Shattered Balance

The Maximals' hunt for the Origin Matrix reaches its goal.

Synopsis

At the Graviton, Depth Charge has the computer lock on the coordinates of Origin Matrix, and tells it to inform the others that he's gone hunting for it. Blasting off, Depth Charge finds a hatch, and descends down it into an underground chamber. Unfortunately, Depth Charge activates the security systems when he reaches the bottom, bringing numerous turrets online and ready to fire. Back at the Graviton, Prowl has managed to come up with an alternative source of energy: organic food. Pleased, Ultra Mammoth prepares to move out to Depth Charge's location. Silverbolt is still worried about what Megatron plans to do with the energy purifier his troops stole. Mammoth shares his concerns, but the Origin Matrix takes priority. As they move out, however, the spying Seawing transmits their conversation to Megatron, who has him return to base in preparation for their attack...

Back at the chamber, Depth Charge has managed to take out most of the turrets. Unfortunately, as he takes out two more, the finale turret manages to clip him, and prepares to blast him in the head. Depth Charge is saved, however, when Ultra Mammoth takes it out with his cannon; Mammoth admonishes the extra-dimensional Maximal for going off on his own, much to Depth Charge's chagrin. Heading forward, the Maximals are soon confronted by strange bio-mechanical bat-like creatures, who attack them. Depth Charge tells Mammoth to head forward while he and the others keep the bats busy, as only a leader can recover the Matrix. Reluctantly pushing forward, Ultra Mammoth finds the Origin Matrix, and is confronted by a seemingly-familiar face: Primus! The construct explains that he is not Ultra Mammoth's god; rather, it is based on a figure of authority from his memory banks. The hologram proceeds to explain that this planet is part of "the Experiment," studying the chaos that this universe is based on. Mammoth pleads with the construct to give him the Matrix so he can restore order to this world; the construct tells him that chaos is the natural order of this universe...but the Matrix does not hail from this world, and only it can decide if Mammoth is worthy...

The Maximals are soon surrounded by the creatures, who have shifted into humanoid form, ready to destroy the intruders. Fortunately for the Maximals, Mammoth has managed to recover the Origin Matrix, and uses its light to scare off the creatures. The threats aren't over yet, however; the ground begins to rumble, and the ceiling to the chamber is vaporized, reveal the Predacons led by Megatron, encased in a massive, reptilian mecha. Megatron demands that they hand the Matrix over, or be annihilated!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Did you get all that, Megatron?"
"Indeed Seawing... You've proven yourself to not be completely inept. Return to base - it's time to teach these Maximals how to roll over... and stay dead."

—Seawing and Megatron keeping tabs on the Maximals.

"You have entered The Experiment, an exercise in chaos, the very nature of the universe."
"My soldiers... my friends are dying out there! We need the matrix to fight against the chaos. To restore order!"
"Chaos is the natural order of this universe, something you shall learn in time."

—"Primus" and Ultra Magnus

Notes

• Characters mentioned include Primus.

Transformers references

• Depth Charge refers to the Origin Matrix's handlers as "sneaky death-faced creeps"; as later made obvious in this chapter, this is in reference to the Vok from Beast Wars, enigmatic aliens who resembled ghostly skulls.
• Several numbers are inscribed into the hatch that Depth Charge enters: 1887, the year in which Infestation 2: The Transformers takes place; 1984, the year in which the Transformers awoke on the Ark in both the Marvel comic and Sunbow cartoon; 2005, the year in which The Transformers: The Movie took place; and 2010, the year in which the third season of The Transformers cartoon took place in the Japanese dub.
• The idea that Transformers could eat organic food was seen several times in the Beast Wars series, especially with Tarantulas.
• Ultra Magnus tells Silverbolt that they "can't deal with that right now" when discussing the energy purifier, paraphrasing his famous line from The Transformers: The Movie.
• The bat creatures are based on Beast Wars Transmetal 2 Maximal Sonar.
• The Vok's use of Primus's guise to interact with Mammoth mirrors that of Beast Wars cartoon Vok using the guise of Unicron to interact with Optimus Primal. The holographic Primus is specifically based on the head of his Cybertron incarnation.
• As hinted at last issue, Megatron has created a giant mech, based off of Gigastorm from Beast Wars II; Gigastorm was the upgraded form of Megastorm, who was a minor redeco of Megatron's original Generation 2 toy.