Swarm (comic issue)

'''The Autobot-Decepticon Alliance discovers the secret of the Swarm. . . just in time to be attacked by the Cybertronian Empire.'''

Generation 2 #9
Originally published: July, 1994

This issue contains a main story, "Swarm", and a backup story, "Tales of Earth Part Six".

Swarm
Writer: Simon Furman Penciler: Manny Galan Inker: Jim Amash Letterbots: Starkings with Comicraft Colorbot: Sarra Mossoff Editor: Tokar


 * Major characters (in order of appearance): Optimus Prime, Megatron, Grimlock, Kup, some Technobot?, Perceptor, Wheeljack, assorted Karnians, assorted Imperials, Mindset, the Swarm, Onslaught, Blast Off, Jhiaxus, Starscream.

Synopsis
On J'asik, fourth moon of Kol, the Auobot-Decpeticon Alliance finds nothing but corpses and a world sucked dry. Prime's visions are now reality. Something is consuming worlds, and Prime fears it's related somehow to the Transformers. He orders a complete science sweep. Megatron thinks this is a waste of time, but is content simply to complain while he finishes healing.

Elsewhere, on the planet Karn, the furry purple locals are dealing with a threat no less lethal: the Cybertronian Empire. The Imperials, under the command of Mindset, go about exterminating the humanoids with emotionless efficiency. When they lose contact with their northwest perimeter watch, they investigate, and discover the consuming menace of the Swarm. They fight back, briefly. As the Swarm consumes them, however, it recognizes something familiar in them. When Mindset transforms in front of it, the Swarm becomes certain that it has found what it is looking for.

Then it eats him. As Mindset dies, "billions" of lightyears away, the Decepticon Onslaught doubles over with pain. His fellow Combaticon, Blast Off, asks him what's wrong, but he just shrugs it off. Over the millenia he has forgotten about budding, and even if he remembered, he would be unaware that he can feel it when a descendant of his is killed. Prime also feels it, and can somehow identify the cause.

On Ethos, where the Alliance recently defeated the Imperials, Jhiaxus surveys the results. A stranger approaches. It's Starscream and he wants to make a deal. ..

Tales of Earth Part Six
Writerbot: Simon Furman Pencilbot: Manny Galan Inkerbot: Jim Amash "Letterbots": Starkings/Comicraft "Colorbot": Sarra Mossoff


 * Major characters (in order of appearance): Optimus Prime, Megatron, Perceptor, Wheeljack.

Synopsis
At Autobase on Earth, Prime, Megatron, and their science team examine the data regarding the destruction on J'asik. Perceptor reports that they found traces of matter that is unmistakably genetically related to the Transformers. Megatron accuses Prime of having known this was coming. Prime explains the visions he's been having, and tells Megatron about budding. Just as they resolve to confront this offshoot of Transformer reproduction, however, the base shakes. Time's up: The Empire is attacking in force.