Interlude (Movie Prequel)

Transformers: Movie Prequel »
"Interlude"
Publisher	IDW Publishing
First published	June 2, 2007 (online); July 3, 2007 (in theaters)
Written by	Simon Furman & Chris Ryall
Art by	Andrew Wildman
Colors by	Josh Burcham
Letters by	Robbie Robbins
Edits by	Ted Adams
Continuity	Movie continuity

Bumblebee scours planet Earth for clues to the AllSpark's location.

Synopsis

The year is 2003, and Bumblebee drives the streets of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, looking back on the events that have brought him there. To keep it from the tyrannical Megatron, the Autobots ejected the life-giving AllSpark from their planet of Cybertron, only for the Decepticon leader to successfully locate the artifact's new resting place, Earth. Now Bumblebee has followed, desperately chasing down leads on the AllSpark's location in the hopes that it can be recovered before Megatron obtains it.

The Autobot's investigations have led him to Captain Archibald Witwicky, an explorer who had an otherworldly encounter in 1897 and whose descendants may now hold the key to locating the AllSpark. Driven insane by the experience, Archibald was treated in a Baton Rouge asylum, and it is the digital records of that facility that Bumblebee now scans, looking for details on the man's family. The effort is successful, and Bumblebee sets out for Springfield, Missouri, once the home of Witwicky's son Clarence. However, the Autobot's investigation has not gone unnoticed: Sector Seven detected "N.B.E.-2" when he scanned the asylum and have mobilized field units to intercept him in vehicle mode on Route 19. After being shunted off the main road, Bumblebee is hit with a grappling claw fired by one of Sector Seven's unmarked vans. However, the Autobot manages to turn the tables, using the cable to send the van careening into another Sector Seven vehicle, breaking him free in the process.

Having made a speedy getaway, Bumblebee reaches Springfield, but finds the former Witwicky home empty. Luckily, scanning the laptop computer of a nearby real estate agent reveals that the property passed into the hands of Clarence's son, Herbert Witwicky, before eventually being sold, the profits split between Herbert's six children. Bumblebee decides to work his way through the siblings in order of age, taking him first to Denver, Colorado, which yields no further leads. The Autobot begins his journey to the next location, Tucson, Arizona, but suddenly finds himself confronted by a Sector Seven attack helicopter!

The helicopter fires on Bumblebee with a cryo-freeze cannon, but the Autobot is able to dodge and retaliates by repurposing his solar receptors into emitters, creating an intense burst of light that blinds his attackers. Bumblebee makes a break for it into the open country, transforming into robot mode, but finds himself pursued by a police car... which proceeds to also transform, revealing itself as the Decepticon Barricade! Bumblebee knows that his assailant is more than a match for him in combat, but drawing inspiration from the past words of Optimus Prime, the Autobot resolves to fight and prevail!

Featured characters

(Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.)
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Notes

• This issue was the first of two free prequel comics released by IDW in cooperation with Target. It was initially made available online on Target's website, and subsequently released in print as a freebie for BotCon 2007 attendees and at cinema screenings of the Transformers film. Originally labelled simply Transformers: Movie Prequel with no individual title, the story was later dubbed "Interlude" when reprinted as part of Transformers: Movie Prequel Special, a one-shot collecting it and the second Target prequel comic, released to regular comic book retail.
• As part of Target's Robo-Vision promotion, several panels throughout the issue feature a red "targeting HUD"-style overlay and hidden codewords that can be revealed with a clear red plastic Robo-Vision Decoder, similarly to the Tech Specs of the Generation 1 toyline. The secret messages, which include "SECTOR 7", "SENTIENT", "ACTIVISION" and "ENERGON", were originally used to unlock special content on Target's Robo-Vision promotional website. The messages and overlay effects were removed for the Movie Prequel Special reprint of this story.
• In a final bit of cross-promotion, Bumblebee passes a Target truck on Route 19. Similarly to the Robo-Vision elements, this was removed for the Movie Prequel Special reprint, with the truck's livery replaced with an ad for All Hail Megatron.

Continuity notes

• The events of this story take place between pages of Movie Prequel #4, serving to explain how Bumblebee went from investigating Archibald Witwicky in Baton Rouge to pulling up on a Colorado roadside, smoking and damaged. It's not impossible the unnamed asylum he scans in this issue is intended to be the same facility as the Psychopathic Institute for the Long-Term Insane, which Bumblebee is seen scanning in Movie Prequel #4—the buildings are drawn to look very differently, but the two stories had different artists.

Transformers references

• Some of this issue's events parallel the Infiltration and Escalation mini-series, which Furman had recently completed at the time. Examples include Sector Seven tracking and attacking Bumblebee on the highway, and Bumblebee rocketing off across the desert at high speed to escape.
• A truck based on Generation 1 Optimus Prime can be seen driving into Denver as Bumblebee is leaving.

Real-life references

• A screenshot of the IDW discussion forums appears as a readout while Bumblebee researches Herbert Witwicky.

Errors

• It perhaps stretches credulity that somebody bothered to digitize the medical records of a patient who likely died before World War II. Sector Seven describes Bumblebee as accessing the Internet to retrieve them, but presumably the intent is that he's connecting to some kind of local network at the asylum.
• The idea introduced here that Bumblebee had already zeroed in on the Witwicky family as early as 2003 begs the question of what exactly he spent the next four years doing—did it really take all that time to track down Ron Witwicky?
• There's no clear reason for why Bumblebee transforms into robot mode after fleeing the helicopter, especially if he's trying to get away as fast as possible.

Other notes

• Mentioned characters: Clarence Witwicky, Agent Simmons, Herbert Witwicky, Ben Witwicky
• Ask Vector Prime would later retcon the Human Alliance character Major Sparkplug into being one of unnamed brothers that this issue establishes for Ron Witwicky.

Cover

• Optimus Prime and Bumblebee in Robo-Vision, by Don Figueroa and Josh Burcham

Advertisements

• Coupon for $3 off Transformers The Game
• Various movie toys and merchandise for sale at Target
• Giftcards in Disguise, from Target

External links

• Interlude available at Target's website in PDF form