The Ascending issue 1

Behind the Beast Wars and between seconds, Razorbeast's Maximal's fight Ravage's Decepticons

Writer: Simon Furman Penciler: Don Figueroa Inker: Mark Bristow Colorist: Andrew Elder & Jeong Joo Park Letterer: Robbie Robbins Edits by: Chris Ryall & Dan Taylor


 * Release date: October 3rd, 2007 (interior date is August)
 * Perceded by: The Gathering, Part 4
 * Followed by: The Ascending, Part 2

Synopsis
Magmatron, shifted out of existence, monitors reality as a chronal ghost. Able to access and witness all of time but interact with nothing.

In prehistoric times, on earth, Razorbeast, Prowl, and Wolfang consider their place on Earth, fighting Ravage, unsure if there's any chance of rescue.

Elsewhere, Grimlock gets into a battle with Retrax and Manterror, but the fight is just a diversion to draw Grimlock away from Razorbeast's Maximal base. Retrax detonates some explosives that signal the start to a large battle between the two armies.

While Torca kicks tons of ass outside, Ravage sneaks inside of the Maximal base, to access the hardware that would allow himself to shift his place in time so that he might interact with Optimus Primal and Megatron's fight. Razorbeast stops Ravage and deduces from the desperation of the Predacon attack that Primal is close to winning conclusively. While Ravage explains, confirming the news and his intentions, Snarl slips into position to blast Ravage away from Razorbeast. The two Maximals knock the Predacon leader out.

Magmatron, watching the universe move forward, brings his attention back to the transwarp signal sent by the Maximals to request help from Cybertron. Although he's unable to interact with the physical world, he uses his temp oral presence to escort the transwarp radio message though space to arrive at it's intended destination. With his aid, the signal reaches Lio Convoy on Cybertron. The Prime decides to aid his agent on Earth.

In another location, perhaps another time, Shokaract lives.

Appearances
'''Cybertron Prologue pg1: Triceradon, Guiledart, Halfshell, Magmatron pg4: Unicron

Pre-historic Earth pg4:Razorbeast Prowl Wolfang pg5: Grimlock pg6: Manterror, Retrax

pg9 panel 2: Lazorbeak, Poisonbite six others pg9 panel 3: Optimus Minor, ??,??, ??, Polar Claw Air Hammer, ??, ?? pg10 panel 3: Insecticon six others pg11: 4 preds and Torca pg12: Ravage pg 6: Snarl

pg18 panel 2: B'Boom pg18 panel 4: Ramulus

Cybertron: pg19: Longrack, Stampy, Apache, Mach Kick pg20: Lio Convoy, Drillnuts

Cybertron (?): pg19: ?? x2 pg21: Shokaract

Items of Note

 * This issue was available in 2 different covers.
 * Cover A, the left (Maximal) side of an image drawn by Don Figueroa and colored by Josh Burcham
 * Cover B, the right (Predacon) side of the same images
 * Retailer Incentive A: Sketch cover by Nick Roche
 * Retailer Incentive B: An un-colored version the two regular covers combined into a single (wraparound) image.


 * Modern science suggests we wait and see how this all unfolds before Beast Wars Neo, Beast Wars 2nd, and Reaching the Omega Point.


 * This issue contains advertisements for:
 * Beast Wars: The Ascending, Part 2
 * CGC Grading, feat. Grimlock
 * Transformers posters
 * Transformers movie prequel comic
 * Transformers 2007 movie adaptation
 * Megatron Origin comic series
 * Transformers Trade paperbacks
 * Greatest battles of Optimus Prime and Megatron
 * The Transformers Cover Gallery Book 2
 * Star Trek: Year Four
 * Devastation, Part 1