: Pat Lee Inks: Rob Armstrong Backgrounds: Edwin Garcia Layout assists: Ferd Poblete Colors: Espen Grundetjern, Alan Wang & Gary Yeung Letters: Paul Villafuerte


 * Originally published: May 21st 2003
 * Preceded by: Cold War
 * Followed by: Countdown to Extinction (comic issue)

Menasor, Ultra Magnus Roadbuster, Ramjet, Grimlock, Slag, Sludge, Snarl, Shockwave, Blitzwing, Ironhide, Bluestreak, Bumblebee, Mirage, Broadside, Hound, Gears Prowl, Smokescreen, Optimus Prime, Gnaw, Blurr, Wheelie, Hot Rod, Kup, Swoop, Runamuck, Arcee, Blaster, Springer,
 * Characters (in order of appearance):

Synopsis
With the Omnibots already down, Security Team Dion do what they can to qwell Menasor's terrorism of the city. During the combat, Ultra Magnus reflects on the differences and similarity between him and his brother Optimus Prime. After some goading and taunting to disharmonize the individual Stunticons, a truck-to-the-face takes Menasor out of action. As Magnus helps Topspin, Twintwist points out evidence connecting Rumble and/or Frenzy to the crime scene (who Magnus last saw coming out of Shockwave's office), prompting even more suspicious from Magnus regarding Shockwave's agenda.

Elsewhere, the Dinobots remain en route to the obvious source of the corruption on Cybertron - Shockwave's tower. But Grimlock breaks from the group to personally visit Shockwave at the smelting pits. Before Grimlock can execute Shockwave, Blintzwing interferes, still angry about having his canon bent out of shape in Alaska.

Broadside and the Autobots from Earth head to an unknown destination. But under the cover of a cloud of smoke, Prowl and Ironhide are passed to Smokescreen, who starts to lead the two to a destination somewhere in Cybertron's wastelands. On the way, they pass some graffiti left by a separate Autobot movement.

Optimus, (last seen being both rescued and attacked by a Sharkticon) wakes up to see the Sharkticon's face again. Panicked and unaware of his location, Optimus strikes out at the Sharkticon, while Blurr and Wheelie quickly and ineffectively try to detain the elder Autobot. Before anyone can be seriously hurt, Hot Rod arrives and forces Prime (at gunpoint) to relax. Then Kup shows up and lays it on the line.

Almost at their destination, The Dinobots are quickly taken out by a gigantic figure. Slag is barely able to radio to Grimlock for help. On the other end of the communication, Grimlock is preoccupied fighting against Shockwave and Blitzwing. A rocket from Ultra Magnus takes the Dinobot commander out of commission.

Kup gives Optimus a tour of the resistance group's base, introducing Arcee and Blaster. Blaster introduces that Shockwave is broadcasting a code to exacerbate the recent surface violence. Springer arrives with Smokescreen, Kup, and Ironhide. Kup and Ironhide had a tender old-timer reunion, when Springer reveals an immediate threat to any counter-Shockwave resistance effort: The reactivated Sentinel

Items of Note

 * This issue was available with two covers that could connect to form a single image.
 * A cover with Springer, Gnaw, Arcee and the left side of the back of Prime's head.
 * A cover with Kup, Hot Rod and the right side of the back of Prime's head.
 * Ultra Magnus's defeat of Menasor is an abbreviated parallel of Optimus Prime single-handedly taking down Devastator in the previous volume.
 * Like many Transformers action figures, Smokescreen's allegiance is revealed by rubbing his rubsign.
 * All Autobots and Decepticons, after a millennia of war, either haven't all ready met each other (hence Smokescreen introducing himself) OR Smokescreen was re-introducing himself because he's gotten a new form since the Autobots last left on the Ark.
 * It's never made quite clear why Prime has to be taken through the slave trails first, then Prowl and Ironhide later.
 * Hey, Devcon!
 * That's not Omega Supreme on the last page. In the Dreamwave G1 continuity, several Sentinel robots sharing Omega Supreme's design exist.
 * It's unconfirmed if Sandstorm survived last issue.