The Age of Wrath issue 1

'''Peace on Cybertron! Or is it?'''

Writer: Simon Furman Pencils: Joe Ng Inks: Tracy Ho Additional Inks: Ferd Poblete Colors: Rob Ruffolo, David Cheung, Josh Burcham Letters: Ben Lee


 * Original release date: September 15th, 2004
 * Preceded by: The Dark Ages, Part 6
 * Followed by: The Age of Wrath, Part 2
 * Characters (In order of appearance): Ultra Magnus, Grimlock, Starscream, Motormaster, Dead End, Predacon (War Within), Slamdance, Eronus, Neo, Templar, Swoop Shockwave, Soundwave, Decepticons, Ratbat, Ultracons, Barrage, Wheeljack, Runabout, Runamuck, Aerospace Elimination Squadron, Megatron
 * '' Chronology: The Age of Wrath

Synopsis
Ultra Magnus recounts to an image of Optimus Prime of all the hard work and effort and sheer strength of character that was needed for Ultra Magnus to fill the void left by Optimus, after Optimus sacrificed himself to remove Megatron from the equation. The resentment in Ultra Magus's words almost tangible. Grimlock arrives and announces that it's time for the ceremony to finalize the peace between four of the six factions.

On Moon Alpha, Starscream rallies the Ultracons, explaining that their plan is to crash the ceremony.

Live from the new High Council pavilions, Slamdance broadcasts from the Chamber of The Ancients, where the apprentice council members will fill the void left by the previous council after their murder. At the same time, a holographic projection of Slamdance broadcasts from Tyger Pax where the four assembled leaders will essentially shake hands. Grimlock admits to Ultra Magnus that there is a potential security problem with the arrangements.

The Decepticons and Ultracons arrive, and Barrage displays some lingering hostile feelings. Ultra Magnus begins a speech, but Shockwave makes it clear that the Decepticon's surrender is just their manner of cutting their losses. Slamdance described how the ceremony deactivates the weaponry in each faction's storage, and stores energy from the four leaders in a ceremonial spherical containment field.

Swoop radios to Grimlock, reporting a pair of rapidly incoming transports. When it's evident the transports are loaded with explosives. Grimlock commands Wheeljack to initiate protocol Hydra-Nine, but that doesn't stop the transports from exploding.

Slamdance loses the signal from Tyger Pax, but has something more important to worry about: Starscream breaks into the chamber and executes the new Council.

The rest of the Predacons stand in the area leveled by the explosion, but when the smoke clears, the Autobots and Decepticons emerge ready to fight back against their assailants. Their survival attributed to smart thinking on Grimlock's behalf, he expanded the energy field used to hold the leader's energy into a shield to protect the leaders. Ultra Magnus says that now the remaining insurgents won't be able to do any real harm. As if on que, a sniper shot from Motormaster tears through the shielding and is headed right for Magnus. Grimlock sees the shot and steps in to take the hit instead of the Autobot leader.

With Grimlock down, Wheeljack and the three remaining leaders suddenly find themselves surrounded by an army of soldiers similar in design to Starscream, but they are actually the Aerospace Extermination Squadron. A plethora of drones loyal to Megatron!

Quotes
"And there I'd be revealed, the pretender-to-the-throne..."
 * -Ultra Magnus

"Me... peace..." "...wouldn't...have...worked..."
 * -Grimlock

Items of Note

 * This issue was available with five covers.
 * Wraparound cover version by Joe Ng
 * Regular cover by Don Figueroa
 * Incentive cover version by Pat Lee
 * Dynamic Forces regular cover which I hope is also by Pat Lee
 * Dynamic Forces blue foil cover limited to 500 copies.


 * Ultra Magnus's line about being a pretended to the throne is a reference to the story Pretender to the Throne!
 * Tyger Pax, more like, Pax Cybertronia.
 * Hey, "Seibertron" is written on the platform Grimlock an Ultra Magnus are standing on at the ceremony.
 * This marks the second time Starscream is responsible for killing the Council of Ancients. Meaning it's one of the two times when the sequence from the start of The Omega Effect could have occured.
 * The Predacon blasted in the face moments after Starscream executed the council is a fan character of X-Warlock, who at the time was a moderator of Transformers fan forum The Allspark.
 * The red, deactivated Autobot's who head is visible on the same panels is the head of a fan character belonging to Defunct, who at the time was enjoying some Timbits and listening to Rush. Maple Syrup, Prime Minister, Molson.
 * Hey, is that Arcee?


 * This issue contained advertisements for:
 * G.I. Joe Valor vs Venom DVD
 * The Route of All Evil: "Payback's a 'bot!" Dreamwave G1 Ongoing #10
 * Multiplicity, Pt. 3: "The Haunting" Energon #28
 * Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front (double-page centerfold)
 * Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front (again)
 * More Than Meets The Eye G1 Guidebook vol. one.
 * Victims of the Revolution: Micromasters #4
 * Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front (back cover)
 * "Declarations of War" page has reader mail answered by Matt Hansen
 * Wavelengths page has a letter from the desk of Erik Sander